A source tells ET that Becca Kufrin's runner-up, Blake Horstmann, might be out of the running.
The Bachelor race is getting close!
A source tells ET that Bachelor production has narrowed its choices for the franchise's next lead, and it's down to three men who appeared on Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette.
Colton Underwood, Jason Tartick and Blake Horstmann are all contenders, according to ET's source, but at this point, Blake is the least likely pick for Bachelor No. 23. "It's pretty much down to Colton and Jason," the source says.
Bachelor host Chris Harrison seemed to hint as much during a recent interview with ET.
"If you look at the final four, any of them could be [the Bachelor]," he shared. "Here's the thing about Bachelor Nation... what was the last flavor they tasted, that's who everyone is going crazy for."
"When Colton said goodbye, everybody was going nuts for Colton and people were threatening to storm the castle if we didn't choose Colton, now it's Jason and people are, like, adamant it has to be Jason," he continued. "Next week it might be somebody else... so it's kind of like, who did you last see cry in a limo?"
Harrison opened up more about the debate over the next Bachelor last week, hinting that Underwood might actually be the lucky man to continue his journey to find love. The 26-year-old former NFL star quickly became a standout on The Bachelorette for revealing both his virginity and his past relationship with Kufrin's friend, Tia Booth.
The two told Kufrin their feelings were in the past -- until Booth decided after hometown dates that she still has feelings for him. Colton was eliminated, but got another chance at love this season on Bachelor in Paradise, where he's currently dating Tia. Promos have teased, however, that the two might not get a happy ending.
"If he’s single, Colton would be a very interesting Bachelor. We look at a lot of things when picking the Bachelor, and good TV and good story is a lot of it. Colton has all that in spades," Harrison said. "There’s the, 'Is he ready for this?' angle with Tia, and is that still hanging over him? Obviously, we’ll see how that plays out in Paradise."
"Then there’s the virgin angle. We have this guy who was brought to tears during "Men Tell All" about dealing with this. If he’s willing to put that on display as the Bachelor, I would find that fascinating in this day and age," he continued. "The women having to deal with that -- I think it would be a fascinating story. And that’s a lot of what makes a good Bachelor. It’s a compelling argument if he’s single and willing to do it."
The new Bachelor will be officially revealed on Good Morning America on Tuesday. See what Colton told ET about possibly being the Bachelor in the video below.
RELATED CONTENT:
