Who Is Lea Cayanan On ‘The Bachelor’? Meet The Woman Who Got Joey Graziadei’s First Impression Rose

Before Joey Graziadei’s season of The Bachelor started filming, one woman made a first impression on the 28-year-old tennis instructor: Lea Cayanan.

Host Jesse Palmer introduced Joey and his future contestant at The Bachelorette’s After the Final Rose ceremony and gifted her a mysterious card with instructions not to open it until she was in the mansion. But Lea didn’t just make the literal first impression on our new Bachelor lead. She also snagged his first impression rose!

Joey kicked off his season by heading back to a familiar hosed off driveway and meeting a massive cast of 32 women — the largest group to arrive on Night 1. He had several standout conversations, initiated multiple makeouts, and told Jesse Palmer he felt some serious sparks that made him hopeful his future wife was in the room. He admittedly wanted to hand out “like 10 first impression roses,” but alas, he only had one special stem to give. And Lea was the recipient!

So who is Lea Cayanan on The Bachelor? What did Lea’s mysterious AFR card from Jesse Palmer say? And why did Joey give her his first impression rose? Here’s everything you need to know about Lea, including her age, Instagram profile, bio, and more.

Who Is Lea Cayanan On The Bachelor Season 28? 

Per Lea’s official ABC bio, the 23-year-old account manager from Waipahu, Hawaii “is proud of her roots, confident, and lights up every room.”

“When Lea isn’t working, she loves spending time painting, hiking and being by the ocean. She loves the beach so much that she wishes she could be a fish for a day and thinks she was a sea creature in another life,” her bio reads. “Lea takes relationships and love very seriously and has never been one for casual dating. She is ready to be wifed up and is a sucker for big romantic gestures. Joey, we hope you’re taking notes!”

Lea likes to have fun, too. Don’t believe us? Check out these fun facts:
• Lea was on the canoe paddling team in high school.
• Lea plays the flute and would love to teach music.
• Lea is a cliff diving enthusiast.

If you want to stay up-to-date with Lea’s life outside The Bachelor, follow her on Instagram at @lea.cayanan, where she had 4,940 followers ahead of the premiere.

What Did Lea’s Mystery Card From After The Final Rose Say?

Curious about Lea’s first night at the mansion and what exactly her card from Jesse said? During AFR the host promised, “It’s not a date card. However, it is absolutely going to help you on your journey. And it will absolutely change everything.” And he was right!

The card said the following: “Months ago you took a bold risk for love and now you’re finally here at the Bachelor mansion. This card gives you the power to steal a 1:1 date from someone else at any time before hometowns.” Hmm…

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Who Got Joey Graziadei’s First Impression Rose On The Bachelor? Recapping Lea‘s First Night At The Mansion:

To some, a guaranteed one-on-one date would sound like a dream. But after opening the “card of doom” at the mansion, Lea quickly got emotional over the thought of interfering with anyone else’s journey to find love. “I want to give a lot of autonomy to you on your journey and the intentions you set. And I also want to give a lot of love and respect to the women that have put their life on hold to come here. And to almost play god in this and interfere with your journey…” Lea told Joey. As the two digested the contents of the envelope, Lea headed back into the house and shared her “one-up” opportunity with the women, who had been stressing about the secret all night. When Lea saw how flustered they were by the Bachelor twist, she tossed the card in a blazing fireplace in a very badass display of solidarity.

When it was time to hand out the first impression rose, Joey gave it to Lea because she gave him validation that she was here for the right reasons. “Your interpretation and thoughts of the card that you were given spoke a lot to me, just about your character and who you are,” he said. So could Lea be Joey’s perfect match? Read on to find out how long Reality Steve thinks she’s on the show.

How Far Does Lea Cayanan Make It On The Bachelor? Reality Steve Spoilers

Want to avoid major Bachelor spoilers? Consider this your chance to stop reading. If you’re curious to know how long Joey’s first impression rose recipient Lea Cayanan might stick around, however, we’ve got a Reality Steve rumor below.

Per a Reality Steve post from November 29, 2023, Lea doesn’t get a one-on-one or group date Week 2, sails on to Week 3, but is eliminated in Week 6 following a group date. As always, Reality Steve rumors are only rumors until proven otherwise. So we’ll have to tune in to new episodes Mondays from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET on ABC or watch next-day on Hulu to find out. In the meantime, be sure to read our interview with Joey Graziadei for more Bachelor insights.