UPDATE: This story was originally published on Aug. 19.
Bachelor in Paradise has only just begun, but that hasn’t stopped fans from wondering what the future has in store for this beloved franchise. Thankfully, all three shows — The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Paradise — have been picked up by ABC for another season, which means the drama we can’t help but love won’t be coming to an end anytime soon.
The Bachelor doesn’t typically return until the start of the new year, which means figuring out when the new (2020!) Bachelor will be announced can be a little more tricky to predict. Then add to that the fact that there are so many viable Bachelor candidates coming out of Hannah Brown’s Bachelorette season, one of whom is making a great second impression on Bachelor in Paradise, and there's quite a lot to consider.
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Last year, Colton wasn’t revealed to be the 2019 Bachelor until early September, which made since he appeared throughout most of season 5 of Bachelor in Paradise, and announcing the decision sooner would’ve spoiled how things played out for him and his romantic partner in Paradise, Tia Booth. Bachelor producers may also be planning to follow a similar pattern this year, which means we still have a few more weeks of waiting and wondering to go, when the season wraps in early September.
During the taping of Hannah B.’s Men Tell All special, Chris Harrison admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that Mike Johnson was definitely a viable candidate to sit upon the Bachelor throne. "I love him. The smile, the charm, the sincerity, the maturity,” Harrison told the outlet. “He’s a great man and I feel like he’s a dear friend of mine already, so he’s a great candidate and he’s definitely going to be in the mix." Mike certainly gained a great deal of popularity throughout his time on The Bachelorette and beyond (the man can't appear on-screen without fans saying he should be the next Bachelor), but since he’s popped up in Paradise, any reveal of his Bachelor future would need to wait until his time in Mexico is over.
That being said, if the new Bachelor turns out to be someone who isn’t a part of BIP season 6 then the announcement could be made even earlier than that. Especially since there was just a major heartbreak aired on Bachelor in Paradise, involving Demi Burnett and Derek Peth. Demi broke up with Derek when she realized she was more in love with her the woman she was dating before Paradise, and the former Bachelorette contestant's kindness and emotional maturity suddenly had fans screaming, "Derek Peth For Bachelor!"
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The two other major candidates from the most recent Bachelorette season are Hannah B. castoffs Peter Weber and Tyler Cameron. Peter has been mostly out of the spotlight since his season ended, which isn't always a great sign for his future as the face of the franchise. Still, he did end the season on a high note, with Hannah bragging about them having sex in the Windmill four times.
Tyler’s complicated love life as of late may leave him out of the running if he and Gigi Hadid continue to be photographed having dates around New York City, but Chris Harrison told The Hollywood Reporter Tyler still has a shot. But unless his public dating spree ends soon, that may leaves us with Pete the pilot and Big Mike as the main frontrunners, making Mike’s time on Paradise more crucial than ever.
And from the looks of fan reactions and BIP so far, producers would be fools not to truly, seriously consider Mike, but now Derek is in the game too, which means we'll probably be waiting until it's officially fall to find out who'll follow Colton Underwood's fence jump with a dramatic season of their own.