Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s First Night As 'The Bachelor' — Details | Us Weekly

Arie Luyendyk Jr.‘s Bachelor experience is already coming up roses. “The first night went really well,” a source told Us Weekly exclusively after Luyendyk Jr. began filming the ABC series on Wednesday, September 20. “The girls are fantastic. Arie is so engaged and sincere.”

As previously reported, franchise creator Mike Fleiss gave fans a first look of the professional race car driver at the Bachelor mansion, wearing a classic black suit during his first night on set. “Guess who’s back? Back again. Arie’s back. Tell a friend. #TheBachelor #JanuArie,” the producer tweeted alongside a photo of Bachelor host Chris Harrison, Luyendyk Jr., ABC executive Robert Mills and himself.

Luyendyk Jr., who was the runner-up on Emily Maynard‘s season 8 of The Bachelorette in 2012, was announced as the Bachelor on Good Morning America on Thursday, September 7. “It sunk in just now for sure of the it’s been a little surreal,” the 35-year-old said at the time. “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 and just kind of hit me right now I’m here.”

Even his friends and family didn’t know he was the next Bachelor before the segment on GMA. “I was at home and it was pretty recent and we kept in touch over the last few years but this just fit perfectly. The timing really fit,” he said of getting the offer. “I kind of kept things under wraps because I didn’t know how this would turn out. It’s been such a quick turn of events and my family doesn’t know so now they know so they know along with you guys.”