Is Greg Grippo the next Bachelor? [SPOILERS]

One season of The Bachelorette has just ended, and naturally, we’re all looking ahead to what’s next. Bachelor in Paradise season 7 began last week, but though the premiere was certainly a fun episode, fans are now distracted by a major rumor.

Bachelor Nation has been buzzing all afternoon and evening about something that’s going around on social media, and we’re here to break down the truth behind it.

Potential spoilers for The Bachelor season 26 ahead.

If you’ve gone on Twitter or Instagram today, you might’ve seen Bachelor fan pages and memes circulating, all talking about Greg Grippo becoming the next Bachelor. Though there isn’t a release date for the next season, we’re expecting it to debut sometime in January 2022 if it follows the normal schedule. And although we are also getting another season of The Bachelorette in the fall with lead Michelle Young from Matt James’ season, people cannot stop talking about the possibility of Greg being the next lead after that.

So where did these rumors come from, and are they true?

Who is the next Bachelor?

Well, whether you love him or hate him, it looks like there’s a very good chance Greg will become the next Bachelor. TV guru Reality Steve was the source of this rumor, who shared what he’s been hearing on Twitter this afternoon. Though he said it’s not confirmed yet, he seems pretty confident that Greg will be announced as the next lead.

Check out Reality Steve’s tweet below.

Steve notes that he would be surprised if Greg isn’t announced as the Bachelor, and judging by his expert sleuthing skills, we believe him! He also went on to talk about how people will be angry by this decision if it’s true, summing it all up with his final message:

"“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.”"

The Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss has been dropping hints about the next lead, and even shared a cryptic message to Twitter on August 17, as reported by US Weekly. “All I can tell you right now is that #BachelorNation will be very happy! Well, maybe not everybody… #TheBachelor,” he wrote.

Fleiss followed up his Bachelor posts with another update more recently, perhaps in response to Reality Steve’s announcement. “Major announcement regarding #TheBachelor !!! No official decision has been made… Stay tuned,” the TV producer wrote on August 19.

As of today, we don’t have confirmation of who the next Bachelor will be. But if Reality Steve thinks it’ll be Greg, that’s very probable. If and when he’s announced as the next lead, of course, there are bound to be some strong reactions. A polarizing contestant on Katie Thurston’s season of The Bachelorette toward the end, many fans of the franchise are strongly against Greg. And we know Katie has very hard feelings for him.

Only time will tell if Greg Grippo becomes the next Bachelor, and I’ll be very curious to see what Katie’s reaction is if he does. We’ll be sure to update you all once we get that confirmation or any other rumors!