Arie Luyendyk Jr. nailed his Bachelor audition. The race car driver, who was runner-up on Emily Maynard’s season 8 of The Bachelorette, had an open and honest conversation with ABC producers about his love life before his new gig was revealed on Good Morning America.
“ABC sat with Arie and it was really great to catch up and see where he was in his life,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “And he told them he hadn’t been in love since Emily and he was so sincere about finding a woman to complete his life, they knew that was their Bachelor!”
![Arie Luyendyk Jr. Emily Maynard](/wp-content/uploads/emily-maynard-arie-luyendyk-jr-02-acb19364-2c22-4f86-8d76-681235165dde.jpg?w=1000&quality=62&strip=all)
Maynard, meanwhile, still speaks fondly of him. “I can’t think of a better person to be The Bachelor than Arie and I’ve been hoping this day would come since Season 8 ended!” the 31-year-old exclusively told Us on Thursday, moments after his new title was announced. “He’s a gentleman through and through and all the girls on his season are lucky to have him.”
Luyendyk Jr., 35, was previously linked to Courtney Robertson, too. The Bachelor season 16 winner, 34, revealed that they they even hooked up last year.
![Arie Luyendyk Jr.](/wp-content/uploads/arie-luyendyk-jr-6626392f-1846-4644-ad8f-d47b5d0b6fe1.jpg?w=1000&quality=84&strip=all)
“I adore Arie,” Robertson exclusively told Us in February 2016. “He’s a great friend who I like to make out with from time to time!”
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