Who Should Be the Next ‘Bachelor’ Star: Michael A. or Andrew S.? (POLL)

Paige Strout July 27, 2021, 5:00 pm

Next Bachelor 2022 Michael A Andrew S — ABC

As Season 17 of ABC’s The Bachelorette nears its end, viewers are beginning to speculate who the next star of The Bachelor could be. Fan favorites Michael A. and Andrew S. have each shared dramatic and emotional goodbyes with this season’s star Katie Thurston, seemingly leaving their stories open to become the newest Bachelor.

And with Michelle Young’s Bachelorette season set to air this fall and The Bachelor returning in January, there is still time for even more potential candidates to join the mix. Despite this, Michael A. and Andrew S. have certainly cemented themselves as frontrunners for the position. Catch up on their Bachelorette journeys and vote for who you want to see as the new Bachelor in the poll below!

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Michael A.

Single dad Michael A. joined The Bachelorette to open his heart up to love again after the tragic passing of his wife, Laura, to breast cancer. Being a single dad to his son James, he kept a realistic point of view during his run on the show, always thinking about how Katie would work with his son and life back home. As he said in Episode 3, their journey “begins with an engagement,” just as much as the show ends with one. His story never threw Katie off, but rather she was excited at the potential life they could have built together. After getting the second one-on-one date, he remained a fan favorite throughout the season, winning over both viewers and Katie.

The most recent July 26 episode opened with Michael video chatting with his son before Hometowns. Their heartwarming conversation took a painful turn when James said, “Maybe Daddy left me because he doesn’t want to see me,” breaking both Michael’s and viewers hearts. The conversation put Michael’s priorities in perspective, ultimately deciding to go home to his son. “When it starts to affect my son, that’s when everything changes,” he told Katie during their talk. Both were upset that their journey was cut short with many “what ifs” left up in the air, and Katie even told him that she could have seen them go all the way. Despite feeling heartbroken, she maturely understood his decision and let him go.

There is a strong chance Michael could become the next Bachelor. His focus remained on Katie and out of the drama all season, proving his intentions on the show were pure. With his sweet personality and dramatic backstory, he would make for a great candidate. However, could his duties to his family take priority as it it did in his relationship with Katie? As he told Katie during their goodbye, she helped him learn to love again, and we hope he gets the chance to find new love, onscreen or offscreen.

Andrew S.

Andrew won over viewers with his charm and fake British accent in Episode 1, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Like many other men in the house, he always had Katie’s back, worrying about which guys weren’t there for the right reasons and letting her know. Unlike others, he didn’t spend all of his time keeping Katie up to date on the latest drama. He used his time to connect and get to know her, which worked in his favor as he earned a one-on-one date in Episode 5. The two bonded even further when relating to each other’s difficult childhoods and discussing their what their future would look like as a biracial couple. Andrew confessed that in a previous relationship with a white woman, his partner was unsure about the idea of having biracial children. Katie promised him, “Know that for me, I think our love could be so beautiful, and our children would be just as beautiful as our love.”

Given how strong their connection was, it was a shocker to viewers when Andrew got eliminated in Episode 7. Having to choose her final four men, Katie stated she had stronger connections with other guys. After a tearful goodbye, Katie expressed her doubts to a producer, questioning if her decision to let him go was the right one. The next morning, Andrew stopped by Katie’s room for a final farewell, giving her a note before leaving that read, “If you change your mind… I’ll be waiting.” After reading the note, Katie dramatically chased him down to the lobby, catching him for one more hug and kiss before he left the resort. She asked him, “If there’s a way to stay a little longer, would you want to?” Unfortunately for Katie, the damage was already done. He denied her offer, stating, “I want my future wife to choose me.”

Given his heartbreaking exit, it’s clear producers could be setting Andrew up as the next Bachelor. However, he has recently been criticized after problematic old tweets have resurfaced, which were fatphobic, misogynistic, and racially charged in nature. Andrew has since apologized, stating, “That’s a part of my life and I own it, but that’s nowhere near the person I am today.” The tweets certainly don’t match up with the Andrew we saw on the show, but they could shut the door on any future Bachelor dreams.

The Bachelorette, Mondays, 8/7c, ABC