We’ve gotten our first sneak peak of The Bachelor 2022’s leading man and he’s tall, handsome and… he’s not the only Bachie!
It seems we’ll be treated to a double season this year, with reports suggesting two men have been cast to be the Bachelor this year.
The Wash has revealed Channel 10 is “mixing things up this year and having two Bachelors.”
“We’ve spotted both the guys filming dates at the same time,” spilled the Instagram gossip page.
The news has rocked long-time fans of the series, who are wondering if a season helmed by two relatively unknown men – Felix Von Hofe, a basketball pro from Melbourne, and Thomas Malucelli, a fitness and life coach from Sydney – will work.
After years of plucking the Bachelor from among former Bachelorette contestants, Network 10 shook things up by casting then-unknown Jimmy Nicholson in 2021.
And while the reality show faced declining ratings during Jimmy’s season, the network has decided to follow suit with two new ‘normal’ blokes in 2022.
The day before we found out about Bachie 2.0, it was confirmed by The Wash that the first new Bachelor is Felix.
The gossip publication posted pictures to Instagram showing Felix and a blonde contestant playing football in their activewear.
In one of the photos, she was seen swapping the ball for a rose, which she happily held in the following snap.
Who is Felix Von Hofe?
It looks like Felix had quite the athletic career, playing primarily for the Melbourne United Basketball Team.
It looks as though his professional career ended in 2017, and he’s been working for SportsBet in the years since as a Brand Ambassador. It also looks like he’s had some broadcasting experience, so will manage the media scrutiny with a bit of expertise on his side.
We can’t find much more on Felix, given his social media profiles are currently set to private, but we’re putting our money on him falling for a sporty girl this season, given his background and the football photos.
Felix with a teammate in 2017.
(Image: Getty)Who is Thomas Malucelli?
Thomas, 35, was a full-time restaurant manager for seven years but when his “lifestyle and health suffered,” he changed direction.
He then founded Our Freedom Project, which specialises in “natural nutritional products and detoxification,” as mentioned on his LinkedIn.
Like his co-star, his Instagram is private, and we will have to wait to learn more about our surprise Bachie.
Thomas is a life and fitness coach.
(Image: Instagram)Will this year’s Bachelor be any different to past seasons?
It seems the series is getting a bit of a shake up this year, with last year’s season (as well as The Bachelorette) receiving record-low ratings after years of success.
While audiences speculated that it might be cancelled, it seems production just wants to freshen things up a little, and are instead choosing to film this series on the Gold Coast in Queensland, instead of in Sydney.
We’re expecting a lot more bikinis, beaches, and spa dates up there in the warmer weather.
WATCH: The Bachelor finale – Jimmy chooses Holly. Story continues after video.
Any news on The Bachelorette’s casting?
While we understand that The Bachelorette is set to return this year, we’re still waiting on further news.
Our most recent Bachelorette, Brooke Blurton, had a very short-lived relationship with her winner Darvid Garayeli, and with only one former Bachelorette remaining with her partner, odds for the show’s winners aren’t looking too good.
However, we have hope! And we will be keeping you updated once our Bachelorette star is announced.
This article originally appeared on our sister site, Who.
