Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette has been jam-packed with twists and turns, both on the screen and in the news. Her crop of guys to choose from included some who definitely weren't there for the right reasons, and some of their antics were downright alarming. So, interest is high in which of these guys will be chosen as leading man of the next season of The Bachelor.
Unfortunately, the big reveal won't come as part of the Bachelorette season finale, and longtime Bachelor franchise host Chris Harrison explained why ahead of Hannah's big finale:
I will break this news: you will not get [the Bachelor announcement] at the finale. It would be premature to make the call now, before [Bachelor in Paradise]. It wouldn't be smart at all… there's guys you haven't seen yet.
The reason for the delayed announcement is simple: Bachelor in Paradise, featuring several of Hannah's jilted suitors, hasn't premiered yet, according to Chris Harrison to ET. The scheduling of the Bachelor franchise has seasons of The Bachelorette ending shortly before new seasons of Bachelor in Paradise kick off, and Paradise can feature the person who becomes the next Bachelor.
Both Nick Viall and Colton Underwood were selected as star of the next season of The Bachelor after appearing on Paradise. Interestingly, the Colton announcement came while Paradise was still in the middle of his weird situation with Tia, so it really removed any sense of suspense about whether or not they'd work out their relationship.
This contrasts with the announcements regarding new seasons of The Bachelorette. Both Becca Kufrin and Hannah Brown were announced as the new leading ladies during the After the Final Rose part of a Bachelor season finale, and even got to meet some of their suitors. On the one hand, the early announcements may have been beneficial in soothing fans who were upset about the treatment of Becca and Hannah during The Bachelor.
After all, fans were literally putting up billboards slamming Arie Luyendyk for what he did to Becca, and Colton's last weeks were a disaster for pretty much all the ladies, including the one he chose. On the other hand, The Bachelorette would air before the next season of Bachelor in Paradise, so there would be no point in holding off on the decision and announcement.
So, it may be a while before we find out with of Hannah's gents will star in the next season of The Bachelor. Bachelor in Paradise premieres Monday, August 5 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, and it's probably safe to say that the big announcement won't come until several episodes into the season. The good news is that spoilers for Paradise allow us to make some guesses.
Spoilers ahead for the 2019 season of Bachelor in Paradise. Dylan Barbour reportedly got engaged to Hannah Godwin during Bachelor in Paradise, so he presumably won't be trying to find The One with his own season of The Bachelor. John Paul Jones will apparently be a highlight of the season; does that mean he has a shot, despite not being one of Hannah's finalists? End Bachelor in Paradise spoilers.
Colton Underwood was pulling for Pilot Peter Weber of the windmill sex (which Hannah just came clean about in the first half of her season finale) to become the next Bachelor, but Peter may have lost his shot as rumors began to circulate that he's the latest guy to start courting Hannah while kinda sorta having a girlfriend at home. Tyler C.'s mom of all people suggested that he'll be the next Bachelor, but there are still big questions about his candidacy.
The Bachelorette season finale and the Bachelor in Paradise return should yield some more information to speculate about while we wait for the official announcement. There are plenty of other summer viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future as well, and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more Bachelor franchise coverage.
