Nick Viall is finally engaged — and Bachelor Nation is hoping for a wedding. Former contestants from the ABC franchise, including sometime rival Josh Murray, reacted to the news that Viall proposed to Vanessa Grimaldi during the season 21 finale Monday, March 13.
“I wish them luck,” Murray, 32, exclusively told Us Weekly at the Bachelor Season Finale Viewing Party at Hollywood Park Casino. “Hopefully they stay away and try to focus on themselves and not the outside world, because the outside world can really ruin people’s relationships if you focus on it too much. Focus on each other. Don’t focus on all the other mess and all the negativity that happens and then things could work out.”
Murray and Viall haven’t always seen eye-to-eye. Both men competed for Andi Dorfman’s affections on season 10 of The Bachelorette in 2014; Viall was the runner-up while the former baseball player proposed to Dorfman. The pair called off their five-month engagement in January 2015. Murray and Viall butted heads again in season 3 of Bachelor in Paradise.
“If people have two different agendas at the end of the day too, which may be the case, then there’s no way that it can work out anyway,” Murray added to Us. “I don’t know what his agenda is. I think people will see. I mean, what is his next gig? Dancing With the Stars? So I mean, I’m sure there will be a lot after that as well.” (Viall, 36, is partnered with Peta Murgatroyd on the upcoming season 24 of DWTS.)
Season 19 Bachelor Chris Soules, for his part, was elated to hear that Viall chose Grimaldi, 29. “I just got little goose bumps,” he said at the event. “Vanessa was my pick. … He had some hesitation there the last couple of weeks [over] whether he was gonna pick anybody, but I was pretty confident [that] he decided to go through with picking somebody or getting engaged. I knew that was gonna be his pick.”
Robby Hayes, however, was rooting for Viall’s runner-up, Raven Gates. Hayes, 28, who just scored a modeling contract, placed second in JoJo Fletcher’s season 12 of The Bachelorette last year.
“I’m a big Raven fan. I’m from Georgia and the accent kinda gets me — pulls at my strings,” he told Us. “But I wish him the best. Nick needs to find that love. He’s 36. He’s been on a few seasons. Find that love and settle down and get off the show and start a family.”
Jen Saviano, meanwhile, took to Instagram on Monday night with some vague words of wisdom. She and Viall hooked up on season 3 of Bachelor in Paradise and split before he was announced as the next Bachelor. Though she didn’t specifically allude to Viall or his new fiancée, she posted a message that read: “You’re always one decision away from a totally different life.” She added in her caption, “True that. Stay positive, choose wisely.”
Other Bachelor Nation folks who gave their two cents included former Bachelorette and newly married Ali Fedotowsky, former Bachelor Sean Lowe, season 1 Bachelorette Trista Sutter and more.
Read more reactions below:
Eeeppppp! Yay!!!! #TheBachelorFinale ?
— Ali Fedotowsky-Manno (@AliFedotowsky) March 14, 2017
#bachelorinparadise just got better! Hopeful for @ravengates09 & her continued search for love! ?#TheBachelorFinale
— Trista Sutter (@tristasutter) March 14, 2017
I am always hopeful for happy endings, especially when it comes to my #bachelornation family, but @VanessaGrimaldi doesn’t seem happy? ?
— Trista Sutter (@tristasutter) March 14, 2017
The vibe of the whole room at After the Final Rose right now is so serious and strange feeling. No? #TheBachelorFinale
— Jade Tolbert (@jadelizroper) March 14, 2017
To the future final two, if the sun isn’t setting, beat him to the punch and break up with him first. #TheBachelorFinale
— Sean Lowe (@SeanLowe09) March 14, 2017
Ok, that’s a hot coupla fiancés. #TheBachelorFinale
— CatherineGiudiciLowe (@clmgiudici) March 14, 2017
Called it.
— CatherineGiudiciLowe (@clmgiudici) March 14, 2017
One of the best parts about being part of The Bachelor fam is watching your friends fall in love & get engaged. HAPPY tears in full swing! ?
— Ashley Iaconetti (@ashleyiaco) March 14, 2017
SPOILER ALERT,congrats on your engagement Nick,you were a great Bachelor, you are a great friend and you’ll be a great husband #TheBachelor
— Jared Haibon (@haibon_jared) March 14, 2017
Congrats @viallnicholas28 and @VanessaGrimaldi !!!! ????
— Lauren Bushnell (@LaurenBushnell3) March 14, 2017
