The Bachelor franchise seems to be in a bit of a funk of late, with the latest seasons starring Brooke Blurton and Jimmy Nicholson recording record low ratings.
But Network 10 isn’t giving up on the franchise, with new seasons of The Bachelor and Bachelorette already on the way for 2022.
As usual, the male-led season will come first, with talk that the show – and more importantly, the eligible bachelor at its helm – will be announced early next year.
Fans are already speculating about who might be cast in the role, with guesses ranging from TV personalities, to former contestants and total wildcards.
So who do we think will be the next Bachelor? And who would we love to see in the role, even if they’re an unlikely pick? Read on to find out.
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Dr Chris Brown
Dr Chris Brown can’t escape Bachelor rumours, no matter how hard he tries.
(Instagram)Every year without fail, fans call for hunky vet Dr Chris Brown to be the next Bachelor – and every year, they’re disappointed.
Though he’s been working with Network 10 for more than a decade across Bondi Vet, The Living Room and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, Chris has avoided signing on for the dating show… so far.
He addressed rumours that he’d be joining the 2022 season during a chat with Fitzy & Wippa in August, revealing the unusual conditions that could tempt him to join the cast.
“If you reopened the Bucket List for the finale, I’d probably do it for $20,000 and a drinks card,” he joked, alluding to the iconic Bondi bar that was closed due to Sydney’s lockdown at the time.
Well, the Bucket List is still closed BUT we’re sure they could reopen the bar for one night, right?
Chris also joked that he’d hate to take the Bachelor title away from any other Aussie bachelors, like cricketer Shane Warne (of all people).
“And this is why I’d never do it! I don’t want to be the guy standing in the way of Australia having Warnie as the Bachelor,” Chris said. We’d prefer him over Warnie, just quietly.
Tony Armstrong
Who wouldn’t want Tony Armstrong as the next Bachie? Look at him!
(Ten)After Network 10 was praised for casting bisexual, Indigenous woman Brooke Blurton as The Bachelorette, we’re hoping the trend towards more diversity continues.
With that in mind, we’d love to see an Indigenous Bachelor, and AFL star-turned-ABC sports presenter Tony Armstrong seems like the perfect fit for the job.
Fans already love him, many of them calling for him to be cast in the show, and Tony, 32, has a hefty following of his own that he can bring to the show’s existing fanbase.
A proud Barranbinya man, Tony could bring a healthy dose of culture to the historically white-washed franchise, as well as his signature sense of humour and charm.
“I’m bit of an everyman,” he previously told TV WEEK.
“Playing AFL, you talk to all types from all walks of life, from a CEO to a member of the cheer squad. That helps you become really relatable … that’s a strength of mine.”
Tommy Little
He’s handsome, funny and entertaining, making Tommy Little a perfect choice for the role.
(Instagram)Honestly, the fact that Tommy Little hasn’t been cast as the Bachelor yet continues to baffle us.
He’s handsome, funny, clever, funny, entertaining and- oh, did we mention he’s funny?
A TV regular, Tommy knows exactly how to charm the camera (and all of us at home) with his cheeky sense of humour, which could bring a fresh hit of hilarity to the franchise.
He denied rumours that he was approached to be the Bachelor in 2021, urging fans to bet against him being on the show.
“PSA: I’m not doing Bach. Get on to Sportsbet and take their money,” he joked at the time, but he never ruled out doing the show in the future. How about a 2022 stint, Tommy?
Jad Nehmetallah
It looks like Jad Nehmetallah is already getting his outfits ready for a stint on The Bachelor.
(Instagram)Best known for watching TV shows like The Bachelor on Gogglebox, we’d love to see Jad Nehmetallah make the switch and star on the show himself.
He’s handsome, single and ready to settle down; three things you want in a Bachelor. Especially that last one… looking at you, Nick Cummins.
“I am just over dating for the sake of it and it has to be more meaningful than just a little bit of fun. I want a quality relationship with depth to it,” he told LifeStyle in March.
Though Jad, 36, has previously said he’s not keen on joining the Bachelor franchise, we’re holding out hope that he will change his mind.
“Gogglebox isn’t the kind of show you get papped for. It’s not The Bachelor, MAFS or Love Island. You do get recognised a lot, but you’re a neutral character. You’re not hated, there’s no gossip on you,’ he later told TV Tonight.
“The Bachelor is a great show, but it’s not something that I feel is for me at the moment.” We can keep hoping though!
Kurt Herzog
We’re begging Network 10 to bring Australia’s favourite “himbo” back for another go.
(Ten)He was Australia’s favourite “himbo” during Brooke’s season of The Bachelorette, so why not bring Kurt Herzog back to find love for himself in 2022?
“I had to Google ‘himbo’ last night by the way, I didn’t know what it meant. Maybe that’s a himbo moment in itself,” he previously told Punkee of his fan-appointed title as Australia’s favourite himbo.
“I like to think I’m somewhat intelligent but maybe I just don’t show it. People have told me in the past that I’m a bit of a goofball, a bit dorky, and can come across that way, so it doesn’t bother me,” he added, and please put this man back on TV.
The Bachelor is no stranger to casting former Bachelorette contestants in the leading role, so it’s not unreasonable to think Kurt could be on the list for the top spot next year.
The 29-year-old is a champion swimmer-turned sports mentor and is wholesome to a fault, so casting him probably wouldn’t spark any controversies or scandals.
Plus, after seeing so many of his delightful moments in Brooke’s season, plenty of Bachie fans would be more than happy to see Kurt return.
Zac Efron
We have literally nothing to back this up, we just like looking at Zac Efron.
(Instagram)Okay, we know this one isn’t going to happen but just let us dream.
Zac spent much of 2021 on Aussie shores and split up with his Australian girlfriend, Vanessa Valladares, back in April which means he’s single AND a fan of Aussie women.
While there’s a snowball’s chance in hell of him actually agreeing to do the show (and even less chance of Network 10 having enough money to pay him to do it) we can still imagine how amazing The Bachelor would be with Zac at the helm.
