Michael A. Doesn’t Know Why He Isn’t The Next Bachelor And Same
He’ll always be a zaddy in my eyes.
Michael Allio is not going to be the next Bachelor, and no one (least of all Allio) understands why. Although ABC has not officially announced the franchise’s next lead, it’s been confirmed that a suitor from Michelle Young’s season of The Bachelorette will be taking on the role — aka, not fan-favorite and resident zaddy Michael A.
Mike Fleiss, creator and producer of The Bachelor, made the announcement on Twitter. On Sept. 15, he wrote, “Major Announcement!!! Your new #TheBachelor is a great guy from Michelle’s season of #TheBachelorette. Can’t wait for you to meet him!” Considering the sheer number of popular men from Katie Thurston’s season — like romantic Andrew Spencer, controversial Greg Grippo, and, of course, family-oriented Michael Allio — fans were... surprised by the decision. And Allio was right there with them.
During an Instagram Q & A session on Sept. 19, a fan asked Allio “why” he was not chosen to be the next Bachelor, and his response was very real. He paused before answering, “Hm. I don’t know.” None of us do, TBH. That said, in typical Allio fashion, he was nothing but mature and kind. He added, “But I’m sure the next one is going to be a really good one.”
Ahead of Fleiss’ announcement, during a Sept. 8 episode of The Viall Files, Allio still seemed to be interested in being the franchise’s next leading man — and he didn’t shy away from talking about the potential there.
“There have been discussions. No decisions have been made... Obviously there’s, you know, a lot of shiny things that come with the lead, but sometimes not everything that shimmers is gold,” he explained before pivoting the conversation to his son, James, the reason behind his self-elimination on Thurston’s season of The Bachelorette. “My son, my lifestyle, what do I want after this? Am I ready to introduce my son to random people that he doesn’t know? Maybe. I don’t know.”
On the podcast, Allio never said he would 100% want to be the Bachelor if asked. But his Q & A answer certainly makes it seem like he wasn’t the one to turn down the role.
No matter what went down behind closed doors, one thing’s for sure: ABC’s decision not to cast America’s sweetheart was a bold one. Here’s hoping it pays off. If not, I have an eligible Bachelor in mind for next season...
