Bachelor Nation Really Wants Gabby’s Grandpa To Be Cast In The Senior Citizen Spinoff

Clayton’s season of The Bachelor officially belongs to one man and one man only: Grandpa John. Gabby Windey’s grandfather quickly won over Bachelor Nation with his undeniable wit and charm on the Colorado native’s hometown date, which aired on Feb. 28. “You’ve gotta be the guy, huh?” John asked Clayton when he and Gabby arrived after a long day of hiking to “Proposal Rock.” “Good luck to you, man!”

The love and appreciation for Grandpa John only grew from there. After he described his granddaughter as a “loveable dingbat,” he teased her by saying that “anybody that could possibly like you is obviously full of crap.” Apart from his fantastic sense of humor, Grandpa John also dished out some very sound advice and encouraged Clayton not to get down on one knee unless he’s absolutely ready.

“You really need to get to know a person,” John told the Season 26 lead. “I encourage you to not run into [an engagement].” Gabby’s grandfather obviously takes marriage very seriously. To this day, he still wears his wedding ring even though his wife passed away. “I don’t think I could love anybody as much as I love you and my wife,” he told Gabby, reducing Bachelor Nation to a puddle of tears.

Although John trusts the 32-year-old nurse to make the right choice, he couldn’t say goodbye without giving Clayton an obligatory warning. “If it isn’t for life, I’ll be really pissed,” he told the 28-year-old athlete. “I’ll come back and haunt you.” Fans loved Grandpa John’s attitude, so much so that they already started campaigning for him to be cast on The Bachelor’s senior citizen spinoff.

“Make Gabby’s grandpa that ‘senior bachelor’ they keep advertising,” Twitter user @aasim12 wrote. “Petition for Gabby’s grandpa to sign up for the Senior Bachelor,” @_acceptthisrose tweeted. ABC has been teasing the senior version of the show since early 2020, but it wasn’t until two years later when Clayton’s season premiered that fans got their first taste of the spinoff.

“I’m Holly, I’m a mother of two, and I want to have grandchildren, and I’m so excited to be here,” 63-year-old retiree Holly told Clayton after stepping out of the limo. “But I’m here for the other Bachelor, you know, the older, senior, Bachelor, so I feel like I’m in the wrong place.” It remains unclear when the spinoff will premiere, but if Grandpa John doesn’t want to wait, fans also think he would be a great fit for Bachelor in Paradise or as the next host of The Bachelor.

But some members of Bachelor Nation think that Grandpa John is destined for much more than The Bachelor. “Gabby’s grandpa for president!” Twitter use @myteaandroses wrote. Another fan asked if Grandpa John could adopt them, and someone else devoted their entire social media account to him. Others seemed willing to lay down their lives for him.

So, will this be the last Bachelor Nation sees of Grandpa Joe? It’s too soon to tell. But with a senior citizen spinoff in the works, anything is possible.