Mike Would Be A Great Choice For The Next 'Bachelor'

Now that Hannah's reign as The Bachelorette is coming to an end, fans are wondering who will be taking on her mantle. An announcement is sure to come any day, but viewers are already speculating about the possibilities. Many suspect that Mike will be the next Bachelor, and he seems to have a real chance at snagging the spot. But nothing has been officially confirmed by ABC yet.

When host Chris Harrison spoke to The Hollywood Reporter during the filming of the Men Tell All special, he revealed that Mike was one of the people being considered as the next Bachelor. He also rhapsodized about how great Mike is, which is a sentiment his fans would surely agree with. "I love him," Harrison said. "The smile, the charm, the sincerity, the maturity. He's a great man and I feel like he's a dear friend of mine already, so he's a great candidate and he's definitely going to be in the mix."

When you put it like that, Mike sounds pretty much perfect for the job. However, Harrison made it clear that the decision had not been made yet. There were still a lot of factors that went into it, like the reaction to the After the Final Rose special. Harrison concluded, "So we have to let the dust settle a little bit and then go back to the board and debate this whole thing."

That makes it sound like there may be several names in the running, so even though Mike's is one of them, he's not the only option. But many feel that he might be the best one. Not only does he have the aforementioned smile and charm, but he would be the first black Bachelor, which would be a long time coming. All 23 previous Bachelors have been white, and the same is true of every Bachelorette except Rachel Lindsay. While chatting with The Hollywood Reporter during the reunion taping, Mike said it was "100 percent time to have a black Bachelor." I would agree.

Mike's fans extend to his co-stars, because both Dylan Barbour and John Paul Jones told Glamour that Mike would make an excellent Bachelor. Mike spoke to the publication too and expressed gratitude for his cast mates' appreciation, though he was slightly hesitant when asked if he would accept the opportunity to be the Bachelor. He said he didn't know if he would do it, only because he wouldn't want to sign up just to be the first veteran Bachelor (which he would be, as well). He would want to know his suitors were there for the "right reasons," i.e. to find love.

At the moment, Mike is being considered for the next season of The Bachelor, but he hasn't officially been made the offer. Though his charisma and fanbase make him an ideal candidate, a lot can happen between now and the time the Bachelor is chosen. Not only can the After the Final Rose special have an effect, but the next season of Bachelor in Paradise could impact fan opinion too. I'd say Mike sounds like a frontrunner, but the deal hasn't been closed yet.