Arie Luyendyk Jr. Is Your Next 'Bachelor' and Honestly Who Asked for This?
Emily Schmidt
Updated on March 29, 2026
Big news out of Bachelor Nation this morning: Arie Luyendyk Jr. is going to be your next Bachelor. If you're asking, "Who?" that is an appropriate response because we haven't seen much of Arie since he was the runner-up on Emily Maynard's 2012 season of The Bachelorette. 2012. For context, that's two full years before Bachelor in Paradise even started.
And get this: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Arie was the first pick for the 2015 season of The Bachelor, but ABC went with Chris Soules instead because Arie hadn't been on the franchise in two years. If he was too far removed back then, why now, five years later? "The decision was very last-minute," a source told The Hollywood Reporter. Yeah, no shit.
I mean, the man has gray hair now, it's been so long. Just look at him discussing the announcement on Good Morning America this morning:
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Now compare that with this photo, which was clearly taken from his 2012 season:
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