'The Bachelorette' recap: Michelle meets the men and finds a cheat among them

Find out which of Michelle's suitors survived the first episode.

October 20, 2021, 10:59 AM

"The Bachelorette" season 18 kicked off Tuesday with Michelle Young, a 28-year-old elementary school teacher from Minnesota, ready to find her soulmate.

Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams returned for their second season as hosts and mentor-like figures for the Bachelorette and, before sparks could fly, they paid a surprise visit to the guys to see if they were "up to Michelle's standards."

Most of the men passed their test -- except for Ryan, an environmental consultant from California. The hosts found a "cheat sheet" in his room, which detailed everything from how to get more screen time to knowing which cast members to emulate so he could get ahead in the competition.

PHOTO: Ryan and Michelle Young in a scene from "The Bachelorette."
Ryan and Michelle Young in a scene from "The Bachelorette."
Craig Sjodin/ABC

Ryan's plan almost worked, too, with Michelle falling for his pitch. Thankfully, Kaitlyn and Tayshia pulled her aside and exposed him.

Snapping into teacher mode, Michelle escorted Ryan to his room and made him turn over his notes. After reading his incriminating list, she gave him a failing grade and expelled him.

Also getting sent home on the first night was Brandon K., a brand manager from Austin; Bryan, an NFL player from Chicago; Garrett, a tech CEO from Salt Lake City; Edward, a wellness coach from Los Angeles; Jack, a former Army officer from Philadelphia; and JoMarri, a personal trainer from Fresno, California.

PHOTO: Michelle Young and Nayte in a scene from "The Bachelorette."
Michelle Young and Nayte in a scene from "The Bachelorette."
Craig Sjodin/ABC

As for the lucky suitor who earned the first impression rose, that honor went to Nayte, a sales executive from Austin. He connected with Michelle when he immediately opened up to her about coming from a broken home and said his dream is to one day offer his kids the childhood he never had.

Here are the men remaining after the first rose ceremony:

Alec, 29, an engineer from North Charleston, South Carolina
Brandon J., 26, a traveling nurse recruiter from Portland, Oregon
Casey, 36, an advertising creative director from Miami Beach, Florida
Chris G., 28, a motivational speaker from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Chris S., 28, a commodities broker from West Hollywood, California
Clayton, 28, a medical sales rep from Columbia, Missouri
Daniel, 26, a firefighter from Austin, Texas
Jamie, 32, a biotech CEO from San Diego, California
Joe, 28, a real estate developer from Minneapolis, Minnesota
Leroy, 27, a biomedical Ph.D. student from Dallas, Texas
LT, 38, a yoga guru from Bellevue, Washington
Martin, 29, a personal trainer from Miami, Florida
Mollique, 36, an academic administrator from San Diego, California
Nayte, 27, a sales executive from Austin, Texas
Olu, 27, an IT analyst from Newark, New Jersey
Pardeep, 30, a neuroscientist from Brooklyn, New York
Peter, 26, a pizzapreneur from Port St. Joe, Florida
PJ, 30, a firefighter from Houston, Texas
Rick, 32, a medical sales rep from Los Angeles, California
Rodney, 29, a sales rep from Rancho Cucamonga, California
Romeo, 32, a mathematician from New York City, New York
Spencer, 25, a financial crimes analyst from Cleveland, Ohio
Will, 28, an academic interventionist from Grand Rapids, Michigan

"The Bachelorette" returns Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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