The race to find the next Bachelor star is in full swing.
ABC has yet to make an official decision, but Us Magazine reports that Luke Pell has emerged as the network’s top choice.
What happened to all of those Chase McNary rumors?
“It’s looking like Luke right now as the next Bachelor , but there are a couple others on the back burner in case he doesn’t work out,” an insider told the outlet.
Pell rose to prominence on JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette .
Although Fletcher eventually gave Pell the boot, he managed to wow her with incredible chemistry from the start.
“I’m running out of words to describe the level of passion that is Luke and me together,” Fletcher admitted on the show. “Luke and I have a very emotional relationship, but we have, like, that physical connection down. Like, we have it down! Every time we kiss, I get the feeling where I have to, like, take a breath. I have to take a moment because that spark is just … it’s crazy.”
Pell made it to Fletcher’s final four before she dumped him after the hometown dates.
After Pell’s exit from the show, he admitted that he still has feelings for Fletcher, which only endeared him to fans even more.
“I still do love her,” he explained. “[She’ll] always have a piece of my heart.”
Even Fletcher believes ABC should give Luke a shot at being the next Bachelor .
“If you ask me personally, I think both Luke and Chase are great options,” Fletcher shared. “I think Robby is a great choice, too. But when I sent Luke home, America died. There was an overwhelming amount of support and love for him and I totally get it.”
Meanwhile, Daily Mail is reporting that Luke Pell was recently spotted on the streets of Nashville. The reality star wore a pair of tight jeans and t-shirt as he made his way through the musical city and looked like he could easily handle the spot light.
Indeed, according to Hollywood Life , there are a number of reasons why Pell would make a great Bachelor star.
Not only does Pell have an interesting background as a war veteran, but he is also outgoing enough to pull it off.
Pell has a great voice, knows how to party, and is serious about finding love.
That being said, McNary could just as easily land the coveted role next season.
According to Us Magazine , McNary made it one step further than Pell on The Bachelorette and also cemented himself as a fan favorite.
In fact, early rumors indicated that McNary was the clear front-runner for the spot.
Although no official announcements have been made, The Bit Bag is reporting that series creator Mike Fleiss hinted that McNary was up for the role.
Fleiss told fans that he would drop a clue about the next lead man during the TLC show, Love at First Kiss .
“There’s a clue as to who will be our new Bachelor on tonight’s premiere of our new show #LoveAtFirstKiss on TLC!” Fleiss told fans on Twitter .
Fans then noted that most of the men on the show wore v-necks, something that McNary is famous for wearing.
Does this mean the network will chose McNary over Pell?
At this point it’s too early to tell which man will lead the new season of The Bachelor.
Fortunately, Vine Report revealed that a decision will be announced in the coming weeks as Bachelor in Paradise starts to wind down.
The new season of The Bachelor is expected to premiere sometime in January on ABC.
Tell us! Who do you think should be the next Bachelor — Luke Pell or Chase McNary? Let us know in the comments below.
[Image via ABC]