Who Got Katie Thurston’s First Kiss on ‘The Bachelorette’?

Katie Thurston

ABC/Andrew Eccles Katie Thurston is the season 17 Bachelorette.

STOP! Spoilers for season 17 of The Bachelorette below.

Katie Thurston made a buzzworthy entrance on The Bachelor, greeting Matt James with a sex toy in hand. This season, it was her turn to greet suitors, leaving fans wondering who the sex-positive Bachelorette would first kiss.

As viewers saw during the premiere on June 7, that honor went Justin Glaze, the 26-year-old investment sales consultant.

Sharing that first kiss with Katie was incredible,” the Baltimore, Maryland resident said during a confessional. “I could feel the chemistry already. Feelings are starting to develop, she definitely left me wanting some more.”

Thurston was also seen kissing Connor “The Cat” Brennan, who joked about getting his whiskers on the 30-year-old lead.

Thurston has no qualms about kissing on her many first dates, telling People, “Time is short. And you can’t be okay with me possibly getting engaged in two months but not kissing on the first date. I’ve got to use my time wisely!”

Still, neither man got the first impression rose. Rather, Greg Grippo who brought a necklace made by his niece earned the coveted lapel pin.

According to his ABC profile, Grippo is a marketing sales representative from Edison, New Jersey. It describes him as “the full package,” who is “handsome, kind, vulnerable and serious about wanting to settle down.”

Revealing the 27-year-old looks to his parents as “#couplegoals,” ABC adds, “Greg considers himself a hopeless romantic, and a perfect first date would be something active like riding bikes, dancing or going to a concert. Greg wants to travel the world with his wife before having kids, of which he says he wants to have at least six!”


Thurston Had Sex in the Fantasy Suite

If the promos for season 17 of The Bachelorette are any indicator, Thurston is not afraid to get physical with her contestants.

“Every single guy was so handsome,” the 30-year-old told People. “And I don’t have a type so every man that came in I was like, ‘Yes, yes and yes!’ They’re all such great guys. And that’s what made it exciting and hard at the same time.”

Though, as she told the publication, “Seeing the promos, I am making out with a lot of guys! You never really see yourself kissing anyone. So it’s like, ‘Oh boy.’”

And the bank manager, who has made a following on social media for her candor about sex, does not hold back. “We’re all adults,” she told People about the fantasy suites. “I have sex! It’s an important part of the relationship in terms of the connection. But it is also our time to talk about important topics or any lingering conversations.”


Reality Steve Revealed Thurston’s Top Four Contestants

Reality Steve recently revealed updated spoilers for Thurston’s final four, which includes Grippo and Glaze. Rounding out the contestants who make it to hometown dates are Andrew Spencer and Blake Moynes, a returning suitor from season 16 of the dating competition.

This is an update to Reality Steve’s previous claims that John Hersey made it far in the competition.

“A few weeks ago, I reported here that I’d heard Blake Moynes and Greg Grippo were in Katie’s final four. And I was 99% sure that John Hersey was as well,” Parade cited Reality Steve. “Then shortly afterward, Katie posted on her social media a weekend she spent in San Diego with friends from Bachelor Nation, and I started receiving emails that one of the places she tagged she visited, Duke’s in La Jolla, was where John Hersey worked as a bartender. This led to even more people telling me that they were 100% convinced that John is who Katie chose, they’re engaged, and that’s why she went to that restaurant.”

Reality Steve instead revealed his early reports were false and Hersey does not “even make Top 8.”

As Thurston told People, “a lot happened that I couldn’t have ever predicted.” She added, “It got intense and crazy. But I will say, everything happens for a reason. And I definitely embraced that.”

The Bachelorette airs on ABC every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern.

READ NEXT: Former Bachelorette Looks for Love in New Dating Competition