It's official. Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s season of The Bachelor is upon is, and with that has come the traditional announcement of all of the season's contestants. This year 29 women will be competing to win Arie's heart and a (possible) engagement ring. While this number is indeed on par with past seasons' statistics, it is a tad bit higher when you look at all the seasons together.
Of course, it's worth mentioning that this could be because most people thought Peter Kraus from Rachel Lindsay's season of The Bachelorette would be the main man this year. Peter, an incredibly popular (and incredibly hot) contestant, probably sparked a whole lot of women to look into applying for your show. It looks like those women then stuck around to be on Arie's season, despite the fact that he wasn't exactly the frontrunner to lead up this season. Arie, a racecar driver, competed on the series back in 2012 during Emily Maynard's Season 8 of The Bachelorette. Since that was, well, five years ago, plenty of people were rooting for Kraus.
The 29 women on this season of The Bachelor range in age from 25 to 33, and, despite Bachelor Nation tradition, they don't have the weird professions we're used to seeing. Boasting titles like social media manager, executive recruiter, graphic designer, and fashion stylist, these women come from all over the country. Even though there are four Laurens this season (yes, really — there are four), it seems there will still be women coming from a variety of backgrounds. Add that to the slightly high number of contestants and we're sure to have a fairly dramatic, action-packed season this year.
Twitter is already abuzz with theories, feelings, and reactions to the cast, proving that despite the fan favorite not being the Bachelor, fans will still be lining up to tune in on Jan. 1, 2018. Of course, that's the beauty of the series, right? Viewers and fans' opinions on the show, the main contestant, and the cast are part of the reason it's been so successful throughout the years. This year will be no different — even if a season without Peter isn't even close to what everyone expected.
And if you are still comparing Arie's season to past casts, then you're going to watch to check out Chelsea Roy from this season who just so happens to look basically identical to Olivia Caridi who you might remember from Ben Higgins' season of The Bachelor.
The resemblance is uncanny, right? It's hard not to notice. But Chelsea aka Olivia Caridi's twin is just one of the 29 contestants this season.
And based on the description in a press release on ABC's site, there will be a lot going on, especially in the first episode. Just get a load of this:
"What do a quirky, cute set decorator who has a thing for taxidermy, death and zombies; a Yale graduate with the business acumen to be a big success, but failing grades in love; a rock-climbing nanny who combines youthful exuberance with classic charm; a lovely Latin lady who can spice things up in the romance department; and a former model who harbors a huge secret all have in common? They all have their sights set on making the Bachelor, Arie Luyendyk Jr., their future husband."
That sounds like plenty of personalities colliding. Bottom line — there is going to be a lot of people fighting to find love on Arie's season, and there is going to be an equal amount of drama to watch, especially with so many women competing. Get ready, Bachelor Nation.
