Here are the top 5 contenders to be the next Bachelor so far

The Bachelorette Season 17 is wrapping up which means we’ll likely be getting an announcement about the next Bachelor soon.  

Katie Thurston’s season provided a fair amount of endearing and interesting men that could succeed as the Bachelor, but five men, in particular, have stood out. Their time on Katie’s season has fans convinced they should be The Bachelor’s next star. 

Michael Allio would be the second single father on The Bachelor 

Michael A. has continued to prove that he has a heart of gold and that has made him a top contender for The Bachelor. Fans adore Michael’s positive spirit and his genuine support of Katie and the men in the house. 

Viewers became even more impressed with Michael A. when they learned of the tragedy in his past. During an emotional episode, Michael A. revealed that he is widowed and lost his wife to cancer shortly after having their young son. 

Michael’s commitment to being a great single father and his bravery to take another shot at love is commendable and fans want to protect Michael at all cost. For now, he’s still in Katie’s top four but, if he ends up being sent home, then viewers hope they haven’t seen the last of the charming dad. 

Bachelor Nation believes Michael A. would make a fantastic Bachelor due to his pleasant combination of humor and heart. If Michael A. did become the Bachelor, it would make for a historic season since he’d be the first single father to star on the show since Jason Mesnick in 2009.

Andrew Spencer’s exit may have set him up as the next Bachelor 

Andrew Spencer was expected to go further with Katie and make her top four. However, now that it’s clear his love story won’t end in an engagement to Katie, fans are eager to see Andrew be named the next Bachelor. 

Andrew had already been making viewers swoon with his playful and heartfelt personality. After his dramatic breakup with Katie, Andrew shot right to the top of The Bachelor contender list.

Many voiced feeling as though his lengthy goodbye to Katie was positioning him to be the next Bachelor because of how much focus he received in his final moments on the show.  

Andrew does appear to have all the qualities necessary to make a compelling leading man, and with his willingness to be himself and speak on tough topics, fans believe it would be a refreshing change of pace for the show to cast Andrew as The Bachelor. 

Connor Brennan could make the purr-fect leading man 

Connor made a lasting first impression when he stepped out of the limo to greet Katie in a full-blown cat costume. His love of cats and puns helped him win over Katie and fans, although Katie eventually had to send Connor home in one of the season’s most emotional and upsetting breakups. 

As devastating as Connor’s final moments on the show were, he has continued to show that he’s ready to bounce back. Connor has been confirmed to make an appearance on Bachelor in Paradise and give love another shot on the island.

If Bachelor in Paradise doesn’t work out for Connor, fans would love to see the goofy sweetheart as the next Bachelor. 

After being sent home, Connor has expressed that Katie and the men in the house helped him realize that he’s enough, and perhaps that realization will make him confident enough to court multiple women on The Bachelor. 

John Hersey might get justice afterall 

John Hersey is also a top contender to become The Bachelor, with many fans rooting for him since day one. 

While John’s time on the show was unexpectedly brief, he still managed to capture Bachelor Nation’s heart with his smile and positivity. His quick exit from the show had fans demanding justice for John on social media, and what better justice than becoming the next Bachelor?

John also recently hung out with Katie Thurston, and Katie shared that John is single and ready to mingle. This might mean that John would be open to mingling with the large cast of women on The Bachelor. 

Considering he didn’t get nearly as much screen time as fans hoped he would, it would be a pleasant surprise for many viewers if John gets a whole season to be featured as The Bachelor. 

Greg Grippo has fans split 

Rounding out the top 5 is Greg Grippo, who debuted on the show as an immediate fan favorite, but he now has fans split and feeling suspicious of his sincerity.

Viewers called for Greg Grippo to be The Bachelor early in the season, considering him the breakout star from night one due to his seemingly wholesome bashfulness. 

However, as drama arose around Thomas Jacobs and his intention to be the next Bachelor, some accused Greg Grippo of also joining the show to earn clout and potentially be selected as the next Bachelor as well. 

Greg Grippo was initially going to be on Clare Crawley’s season and he also has a background in acting which raised suspicions for fans who wondered if Greg is just playing the part of the nice guy and isn’t actually into Katie. To make matters more complicated, Katie liked a meme that threw shade at Greg for allegedly being on the show for the wrong reasons. 

So far, Katie still seems to see potential in her relationship with Greg but, with hometowns coming up, she might see a different and less appealing side of him. If Greg’s “nice shy guy” vibe is authentic, then fans may be interested in seeing Greg become the next Bachelor, but if by chance Greg is being fake then he’ll quickly fall off the list of top contenders. 

The men on this top five list would all provide interesting seasons of The Bachelor for various reasons. Fans will have to wait and see if one of these men, or perhaps a surprising new man, will be the next star of The Bachelor. As for you, who would you like to see be named the Bachelor?

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC