Who do we want? PETER!
When do we want him? NOW!
While The Bachelor fans tried their best to keep it together until the big announcement, ABC went ahead and picked a terrible lead star for next season. Instead of choosing a handsome and interesting suitor from Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette — we are looking at you Peter Kraus and Eric Bigger — the producers selected Arie Luyendyk Jr. from Emily Maynard’s season instead.
Arie came in second (Emily rejected him and picked Jef Holm) and was also in the running to become the Bachelor for both Season 17 and Season 19. In fact, he lost out to Sean Lowe and Chris Soules respectively. Hey, if someone as boring as Sean or farmer Chris bested Arie, then how interesting could this guy really be? Just sayin'.
On Thursday, Arie appeared on Good Morning America to make the shocking announcement and revealed that he was at home when he got the big call. "It was pretty recent," he told Michael Strahan. "We've kept in touch over the years. This just fit really perfect. The timing of this just really fit."
But does it, though? Dude, Wells Adams or even Dean Unglert (a.k.a. Deanie Baby) would have been an infinitely better choice than you.
Five years later, it seems like Arie is irrelevant enough to be handing out those mildly-coveted red roses. It’s definitely a bold casting choice for ABC, and we’ll have to see whether viewers care enough to tune in next season.
"I was a little skeptical because we'd been in talks for a few years about doing it, so I just kind of went into it with an open heart, an open mind," added Arie. "It just hit me that yeah, I'm here."
Arie is best known for being "the kissing bandit" on Emily’s season, but now he's looking for a woman who is "independent, strong but then still gentle."
Good lucky, buddy. We’re sure you'll enjoy your 15 minutes of fame before breaking it off with whatever human disaster you end up choosing in the end. (Side note: One of The Twins would be perfect for Arie.)
What are your thoughts on the new Bachelor? Are you digging Arie or are you totally over him already? Hit the comments to dish and discuss all your unfiltered thoughts.
