ABC has selected the star of “The Bachelor” Season 22, and it’s definitely a curveball.
Arie Luyendyk Jr. will be the next lead of the dating franchise, making him a surprise pick. The “Bachelorette” Season 8 runner-up appeared on “Good Morning America” Thursday to discuss his decision.
“This just fit perfect — the timing of this really fit for me,” he told Michael Strahan. “I was a little skeptical, just because we’d been in talks for a few years about doing it, and so I just kind of went in with an open mind, open heart.”
Luyendyk Jr. reflected the surprising nature of the pick by tweeting a photo of himself holding a rose, along with the message, “And now it all feels very real!”
Instead of someone from Rachel Lindsay’s most recent season of “The Bachelorette,” the romance series has opted for the race car driver who lost out to Jef Holm for Emily Maynard’s final rose back in 2012.
Among the guys who were seen as potential frontrunners for the role of the new Bachelor were Peter Kraus, Lindsay’s Season 13 runner-up; Wells Adams, “Bachelorette” Season 12 standout and bartender on “Bachelor in Paradise” Season 4; Ben Higgins, the Season 20 Bachelor who recently split from fiancée Lauren Bushnell; and Ben Zorn, “Bachelorette” Season 11 hunk and “Paradise” Season 4 lonelyheart.
Luyendyk Jr. dated Bachelor Nation’s Courtney Robertson after parting ways with Maynard. He previously stated that he was in talks to be the Bachelor for Season 19 until producers had a change of heart and went with Chris Soules at the last minute.
This is the second “Bachelor” season in a row in which the lead guy was not from the most recent “Bachelorette” run, as is typically the pattern. Season 21 “Bachelor” star Nick Viall was the runner-up on Seasons 10 and 11, rather than hailing from JoJo Fletcher’s Season 12.
'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' Villains Ranked From Bad to Worst (Photos)
As the end of "The Bachelor" Season 21 nears, let's take a look back at the long-running ABC reality show's infamous troublemakers. Here is our ranking of both "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" villains, from bad to worst:
ABC
Nick Viall, "The Bachelorette," Season 10, Season 11; "The Bachelor," Season 21
This season's current bachelor did his time as a bad boy in two past seasons of "The Bachelorette." He isolated himself from all other contestants and also made a surprise, unwelcomed appearance on a season in which he wasn't even cast.
ABC
Tierra LiCausi, "The Bachelor," Season 17
From several meltdowns to a hospital trip, LiCausi (left) fit the bill of nemesis perfectly, complete with her own evil laughter.
ABC
Rozlyn Papa, "The Bachelor," Season 14
Not a traditional "Bachelor" villain, Papa was booted off the show for allegedly having an affair with one of the producers.
Olivia’s mouth, toes and aggression left viewers both cringing and laughing. Her transition from fan favorite to villain was rapid, and her legacy on the internet will remain for years to come. (And if you don't know what we're talking about, look up the now infamous meme.)
ABC
Michelle Money, "The Bachelor," Season 11
Michelle was aggressive with both pursuing her season's Bachelor and attacking fellow contestants. Money’s rivalry and ultimate confrontation with nemesis AshLee Frazier will go down in the show's history as one of the most heated.
Chad’s obsession with working out and threatening fellow contestants made him a foe to remember. While many disliked him for his brash nature, his insults were wittier than most villains before him.
ABC
Corrine Olympios, "The Bachelor," Season 21
In the short span of the last two months, Corinne has established her legacy as one of the most entertaining villains in "Bachelor" history. From her dependence on her nanny Raquel, to napping through several events, fans were both relieved and sad to see her ousted toward the end of the 2017 season.
ABC
Kelsey Poe, "The Bachelor," Season 19
She used her story of being a widow to garner sympathy and screen time, and openly admitted to manipulating her season's Bachelor with her husband’s death. She is also remembered for having a panic attack before a rose ceremony, and then immediately joking about how host Chris Harrison couldn’t eliminate her.
ABC
Bentley Williams, "The Bachelorette," Season 7
This contestant was dubbed one of Chris Harrison’s least favorite suitors of all time. Williams purposely set out to make his Bachelorette cry and faked many of his interactions with her.
ABC
Courtney Robertson, "The Bachelor," Season 16
With her own book “I Didn’t Come Here To Make Friends,” Robertson clearly prides herself on achieving supervillain status. Mocking other contestants, lying to the Bachelor and sabotaging dates, Robertson cemented herself as one of the most hated of the entire series.
ABC
Juan Pablo Galavis, "The Bachelorette," Season 9; "The Bachelor," Season 18
Between making crude comments to his contestants, to being openly homophobic, Galavis tops this list of ultimate villains from the reality series.
Here are the baddies who have kept viewers hooked over the years
As the end of "The Bachelor" Season 21 nears, let's take a look back at the long-running ABC reality show's infamous troublemakers. Here is our ranking of both "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" villains, from bad to worst:
ABC
ABC
