Move over, Chris Soules! “Bachelor” nation has a new, single hottie to swoon over. Come January, Ben Higgins is taking the reins as the star of ABC’s reality dating show, “The Bachelor.” The 27-year-old software salesman initially tried his hand at finding love on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of “The Bachelorette,” and while he made it to the final three, he ultimately didn’t have a strong enough connection with the brunette beauty to continue on. Despite getting his heartbroken, Ben’s back for more -- and he’s got 28 women who are dying at a shot with him.

Ben’s journey to find love will kick off on Monday, Jan. 4. But fans of the series don’t have to wait until then to find out what kind of “Bachelor” he will be. Ben spoke to International Business Times during a press call for the upcoming 20th season to reveal that he was extremely open to the whole process – however, that doesn’t mean that he went on a lip-locking spree like last year’s star.

“I really wanted to concentrate on getting to know these women outside of the physical aspect,” Ben revealed to IBT. “I think that’s always important in a relationship and that comes with time, but I wanted to make sure that we spent our time getting to know each other one on one and not necessarily kissing, or you know, making out the whole time.”

That’s not to say things won’t get physical during the upcoming season. Ben did tease that he will lock lips with some of the single beauties, however, he wanted to wait for when the time was right.

“It was something that I kind of wanted to hold back from, I guess, as this thing started,” he confessed.

As for what Ben’s looking for in his lady love? “The Bachelor” star confirmed that he didn’t start this journey by thinking of “deal breakers.” Instead, he wanted to keep an “open-mind” when meeting the 28 women.

“I really wanted to go into this whole experience very open-minded,” Ben told IBT. “I knew I was going to meet women from all over the country -- possibly from all over the world -- and I wanted to go in with an open mind knowing that there was going to be new experiences, and new personalities, and new people that I’d never been exposed to in my life. I tried to not hold myself back with deal breakers initially. I just wanted to get to know these women and see if there was a connection or chemistry.”

Viewers can tune into the Season 20 premiere of “The Bachelor” on ABC on Monday, Jan. 4 to see if Ben has chemistry with any of the lucky contestants in the house.

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