Season 22’s Next Bachelor Has Been Revealed

Source: ABC

The new Bachelor for season 22 of the popular series has been announced and it certainly isn’t anyone fans expected!

Arie Luyendyk Jr. is finally ready to settle down and find love as the upcoming season’s next Bachelor!

Luyendyk was named The Bachelor‘s next leading man on Good Morning America Thursday morning. “This is pretty surreal,” Luyendyk Jr. told PEOPLE. “It doesn’t really feel real yet, but I’m taking it step by step. The timing is just so perfect in my life. I could not be more excited for this journey I’m about to embark on.”

Luyendyk Jr. will be remembered by Bachelor nation fans for being the runner-up on Emily Maynard’s season of The Bachelorette in 2012. He has built a career for himself as a professional auto racing driver turned real estate agent.

“I’m not nervous,” he admitted. “Now that I’ve had some time and distance away from it, it feels like the feeling I had before I went into it the first time. I think sometimes when you’re on The Bachelorette and you jump right into being the Bachelor, for me it would’ve been too soon. This feels more natural. I’m not concerned what people think. I’m just focused on the outcome. I want to find my person and will do whatever it takes!”

The past few days have been hectic for both Bachelor nation fans and producers. The show’s creator tweeted hints leading up to the big reveal and definitely lead fans off track with his power rankings. “They are in a full-blown panic mode,” a Bachelor insider told PEOPLE. “Peter was honestly never their first choice; they’re still mad at him because of the whole Rachel situation. But they knew he’s who the fans wanted. And the fact that they went to Peter even after they’d initially said they wouldn’t? That let Peter know he had a ton of power going into this situation.”

Congratulations Arie Luyendyk Jr.!

Photo by Picture Perfect / Rex Features