It's a happy day for Ben Higgins fans — the cutie pie is all but confirmed to star as the next Bachelor. But there's a little problem: Higgins is reportedly into Tenley Molzahn, leading fans to question whether she'll pull a Nick Viall and complicate matters for Higgins and contestants next season.
Since love waits for no one (including producers of The Bachelor, who have been awfully mysterious about their pick for the next season), Ben and Tenley apparently struck up a little romance after he was rejected by Kaitlyn Bristowe. Tenley is a reality TV veteran, who has appeared in The Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise, and Bachelor Pad. In other words: She knows the deal.
Higgins's chances of being chosen as the Bachelor would have diminished if everyone thought he had a girlfriend, so rumor has it Ben and Tenley decided not to hook up, despite having feelings for each other. That, of course, doesn't mean the feelings and mutual attraction disappear — which is something I'm betting producers are counting on.
Anyone else experiencing déjà vu? Remember how Kaitlyn and Nick shared a few flirty text messages prior to producers bringing him onto The Bachelorette to shake things up when they realized she was gaga over Shawn Booth and that the show would have been super boring without a rival?
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I still feel Ben is the perfect choice for The Bachelor — it's not like he has a girlfriend (to our knowledge). He and Tenley may be into each other, but, given how he's about to meet and date a slew of other women, his feelings could change in a heartbeat. I feel for the other contestants, though — there's no way they aren't going to be forced to deal with Tenley as a rival.
Image via higgins.ben/Instagram