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We have thoughts — and fans have theories.
By Megan Hatch — Written on Aug 11, 2021
Now that Katie Thurston's season of "The Bachelorette" has aired it's finale, Bachelor Nation is ready to greet their next Bachelor.
We still don't know who is going to be in the cast of Michelle Young's season of "The Bachelorette" when it airs this fall, and we have yet to find out how the "Bachelor In Paradise" cast will fair, but there are plenty of attractive, interesting and still single men from Katie's season who could star in season 26 of "The Bachelor," currently expected to air in early 2022.
If there's one thing Bachelor Nation fans love, it's trying to make predictions about new and upcoming contestants. And while the franchise may not be everyone's favorite, many of us will be eagerly waiting to see if our own predictions come true.
Who will be the next "Bachelor"?
While no details are confirmed yet, fans will play a significant role in the decision of who becomes the next bachelor.
Rob Mills, senior vice president, alternative series, specials and late-night programming, ABC Entertainment, has said the audience is a "silent producer," noting that the look to Twitter for input on which cast members people want to see more of on their TV screens.
Taking that as a clue, in order to find out who the current front runners for season 26 are, we're looking to social media to see find out what Bachelor Nation fans have to say.
Our Top 4 Predictions for Who Will Star in Season 26 of "The Bachelor" in 2022
Andrew Spencer
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Andrew Spencer, 26, has proven to be a fan favorite throughout the entirety of Katie's season. From his hot rugby bod, to his funny and charming personality, Andrew S. has a lot going for him.
Fans took to Twitter quickly to rave over their love for the Austria-based pro-football player, some even saying he's their number one pick for the next bachelor.
He caught all of our hearts after leaving Katie's season in the most dramatic way.
The morning after Katie sent him home, he came back to get closure, leaving her a handwritten note that read, "If you change your mind... I'll be waiting (smiley face)... Love, Andrew.'"
If that's not the most romantic thing ever then I don't know what is.
Katie ran back to him and gave him one last hug before he said his final goodbye. However, we are not ready to see him leave the Bachelor franchise. So here's to hoping Andrew S. gets his second chance!
We'll be the ones waiting for him now.
Michael Allio
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Michael Allio, 37, was a fan favorite from the start.
As one of the two contestants who are single dads, business owner from Ohio won the hearts of Bachelor Nation fans as we saw him struggle with his emotions as he revealed that he is a widower.
We learned a lot about his son James and Laura, his now-deceased wife; his stories about the two of them touching our hearts.
Michael exited the show early because he missed his son too much to be away from him any longer, and while some may see that as a sign he's not ready to be the next bachelor, we saw a similar scenario work out well in the past for season 13 bachelor Jason Mesnick.
Many fans would really love to see Michael give love another shot on the Bachelor and see where love takes him.
Justin Glaze
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Justin Glaze, 27, won the hearts of Bachelor nation with his facial expressions, his serious talent as a painter and his charming personality.
Investment sales consultant Justin is for sure a front-runner for the next bachelor, as he was the second runner-up for Katie's hand in marriage, losing her at the last moment to Blake Moynes.
We hope we can see more of Justin as the next bachelor, and we want to know a lot more about him. As discussed during Katie's season finale, there was a lot we didn't get to see from Justin, and many are eager to learn more about the Baltimore hottie.
Even previous Bachelor contestest Tammy K agrees that Justin is the man for the job.
Greg Grippo
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Fan favorites are often those cast members who started a season as the front-runner only to have things take a turn for the worse. That's what happened for Greg Grippo, 28, during Katie's season.
After the hometown dates, we saw Greg display a manipulative, mean side no one was expecting.
Regardless, many are rooting for him to be chosen as the next bachelor, citing the marketing sales representative's good looks and large following.
Whatever the case, it seems pretty clear the opinions of fans matter when it comes to producers' choice for the next bachelor.
If you want to have your say, tweet or post on Instagram about your pick and see what happens!
We know we are excited to see who Bachelor Nation decides to pick.
Megan Hatch is a writer at YourTango who covers pop culture, love and relationships, and self-care.