The Bachelorhas found its next leading man!
On theseason finale ofBachelor in Paradise, ABC announced thatPeter Weber— a.k.a. “Pilot Pete” — will be handing out the roses for the ABC series’ 24th season, expected to premiere in early 2020.
“It’s still hitting me right now, and I feel so grateful right now just to have this opportunity in front of me,” Weber, 27, told Chris Harrison at the end of Tuesday night’s reunion. “I feel emotional right now. This is crazy. This is life-changing. I have truly, my entire life, looked forward to finding my girl, and that first person that I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with. … I have all the faith in the world that this can work for me, and I know it’s going to.”
The airplane pilot from Westlake Village, California, placed third onHannah Brown‘s season ofThe Bachelorette.Weber won viewers’ hearts all the way to his devastating elimination during the show’s finale, and fans have been ramping up their impassioned pleas for him to become Bachelor on social media.
Shortly after theBachelorettefinale, Weber told PEOPLE he’d definitely be on board to be Bachelor if asked.
Ed Herrera/ABC
“I know this whole situation didn’t work out the way I was hoping, but Hannah truly showed me a different love than I had ever felt,” he told PEOPLE exclusively. “So it’s given me hope that I have more love to find. I wouldn’t say no to trying it again because I know the experience works. And I’m hopeful that my person is right around the corner.”
John Fleenor/ ABC
Weber is also known for being the man Brownhad sex with in a windmill—four times! — during their Fantasy Suite date. His time on the show wasn’t without controversy, though — similar to Brown’s brief fiancé Jed Wyatt, a womanclaimed she’d been seeing Weberwhen he left to shootThe Bachelorette. He denied her claims inan exclusive statement to PEOPLE, saying, “There was a lot of truth to what she said in her story, but there is also a lot of truth that wasn’t mentioned. The show had absolutely nothing to do with me ending that relationship.”
Other frontrunners for the job were Brown’s former suitors Mike Johnson andTyler Cameron, plusBachelor in Paradisefavorite Derek Peth.
Johnson — a San Antonio, Texas, portfolio manager — would make history as the first black man and the first military veteran to become the Bachelor.
Mike Johnson.John Fleenor/ABC
Chris Harrisoneven said Johnson — who went onBachelor in Paradisethis summer, too — stood a solid chance of taking the lead next season.
“Of course he’s a contender [for Bachelor],” Harrison told PEOPLE. “How could he not be a contender with that smile? He’s one of my favorite people we’ve ever had on the show. He’s a love of a man. I don’t know him that well, and I consider him a really good friend.”
Mike.Craig Sjodin/ABC
ThroughoutThe Bachelorette, runner-up Cameron wasoutspoken in his defense of Brownas she fell victim to slut-shaming on social media — only making fans fall in love with him even more. After she was accused of “dry-humping” all of her contestants, Cameron tweeted, “let our Queen live and let’s embrace her on this journey.”
Jackson Lee/SplashNews.com
When Brown and Cameron reunited for the first time during the live, in-studio portion ofThe Bachelorettefinale (following her split fromex-fiancé Wyatt, who’d lied abouthaving a girlfriend when he went on the show), Brown boldly asked Cameron out on a date, and he happily agreed.
ABC
Several days later, Cameron wasspottedleaving Brown’s L.A’s residence early in the morning. However, he soonstarted datingGigi Hadidin New York City, which led to doubt about his prospects as Bachelor.
BACKGRID
Derek and Demi.John Fleenor/ABC
Season 24 ofThe Bachelorwill premiere on Jan. 6, 2020 on ABC.
source: people.com
