[Recap courtesy of ABC.com]

As The Bachelor debuts its 12th season we get a look at the hunky Matt Grant - and as his 25 would-be wives arrive, they have no idea they're about to meet a Brit!

The first limo arrives and Amanda R., a brunette in a strapless blue dress is the first to greet Matt. Realizing that Matt is British, she says she lived in England for four years as a child. He asks what she thinks of British guys and she says, "They're cute. Like you!"

Next is blonde Amy in a light green dress. She asks him to do a turn for her and tells him he has a "cute bum."

"Wow, you look amazing," Matt says when he sees Devon, a blonde from Texas who gives him a kiss on the cheek and admires his accent.

Matt's a bit hazy on where the city of Charlotte is, so blonde Southern beauty Kristine tells him it's in North Carolina. He tells her he loves her long, coral-colored dress.

Chelsea, from Santa Barbara, California, challenges Matt to an arm-wrestling match when he gets inside!

Inside, the Bachelorettes rave about how Matt.

Dark-haired Erin H. gets a hug from Matt and tells him that the sparkly ring on her finger is "just a placeholder until you put the real thing on." "I like that. I like that a lot," he says with a smile.

Kelly is next, a blonde in a black dress with spaghetti straps.

Rebecca, in a short red-and-white flowered dress, gets a kiss and a hug from Matt. She's delighted to find out he's from England and he praises her accent.

Denise - in an emerald-green dress - tells Matt she loves Brits.

Erin S., in a red halter-top dress, jokes that Matt seems "very popular."

Robin tells Matt she lived in England for a while, and attended rugby matches, although she prefers soccer.

Matt tells Ashlee he loves her short, beaded dress. She admits she's nervous but blows him a kiss in farewell.

Alyssa, in a short green dress, enters without telling Matt her name!

Michelle, a redhead in a strapless green gown, says she was a "good girl" and didn't peek at him from the limo.

Shayne, a tousled blonde in a black dress, tells Matt he's "gorgeous" and he says she looks "stunning."

Matt Grant admires the Indian-inspired outfit that Marshana made herself.

Amanda P. has brought him a "tacky Las Vegas souvenir" because she thinks his luck's about to change. It's a fuzzy pink dice that matches her hot pink dress.

Tamara, in a tiered gray gown, admits she's very nervous.

Holly tells Matt she's from Ohio and that she's not nervous at all.

Tiffany, a brunette who's just moved to San Francisco, tells Matt he "looks sharp."

Carri, a blonde in a red dress, tells Matt she's from Oklahoma, which is "as American as you get." He tells her he loved the musical and she laughs.

Matt says he's "loving the sparkles" on Stacey from Chicago's blue dress. She looks away when she tells him how gorgeous he is. Matt tells both Lesley and Michele that they look beautiful.

Noelle, a giggly brunette in a cream gown, says she's a sucker for accents.

Now that Matt's met all the Bachelorettes, Host Chris tells him he'll soon be bringing in the First Impression Rose and explains that Matt should give it to the one girl that impressed him the most.

Matt goes inside, where the women cheer and applaud. He says they've all surpassed his expectations -- and that it's time to get the party started.

Ashlee proclaims that Matt is "the perfect guy" and that she wants to kiss him. Amanda R. thinks it's "totally possible" that Matt is the man of her dreams.

Host Chris brings in the First Impression Rose on a tray. Rebecca decides it's time to "bust some moves" and starts dancing suggestively, angling to get that rose.

Matt admits it's a "big buzz" to be talking to one woman and be pulled away to talk to someone else.

Holly rolls her eyes when Michele challenges Matt to a "Rock, Paper, Scissors" game. Next, it's Chelsea's chance to make good on her challenge to arm-wrestle Matt. Everyone cheers Chelsea on as she beats Matt. He confesses to the camera that he was being an English gentleman by letting her win.

Matt finds her fun and says she's definitely made a good impression.

Carri is dismayed when Denise hijacks their two-on-one with Matt to talk politics and reveal she's a big Bush supporter. Carri decides to "liven things up" and takes a bite out of an aluminum can!

Marshana gets jealous of how long Matt is chatting with Kristine, but Robin says she's not worried since they're not touching. When she gets some time with Matt, Marshana tells him she was Miss Earth New York. She's not happy when Ashlee steals him away to play a song that she wrote for him, accompanying herself on guitar! Matt claps and tells Ashlee has an amazing voice.

