Nick Viall does not officially debut as The Bachelor until January.
But the controversial selection to anchor the next edition of this beloved reality franchise has already left quite an impression on potential viewers.
For example: Viall apparently slept with one of his upcoming suitors, only learning about this stunning coincidence when he came across the woman again on the set of Season 21.
But this shouldn’t really come as too much of a surprise, we suppose.
Viall was runner up on two seasons of The Bachelorette already and has revealed that he was intimate with both of the lead women during his stints on those seasons.
He isn’t sure why this is controversial, though.
“People are well aware of the fact that Andi and I slept together, as well Kaitlyn and I,” Viall has said in response to critics, adding:
“I slept with two women that at the time I felt deeply for and thought there was a good chance I could end up with.”
That’s just part of the show, it’s true. They don’t set up those fantasy suites to go unused, after all.
This is all a long-winded way of saying that Viall wasn’t the most popular choice to serve as the next Bachelor. Most folks expected Luke Pell to land this gig.
But it belongs to Viall and it appears as if ABC is playing off of his somewhat villainous reputation.
In what way?
The first promo for The Bachelor Season 21 features a Halloween theme, along with a narrator who tells fans:
“The next scream you hear may be your own.”
We then hear women screaming over Viall, although we assume they are doing so because he is very attractive, not because they are actually frightened of the veteran reality star.
“Happy Halloween!” concludes the teaser below.
Nick will debut as The Bachelor in January, marking his fourth attempt at finding love on broadcast television.
He previously advanced far on the Andi Dorfman and Kaitlyn Bristowe seasons of The Bachelorette, while also making some enemies this summer on Bachelor in Paradise.
“I was very nervous, but it took me a couple of days. I told them I had to think about it,” Viall said of taking over the role from Ben Higgins, last season’s The Bachelor.
“I didn’t have a lot of time to think about it because they didn’t ask me too long ago. But it took me a couple of days…
“It’s a huge responsibility, but it’s obviously an amazing opportunity, so ultimately, I accepted.”
Bookmark The Hollywood Gossip in the days/weeks/months ahead for the most up-to-date Bachelor spoilers on the Internet and then check out the following photo gallery to see how Twitter reacted to news of Viall as The Bachelor:
Do YOU think ABC made the right choice?
Or should Pell have been named the show’s next star? It’s time to VOTE:
Nick Viall will be The Bachelor in the spring of 2017. But would you prefer to have seen Luke Pell picked for this position? View Poll »