Whose grandmother is Sheryl from The Bachelor 16 with Ben Flajnik?

The 16th season of The Bachelor premieres tonight on ABC and one of the many twists the network has in store for us and Ben Flajnik on opening night is grandma Sheryl, the first woman out of the limo to meet Ben!

Sheryl hobbles over to the dumbstruck and nervously laughing Ben and says, “Oh well, there’s a story behind this. My name is Sheryl, and Ben, I watched your show all last season and I fell madly in love with you.” Cue closing commercial credits for cliff hanger effect.

Here’s the clip:

So who is Grandma Sheryl and is she really a contestant on The Bachelor? Show host Chris Harrison spoke with AOL about “The grandmother” in an interview: “I will say this about the grandmother that gets out of the car: It made for a fun, sensational ad, and obviously, it worked because people are talking,” he said “But people should know that we would never take up a spot on the show as a cocktail joke. It definitely was funny, but it has much more meaning than you see in the ad. There’s something very sweet and romantic about it.”

“Here’s the thing: Of all of the stunts and twists-and-turns, we’ll never forsake a spot on the show. We really want Ben to have as many choices and as much of a possibility to find love as he can, so to ruin that or to make light of that by bringing in someone he would never have a relationship with, you can’t do that. It’s funny, but it’s also a sweet, kind of romantic story.”

So what’s the deal? Is Sheryl an actual contestant? The answer is no. (Sorry Sheryl!) She is the grandmother of contestant Brittney Schreiner.

And just like with our other contestants, here’s our “pro,” “con” and “heterosexual dude notes:”

Pro: Sheryl’s brings a wealth of life experiences to the table, and I hear she makes really great cookies.

Con: There’s nothing meaner than a cougar cub so if Ben chooses Sheryl over Brittney there’s sure to be some fireworks and a possible eye gouging!

Heterosexual dude notes: Whenever I’m at the bar gettin’ my Golden Girls on I usually tend toward the Rue McClanahan or Betty White type and Sheryl seems to be a more feminine version of Bea Arthur, not that there’s anything wrong with that!

Here is a funny Q&A with Grandma Sheryl from the ABC site for The Bachelor:

Sheryl

Age: Age is just a number

Occupation: Grabbing life when and wherever I can

Do you like being the center of attention or do you prefer being more mysterious and why?
Definitely the center of attention

What is your biggest date fear?
Rejection

What does your ideal mate look like?
Tall, Dark, and Handsome like Ben

Tattoo Count: 0

If you really wanted to impress a man what would you do and why?
I’d do almost anything. I believe in taking risks in order to get the man I love.

Are you a friend of Sheryl’s and would like to share some more information, funny stories, or embarrassing yearbook photos? Comment below or drop us a line at starcasmtips (at) yahoo.com!

*** CHECK OUT OUR PROFILES OF ALL THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS FROM SEASON 16 HERE!

Official profile photos (blue background):
Craig Sjodin/ABC Television Group © 2011 Disney

Meeting Ben Flajnik photo:
Rick Rowell/ABC Television Group © 2011 Disney