We recently learned that before The Bachelor chose Nick Viall for the lead role, they had promised Bachelorette fan favorite Luke Pell the position. And according to former Bachelorette season 8 runner-up Arie Luyendyk, Jr., this wasn't the first time this happened. He was also set to become the Bachelor before Chris Soules ended up starring in season 19.
"Same exact deal," Luyendyk, Jr. told Us Weekly. "Suit fittings; contracts that I signed, but they were delayed on signings on their end; booked flights. Maybe this is a common practice now to throw off fans — I don’t know."
Personally, I would've preferred to see Luyendyk, Jr., a Dutch race car driver living in Scottsdale, Arizona, over Soules, a farmer who expected his future wife to move to rural Iowa to live with him. Many viewers considered him one of the most boring Bachelors in history.
Did ABC make a mistake again by not sticking with its initial decision?
Like Luyendyk, Pell was probably the safer choice. Viall was loved by some but hated by others for controversial decisions like talking about his physical relationships on The Bachelorette and entering the show mid-season. It remains to be seen if this will work out for Nick, but it'll probably be the polar opposite of Soules's dull season.
Between the decision to cast Nick and last year's two-Bachelorette plan, the network does seem interested in throwing curveballs our way. Whether or not Arie's correct in stating that ABC intentionally flip-flops on its casting, it sure is keeping us on our toes.