'The Bachelor' Season 22 News: Arie Luyendyk Jr. Confirmed as ABC Reality Show's New Leading Man
Race car driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. is the newest "Bachelor," ABC confirmed Thursday.
Luyendyk was announced as the show's new leading man for the reality series on Thursday's episode of "Good Morning America." He mentioned that he is entering the program with "an open mind, open heart." In addition, the 35-year-old pointed out that his experience on the race track will help him make quick decisions on the dating show.
Luyendyk is no stranger to the "Bachelor" universe. Back in 2012, he became the runner-up on "The Bachelorette's" eighth season — failing to win Emily Maynard's heart. Reports note that Luyendyk has been in the racing industry since 1992. He has competed in numerous racing series, including IndyCar and Indy Lights. He is the son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk.
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ABC's decision to cast Luyendyk came as a surprise to most fans. In the past few weeks, there have been a lot of speculations on who was going to be the next "Bachelor." The most popular choice was Peter Kraus, the runner-up on Rachel Lindsay's season of "The Bachelorette."
A source recently revealed that Luyendyk's casting was a last-minute decision on the show's part. While plenty of viewers wanted Kraus to be the show's next leading man, the chances of him joining the show are slim after what happened in "The Bachelorette."
"They are in a full-blown panic mode," an insider shared to PEOPLE before ABC's announcement. "Peter was honestly never their first choice; they're still mad at him because of the whole Rachel situation. But they knew he's who the fans wanted. And the fact that they went to Peter even after they'd initially said they wouldn't? That let Peter know he had a ton of power going into this situation."
"The Bachelor" season 22 premieres January 2018 on ABC. An exact release date has yet to be announced by the network.
