As the limousines rolled up to The Bachelor Canada mansion one by one, 25 of the most eligible women in the country were introduced to Canada’s first-ever bachelor in the series premiere last night on Citytv. From Rebecca’s (a.k.a. “Bubba”) brazen attitude to Gabrielle’s feisty personality and Whitney’s memorable entrance – which earned her the first-impression rose – the bachelorettes put it all on the line in an attempt to stand out from the crowd and woo bachelor Brad Smith.

The most shocking entrance of the night came when former bachelorette, Canadian Jillian Harris, stopped by to interview the girls and give Brad the low-down on each one, leading up to the first rose ceremony of the season. In a shocking twist, Brad – unable to limit his decision to just 15 bachelorettes – handed out one extra rose, sending only nine girls home from the mansion. The bachelorettes who did not receive roses were (in alphabetical order):

·       Amber , 29 (strip club server), from Winnipeg

·       Clarice , 25 (office administrator), from Toronto

·       Fawn , 25 (sales associate), from Ajax, ON

·       Jessica , 23 (CFL team rep), from Vancouver

·       Mindy , 33 (photo lab manager), from Rocky Mountain House, AB

·       Rebecca , a.k.a. “Bubba,” 27 (real estate agent), from Toronto

·       Sandy, 29 (makeup artist), from Wetaskiwin, AB

·       Tina , 26 (trial lawyer), from Thunder Bay, ON

·       Tracy , 28 (grad student), from Victoria

Next week, Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, Brad and eight bachelorettes are whisked away to the first big – and risqué – group date of the season. But, when rumours begin to swirl and new pressures bear down on Brad, jealous hearts become too much to handle and a shocking cocktail party leaves everyone speechless. Find out who will earn a rose and who will be sent home as Brad continues his search for Mrs. Right with bachelorettes Ana (Ottawa); Bianka (Mississauga, ON); Britany (Swift Current, SK); Chantelle (Sylvan Lake, AB); Gabrielle (Oakville, ON); Kara (Delta, B.C.); Laura B. (Ottawa); Laura F. (Winnipeg); Melissa Marie (North Vancouver, B.C.); Michelle B. (Newmarket, ON); Michelle V. (Calgary); Nicole (St. Thomas, ON); Sophie (Moncton, N.B.); Stephanie (Montreal); Tia (Ottawa), and Whitney (Calgary).

During the show each week, viewers can join the conversation and chat live with fans across the country via the co-viewing experience available on bothBachelorCanada.ca and the The Bachelor Canada app for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ and iPad. The exclusive app provides fans with entertaining and engaging contests for a chance to win exciting prizes, including a Virtual Rose Ceremony, sponsored by Schick Hydro Silk™ razors, where enthusiasts can log on with viewers across Canada to make their top bachelorette picks, and a Fantasy Pool, sponsored by Colgate Optic White Toothpaste, where The Bachelor Canada aficionados can answer trivia questions about the show.

Fans who miss the show can catch up on Citytv.com, Rogers on Demand, Rogers Anyplace TV, or on the Citytv Video App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

The Bachelor Canada is the Canadian version of the perennially successful The Bachelor franchise on Citytv and OMNI Television. The series is produced by multiple award-winning Force Four Entertainment. Sean De Vries is the supervising producer, Joyce Sawa is the series producer, and John Ritchie serves as executive producer for the series. Claire Freeland is the director of original programming for Rogers Media and executive producer of The Bachelor Canada.