The surprising, but awesome news that ABC named Nick Viall The Bachelor has elicited strong reactions throughout Bachelor Nation.
Nick, the two-time Bachelorette runner-up turned unlikely, fan favorite Bachelor in Paradise underdog, has his fair share of detractors.
One of his famous exes isn’t among them, though:
Among his chief supporters? Kaitlyn Bristowe!
“I’m happy for him!” Bristowe, who spurned Nick in favor of Shawn Booth last summer, tells Us Weekly. “Everyone deserves to find someone.”
“I hope it works out for him this time.”
Viall was Bristowe’s runner-up during Season 11 of The Bachelorette, having ended up in the same position with Andi Dorfman in 2014.
Guy gets dumped on TV a lot!
Andi chose Josh Murray, who has remained Nick’s nemesis to this day (more on that in a moment), and Chris Soules became The Bachelor.
Nick was so mesmerized by Kaitlyn, who was one of Soules’ top contenders, that he vied for an opportunity to return and woo her next.
Despite the fact that he showed up late, he blew away the competition, again, only to fall just short, again, as Booth got the final rose.
The couple are still engaged; Dorfman and Murray broke up, after which she penned a tell-all book and talked about both of the rivals.
Mike Fleiss, Chris Harrison and the Bachelor brain trust, brilliant tacticians that they are, decided to rekindle the Nick vs. Josh beef in Paradise.
The results? Great TV for viewers, and an unlikely turn of events in which Nick – not the most popular Bachelor figure – won over fans.
If you watch Bachelor in Paradise online, you know they’ve been going at it hard over Amanda Stanton, to whom Josh is now engaged.
Ironically, though, Nick being the unlucky in love loser again made him the beloved fan figure he always wanted to be, but never was.
Josh, meanwhile, just looks like a douche.
There will still be plenty of fans who don’t care for Nick, who bested Luke Pell, Robby Hayes and others to land the role of a lifetime.
Ultimately, despite the positive reception many men from JoJo Fletcher’s season received, producers opted to make a splash with Viall.
“Hopefully, things will end up on a more positive note,” Viall said on ABC’s After Paradise regarding his unlikely starring turn this winter.
“I’ve made my mistakes. I’ve had an interesting process through this, and it hasn’t worked so far,” Viall adds, but he’s looking ahead.
“I’m definitely ready for it … I’m really excited. I couldn’t be more excited about the possibility of it working out.”
As for what Nick wants in a fiancee?
“Someone who is confident and knows their own self-worth,” he said, and having come up just short before, he’s even clearer on this.
Most importantly of all, “somebody who makes me a better person and challenges me and isn’t afraid to give as much as I like to.”
What do you think? Will he find her?
And more significantly, will you be tuning in? Do you want to see Nick find love, and will he rank among the hottest Bachelors ever?
Hit the comments below to discuss!
