The First Impression Rose Curse Strikes Again (With Alexe Godin's Shocking Elimination)

Alexe Godin may have won the first impression rose on The Bachelor season 29, but she succumbed to the same fate as many first impression rose winners when Grant Ellis sent her home the week before hometowns. Alexe was given an advantage over previous first impression rose recipients when she was automatically granted the first one-on-one date, but it wasn't enough to save her from the first impression rose curse. Only one woman who received the first impression rose has gone on to win the season.

Unfortunately for the women competing on The Bachelor, winning the first impression rose on the first night all but guarantees they'll walk away without an engagement. Only one woman has evaded this curse, and her relationship with the lead ended before the season had finished airing. Alexe's elimination was particularly shocking, as Grant chose instead to give a rose to The Bachelor's Zoe McGrady, whom he had yet to invite on a one-on-one date.

Alexe's First Impression Rose Also Gave Her The First Date

Her Early One-On-One Wasn't Enough To Save Her

The Bachelor seasons frequently introduce a drama-inducing twist in the first episode, and season 29 was no different. Grant was told that whoever received his first impression rose would not only be safe but also be his first solo date of the season. Alexe impressed the lead with her "no drama llama" and was invited on the first one-on-one date at a mall, giving her an early chance to form a connection with the former basketball player.

While the first one-on-one recipient often goes far on the ABC dating show (just last season, Daisy Kent received the first solo date but ultimately self-eliminated before Joey Graziadei proposed to Kelsey Anderson), Alexe wasn't so lucky. Her early date meant her relationship burned bright and fast, fizzling out as Grant made other, stronger connections. Alexe tried to stand out during group dates, even giving herself a concussion in her pursuit of love, but it wasn't enough.

The First Impression Rose Recipient Rarely Wins

The Rose Is A Bad Luck Charm

Since the first impression rose was introduced in 2007, only one woman both received the rose and won the show. As Alexe was sent home on week five, she has become even more evidence that the first impression rose may actually be a curse the woman should try to avoid. Even a first one-on-one date twist couldn't stop Grant from eventually eliminating Alexe in favor of other connections.

Hannah Ann Sluss has been the only woman to receive the first impression rose and go on to win the whole season, but even she couldn't evade the rose's curse completely. On the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Hannah Ann explained why she was so blindsided by the breakup only three months after the couple had gotten engaged:

“I told him before I even went out there, I said, ‘Hey, if you’re wanting to end things, can you give me a little bit of a heads up? I’ll be fine, trust me. I’ll cry, but just give me a heads up.' We actually had talked that morning that we weren’t going to break up, that we were going to work through it.”

The Bachelor's Peter Weber admitted he still had feelings for Madison Prewett, although a few months after Peter and Hannah Ann's breakup, he was dating fifth-placed Kelley Flanagan. While multiple contestants on The Bachelorette have won the first impression rose and the whole season (and had a successful marriage), no one from The Bachelor can claim the first rose and a successful relationship. Hannah Ann's brutal (and televised) breakup, coupled with Alexe's recent elimination, means that future contestants on The Bachelor should be more worried than excited if they are to receive the first rose of the season.