Producer Mike Fleiss Seemingly Responds to Reality Steve Report That Greg Grippo Is the Next Bachelor

Update: The season 26 Bachelor ended up being *drumroll, pls* Clayton Echard! It was def an ~interesting~ moment for the franchise, as he was a contestant on Michelle Young’s season of TheBachelorette at the same time that he began filming his own Bachelor season. And a quick lil TL;DR on his turn as the show's lead: He wound up dating Susie Evans after the show concluded (she got sent home after she got upset when she found out that Clayton got intimate with future co-Bachelorettes Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey) and the two debuted as a couple during the After the Final Rose special. “We took time apart after the show, and we reset, and we relaid foundation, and we’re really happy,” Susie explained during the show.

However, by September 2022 the two called it quits and said in a joint statement, in part, “With incredibly heavy hearts, we wanted to share that we have decided to go our separate ways. For anyone who has ever loved, knows this was a painful decision to make and not one taken lightly.”

ABC still hasn’t confirmed who the next Bachelor is, but Reality Steve came through with some info on August 18, 2021—and now producer Mike Fleiss has seemingly responded. As a reminder, here was Steve’s tweet:

“What I’ve been hearing the past 5 days or so regarding the next Bachelor are this…been told it’s going to be Greg. Obviously it’s never ‘official’ until ABC announces it (whenever that may be), but at this point, I would be very surprised if it’s not him.”

Steve also addressed some of the backlash surrounding Greg (he was accused of manipulating and gaslighting Katie Thurston during their breakup), saying, “He’s a polarizing figure that will have people talking, which is what they want. But by all accounts and everything I’m being told, he’s your next Bachelor so, I guess let’s get the hot take machine fired up. Because here they come in full force.”

Cut to Mike Fleiss, who—a few hours after Steve’s tweets sent Bachelor Nation spiraling—said that ABC hasn’t made a decision yet. “Major announcement regarding #TheBachelor!!!” he tweeted. “No official decision has been made…Stay tuned.”

He went on to add, “These decisions regarding our next #TheBachelor are complicated. Like the complicated process that gives us delicious, gluten-free @OmissionBeer.”

Welp. I guess we’ll have to wait to see what happens here, but a good chunk of Bachelor Nation isn’t going to be thrilled if producers choose Greg. However, if what Steve says about ABC picking polarizing figures is true, it looks like he could be cast as the lead anyway. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Just note: There’s also speculation out there that former Bachelorette contestant Tyler Cameron could be named the next Bachelor based on the fact that he just broke up with his girlfriend and teased that something “exciting” is coming. So...stay tuned, I guess!

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