Could ‘Bachelor In Paradise’ Star Nick Viall Shock Everyone And Become The Next ‘Bachelor’?

Now that The Bachelorette is over and Bachelor in Paradise is in full swing, the quest to find the next star of The Bachelor is officially under way.

So far, the likely candidates include Luke Pell and Chase McNary, both of whom almost won JoJo Fletcher’s heart on The Bachelorette.

However, is Nick Viall another possible choice for the coveted job? Viall has certainly made his rounds in Bachelor Nation over the years.

According to Zap2it, Viall made it to the final round on The Bachelorette for two years in a row. Now, he is trying to find love for a third time on Bachelor in Paradise.

While the romance between Viall and Amanda Stanton looked promising, it doesn’t look like things are going to end well for Viall. In fact, Josh Murray swooped in once again and stole Stanton from under Viall.

As fans will recall, Viall and Murray had an intense rivalry during Andi Dorfman’s time on The Bachelorette.

Although Murray ended up winning Dorfman’s heart, the couple’s engagement didn’t last long. Now that Murray is back in the reality dating game, he and Viall are chasing after the same girl yet again.

For Viall, E! Online is reporting that he doesn’t necessarily view Murray as a rival.

“I was more or less indifferent,” Viall admitted when asked about Murray’s appearance on Bachelor in Paradise. “Josh and I certainly didn’t have a relationship. We’re not friends, but I don’t have any feelings about Josh one way or the other. I was more or less indifferent. I think a lot of people made a big deal about some rivalry that didn’t really exist. I think you’ll find when you watch the season that Josh maybe had a different feeling about it.”

Meanwhile, if Viall does end up a single man by the end of the season, he would be in a prime position to star on The Bachelor and find love once and for all.

Indeed, Viall has one of the largest social media followings in Bachelor Nation history. Not only does he have over 95,000 fans on Twitter, but he also boasts a quart of a million followers on Instagram.

Some of this popularity is due to his involvement on the show for three years. Producers take this kind of popularity into consideration when choosing contestants, which definitely puts Viall ahead of everyone else.

With so many fans following him on social media, there is little doubt that Viall would deliver on the ratings front.

At the same time, Wet Paint is reporting that ABC considered casting Viall for the part last season, but ended up choosing Ben Higgins instead.

Now that Viall is 35-years-old, he is in a perfect spot to finally settle down and get hitched.

That being said, Hollywood Take revealed that Pell is the clear frontrunner to land the lead role on the coming season of The Bachelor.

“It’s looking like Luke right now as the next Bachelor, but there are a couple of others on the back burner in case he doesn’t work out,” an insider revealed.

The backup options include the likes of McNary, Wells Adams, and Robby Hayes.

Meanwhile, Fletcher recently weighed in on the issue and believes Pell and McNary would be the best choices for the role.

“If you ask me personally, I think both Luke and Chase are great options [for the next Bachelor]. Maybe they could do a double one like they did with Kaitlyn [Bristowe] and Britt [Nilsson]. But Luke for sure. And Chase is amazing,” she 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.”

Tell us what you think Bachelor Nation! Who do you want to see as the next Bachelor — Luke Pell, Chase McNary or dark horse Nick Viall? Let us know in the comments below.

Fans can watch Viall try and find love for the third time when new episodes of Bachelor in Paradise air Monday and Tuesday nights on ABC.

[Image via ABC]