Nick Viall is nearing the end of his journey as “The Bachelor.” The road to finding love has been a rocky one, but the Wisconsin native has been able to narrow the cast down to six women from 30.

Heading into Season 21, episode 7 of the ABC dating competition, Rachel, Corinne, Vanessa, Raven, Danielle M. and Kristina remain. Nick praised the final six as “confident, intelligent and sexy” — all qualities he told ABC News he looked for in a partner. Additionally, Nick told the outlet he was attracted to women who aren’t afraid to be themselves “and be vulnerable.”

The “Bachelor” star suggested that desire to find such a woman is the reason he has kept Corinne — the most controversial Season 21 cast member — around. Nick told ABC he didn’t think she was the villain everyone was painting her as, reminding Bachelor Nation that he, too, “was once called a villain.” He went on to say that Corinne was misunderstood and was simply going after what she wanted — in this case, him — which he thought was admirable.

“Everyone knows that I was once called a villain,” he recalled. “I didn’t necessarily agree with that label, but I think sometimes Bachelor Nation can unfairly judge people. They sometimes see things in black and white. If you really feel something and you want to go for it, you should be able to go for it.”

Nick’s statements echo those of Corinne, who promised on Feb. 1 that viewers would get to see a lot more of her personality as “The Bachelor” 2017 progressed. The Miami business woman appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” to discuss her nanny, her behavior on the show and more. She told host Ellen DeGeneres she is more than a sexual being, but that she wasn’t ashamed of that aspect of her personality. Corinne claimed she was showing “a real side” of herself, teasing more to come.

“That is the real me. It definitely is a real side of me. But there are many other sides to me,” she said. “I am an older sister. I run a business. I am an athlete — I work out every day. I have a trainer. I just think you’ll see a lot more of Corinne as the season goes on — clothed.”

Could this be a sign that Corinne will survive elimination and land herself a place in the “Bachelor” 2017 final four? That’s what spoiler blogger Reality Steve speculates. In a post on his blog, he suggested that there will be no elimination at the start of episode 7, as Nick cut the cast in half during the episode prior. He and the remaining “Bachelor” contestants will jet from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, to the Bahamas for some fun in the sun. By the end of the episode, just four women will remain in the competition. Reality Steve speculated that it will be Danielle M. and Kristina who are sent packing.

Tune in Monday at 8 p.m. EST on ABC to find out for sure.

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