Peter Weber of The Bachelor thinks Mike Johnson would have been great as the show’s lead. After all, Johnson was thought to be the front runner by many to step into the title role. Even though the distinction went to Peter Weber, some folks are still clamoring for the dashing and flirtatious Johnson to become the first African-American Bachelor.
Since his appearance on season 15 of The Bachelorette, Johnson proved himself a man on a mission to find love. His connection with Hannah Brown was romantic and traditional, and quickly made Brown a hit with Bachelor Nation. Although Johnson was eliminated during his one-on-one date in the Netherlands, few could forget the guy who proclaimed that he was looking for his queen. Following his stint on the show, Johnson was thought to be a shoo-in as the next Bachelor. However, that distinction ultimately went to Peter Weber.
“Yes, I wanted to be the Bachelor. Yes, I auditioned to be the Bachelor. I went in there with the right intentions of wanting to find love [and] wanting to be true to myself,” Johnson said on an episode of the “Bachelor Happy Hour With Rachel & Ali ” podcast (via Us Weekly). “They chose the right person for what they want — and there’s nothing wrong with that at all.” However, current Bachelor Peter Weber has been quite vocal about his support for Johnson in the lead role of the show, despite his own pride as the chosen one. He told ET, “I didn’t make this decision, right? I was very grateful to accept it and move forward, but listen, regardless of race, of identity or whatnot, everybody is deserving of love. And I’m not the only person,” he said. “Mike would’ve been a great Bachelor. Tyler [Cameron] could have been a great Bachelor. They picked me and I’m very excited and very humbled.”
What tipped the scales in Weber’s direction? Around the same time his name was being bandied about as the first African-American male star in the franchise, Johnson found himself in a public social media flirtation with singer Demi Lovato. Having a woman with such a high profile tweeting about her interest in Johnson may have confused producers about his true availability and intentions towards being on the show. In Bachelor Nation, everything is about timing. That, coupled with Hannah Brown’s spicy four-times-in-a-windmill hookup with Weber and ABC’s chance to stretch out her popularity for the sake of ratings, knocked Johnson out of contention… for now. However, he could manage to be the next Arie Luyendyk, getting his chance in the spotlight down the line. topical
It’s gracious of Peter Weber to give such a glowing nod to Mike Johnson as the Bachelor. It speaks to his character and confidence. As for Johnson, he should cool his jets a bit and go back to being that dashing sweetheart that fans fell in love with on season 15 of The Bachelorette. His kiss-and-tell antics with Demi Lovato were in poor taste. Also, his thirsty attempt to come on to Keke Palmer while a guest on Strahan Sara & KeKe was also a bad look. Johnson’s fans want him to find that fourth queen in his life (to reign alongside his grandmother, mother, and sister), so he’ll need to go back to acting like a king instead of a wayward prince if he wants that to happen on season 25 of The Bachelor.
