This morning "Good Morning America" made the big announcement that Arie Luyendyk Jr. will be "The Bachelor" for 2018. Fans remember him from Emily Maynard's season of the show and are excited that he will be back again. After "GMA" made the announcement on Twitter, they had Arie on the show to talk about what is going on with him and how he got the role.
Who is Arie?
If you don't remember Arie Luyendyk Jr., he is the race car driver who was on Emily Maynard's season of "The Bachelorette." They considered him as "The Bachelor" at that point, but it didn't end up happening and they picked someone else instead.
He made it to the final two and fell in love with Emily, but she picked Jef Holm instead. Things didn't work out for them either in the end. Arie felt like they had the perfect story, but it didn't work out for them. He will be 36 in just a few weeks.
He was called "the kissing bandit" on the show, so he said that with the right woman that could be him once again. Arie said he had that kind of chemistry with Emily Maynard. She has moved on and is now married with three kids and another one on the way.
What did he have to say?
Arie Luyendyk Jr. said that it has just sunk in that he is the guy who will be "The Bachelor" 2018. He said he was at home when he got the call and the timing was just perfect for him.
Arie said he has kept in touch with "The Bachelor" over the last few years. He said he was a bit skeptical because they have been talking for a while about him doing it.
Arie said that his dad was finding out right now and that he didn't even tell his parents. He kept it all under wraps just in case it didn't work out, so his family found out along with America this morning.
That surprised everyone to hear. He also said that his younger brother just got married.
He wants a woman who is independent and strong, but still gentle. Arie is looking for someone that is a bit of a mix. He said that he doesn't keep in touch with the current contestants, but he is still friends with some people from the show including Sean Lowe and said he will be reaching out to him.
There were a lot of names thrown around including Wells Adams, Peter Kraus and more, but Arie is the one who got the job. It is going to be an interesting season of the show.
Are you shocked to hear that Arie Luyendyk Jr. is "The Bachelor" this time around? Do you think he will find love? Sound off in the comments section below, and don't miss "The Bachelor" 2018 when it starts airing on ABC in January.
