Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Buca, Inc.) Joe Amabile is co-host of the Bachelor Nation podcast 'Click Bait!'
Despite Matt James’ season of The Bachelor set to premiere in just days, speculation has already begun on who could be his successor. Joe Amabile, the former star of Bachelor in Paradise and a co-host of Click Bait!, wants to make it clear his hat is in the ring.
“I too am looking forward to being engaged this year, I think it’s gonna happen for me,” he said somewhat sarcastically during a discussion with co-hosts Tayshia Adams and Natasha Parker. But when asked if he was serious, he added, “You know, I’m going to put it out there in the world. I’m sick of being single so you never know, gonna throw it out there, it could happen.”
The conversation soon shifted to which Bachelor Nation stars would be good in a lead role, causing the man affectionately known as “Grocery Store Joe” to declare, “I think I would make a very, very entertaining Bachelor.”
Fans first met Amabile when he was eliminated on night one during Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette. Arguably the most beloved contestant eliminated on night one, he was then brought on to Bachelor in Paradise where he met his ex-girlfriend, Kendall Long. They announced their split in January 2020.
“Ok, but picture this, picture you guys are sitting there. You guys are sitting, you’re having a wine night, a bunch of girls,” said Amabile. “And these girls are like ‘That guy you are doing the podcast with is going to be the next Bachelor?’ Your response for sure would be, ‘Yeah, and I cannot wait to watch.’”
While the Chicago-native noted Clay Harbor or Tyler Cameron could be good Bachelors, he added, “Out of all the people, this would probably be the spiciest season, the most interesting, the most fun, I would say the most views. I think it would just crush it, I think ABC would be doing Seinfeld numbers, I think it would be insane. That, I would say, myself.”
Adams and Parker validated his potential casting, saying he would be “funny, yet awkward,” and would “actually end in a real-life engagement.”
Amabile has stiff competition before he could be potentially cast in the coveted role. Not only does the franchise sometimes break the mold by pulling in contestants from years ago, or in James’ case a connection to the franchise without having appeared on it, but there will also be a lot of new men added into the running. With James cast before Clare Crawley and Adams’ season began filming, there will be men from their season and the next season of The Bachelorette.
Amabile Dated Bachelor Nation Star Kendall Long
Amabile arrived in Mexico for season five of Bachelor in Paradise where he met ex-girlfriend Kendall Long.
Despite not leaving the beach together, Long went after him and the two began dating. Amabile would go on to move to Los Angeles before their January 2020 split.
“Look, I never really talked about our breakup and our past relationship and I don’t want to get too deep into it, but Kendall had expressed to me that she would never want to live in Chicago,” Amabile told his co-hosts on an episode of Click Bait! “She loves L.A. She doesn’t want to leave L.A. That’s her thing.”
While he did note she was always upfront, and he does not blame her, the inability to picture herself in any other city ended their relationship.
“In my head, I thought maybe that would change as time moved on, but she just would never want to live in Chicago,” revealed the former grocery store owner. “So for me, that, you know – there’s a line there where I’m just like, well if you’re not willing, then, I don’t know. Because you never know what’s going to happen in the future.”
The two have remained friendly, with Long even providing a positive review of Amabile’s pasta sauce line.
There Are Already Campaigns to Make Contestants From the Most Recent Season of ‘The Bachelorette’ a Future Lead
With James’ casting announced before filming began for Crawley and Adams’ season of The Bachelorette, viewers wanting to see one of their contestants as a future lead will have to wait until 2022 at least.
One early contestant drawing support was Dr. Joe Park, an anesthesiologist based in New York City. However, Park hopes to not be available if the time comes.
“The first thought when I saw that was like — I know Matt James is the Bachelor now, and I was like, man, I hope I’m not still single by 2022,” Park told Entertainment Weekly. “I hope I’m in a committed relationship by then! … It’s flattering, but I hope I’m not single until then if I’m honest with you.”
Ivan Hall, one of Adams’ top four men, also garnered many supporters. As one Twitter user wrote, “Honestly, [Ivan Hall]for [The Bachelor]! He handled that whole season with so much maturity and that exit with so much grace. We love to see it.”
Honestly, @ivanbhall8 for @BachelorABC! He handled that whole season with so much maturity and that exit with so much grace. We love to see it #TheBacheloretteABC #TheBachelorette
Hall does not seem against the idea. He shared photos of a Bachelor-themed photoshoot with the caption, “New year… what’s next??”
While casting for the next Bachelor is a while off, an upcoming season of Bachelor in Paradise could prove an opportunity for fans to see these contestants again.
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