March 29, 2021 • bachelor insider
This Week in Bachelor Nation History: Alex Michel & LaNease Adams Share First-Ever Franchise Kiss
Muah! This week marks 19 years since Alex Michel and LaNease shared the first kiss in the history of the Bachelor franchise.
As viewers witnessed on the inaugural season of “The Bachelor” in 2002, the pair locked lips on-camera during an intimate gondola ride along the man-made canals of the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.
LaNease reflected on the romantic — and monumental — moment while speaking with the “Carrie’s Chronicles” blog in August 2020.
“To be honest, I think it’s kinda cool. I know ‘The Bachelor’ is a show that people love to hate, but all of us in Season 1 were authentic and there for the right reason — to possibly find love,” the actress, producer, and author said at the time. “To be the first kiss on a franchise that has been a huge part of our generation is a fun fact that I’ll always hold near and dear. That moment was pretty nice.”
The Southern California resident added, “I didn’t think that Alex would go for a kiss. I mean, there I was on a gondola with him in Vegas. It felt pretty magical at the time for 23-year-old me. Plus, he was a really good kisser.”
LaNease also shared her first impression of the handsome lead, who now lives in Washington, D.C., and works as a media industry executive.
“I didn’t expect to like him. I’m pretty picky when it comes to who I’m attracted to, and that’s not on purpose,” she said. “It’s just who I am. I like smart, funny, kind men, and those are hard to find! I saw those qualities in Alex, and I was feeling him. That‘s what made our kiss so nice.”
Alex has kept a relatively low profile since his Bachelor journey concluded in the spring of 2002. After handing his final rose to Amanda Marsh — without an accompanying proposal — the couple eventually split in 2003 after 10 months of dating. While announcing news of her engagement to longtime love Chris in a July 2020 interview with Us Weekly, Amanda shared that Alex is now married with kids.
Want to catch up on previous seasons of the show? Find out all the ways you can watch here.
In the meantime, take a trip down memory lane by checking out the promo shots for Alex’s season of “The Bachelor.”
