Bachelor Nation Reacts After Arie Luyendyk Jr. Meets the 29 Ladies Vying for His Heart
Following months of mounting anticipation, audiences finally got to watch Arie Luyendyk Jr. meet the 29 women that will race after his heart on season 22 0f The Bachelor — and they didn’t hold back on sharing their opinions about the contestants.
To kick off the New Year, the ABC reality series returned on Monday night with the premiere episode, when the 36-year-old former race-car driver, who was the runner-up on Emily Maynard‘s Bachelorette season in 2012, first greeted each of the ladies after they exited the limos and later spoke with them individually ahead of the first rose ceremony.
Fans were quick to take to social media, where they tweeted their thoughts about the contestants’ arrivals.
Some loved the introductions, including Weiner, Arkansas, native Tia, who jokingly gifted Luyendyk Jr. a miniature red plastic wiener, and Bekah, who arrived in a 1965 Mustang.
The realtor used the #off the market” joke … cheese but i like her nervousness #Bachelor
— Justin Scheman (@JustinClassic1) January 2, 2018
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I like Caroline #Bachelor
— heatha featha (@heathaxox) January 2, 2018
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I think Kendall seems like a sweetheart #Bachelornation #Bachelor
— @everythingreality (@everythingreal4) January 2, 2018
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Okay so the women feeding the homeless has my vote so far. #Bachelor
— KrystalAlexis (@KrystalAlexis) January 2, 2018
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We need more people like Krystal in this world. #BachelorMonday #bachelor
— Melissa Duet (@mholm1) January 2, 2018
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Tia you win. That's a wrap. Go home ladies.#TheBachelor #BachelorNation #Bachelor pic.twitter.com/7CqXYAfeab
— Ryan Perpich (@ryanperpich) January 2, 2018
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@tiarachel91 BROUGHT ARIE A LITTLE WIENER OMG!! And then said "please tell me you don't already have a little wiener". #Bachelor
— Austin Sandy (@SandyOnSocial) January 2, 2018
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They REAL pretty this season #bachelor
— Anna (@a_tuts) January 2, 2018
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best entrance goes to bekah #Bachelor
— lex (@lexie_bahm) January 2, 2018
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The girl from Wiener, Arkansas hands him a little plastic wiener and says “please tell me you don’t already have a little wiener” and he says “I don’t have one of these” SO HE DIDNT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION GIRL #Bachelor #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/bLGjpC0EzQ
— NYC Recessionista (@NYRecessionista) January 2, 2018
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Girl from Weiner, Arkansas: “I brought you a little wiener. Please tell me you do not have a little wiener.”
Ari: “I do not have ‘this’. “
— Sarah Sinovic (@EssSign_oh_vick) January 2, 2018
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I am SO happy to see so much more diversity in the #Bachelor it’s been a long time coming.
— Chantille K. (@LindaAndLeroy) January 2, 2018
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Annaliese is gorgeous!! Glad the mask is gone! #bachelor #TheBachelor @BachelorABC @ariejr
— Amber (@PrincessAmber86) January 2, 2018
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Others weren’t as amused/impressed.
So Chelsea says two sentences slowly and somehow she’s “interesting” #bachelor pic.twitter.com/uSzmCkLCoD
— Fred-E-Bear (@EbearFred) January 2, 2018
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Krystal’s annoying and positive #Bachelor
— Tracy Jean (@TracyNormaJean) January 2, 2018
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The girls who are surprised at all the girls who keep showing up, really? You know the premise of the show, no need to be shocked #bachelor #bachelornation
— Liz (@eanalla) January 2, 2018
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This poor man. Most of these women are really fricken weird #Bachelor #awkward
— Jenna Pendleton (@JennaPendleton) January 2, 2018
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I can’t believe a woman actually had Arie smell her pits #Bachelor pic.twitter.com/lB4kjMghQA
— Erica (@_ericaestelle) January 2, 2018
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Baby Bekah is only here to stir the pot. #Bachelor pic.twitter.com/1i5duy5HMQ
— JHM (@jen__hm) January 2, 2018
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Please send the girl with the ukulele home. I can’t do this. #Bachelor
— Erica (@carebearica) January 2, 2018
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After watching half of the first episode of the #Bachelor – you can see why the majority of these girls are single…. pic.twitter.com/tzp1ctis2V
— Ashley Mascroft (@promoashley) January 2, 2018
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I hate all these women so far, let’s see how this progresses #Bachelor
— Rachel Woznicki (@rachelwoznicki) January 2, 2018
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Taxidermy chick is nuts #Bachelor
— Maritza López (@futieton) January 2, 2018
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Kind of annoyed with how young all the girls on the #Bachelor are I feel like they need to have an age limit of 30 years old. Especially when the Bachelor himself is 36. #these20somethingyearolds
— Kailey Hansen (@khansen805) January 2, 2018
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I can see that this personal trainer girl is so fake! Fake smile, fake personality #Bachelor
— fe (@tifonfe) January 2, 2018
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And some were left with unanswered questions, including why Bekah’s age was not revealed.
But how old is Bekah?!??? #bachelor #bachelornation
— Katie Lane (@thekatieL) January 2, 2018
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Why is the short haired girl the only one without her age listed? This is odd #Bachelor
— suzanne bevis (@Suzanne0711) January 2, 2018
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@RealitySteve any idea why they don’t list Bekah M.’s age? Barely legal perhaps? #Bachelor
— Sarah Brogan (@seb143) January 2, 2018
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How does this Bekah get away with not telling us her age?! Is she under 18? Plot twist! @BachelorABC #Bachelor
— Mary Sasala (@MKSalsa) January 2, 2018
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Im Bekah and no one knows how old I am.
