And now it all feels very real! #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/1iMhQ8jHyE

— Arie Luyendyk Jr. (@ariejr) September 7, 2017

Fans of The Bachelor received quite the shock when it was revealed on Good Morning America that the next Bachelor is Bachelorette alum Arie Luyendyk Jr.

“It just sunk in just right now. For sure, it has been a little surreal,” Arie said to GMA, “I was a little skeptical because we had been in talks for a few years about doing it and so I just kind of went in with an open mind, open heart.”

Arie was rejected by Emily Maynard in 2012. “I kept things under wraps because I didn’t know how this would turn out,” he revealed. “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.”

His ideal woman? “Independent, strong, but then still gentle.”