Nick Viall & Ben Higgins Have Serious Advice For Colton About Being The Bachelor

Colton Underwood is officially filming his Bachelor season. While the former NFL player is hidden away in his Bachelor bubble, his predecessors have words of wisdom in mind for the latest member of their special, slightly bizarre fraternity. The TV process didn't quite help them find the women of their dreams, but these former Bachelors are ready to give the new lead some assurance. Nick Viall's and Ben Higgins' advice for new Bachelor Colton is so sweet; the franchise's newest star is definitely in good hands this year.

Speaking to E! News at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival, both of the former Bachelors shared what Colton should keep in mind as he meets 25-plus women at once. Season 21 Bachelor Nick, who was the first franchise lead selected after a memorable stint on Bachelor in Paradise, hinted that Colton should work past the indecisiveness that he showcased on Season 5 of Paradise. Colton eventually began a Paradise relationship with one-time fling Tia Booth after dancing around the commitment, but it looks like Nick also has his fingers crossed for an avoidance of Tia 2.0 this season, telling E!:

He needs to be decisive. Colton is an aware person. He wears his heart on his sleeve... The difficult thing about being the Bachelor is making people feel bad when you break up with them. But you can sometimes make them feel worse by not being forthcoming with your feelings.

Colton has always dealt with communication well, classily telling his Bachelorette Becca Kufrin about his serious relationship with Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman without name-dropping or painting Aly in a bad light. Although he was a bit of an emotional mess during his Paradise breakup with Tia, Colton did concisely explain what was wrong with their relationship. but figuring out who is best for him doesn't seem to be his strong suit.

Season 20 Bachelor Ben Higgins, who was with his Final Rose pick Lauren Bushnell for a year before they split, kept his advice short and sweet, saying, "Keep feeling it, keep exploring, keep growing." Well, as long as Arie Luyendyk doesn't pop up to tell Colton that he loves that, Ben's advice is definitely better than nothing.

ABC's selection of Colton also brings the franchise back to having younger Bachelors. After two years of leads in their late 30s, the show now features Colton at 26 years old. Ben was also 26 when he filmed his season, meaning most of his contestants were even younger, so it's safe to say that we can probably expect more than a few women in their early 20s this year. No scrutiny on age à la Bekah M. this year!

Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss also recently shared photos from Colton's first night of filming, posting a snapshot on Twitter of several cameras' perspectives in the Bachelor mansion. The photo came just a day after Colton met three of his contestants on Ellen, so he had a few familiar faces to look forward to during limo arrivals.

We'll have to wait and see if Colton's premiere episode includes a visit from past Bachelors, but if ABC chooses to feature a visit from Ben and Nick rather than a talk with Sean Lowe, the only Bachelor to marry his first Final Rose pick, I'll definitely be disappointed. If Colton is as serious about finding a wife as he appears, then meeting with Sean and brushing up on dad jokes is the way to go. Where's your Bachelor advice, Sean?

Season 23 of The Bachelor premieres on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, on ABC.