Nick Viall Tapped To Be Leading Man For ‘The Bachelor’ Season 21

Nick Viall, the two-time Bachelorette alum, has been selected to be the star of the next season of ABC’s The Bachelor.

Nick Viall Is The Bachelor

It was announced live on Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise earlier this week that Viall, who is currently appearing on Bachelor in Paradise, will be the new Bachelor.

“I don’t know if anything really prepares you for it…. I’ve had an interesting journey throughout this process – it hasn’t worked out so far, and hopefully this time around maybe things will end up on a more positive note,” Viall said on the after show. “I can’t be more excited about the possibility of it actually all working out.”

Viall was first introduced to Bachelor Nation during Andi Dorfman‘s season of The Bachelorette. He made it all the way to the finale, where Dorfman broke up with him and chose Josh Murray — from whom she’s since split. Viall next appeared on The Bachelorette during Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s season, becoming a mid-season addition to the group of potential suitors. Again, Viall made it to the final Rose Ceremony, only to be sent off alone in a limo. Currently, Viall appears on Bachelor in Paradise, which, apparently doesn’t end in a love story for him either.

“He has just become that perennial, second place guy who wants to find love and is as sincere, if not more sincere, than anybody about finding it,” Bachelor host Chris Harrison told People magazine. “It’s about giving him his chance to find love. Who deserves it more than him?”

“So many names get thrown around and at the end of the day, as producers, we have to try and think and decide what’s best for the franchise and who is the most deserving and sincere person,” Harrison added of Viall. “At the end of the day, we all looked around the table and nobody could say it wasn’t Nick. You can’t shoot holes at the fact that he is just the most deserving and sincere person.”

Both Dorfman and Bristowe have wished Viall luck in his latest attempt at finding a wife on reality TV.

“I’m happy for Nick. It’s been a long road for him, but he has always been genuine about wanting to find love,” Dorfman told Us Weekly. “So I’m happy to see him get another shot at it, and I wish him all the best.”

Bristowe told the outlet, “I’m happy for him! Everyone deserves to find someone. I hope it works out.”