‘The Bachelorette’ 2016: Fan Favorite Hints He’s Ready To Be Next ‘Bachelor’
The Bachelorette 2016 finale is only days away and fans are more than ready to find out who The Bachelor for 2017 will be. As it currently stands, the two considered for the lead are Luke Pell and Chase McNary.
When Luke was eliminated in the last episode, Twitter went crazy over him and the hashtag #LukeForBachelor began trending. The playing field is narrowing down and it’s predicted that whoever gets the coveted gig will be announced following the televised special After the Final Rose, which airs at the end of The Bachelorette finale on Monday when JoJo Fletcher chooses either Jordan Rodgers or Robby Hayes as her fiance.
Luke and Chase have been making the media rounds talking about the possibility of becoming the season 21 Bachelor. One is slightly less passionate about going through the whole process again, but says he’s not necessarily turning it down.
#TheBachelorette: which of JoJo’s guys are in talks to be #TheBachelor? https://t.co/1CCkZaF2Hm
— HollywoodLife (@HollywoodLife) July 26, 2016
Luke spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about being next year’s Bachelor lead and hints that he’s ready to find love before a live audience again.
“I would be excited about it,” Luke said about becoming The Bachelor for 2017. “I’ve seen firsthand that it worked, going through this whole process with JoJo and I. I was in love with her.”
Luke also told People magazine that he really did fall for JoJo, but would be open to going through the process once more to find someone special. He said everything happened so fast, but the feelings were very “real” for he and JoJo. His experience on The Bachelorette convinced him this is the type of journey that would work for him a second time.
“… So, I would be open to it again because I know it works. It’s proven,” Luke added.
Since Luke’s heartbreak was so piercing, he said it’s possible to have an “authentic relationship” on the show. The fan favorite continues that he was in a “state of shock” when he returned home to Burnet, Texas, following his elimination.
“Your heart feels like it’s out of rhythm. You’re almost dizzy when you stand up,” the 31-year-old war vet said. “There were these anxiety symptoms that I was having to deal with and I couldn’t control. That’s when I knew. I realized, ‘Wow this cut me deep.'”
Chase told Entertainment Tonight that “discussions” with ABC are underway over taking on The Bachelor gig. He was reserved in his excitement over the opportunity of possibly being chosen for the lead.
Will #TheBachelorette‘s Chase be the next star of #TheBachelor? https://t.co/vnKEloIrX6 pic.twitter.com/7wRSiXZUAi
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) July 28, 2016
“The discussions are there,” Chase said. “But I don’t know — there’s a lot of weight there. There [are] a lot of expectations and I’m not scared of it… but I definitely want to make the smart decision and the right decision before I totally accept that position.”
Chase added that he’s not the most “open guy” and that was a hurdle for him on The Bachelorette. He goes on to say that more of that will be expected on The Bachelor, and notes “that’s something I would definitely have to work on.”
If Luke Pell becomes the next Bachelor, he says that viewers would see a different side to him, mainly that he’d be a “fun Bachelor.” He tells ET that fans didn’t get to see that part of him on JoJo’s season. The Texan explains that a lot of his stories are “intense and deep” about his military background, but he loves to “have fun.”
Do you hope Luke Pell or Chase McNary is announced as the next Bachelor?
The Bachelorette 2016 finale airs on ABC at 8 p.m., ET/PT on Monday, August 1, and will be followed by After the Final Rose.
[Photo via Shutterstock]
