The premiere of ‘The Bachelorette’ featured Katie Thurston meeting her 30 suitors — and choosing one lucky guy to receive the first impression rose.

Greg Grippo was the recipient of the first impression rose on the June 7 premiere of The Bachelorette. Although Greg was extremely nervous while meeting Katie Thurston, she wanted to assure him that she was interested in getting to know him more. So, she gave him the first impression rose to help calm his nerves — and he was definitely shocked.

When Greg met Katie, he admitted to being nervous off the bat. “I hope I’m not the only one who’s really nervous here!” he told her. She assured him that she was feeling the same way, and Greg seemed able to relax a tiny bit.

“You look so amazing,” he gushed. “I’m like choked up right now. I’m choked up I am serious. I was so happy when I found out you were the Bachelorette. I just keep saying….you’re the girl I would go up to in a bar. I’m just really excited to see where this goes. I’m so happy to be here with you tonight. I’m just so happy.”

After Katie met all the guys, she got to chat with a bunch of them one-on-one inside, and she was surprisingly attracted to Greg. “Coming into tonight, I thought I was going to be looking for someone who’s really outgoing, really loud, a really funny guy, owning the room,” she admitted. “But some of the guys I’m getting to know and start to like are kind of shy and I’m sort of thinking….maybe opposites do attract!”

Greg opened up to Katie about his big family, which includes eight nieces and nephews. He also gave her a cute necklace, constructed from pasta, which his niece made. She was so touched by the gift. “I have a big family,” Greg explained. “Family’s the most important thing in the world to me. You just seem like such a great girl and I just wanted to come into this and be able to let my walls down. I just want to be myself around you. I don’t know. I just want to be present with you.”

After the conversation, Katie knew Greg was still nervous, but she was smitten. “After he and I had some alone time to chat…there’s just something that’s really sticking out about him,” she revealed. Later, she pulled him aside to give him that first impression rose.

“I appreciate you opening up,” Katie told Greg. “I know you’re nervous. I do feel there’s something there and once we can get past those nerves, I think there’s a great under there.” Greg was blushing, and said back, “This is what I came for. I really, truly feel like there’s a connection between us.”

Afterward, they shared their first kiss, and Greg had the validation he needed to be more at ease. “I can’t believe I got this,” he said. “I can’t believe I just got this! I cannot wait to spend more time with her. I am so in it. Let’s do it.”

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