Noelle decides to put her aside her usual shyness to borrow Matt from a group of women. "Yeah, but you've got to bring him back," says Marshana. Noelle tells Matt she's the baby of her family too.

Michele brought her clarinet and proceeds to play it for Matt and Amanda P. The rest of the women trickle in when they hear the music. Matt applauds and says it's more impressive because she had to play under pressure.

Shayne is discouraged by all the display of talent and starts to think she might not have a chance.

Holly, meanwhile, is sure that she'll be the last one standing and that Matt will be kneeling.

When Stacey starts swearing drunkenly, Erin S. declares her the "token nutbag" of the group. Marshana goes a step further and privately says that Stacey is loud, belligerent, tasteless -- and a bitch. Erin H. tells Stacey to her face that "24 other girls here" think she's a "whore." Sure enough, it's not long before a very drunk Stacey falls -- and then tries to get up and falls again!

The air is frosty when Erin and Stacey wait for their two-on-one with Matt. While Matt asks Erin H. what she does for a living, Stacey brazenly starts rubbing Matt's knee! He ignores her and just focuses on Erin. Privately, Matt says he really likes Erin but the whole situation was incredibly awkward. Tired of being ignored, Stacey butts in, saying, "You guys are really boring me." Matt goes along, asking what her ideal date in London would be and she says she loves the ocean. Matt says he loves it too, but that it's nowhere near London. He asks her what she knows about London and she mentions electric cars.

He bends over laughing and asks her if that's all she knows about his hometown.

Alone with the camera, Stacey seems clueless about the terrible impression she's made and hope that Matt "feels her vibrations." Erin S. interrupts, but Stacey won't let go of Matt Grant (or stop talking).

Finally alone with Matt, Erin S. asks why he's come ot the U.S. to find a woman, instead of looking at home, and he admits he likes the cultural difference. Stacey decides to crash their tête-à-tête and tries to stuff something in Matt's pants pocket -- even though he doesn't have any pockets! Next she grabs Matt and kisses him.

He apologizes to Erin for the interruption. Instead of getting upset, Erin jokes that she's disappointed that she didn't get a note from Stacey. Matt examines what Stacey handed him and realizes it's her thong underwear! He admits that Stacey has "freaked him out."

Erin S. tells the other Bachelorettes the scandalous story and they all proceed to make fun of Stacey, who, meanwhile, is passed out on a bed and snoring!

The First Impression Rose is weighing on everyone's mind, but Matt needs to talk to a few more women before making his decision. He next talks to Shayne, privately admitting he felt an instant attraction to her. He asks about what Hollywood's like she admits she's an actress from a long line of actors, but that she's here to meet him, not to advance her career. To the camera, she reveals that her father is Lorenzo Lamas, but she doesn't share that with Matt yet.

Next, Matt talks to Robin, another woman with whom he felt an immediate connection. He asks her about her visit to England that she'd mentioned earlier and she reveals she loves to travel -- and speaks French, as does he! Privately, she says he gives her butterflies. He excuses himself and goes out to get the rose. Everyone watches him walk by, but it's Amanda R. whom he takes aside to present with the first rose. He tells her, "The first moment I saw you, you blew me away," and that she "shone like a diamond."

Host Chris Harrisonarrives and announces it's time for the first rose ceremony.

Matt Grant has 14 roses left to present. He gives roses to:

1. Chelsea
2. Shayne
3. Michelle P.
4. Marshana
5. Ashlee
6. Noelle
7. Erin S.
8. Amy
9. Carri
10. Kristine
11. Robin
12. Kelly
13. Holly
14. Erin H.

Which means that Alyssa, Amanda P., Denise, Devon, Lesley, Michele, Rebecca, Stacey, Tamara and Tiffany are going home.

Devon admits it "sucks" being sent home the first night. Matt tells Tamara he hopes she meets Mr. Right and that she's a beautiful girl. She starts to cry during her exit interview and walks off camera.

Stacey declares "this is something wrong with this boy, because he can't handle me."

Matt makes a toast to "my amazing 15" and asks them all for "the best British 'cheers' you've ever given in your lives" as they toast to the weeks ahead.