Not here for the right reasons? Nick Viall revealed he’s upset with the ages of some of the men cast for Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette.
“I’m not a huge fan of that to be honest,” Viall, 39, told Us Weekly exclusively at the Seagram’s Escapes Tropical Rosé launch party at the hClub, hosted by Chris Harrison, on Wednesday, March 11. “I think as someone who’s been in that position, you take it seriously and you want to have a chance at meeting someone and the less legitimate options you have, the harder it is.”
The former Bachelor star admitted that he’s “all for it” when it comes to the California native being the oldest Bachelorette in the show’s history — she will turn 39 one day after the series premieres — but the younger cast, most of which are in their 20s, is a bad call.
“I don’t think it’s realistic to think that her chances [are great] with someone 10 to 12 years younger [than her],” the Wisconsin native explained. “It might be possible, but women are more mature than men. They just are, so it’s harder but, yeah.”
He added: “I would like to see more people her age but what are you gonna do?”
Viall admitted that he doesn’t know what will happen this season as Crawley looks for love, but he said, “I think it’ll be great.”
Following The Bachelor’s intense two-part finale earlier this week, ABC announced the group of guys who will be competing for Crawley’s heart and final rose come May.
Only two of the men on season 16 are older than the Bachelorette, with 22 of the suitors in their 20s.
“I think the world has changed and people are waiting more [to find love],” ABC executive Rob Mills told Variety following the season’s casting announcement. “We’re all living longer now, so people are waiting more, so I think that’s important to take into consideration. But certainly, you look at Hannah Brown last season who was 24, and she was poised, confident and ready.”
For Crawley, 38, age is just a number that she’s not worried about as she begins her journey as the next lead for the franchise.
“I feel like a lot of people put it out there as this negative thing,” the hair stylist said on Good Morning America on March 2. “But for me, it’s just more years under my belt, more years of knowing what I want and what I don’t want, and what I won’t settle for.”
The Bachelorette premieres on ABC on Monday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET.
