Chris Soules has been rumored to have locked the next Bachelor spot up but it’s now been reported that he has some competition.
That would be Arie Luyendyk Jr., a former Bachelorette contestant who also appeared on Bachelor Pad in 2012.
“Lyendyk Jr. is now in the running to be the next Bachelor,” a source told Radar Online.
“Producers have already filmed him at home in Arizona, and they even sent a personal trainer to get him in shape for TV. They think he'd be perfect.”
The Netherlands native was rejected by Emily Maynard, but the 32-year-old has remained connected to the franchise--he frequently tweets about The Bachelorette, and was recently linked to Bachelor contestant Selma Alameri.
Chris Soules. (ABC)
Soules was the third-to-last man out in the current Bachelorette season. The Iowa native recently said that he believes he could be the next Bachelor.
“Just logically, it makes sense,” Soules said.
“You know, I live in Arlington, Iowa, and that’s why (going on The Bachelorette) made sense. … It was a good opportunity for a guy like me. And it’s an even better opportunity to be on the other side, where you have the opportunity to meet 25 incredible women. So yeah, I would definitely consider it.”
Season 19 of the Bachelor will premiere in January 2015, following the end of The Bachelorette and the new spinoff Bachelor in Paradise.
