The Bachelor Season 29 is over with Grant Ellis choosing Juliana Pasquarosa over Litia Garr in the finale. However, one contestant that stood out throughout the season’s process was contestant Zoe McGrady. Zoe, a 27-year-old tech engineer, also captivated Grant, but her journey was different from most, as she made it all the way to Fantasy Suites week without ever having a one-on-one date with the lead.

Zoe’s personality and competitive nature stood out with viewers. And, although she was eliminated after Fantasy Suite week, she was given another chance at love when host Jesse Palmer announced that she would be heading to the beach for Season 10 of Bachelor in Paradise. With the new season involving a controversial twist, will Zoe find a match in Mexico?

The Bachelor’s Zoe McGrady Is Returning To The Franchise

Zoe McGrady Will Get A Second Chance At Finding Love On Bachelor In Paradise Season 10

Zoe McGrady went far on Grant Ellis’ season of The Bachelor, which some fans may have found a bit shocking. Zoe never had a one-on-one date with the season’s lead, but she still made it all the way to hometown dates and eventually, Fantasy Suite week. Grant and Zoe connected, but ultimately, it was not as strong as his connections with Juliana Pasquarosa and Litia Garr.

During the season’s After the Final Rose, host Jesse Palmer revealed that Zoe will be back on the franchise on its spinoff, Bachelor in Paradise. It’s a fan-favorite spinoff that viewers are strongly looking forward to after it did not come back in 2024.

Zoe, who dazzled in a red dress, appeared on stage with Jesse and shared her excitement about finding love in Mexico. So far, she is the only contestant from Grant’s season that has been announced as a cast member for the new season of BiP.

Zoe McGrady Addressed Where She Stands With The Other Women Following Drama Early On In The Season

Zoe Admitted To Being More “Reserved” Compared To The Other Contestants

Zoe’s competitive nature got the best of her on Season 29 of The Bachelor. During a group date playing basketball (Grant is a former pro basketball player), Zoe upset the women when she stole Grant away for a lengthy period of time for a private moment. When the women got back to the house, they expressed their frustrations with Zoe. However, Zoe saw an opportunity and took it, and didn’t believe she had done anything wrong since the show is known for contestants stealing away a lead for some private time.

Contestants Alli Jo and Sarafiena were some of the contestants who were most upset with Zoe, but she defended her actions.

“First off, we have one shot at all of this. We have one shot at basketball. We have one shot on our group date today. We have one shot at this experience and, personally, I know I gave it my all today. I’m happy I got time with him. That’s what you gotta do. If one of you guys steals him, I’m not gonna be like, woe is me. You gotta do what you gotta do,” Zoe tells the group.

Sarafiena suggested that it was the “wrong place, wrong time,” for Zoe to steal Grant away. Meanwhile, Juliana believed it was “disrespectful” and Alli Jo admitted she was “pissed off.”

In an interview with the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Zoe was asked if she left the show with any friends as it was suggested that she was really “not here to make friends.” However, that couldn’t be further from the truth for Zoe, who told the hosts that she made genuine connections during her time on the show, but she’s just a “reserved person.”

“I am a very reserved person. I have been through very tough things in life and I have dealt with situations where it wasn’t good to be open and vulnerable. I think going into a place like this, we are all competing for the same guy, it’s not my natural instinct to go in and want to be best friends with all of you and be fake. That’s not me.”

“When I got to know people genuinely, then I became real friends with them and I do love them and want to support them. I’m so glad that we were all in this process together. If my biggest flaw is being reserved and keeping to myself, I’ll take that.”

Zoe shared that a few of the ladies came to the conclusion that she wasn’t trying to start any drama by stealing Grant away, which was when she was able to form these connections.

Is Anyone Else Joining Zoe From The Bachelor Season 29?

The BiP Cast Is Still Top Secret, But Two Men From Jenn Tran’s Season 21 Will Return

The cast of Season 10 of Bachelor in Paradise has not been released as of this writing. However, during the After the Final Rose, Jesse did announce two more cast members joining Zoe on the beach — Season 21’s The Bachelorette contestants, Jonathan Johnson and Hakeem Moulton.

Jesse had initially made the announcement during Season 21’s Men Tell All when he invited both men to participate in the upcoming season in August 2024.

Hakeem was the first to be asked back to the Bachelor franchise. When speaking to Us Weekly, he was “at a loss for words,” learning that he was going to be back on reality TV. Hakeem also promised viewers that he would go into the season “as serious as possible” and “lead with my heart first.”

Jonathan was also shocked when Jesse invited him back to the beach. In the same interview, he expressed, “I honestly was shook [when they announced it tonight]. I had no expectation. Nobody warned me. I wish they would have so I didn’t just, like, freak out.”

Jonathan continued, “Because, like, in my mind, I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I would ever do TV again,’ and then Jesse’s like, ‘So, there’s this thing on the beach that you’d be great for.’ And now, I’m just coming out of that mentality of like, I don’t ever want to miss again or hold myself back.'”

Additionally, Jesse surprised viewers during the After the Final Rose when he introduced a new twist for Season 10 — contestants from both The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette will also hit the beach. Fan-favorites Leslie Fhima and Gary Levingston will also have some fun in the sun, but it’s not yet known how people in their 60s and 70s interact with the other much younger participants.

There is no premiere date as of this writing. However, Season 10 of Bachelor in Paradise will air later this year.