If there was anyone Bachelor Nation was rooting for to be the next Bachelor, it was the single father from Ohio.
The Bachelorette star Michael Allio captivated the hearts of fans after sharing his story of finding love after losing his wife, Laura, to cancer.
Although he made it to the final four, after self-eliminating to return to his four-year-old son, it’s clear fans wanted to see Michael return as the next lead of the franchise.
Recently, the 37-year-old dished on exactly why he wasn’t picked as The Bachelor.
Michael Allio responds to why he was not picked as The Bachelor
In a Q&A on Instagram with fans, Michael finally answered the question that most fans wanted to know, why isn’t he the next Bachelor?
“Hmm? I don’t know,” he coyly replied. “But I’m sure the next one is gonna be a really good one.”
While Michael isn’t rumored to be our next Bachelor, he initially expressed hesitations about taking the leading role.
With his son James being his biggest priority, the Ohio businessman told People that, “I have to think about what it would be like to get engaged in and introduce someone to my son in such a quick timeframe. I’m not sold on the idea!”
He added, “I literally just got my heart broken on TV, so I am trying to mend those wings.”
The next lead of The Bachelor franchise is rumored to be Clayton Echard
Despite the names of many men who appeared on Katie Thurston’s season in the running, it’s been confirmed that Bachelor Nation hasn’t met their next lead yet.
According to US Weekly, the next lead will be Clayton Echard, a contestant from the upcoming season of The Bachelorette featuring Michelle Young.
While not much is known about the new leading man, producer of the franchise, Mike Fleiss gave his take and tweeted, “When choosing #TheBachelor, the most important quality we look for is sincerity. This time, we hit the jackpot!!! Stay tuned…”
The Bachelor will start filming soon, and Season 26 will make its debut on screens in January 2022.
Viewers will get to meet 28-year-old former athlete from Missouri when Michelle’s season premieres on October 19.
The Bachelorette returns to ABC on Tuesday, October 19 at 8/7c.