Ladies and gentlemen, your new Bachelor... Arie Luyendyk Jr.!
The next lead of ABCβs long-running reality dating show was announced on βGood Morning Americaβ Thursday morning, after days of heavy hints from show creator Mike Fleiss on Twitter. βFirst Big Clue... #TheBachelor will not be from Jojoβs season,β he tweeted on Monday.
But despite the hints, it seems few fans guessed Luyendyk would be the selection over popular contestants from more recent seasons of βThe Bachelorette,β like Peter Kraus, Eric Bigger, and Wells Adams. The 35-year-old race car driver has been the subject of occasional βBachelorβ rumors since he came in second on Season 8 of βThe Bacheloretteβ starring Emily Maynard.
In 2016, Luyendyk revealed that heβd signed a contract to star on Season 19 of βThe Bachelor,β but had been dumped at the last minute when the show decided to go with Chris Soules, who appeared on Season 11 of βThe Bachelorette.β
This time, he told Michael Strahan in his debut βGMAβ appearance, the timing just worked out. For fans who have been jonesing for Luyendyk as the Bachelor since his 2012 franchise debut, this was a thrill:
For newer viewers, and those excited to see recent runner-up Kraus as the lead, it was the opposite:
This marks the second season of βThe Bachelorβ in a row that ABC has chosen to select a Bachelor from an earlier season. In 2016, production chose Nick Viall, who appeared on seasons 10 and 11 of βThe Bachelorette,β over Season 12 contestant Luke Pell, right after Viallβs image-restoring turn on Season 3 of βBachelor in Paradise.β
Luyendyk, on the other hand, has taken a long break from βBachelorβ franchise shows. In his interview with Strahan, he emphasized that heβs ready to finally find love and settle down β with the right woman. When asked what he looks for in a woman, he said he wants someone βindependent, strong, but then still gentle.β Sound like you? Ladies, you know where to sign up.