Bachelor contestant Amanda Stanton takes a big step with Ben Higgins during her hometown date on Monday, February 22. Ben will travel to California on Episode 8 to spend the day with Amanda and meet her two daughters Kinsley, 3 and Charlie, 1.
ABC’s previews show that he will get a taste of life as a stepdad. Is he ready to become a full-time father, and will the hometown date give him second thoughts about giving Amanda the final rose?
[Warning: Spoilers ahead]
Is he? #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/Y8lVB4Hv6e
— The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) February 21, 2016
Amanda, 25, told Ben about her two daughters on the second episode of the Bachelor and revealed that she had a rocky marriage with her ex, Nick Buonfiglio . Her past didn’t seem to phase Ben, but it was early-on in the season. When he spends time with her during the hometown date, he has a change of heart — and it may be her recent divorce that changes his mind, not the thought of being an insta-Dad.
According to Radar Online , Amanda married Nick on October 11, 2012. The couple had two children together and split two years later in December 2014, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Court documents obtained by Radar indicate that their divorce was finalized on June 15, 2015, just three months before Amanda started filming the Bachelor .
Although photos provided by ABC show Ben having a marvelous time with Amanda’s daughters during Monday night’s hometown date episode, it’s a serious date for Ben.
The preview shown last week hints that crying babies and a frazzled Amanda may push Ben to decide against keeping Amanda for another week; but, it’s possible that her admission that she is newly divorced may be the driving force behind his decision to say “goodbye” to her during Monday night’s rose ceremony. He may feel that she is just not ready to commit to married life so soon.
#StepdadGoals ? pic.twitter.com/OKSV3KeCPY
— The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) February 20, 2016
Ben has to send one of his final four — Caila, Lauren B., JoJo, or Amanda — home after the hometown dates. Reality Steve ‘s spoilers indicate that Ben decides to part ways with Amanda, something that should not come as a big surprise to viewers, especially after the way her hometown date plays out.
However, this may not be the last time Amanda appears on TV. Many fans are pulling for her to become the next Bachelorette and frankly, she has a good shot at getting the gig.
Amanda instantly became a fan favorite when Olivia Caridi called her out for being a “Teen Mom.” She won the sympathy of fans for Olivia’s poor choice of words and it’s hard to find fault with her sweetness and positive attitude on the show.
Although the next Bachelorette won’t be announced until the After the Final Rose special that airs on March 14, the show’s creator, Mike Fleiss, is already asking fans to help decide which woman from Ben’s season — or any other season — should be next in line to hand out roses to a mansion full of single guys.
If Amanda is a front-runner for the Bachelorett e gig, she would be the second single mom to appear on the show. Of course, there was some criticism when single mother Emily Maynard was picked as the lead for Season 8, but she turned out to be a well-loved Bachelorette even if her love story with Jef Holm didn’t pan out.
However, there is a possibility that fans will see a more diverse leading lady, with Caila Quinn’s name popping up in the “Who’s the next Bachelorette ” rumor mill. Spoilers indicate that she will be eliminated after her overnight date with Ben, putting her in the running for the gig.
Last month, Mike Fleiss told Us Weekly that he is making “a concentrated effort” to cast a non-white Bachelorette . Reality Steve immediately shut down rumors that Jubilee Sharpe or Amber James would be considered, but he did state that Caila Quinn, who is half-Filipino would fit the bill if the network decides to make good on their promise to cast someone who is “non-white.”
Would you like to see Amanada Stanton or Caila Quinn as the next Bachelorette ,or do you have someone else in mind?
Oh brothers! These hometown visits hold nothing back. https://t.co/pMKbfIf6OK
— The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) February 20, 2016
[Image via ABC Television Network]