Arie Luyendyk Jr, may not be a name that fans of The Bachelor will recognize immediately, but it’s one they’ve heard before.
The 35-year-old racecar driver appeared on the eighth season of The Bachelorette in 2012.
After Emily Maynard chose Jef Holm in the series finale, Arie lobbied to be the next Bachelor, but producers repeatedly chose someone else for the gig.
Now, after five years of waiting, Arie is finally getting his chance to be the guy handing out the roses on the long-running ABC reality series.
The surprising decision was revealed today on Good Morning America.
“I just kind of went in with an open mind, open heart,” Luyendyk told Michael Strahan in a live interview.
“It just kind of hit me right now that I’m here.”
Luyendyk said the whole process happened so rapidly that he hasn’t even had a chance to speak with his family about the decision.
“It’s been such a quick turn of events and my family doesn’t know,” said Luyendyk.
“So now they know. So they know along with you guys.”
Luyendyk’s efforts to woo Maynard earned him the nickname “the kissing bandit” during his previous stint with the franchise.
Asked if he would be engaging in a lot of lip-locking on the upcoming season of The Bachelor, Arie said fans will just have to wait and see … so, yes.
“Obviously there’s got to be that chemistry there,” he said.
“Emily and I had it previously and I’m hoping to find that type of love, for sure.”
While the show doesn’t have the greatest track record in terms of creating lasting relationships, Luyendyk says he’s sincere in his search for Ms. Right.
“I’ll be 36 in a few weeks so for me it’s time,” he said of finding love.
“All my friends around me, you know, have kids and have grown up, so for me, I feel like I’m the last one of my friends to really take that step.”
While Luyendyk was a fan favorite on The Bachelorette, fans were surprised by the selection.
Insiders say that as recently as last week, producers were in “full-blown panic mode,” as they struggled to find a suitable Bachelor who was up for the job.
The past few weeks saw candidates dropping like flies, as Dean Unglert revealed he was not ready for a relationship, thus taking him our of the running.
Shortly thereafter, Peter Kraus bowed out, leaving showrunners with few options.
When it was revealed that Eric Bigger wouldn’t be the Bachelor either, fans expressed bafflement on social media.
So Arie may not be producers’ first choice for the job, but we’re guessing the Kissing Bandit will prove up to the task.
Watch The Bachelor online at TV Fanatic to get caught up in time for what’s sure to be an amusing season.