Fans who were hopeful to see Peter Kraus or Dean Unglert look for love as the Bachelor almost got their wish. “Peter was definitely up for it. Dean was up for it,” franchise host Chris Harrison explained in an interview with On Air With Ryan Seacrest on Friday, September 8. “I think the main thing is social media these days everyone just feels like they know what’s going on.”
Harrison, 46, also dismissed reports that Kraus was too demanding for Bachelor producers, which ultimately led to him losing out on the gig. “I think a lot of [the reported drama] was blown way out of proportion,” he explained. “I honestly don’t think Peter was being demanding. I don’t think it had anything to do with that, in his defense.”
Although the host explained that the final decision on who would lead the show’s season 22 wasn’t made until just before it was announced on Good Morning America, he said Kraus was a top pick until the very end. “Peter was definitely in the running and he would have been a great Bachelor,” Harrison said. “He was right there.”
Kraus — who was the fan favorite on Rachel Lindsay’s Bachelorette season this year before finishing in second place — has no hard feelings about losing out on the lead to Arie Luyendyk Jr. “Peter is very happy about the way things turned out and is happy for Arie,” the Bachelorette alum’s manager Joe Yuasa said in a statement to E! News on Thursday, September 7. “He thinks ABC made a great choice.”
The new Bachelor opened up about signing on for the experience during his appearance on GMA. “I was a little skeptical just because we had been in talks for a few years about doing it so I just kind of went in with an open heart,” Luyendyk Jr. said. “And just kind of hit me right now I’m here.”
