There are certain things that every contestant on The Bachelor [1] needs for success — a small fortune to spend on sparkly gowns, a curling wand, a never-ending supply of Crest white strips, a habit of stirring up drama, and, most of all, a memorable limo entrance in the season premiere.
Over the years there have been fake pregnant bellies [2], backflips [3], and even a Radio City Rockette forcing Brad Womack to do some high kicks, so when Colton Underwood's season of the dating reality series [4] premiered on Monday night, we were ready for some equally zany antics to go down before all the women [5] made their way into the famed mansion. Boy, did they deliver.
From cute Love Actually-esque stunts to "what the hell was she thinking" moments, see our top 10 favourites, ahead.
Erin's Cinderella Carriage
Is showing up to the Bachelor mansion with a horse a new idea? Pfft, not by a long shot. Just last year, Blake Horstmann wowed Becca Kufrin when he turned up with a real, live horse in tow, and Bachelorette season 12 favourite Luke tried to win over JoJo Fletcher with a "unicorn." Way back in season 16, when Ben Flajnik was The Bachelor [7], horse enthusiast Lindzi C. arrived on horseback, too.
Still, we have to say that Erin, a 28-year-old, added her own magical touch when she rolled up to the top of the driveway inside a sparkly horse-drawn carriage. In case the Cinderella vibes were lost on you, she also opted to wear a light blue dress and leave one of her silver high heels behind after chatting with Colton, forcing her to hobble around the rest of the night on just one shoe. At the very least, you have to appreciate her dedication.
Tracy, Chief of Fashion Police
Tracy Shapoff, a stylist from LA, arrived to the first night of the show in a police car, telling Colton that she was representing "the fashion police." She proceeded to gift him handcuffs, which she joked they could use later and what the other women in the house called "dominatrixy." As for Tracy herself, the cop-themed entrance is especially apt considering her Twitter account needs to be locked up [8].
Erika McNutt's Sack of Nuts
Erika's last name is McNutt, and apparently her friends have nicknamed her Nut. So, she brought Colton a big bag of mixed nuts. ("I might start eating them later," he tells her.) It's not the flashiest thing in the world, but it does ensure Colton remembers her name later on in the night.
Alex B.'s Ode to Love Actually
We don't get to hear much from Alex B. in the premiere since she appears to have lost her voice, but her limo entrance is pretty freakin' cute if you're a fan of Love Actually. Just like Andrew Lincoln's character, Alex explains her situation to Colton with the help of some cue cards: "Hi Colton, unfortunately I'm sick, but I wouldn't miss this for the world."
Catherine and Her Little Dog, Too
It's immediately clear that Catherine, a 26-year-old DJ from Florida, is not to be trusted when she gets out of the limo and proceeds to hand over her Pomeranian, Lucy, to Colton so that he can take care of the dog for the duration of Catherine's stay on the show. We're going to go out on a limb and say this is all a funny gag staged by producers, but if it's not . . . well, that's kind of INSANE, right? To hand your beloved pet off to a total stranger?! Regardless, we now have footage of Chris Harrison taking Lucy out to pee to cherish forever, which is why Catherine's entrance comes in at no. five.
Cassie's Literal Case of the Butterflies
Cassie, a speech pathologist from California, showed off her sweet side to Colton with her entrance when she stepped out of the limo with a box. "I have so many butterflies. Literally, I have so many butterflies," Cassie tells him, before dumping the big box of fake butterflies out for him to see. If that sounds weird, it comes off as a lot cuter in the show, we swear. Colton even puts one of the fake butterflies in his jacket pocket!
Caitlin's Popped Cherry
Caitlin's entrance is getting ranked high on the list for the sheer insanity of what she does, which is both very funny and very aggressive. Dressed in a red dress and carrying a matching balloon, Caitlin strolls up to Colton like everyone else and then POP! She whips out a needle and pricks the balloon right in his face, saying, "Now that I've popped your cherry, we don't have to talk about virginity anymore." Colton's response? He tells the camera after she leaves that thought her balloon "was an apple." We're still laughing.
Hannah G.'s Boxed Surprise
Hannah G. comes to the mansion armed with a present for Colton: a box of his favourite underwear. But — plot twist! — the box is empty. No, Hannah isn't trying to fake him out; apparently Colton has mentioned here and there that he likes to sleep in the nude. At least she's been paying attention!
Alex D.'s Sloth Impersonation
A masked woman ominously walking towards you might sound like a horror film, but in The Bachelor [9], it's just another day in the life. Like David's chicken suit on The Bachelorette [10] last season, contestant Alex D. introduces herself while dressed as a giant sloth. What's more is that she totally commits to the act, walking over and talking to Colton at an incredibly slow pace. "Hey Colton, I heard you take things slowly," she said, as he stood by looking confused. "Catch you later!" (She eventually even hangs from a tree in the backyard, FYI.)