April 29, 2020 • bachelor insider
This Week in Bachelor Nation History: Matt Grant's Relationships Heat Up in Barbados
Temperatures weren’t the only thing heating up when Matt Grant headed to Barbados on Season 12 of "The Bachelor"!
Matt and his final three ladies — Shayne, Chelsea, and Amanda — traveled to the Caribbean island for their Fantasy Suite dates, which originally aired April 28, 2008. While there, they all took turns soaking up the sun and the island’s beautiful settings in a series of adventurous dates.
Shayne received the first date card of the week. Their chemistry could warm up even the coldest of days! For their outing, they took out a pair of Jet Skis and then swam out to a floating trampoline. Shayne showed off her gymnastic abilities, which Matt enjoyed very much.
Before their date, both Matt and Shayne expressed certainty about the strength of their relationship. Matt said in a voiceover while waiting for Shayne to arrive, "All the concerns I had with Shayne don’t exist anymore. I think all I need to experience here is that Shayne and I work. There’s always been a great connection with Shayne right from the start. We’re in one of the best places in the world, and it’s only going to get better."
Shayne revealed in a one-on-one moment with the camera, "I never would’ve imagined the feelings I have for Matt, but I really am 100 percent sure that I’m falling in love with this man."
While at dinner, Matt hoped to "find out a little bit about the serious Shayne." He inquired, "How much of Shayne is the blonde actor? How much is the intelligent, independent woman, which I know exists?"
Shayne asserted that she knows people stereotype her for her blonde hair, but "if you know me, you know me." She added, "I'm smart. I know what's going on. I'm an intellectual."
He told her he felt that their strong chemistry derives from coming from "two different worlds," meaning Shayne's laid-back Southern California attitude and Matt's London upbringing.
"I thought it would turn out to be a downfall, but it turned out to be positive," he said.
Shayne then revealed, "Honestly, I'm falling in love with you."
Matt told her he felt the same way, and the two went off to their Fantasy Suite together.
After his "brilliant date" with Shayne, Matt took Amanda out for a zip line outing in the jungle. Both he and Amanda are afraid of heights, but Matt said he thinks there's "something sexy about conquering our fear of heights together."
And so they did!
Matt and Amanda made it through the zip line portion and then headed to the beach for a romantic dinner. Amanda opened up about her feelings for him and admitted she has "a problem expressing emotion."
She shared, "I don’t want you to think it’s you. I don’t want to lose you because I can’t open up to you. I have all these emotions and I know how much I like you."
Matt told her how much he appreciated her saying that and called her "so genuine."
He said, "You are true. You are a warm, caring individual. That’s the Amanda that I know and the Amanda that I’m falling for."
She replied, "I really feel like you’re the guy I could be with forever. You have everything I’m looking for. Plus, I get this feeling when I’m around you. I’ve never wanted to be with somebody so bad. I don’t want to see you not be in my life."
While in their Fantasy Suite, Amanda said in a voiceover she could "see myself spending the rest of my life with him." However, she said she was "hesitant about getting hurt."
Matt's final date of the week with Chelsea started out on the opposite foot from his other two. Matt admitted he referred to his relationship with Chelsea as "a rollercoaster." They progressed during her Hometown Date, and Matt hoped that same chemistry and affection would carry over into their Fantasy Suite date.
Much to Matt's dismay, the date fell flat. "I hate to use the A-word, but it was awkward," he said.
They engaged in small talk about Barbados and its size, and she rebuffed some of his advances while they were laying down on their yacht. Things didn’t get much better when they went snorkeling with sea turtles and Chelsea kept herself at a distance. Matt called it "the worst date."
He said, "It was the most romantic setting in the world and touching the turtle was amazing. Chelsea wouldn’t really come that close to me. The turtle was closer to me physically than Chelsea. I had better eye contact with a turtle underwater with a goggle and mask on than I did with Chelsea. I was gutted."
However, their date improved drastically at dinner when Matt admitted he "got frustrated" during the daytime portion. Chelsea admitted she knew she wasn’t acting like herself and explained a lot of that stemmed from being "very disturbed by the fact that there are other girls here."
Matt understood where she was coming from, and after a long conversation, they migrated up to their Fantasy Suite. Chelsea even changed clothes to show off her "romantic side," which Matt loved.
At the Rose Ceremony, Matt offered his rose to Shayne and then Chelsea, sending Amanda home. Matt took her aside before sending her home and informed her, "Everything I've said to you, I've felt."
Amanda said, "I really thought I had found true love with you and you were that guy that completed everything. I really thought you had true feelings for me."
After Matt repeated that he always spoke the truth with her, she retorted, "I don't believe you."
Matt walked her to the limo and they parted ways before he announced the final two ladies would head to London with him to meet his parents.