Spoiler: too young #bachelor
— Anna (@a_tuts) January 2, 2018
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Bekah is 22, about to turn 23 according to an old insta post #Bachelor #Bachelornation
— Emily Hartman (@Emilyyyhartman) January 2, 2018
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Watching the #Bachelor now… dude is 36 years old… girls range in age from 23-31… they couldn’t find anyone his age??? #imdone
— balmerchick (@balmerchick) January 2, 2018
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Where do they find these crazy chicks? #Bachelor
— Kaitlin Callihan (@KaitlinMansfiel) January 2, 2018
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Who the frick is this ukulele/taxidermy chick??? #TheBachelor #whattheheck #Bachelor
— MacMac (@breedlove_macie) January 2, 2018
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When the #Bachelor women come out of the limo, where is their luggage?
— Jen Rosen (@JenniferKRosen) January 2, 2018
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How are we supposed to keep up with all these Lauren’s? #Bachelor
— Leslie Wilkerson (@LesKayWilkerson) January 2, 2018
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I do NOT like the new #Bachelor font for the names. Why change?
— cdubs27 (@cdubs271) January 2, 2018
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So what is up with the no age available for the nanny?#Bachelor
— sharon suchla (@sharonsuchla1) January 2, 2018
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A ukulele? Pizza? Fruit? Toy cars? A foot massager??? Does the #Bachelor have Amazon outside?
— Joshua Titsworth (@JoshuaTitsworth) January 2, 2018
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How did the meanest one get the first impression rose? #Bachelor
— Jessi Stark (@JessiStark1994) January 2, 2018
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My first though on @BachelorABC is why did they change the fonts and background of the name/occupation title?! Not a fan #Bachelor #Bachelornation
— Silvia Magana (@SilvMag) January 2, 2018
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WATCH: The Bachelor Engagement Rings Cost How Much?!
Watch People Features: Meet the New Bachelor: Arie Luyendyk, Jr., available now, on PeopleTV. Go to PeopleTV.com, or download the PeopleTV app on your favorite mobile or connected TV device.Viewers also tweeted about Chelsea — a single mother and real estate executive assistant from Portland, Maine that received the first impression rose— whom some fans said reminded them of season 20 villain Olivia Caridi.
“Can we all agree that Chelsea is trying to be Olivia? #Bachelor,” one account holder tweeted.
“Chelsea reminds me of Pushy too!” another wrote.
How it took things to get catty…. 10 secs. Thanks, no thanks Chelsea #Bachelor #BachelorNation pic.twitter.com/LoYx1Cnvqw
— Kats Comments (@Kats_comments) January 2, 2018
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Chelsea just needs to cool it. Annoyed already. #Bachelor
— Payton Cannon (@Paytoooo) January 2, 2018
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Soooo Chelsea is this seasons pseudo-confident negative Nancy who will probably stick around longer than anyone cares to watch #Bachelor
— Jaki (@Jaki1220) January 2, 2018
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First impression, Chelsea reminds me of Olivia #Bachelor
— Irisheyes (@Irisheyes278) January 2, 2018
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Chelsea saying she needs more time to talk to Arie but proceeds to simply make out with him #Bachelor pic.twitter.com/6lAPhX6ZX8
— Amanda (@amandatazioli) January 2, 2018
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How the hell did Chelsea get the first rose…. #Bachelor
— LP1907 (@LP1907) January 2, 2018
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why did they let Olivia back on this season? #Bachelor
— nicole rosa (@nicolerosaaaa) January 2, 2018
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Can we all agree that Chelsea is trying to be Olivia? #Bachelor
— lindsay davison (@TheLindus) January 2, 2018
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#Bachelor Chelsea reminds me of @OliviaCaridi Pushy too!
— icyS24 (@icyS24) January 2, 2018
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Chelsea is a legit nightmare. #Bachelor
— Jess (@Totallytaber) January 2, 2018
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“At the end of the day I’m not a rude person…“ says Chelsea, who will probably be the rudest girl of the entire season#Bachelor #TheBachelor
— NYC Recessionista (@NYRecessionista) January 2, 2018
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Can already tell I don't like Chelsea. She's rude #Bachelor
— Carlee Kysar (@carleejcornett) January 2, 2018
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Can we just take a min??? #Bachelor pic.twitter.com/USth9pC0dm
— Rachael (@RachaelBull98) January 2, 2018
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I am officially referring to Chelsea as Olivia Junior #Bachelor #thebachelor
— Ciara Nasuti (@ciarasparkles) January 2, 2018
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Chelsea is Olivia 2.0 #Bachelor
— Kristi Geiger (@KstiGeiger) January 2, 2018
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Speaking with PEOPLE ahead of the premiere, the gray-haired suitor said he’s okay being called the “old” Bachelor.
“I’m in a different place in my life than when I was 30: a little bit older and wiser — and grayer, but it’s good,” he said.
To him, all that matters now is finding his happy ending — and returning to work as a realtor in Scottsdale, Arizona, this time with a fiancée by his side.
“I came to get engaged. I want to be married. I want to have kids,” he said. “I want to go back to the life I had six months ago but share that life with someone. I’m not going to go on Dancing with the Stars.”
The Bachelor airs Mondays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.