ABC/Craig SjodinStart lining up ladies!
The Bachelor has picked the star of its upcoming 18th season: Juan Pablo Galavis, who was a contestant on Desiree Hartsock's will be looking for love when the ABC reality hit series returns. The news was officially announced by series host Chris Harrison during the After the Final Rose special following the season finale of The Bachelorette, which found Des engaged and happy.
Juan Pablo's new position as the Bachelor shouldn't come as too much of a surprise as we exclusively reported that the secy single father was the frontrunner for the gig. "The ladies seem to love him, and he's really good-looking and personable," a source told E! News at the time.
The 32-year-old Venezuelan is a professional football (read: soccer!) player who retired in 2009 so that he could stay in Miami with his daughter, who is now four years-old. Desiree sent Juan Pablo home in episode six, despite their strong physical connection.
Sources told us Des' now-fiancée Chris Siegfried, runner-up Drew Kenney and Brooks Forester, who shocked viewers by bowing out of the competition, were also in consideration for the gig.
Two former Bachelorettes predicted that Juan Pablo would be Sean Lowe's successor: Emily Maynard told us, "I really like Juan Pablo. He is the cutest thing," while Ali Fedotowsky shared, "He's like suave but not in a cheesy kind of way. [It's] in a really down to earth [and] cute endearing kind of way."
Are you excited for The Bachelor's 18th season? Do you think Juan Pablo will make a good Bachelor? Sound off in the comments!