Arie Luyendyk Jr. Is Your Next 'Bachelor' and Honestly Who Asked for This?
Big news out of Bachelor Nation this morning: Arie Luyendyk Jr. is going to be your next Bachelor. If you’re asking, “Who?” that is an appropriate response because we haven’t seen much of Arie since he was the runner-up on Emily Maynard’s 2012 season of The Bachelorette. 2012. For context, that’s two full years before Bachelor in Paradise even started.
And get this: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Arie was the first pick for the 2015 season of The Bachelor, but ABC went with Chris Soules instead because Arie hadn’t been on the franchise in two years. If he was too far removed back then, why now, five years later? “The decision was very last minute,” a source told The Hollywood Reporter. Yeah, no shit.
I mean, the man has gray hair now it’s been so long. Just look at him discussing the announcement on Good Morning America this morning:
Now compare that with this photo, which was clearly taken from his 2012 season:
I vaguely remember liking Arie during Emily’s season, but this choice raises a lot of obvious questions: Is Mercury in retrograde? (No.) What’s wrong with Hot Peter? He’s very hot! Why not Kenny? He was a fan favorite, and his daughter would make a sweet co-star. Does this means the franchise is done pretending to address its diversity problem? Unfortunately, I think yes.
But, fine, we’re going with Arie, so let’s get to know a little about him: He’s 35, he lives in Arizona, and he’s a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner turned real estate agent (so expect a season filled with cars and racing and…oh God, I’m already bored). He also seems to be very aware how weird this is, but he’s not worried about the haters (like myself): “Now that I’ve had some time and distance away from it, it feels like the feeling I had before I went into it the first time,” he told People. “I’m not concerned what people think. I’m just focused on the outcome. I want to find my person and will do whatever it takes!”
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