‘Bachelor’ Chris Soules On Andi Dorfman And Josh Murray Breakup: Was He Surprised By The News?

Chris Soules is this season’s Bachelor in large part because of Andi Dorfman. When Andi was the Bachelorette, she tearfully sent him packing just prior to the overnight dates. Although she took Soules to the exotic locale in the Dominican Republic, she chose to enter the fantasy suite with only two men: Nick Viall and Josh Murray. At the series’ end, Dorfman was engaged to Murray.

When Soules debuted as the Bachelor Monday night, Andi and Josh were on hand to spread good wishes. They appeared to still be together, but only days later announced their split.

Now sources tell E! Online that Soules was as surprised as everyone else. Friends of the Iowa farmer report he did not see the split coming.

“Chris did actually think they were gonna last. [He thinks] Josh is a great guy.”

Viall also told E! he was taken aback at the news.

“I was surprised. I feel for them. Heartbreak is tough for anyone, whether you’re engaged or not. It stinks.”

Fans of The Bachelor will recall that Nick Viall made news during the After the Final Rose special by revealing he and Dorfman had been intimate in the fantasy suite. At the time, Viall said he was blindsided by the fact that Dorfman ultimately chose Murray and not him.

Chris Soules apparently also took his breakup with Andi hard, as he told reporters after he was announced as the Bachelor.

“Falling in love with Andi, I did know that there was a chance that it still wouldn’t work out. You know, there’s two other great guys that Andi was still dating, and I knew that her heart may have been with them more than it was with me.”

Dorfman took to Twitter to congratulate her former suitor on his new role.

Congrats to the new Bachelor, C_Soules! So excited for you!!! Some woman is going to be very lucky if she wins that heart of yours!

— Andi Dorfman (@AndiDorfman) August 27, 2014

Of course, this year’s Bachelor season has already been taped. So Soules and a few insiders already know how it ends this time around. Chris told Access Hollywood after the season premiere that he has indeed found love.

“I went into this process with an open heart and an open mind. [I thought,] I’m going to fall in love first and figure things out next.”

He’s also kept one thing that may have driven a wedge between him and Andi: his small-town roots.

“My heart has always been there [in Iowa].”

[Image: Bachelor/ABC]