ABCThe old saying goes: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. That appears to be ABC and Nick Viall's motto regarding Bachelor love.
The two-time Bachelorette runner-up and current Bachelor in Paradise cast member is your newly-minted Bachelor for season 21 of ABC's long-running reality series, giving the 35-year-old a fourth chance at finding love on national television. But what is the man who wooed Andi Dorfman and Kaitlyn Bristowe looking for in a woman this time around?
"He's always been attracted to strong, confident women. Women who know what they want," Viall's childhood friend Marcos Hernandez told E! News exclusively. "You watch these shows and you can tell some of the women, they don't know what they're looking for. I don't think that interests Nick."
If any contestant vying his heart hopes to hold Viall's attention, she's going to have to have a strong personality, another source told us. "Someone who knows their self-worth. Someone who can call him out if he needs it," the source added. "He's tough, he can take criticism. I just don't think he wants someone passive."
As for looks, turns out that Viall isn't all that picky. "Physical attraction is, of course, important, but it's not everything. Intellectual stimulation will be the biggest factor," Hernandez revealed, adding, "Nick's dated blondes and brunettes. But he's open. Culture or background doesn't matter to him whatsoever."
"Physically, he's always said always said less is more. Natural beauty is a big thing for him," our other source added.
In the end, Viall's just ready to find the one—whatever she looks like. "I would say what he's most excited about is an opportunity to find love," Hernandez admitted. "He's been on the show twice. He's truly looking to find a connection."
Landing the plum position as new face of The Bachelor wasn't supposed to happen for Viall. Traditionally, one of the men from the most recent season of The Bachelorette gets the gig, but, as previously reported, the producers felt Viall's age and redemption arc on Bachelor in Paradise made him the most compelling man for the job. "They liked what Nick brings to the table. He's a little older, more mature. It will be a very different season than, say, [Ben Higgins']," a source told E! News. "He's comfortable being himself around women. He's not afraid to have real conversations."
As for why the show further broke with tradition and revealed Viall to be the new Bachelor, even though he's still currently wooing someone else on Bachelor in Paradise on our TVs (sorry, Jen Saviano!), it's simple: "For casting purposes," executive producer Mike Fleiss tweeted. "Need women who are interested in @viallnicholas28."
Here's hoping fourth time's the charm.