After the waffling of Pilot Pete and Matt James, I think it's safe to say that Bachelor fans want — nay, deserve! — a genuine adult man as the next Bachelor. A man who knows what true love feels like. A man who will handle decisions with grace and maturity. Sound like anyone you know from Katie's season? Because Michael A. should be the next Bachelor... and if things don't work out with him and Katie (I'm half-sorry to say they probably won't), he very well could be.
The Bachelor train has fallen off the tracks a bit, no? Because there's a reason there are two back-to-back seasons of The Bachelorette. A reason why ABC felt it was better to skip The Bachelor and offer up Katie and Michelle to distract us. So when it comes to choosing the next Bachelor, the show has to be careful. And when it comes to the top candidate out of Katie's season, Michael A. appears to have the full support of fans and Bachelor Nation alike.
Yes, Michael is still technically competing for Katie's heart on The Bachelorette. But it really seems like Michael will be leaving before hometowns so he can be with his son. But if he were the lead of his own season, Michael would be more in the driver's seat and ensure that his son was with him. Like when Emily Maynard's season was filmed in her hometown of Charlotte, N.C., so her daughter Ricki could be near her and the rest of her family. (Race car driver Ricky Hendrick, Emily's fiancé and Ricki's father, had died in a plane crash before Emily knew she was pregnant with their child.)
Michael A.'s journey to being a single father to James also comes from the loss of his partner. His wife Laura died from breast cancer in 2019. As he's explained to Katie, he's ready to find love again and the fact that he's found love before helps guide him on this journey. "I can assure you, no one can love you like I can," he says in this clip from Week 7. Swoon.
Here are some other pluses on his Bachelor résumé:
- He responds to DMs from people about their own experiences with loved one's with cancer
- He wanted to go "all the way" on the drag date
- He hasn't gotten wrapped up in the house drama, keeping the focus on Katie
- He made fun of his dad bod (that wasn't even a true dad bod)
- He founded the clothing company L4 that gives 100% of its profits to cancer-focused charities in honor of his late wife
- He kissed his fellow contestant Connor B. goodbye
- He's a literal angel
Michael has a blend of sensitivity, humor, honesty, and maturity and clearly, that's what Bachelor fans are craving. So while I still may be holding out hope for a Mike Johnson season, I will — as will many, many other Bachelor fans — accept Michael A.'s rose if he's willing to give it. Don't mess this up for us, ABC!
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Images: Craig Sjodin/ABC