INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Nick Viall Not Banking On Finding Love As ‘The Bachelor,’ Plus An Update On His Contestants

By Victoria Miller
Published on: 00:15 PST, Sep 11, 2016

Nick Viall once said he was a “joke” on The Bachelor franchise, but now the joke is on us. Viall, who has already bedded more franchise alums than most Bachelor stars have, has been named the next leading man of the ABC reality show. But even with his fourth shot at love on the line — and complete control of the roses — Nick Viall is still saying he’s not sure he’ll find his soulmate.

In an interview on Good Morning America, Viall said being The Bachelor is a huge responsibility with no guarantee of finding a wife. Just ask Brad Womack.

“At first I was like, ‘Really? Come on,'” Nick told GMA of the initial call from ABC producers.

“It took me a couple of days, I told them I needed to think about it. They didn’t ask me too long ago. I didn’t have a lot of time to think about it. It’s a huge responsibility but obviously an amazing opportunity.”

Viall, who was the runner-up on both Andi Dorfman and Kaitlyn Bristowe’s seasons of The Bachelorette, as well as a suitor on the most recent season of Bachelor in Paradise (he dumped Jen Saviano on the finale), also made it clear that he could come up empty handed for a fourth time.

“It’s a huge responsibility and there’s a lot of expectations that comes with it,” Nick said.

“There’s also no guarantees, right? I think everyone knows that you get to be the bachelor and you get to meet 25 at least amazing women, but you just never know if you’re going to connect with them. Maybe you really like someone who doesn’t feel the same way back… You never know.”

Nick Viall has already shopped for Neil Lane engagement rings three times. In fact, ABC’s resident jeweler even asked Nick how many more times he was going to see him. While filming for Nick’s season hasn’t even started yet, it’s a sure thing that he will at least shop for two more sparklers even if he doesn’t give one out to one of his final 2 women.

Speaking of his women, some members of Nick Viall’s bachelorette squad have already been leaked — to spoiler king Reality Steve, anyway. Steve says fans can count on a young crop of beauties, despite the fact that Viall is 36-years-old. On his blog, Reality Steve revealed that casting for Nick’s season was nearly complete a month before he was announced as the new star.

“Yeah, [producer] Elan Gale might’ve tweeted you can still get cast and maybe it’ll be one or two girls that get added late, but a majority of this season’s cast is already done and has been for a month. They cast their contestants first, then the lead because this is a TV show. They’re in the business of making good television, not finding the 25 most perfect women to date The Bachelor.”

Steve also teased that he has already been given tips on a possible location for the overnight dates and final rose ceremony, and if it ends up being the place he was told about, it will be somewhere the show has never been before. In other words, scratch Fiji and Thailand off the list, but expect spoilers coming from Nick’s Wisconsin hometown in early October.

“As for the girls, assuming the girls I already have aren’t cut at the last minute, I’ll be posting them closer to filming beginning per usual,” Reality Steve added.

“Do I think the age range will change because Nick will be 36 during filming? No. Brad was 38 his second time around and all his girls for the most part were mid to late 20’s like every Bachelor season…. I expect the same for Nick. The ones I have so far are mid 20s, so I don’t see that formula changing.”

If Reality Steve is right and there are only a few slots left to compete for Nick Viall’s heart, it will be a fierce competition for fans of the franchise who want a shot at love with him. This franchise is also known for bringing in familiar faces in recent seasons, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see former Bachelor contestants show up. Count Saviano out, though; she has already made it clear she won’t be showing up to compete for her ex.

While Saviano may be done with Viall, a star from another reality show has already put her hat in the ring. Real Housewives of Orange County star Lauri Petersen has made it clear that she would love to see her single daughter, Ashley Zarlin, compete for Nick Viall.

Petersen tweeted a reply to Bachelor producer Elan Gale’s post about casting for Nick Viall’s season of the show, asking her daughter, “What are you waiting for @ashleyzarlin?” Zarlin also retweeted her mother’s post about the casting notice.

Fans have had a unique glimpse into Nick Viall’s dating life ahead of his Bachelor gig, and one thing is for certain: Nick doesn’t have a type. Dorfman, Bristowe, Saviano and his short-term Bachelor in Paradise squeeze, Amanda Stanton, couldn’t be more different. Still, Viall told Bustle’s I Want it That Way podcast that he looks for certain traits in a potential partner.

“I’ve always been attracted to very strong personalities in women,” Viall said.

“I’ve always been attracted to confidence, and a woman who knows her own self-worth, which is really hard to find in this day and age. I find it really attractive when a girl, not in a cocky way, just knows that she has value… and that she is deserving of respect.”

Nick also said he respects a girl who challenges him, who can stand up to him, and even call him out when needed, and he also likes a girl with “an edge.”

A longtime friend of Nick Viall’s told E! News that his childhood pal has always been attracted to “strong, confident women.” Viall’s friend Marcos Hernandez also said Nick is open to dating all types of women, which could pave the way for a more diverse season for the ABC reality franchise.

“Nick’s dated blondes and brunettes. But he’s open. Culture or background doesn’t matter to him whatsoever,” Hernandez said.

While he’s a controversial pick for The Bachelor, some diehard Bachelor fans have some suggestions on who should compete for Nick Viall. Even franchise alum Ashley Iaconetti joked that she would put her own love life on hold and make it her mission to get TV star Victoria Justice on Nick’s season.

Take a look at the video below to see Nick Viall talking about being The Bachelor.

[Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for boohoo.com ]

Share this article: Nick Viall Not Banking On Finding Love As ‘The Bachelor,’ Plus An Update On His Contestants
the bachelor nick viall
More from Inquisitr