Could John Paul Jones Be the Next Bachelor?

John Paul Jones

ABC John Paul Jones on Bachelor in Paradise.

History buffs and Led Zeppelin fans were familiar with the name John Paul Jones long before he strutted into Bachelor Nation. But Bachelor Nation’s “JPJ,” as he is affectionately known, might just have the chance to make history himself as the first ‘surfer dude’ bachelor, if fans have their way.

Viewers first got a glimpse of the fan favorite’s “surf-ready blonde locks” on Season 15 of The Bachelorette, starring Hannah Brown. But he really made himself a household name on season six of “Bachelor in Paradise.”  As Marie Claire describes, “Before he left in tears, JPJ was the life of the party on Bachelor in Paradise, including vomiting several times over hot sauce and then recovering by eating tacos and quoting Inglourious Basterds.”

Despite these antics, Jones is most known for his on-again, off-again relationship with Tayshia Adams. But he could make a whole new name for himself if he were to become the new Bachelor.


How The Idea Gained Traction

John Paul Jones

GettyJPJ in Puppy Love

On June 20, 2022 a Reddit user started a discussion that read, “TPTB always seem to pick leads that no one wants, at least according to r/thebachelor. I’m curious, who’s your vote for the next lead?”

At first, users were naming the typical choices like Tylor Cameron and Rodney Mathews. But then an interesting trend started. Fans began to like the idea that Tayshia Adams’ ex could be the next Bachelor.

One fan posted, “Say it with me: JOHN PAUL JONES.” The post included a video of the beach-loving rogue flipping his hair back and staring piercingly into the camera. Someone replied, “Shut it down, folks. We found him!”

Soon the requests for JPJ became abundant. One poster gushed, “god, he’s such a treasure. my friend and i keep buying cameos from him as gifts for each other. each one has been such hilarious prime JPJ content,” to which another Reddit user replied, “omg how much are his cameos? Need.”  One poster joked (probably), “I named my bong after him. Bong Paul Jones.”

This isn’t the first time JPJ has been suggested as the potential new lead on “The Bachelor.” In a 2019 OK! interview with Joe Amabile and Kendall Long, the host asked the former couple who they wanted to see as the next Bachelor. Amabile, aka “Grocery Store Joe,” immediately responded with “John Paul Jones.” Long agreed, spouting, “yes, please make John Paul Jones the next bachelor.”

Amabile declared, “I would watch that!” and the host agreed, stating, “They need to think about this. I don’t just need it to be like the cute guy who was third runner up. I need…” Amabile finished his sentence with “Comedy, we need a little comedy.”


Will Producers Ever Listen?

It turns out JPJ was actually being considered for the 2020 season of “The Bachelor” according to a 2019 article in Cinema Blend. Even before he won fans over on “Bachelor in Paradise” some people thought he “may have a serious shot,” the outlet reports.

Cinema Blend speculated three years ago, “Since The Bachelor traditionally doesn’t start filming until September, ahead of its early January premiere, the producers could technically wait until after Bachelor in Paradise Season 6 ends to announce the next Bachelor. In that case, having a positive showing on Bachelor in Paradise could keep JPJ fresh in viewers’ minds.”

Although he was never chosen as “The Bachelor,” in 2022, Jones is still fresh in many viewers’ minds. And there are a lot of fans who would love to see him take on the coveted Bachelor role.  Whether or not the executives at ABC would ever consider him a serious contender remains to be seen.

As was stated on Reddit, some fans have not been happy with who producers have chosen in the past. The most notable example of a producer-fan disconnect occurred last season with Clayton Echard.

As Reddit posters have made clear, Bachelor fans want to be listened to. They don’t want leads forced down their throats. They want someone they can actually root for and be interested in watching. As one Reddit user put it, they want “someone completely opposite [of the norm] that people would go crazy for.” John Paul Jones may just be that guy.