Viewers tuned to ABC Monday night to watch not only Andi Dorfman find her fairytale ending on “The Bachelorette,” but to learn who the 2015 star of “The Bachelor” would be. While “The Bachelorette” delivered an unforgettable finale ending with Dorfman engaged to Josh Murray, many fans were disappointed host Chris Harrison didn’t announce the next bachelor.

Who is the next “Bachelor”? And when will the announcement be made? Harrison took to his blog on Entertainment Weekly to clear up all the rumors and confusion.

According to the host, they didn’t just “forget” to announce the new “Bachelor” during the season finale of “The Bachelorette” -- because they still don’t know who the lucky man will be!

“The truth is we haven’t decided 100 percent on whom that is yet,” Harrison posted. “Obviously we take this decision very seriously and a lot goes into this process. There are endless discussions and heated debates on which direction to go and what to do. We are very much close to making that decision, but the only big mistake we could really make is to rush this and try to get it done in time for last night’s show.”

During the “After The Final Rose” special, Harrison was questioned by “Bachelor in Paradise” star Michelle Money about when the network would be making the announcement. The crowd started chanting “Chris,” referring to Chris Soules, the 32-year-old Iowa farmer eliminated in episode 9 of Dorfman’s season of “The Bachelorette.” Soules immediately began to smirk and blush from the attention, and the host made sure to slap the fan favorite on the back in front of the cameras. However, all Harrison would say on the subject is that: “The new ‘Bachelor’ is going to be named later.”

Soules doesn’t just have the backing from the audience. He’s also got strong support from Dorfman and Murray. In a press call Tuesday afternoon, the newly engaged couple gushed they are both rooting for Soules to become the star of “The Bachelor.” Andi called her ex-boyfriend a “genuine guy” and “class act,” revealing that they are “definitely on Team Chris.”

The good news is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Harrison promised that once the casting is a “done deal” he will post on Twitter (@chrisbharrison) when and where the network will announce the big reveal.

Our theory on when the announcement will take place? With the new spinoff “Bachelor in Paradise” set to premiere on Aug. 4, an announcement about the next “Bachelor” during the freshman season of the series would surely drive viewers!

What do you think? Who would you like to see as “The Bachelor”? Tweet your thoughts to @AmandaTVScoop.

RELATED STORIES