"The Bachelorette": Emily Maynard begins her search for love

Emily Maynard meets the 25 bachelors in the season premiere of "The Bachelorette."

/ ABC/CRAIG SJODIN

(CBS News) Single-mother Emily Maynard began her quest for love Monday night on the season premiere of ABC's "The Bachelorette."

The 26-year-old Mayard began the show with a different tone than previous women in her place, stating, "My ultimate goal in all of this is to meet somebody that I could marry and have children with and that could be that father figure in Ricki's life."

Maynard was referring to the daughter she had with her finance, NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick, who was killed in a plane accident in 2004 before she gave birth to Ricki, who is now 6.

Instead of greeting the 25 eligible bachelors in the traditional "Bachelorette" house in Los Angeles, she met them in a the relocated bachelor pad in Charlotte, N.C., where she lives with her daughter. She asked producers for this concession so she could keep her child's life relatively normal.

Of the eligible men, some are parents as well, including Tony, from Beaverton, Ore., who came holding a pillow with a glass slipper and Doug, from Seattle, who greeted Maynard, saying, "I'm a hugger. Hope that's OK?"

Other interesting arrival pickup lines came from Travis, an ad sales rep, who came holding an ostrich egg, saying, "throughout this journey, I will take care of this egg like I will take care of you and Ricki," and Aaron, who whipped off his glasses, saying, "I'm a high school biology teacher, but I'm here to have chemistry with you."

After arrivals, the men tried to do their best to make an impression on Maynard, who wore a nude-colored dress. Brent tries to impress her with photos of his six children; Chris shows her two bubbleheads (one carved in his image and the other in hers); Doug brings her a note from his 11-year-old son, saying why he should ultimately get the final rose. That tactic won him the first impression rose.

In the end, she gave roses to Chris, Ryan, Kalon, Arie, Charlie, Jef, Nate, Sean, Joe, Kyle, Aaron, Alejandro, John, Alessandro, Michael, Stevie, Tony and Travis.

Tell us: What did you think of the first episode of "The Bachelorette" ?

[Adjelbe]

Like, like Emily! she is simply Beautiful. I wish her the best and I truly believe she is going to find her true love this time. My choice for her is Sean Lowe. I hope he keep him till the end. I will be watching and rooting for him. They are a perfect Match from heaven.

[RamonaHolloway]

I'm hoping we'll see more personality from Emily in the next episode. She seemed a little plastic last night, but she looked PERFECT and I think I know why. Check out the link!
http://1079thelink.mattandramona.com/b/page.cfm?ID=391