Who’s The Next Star Of ‘The Bachelor’? Producer’s Clues Point To A Two-Time Loser
The identity of the next star of The Bachelor will be revealed soon, and it won’t be via a televised announcement or press release. Executive producer Mike Fleiss says he will make the official announcement on his Twitter page, and in the days leading up to the big reveal, he’s providing clues to who it will be.
Fleiss’s latest clue to The Bachelor star’s identity is “Cupid.” But that could really be a clue to any of the guys who’ve paraded through the ABC reality franchise.
Today's clue– Cupid! #TheBachelor #WhoWillitBe?
— Mike Fleiss (@fleissmeister) August 17, 2016
Of course, some of Fleiss’s clues are much more specific. He teased that the Adele song “Make You Feel My Love” is a clue to who the new Bachelor will be. (For older viewers, Bob Dylan’s version of the song counts, too.)
Here are all of the clues about the next Bachelor star so far.
Here's a clue… He's very handsome! And he likes sunrises more than sunsets.#TheBachelor
— Mike Fleiss (@fleissmeister) August 12, 2016
Bonus clue– Your next Bachelor makes a mean tuna casserole! #TheBachelor #Whowillitbe?
— Mike Fleiss (@fleissmeister) August 13, 2016
Today's clue– your next Bachelor can run a mile in less than 6 minutes. #TheBachelor
— Mike Fleiss (@fleissmeister) August 13, 2016
Today's clue… #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/FWvXbVUXxT
— Mike Fleiss (@fleissmeister) August 14, 2016
Like with any great mystery, some clues can lead you the wrong direction… ? #TheBachelor
— Mike Fleiss (@fleissmeister) August 14, 2016
Today's clue can be found on tonite's episode of #BachelorInParadise . Just prior to the third commercial break.#TheBachelor #whowillitbe?
— Mike Fleiss (@fleissmeister) August 15, 2016
Today's clue can be found in Adele's version of "Make You Feel My Love." #TheBachelor #WhoWillitBe?
— Mike Fleiss (@fleissmeister) August 16, 2016
Or Dylan's original version. Just trying to appeal to the youngsters… #TheBachelor #WhoWillitBe ?
— Mike Fleiss (@fleissmeister) August 16, 2016
Military veteran Luke Pell has long been considered a frontrunner for the role as the next Bachelor, and one big clue seems like it could favor him. But some of the clues point to a much more surprising Bachelor Nation veteran: two-time Bachelorette runner-up Nick Viall.
In Luke’s favor is the Star Wars-themed tweet. Sure, it’s a picture of a sculpture of Yoda, but Luke Skywalker was the leading man in the movie.
But the “6-minute mile” clue could point to Nick. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Viall ran track in both high school and college — and he was good at it. Viall won state in the 800-meter run at the 1999 WIAA Track And Field Championship when he was a senior at Waukesha North High School and went on to run track for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As team captain, he set a school record for the 3,200-meter relay.
In addition, the “sunsets” clue could definitely point to Nick. He was rejected at two sunset rose ceremonies as he was about to propose to Andi Dorfman and Kaitlyn Bristowe on their seasons of The Bachelorette. Yes, Nick is a two-time “loser,” as he has poignantly pointed out (“I am a joke,” he said after Bristowe rejected him), and his rejections have always been at dusk.
Another thing that is in Viall’s favor is the fact that he’s currently having a rough time on Bachelor in Paradise. Indeed, producers are giving Viall a sympathetic edit as they showed him pining away after rival Josh Murray zeroed in on the one girl he liked, Amanda Stanton. Nick is not being portrayed as a villain this season.
Nick has started to grow on viewers — even those who disliked him after he slut-shamed Andi Dorfman on national TV. Viall later apologized for calling Andi out for having sex with him in Fantasy Suite, while The Bachelorette star called him “classless.”
Nick has appeared in three Bachelor shows and always walks away empty handed. Now would be the perfect time to set him up in the starring role as The Bachelor so he could finally call the shots, and producers are definitely making a case for him with his portrayal on Bachelor in Paradise.
After Viall missed out on being named The Bachelor last year, he was a good sport about it, even telling Us Weekly that ABC made the right choice by casting Ben Higgins.
“I think ABC made a great choice,” he said. “I think he’s one of the few people that actually lives up to the hype. He’s a very sweet guy and now that he’s the leading guy I hope we get to see the other great sides of Ben. Ben has an edge and I hope that he shows it.”
Now it seems that Viall wants to show a new side of himself, too.
Meanwhile, Luke Pell has made it clear that he would like to be the next Bachelor. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Pell said he would be excited to get a second chance at a reality TV romance, even after being dumped by JoJo Fletcher.
“I’ve seen firsthand that it worked, going through this whole process with JoJo and I. I was in love with her. And it happened so fast, but it was real at the same time. It was real for us and it was real for me. So, I would be open to it again because I know it works. It’s proven.”
Luke also told Entertainment Tonight that he wouldn’t be as serious as he was on The Bachelorette.
“Hopefully, I would be a fun Bachelor!” Luke told ET. “That’s the part of me [people] didn’t get to see on this show. A lot of my stories are so intense and deep about my military background… but I love to have fun!”
Take a look at the video below to see Nick Viall facing off with Josh Murray on Bachelor in Paradise.
[Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for iHeartMedia]