The Bachelor‘s Nick Viall on What He Looks for in a Woman, Finding Love, and More

Nick Viall has struck out three times in his search for love on The Bachelor franchise. His first experience was on Andi Dorfman‘s season of The Bachelorette, and even though he was ready to propose, he ended up in second place. The following year, he joined Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s season of The Bachelorette and, again, was the runner up.

The controversial bachelor choice, 36, was nothing if not persistent, so he joined Bachelor in Paradise, but once again, left the show without making a lasting love connection. Many saw that as strike three, so they were surprised when he was announced as the new bachelor.

Now Viall has the chance to change all that when Season 21 of The Bachelor premieres on ABC and he will have 30 lovely bachelorettes from which to pick. Will his luck change?

Photos: Meet the 30 Bachelorettes Vying for Nick Viall’s Heart on The Bachelor

Before the start of the new season, the Milwaukee native spoke to reporters about putting his heart on the line for the fourth time, what he looks for in a soul mate, if having been through the process before made him a better judge of character this time, and more.

What hesitations did you have about putting yourself out there for the fourth time?

Not really any hesitations. When I was asked to be The Bachelor, there was a lot of thought that went into that and, certainly, some nerves and fears. I’m not someone who tends to look back, I try to look forward. I’ve always been willing to put myself out there and be vulnerable in the three previous seasons, so I don’t think this season is really going to be any different in that sense.

Going into The Bachelor, what were you looking for in a woman? Were you hoping to meet someone like Andi or Kaitlyn? Did you realize you had any deal breakers from your past relationships?

As far as Andi and Kaitlyn, both are great women and they certainly have a lot of great qualities. And as much as I did care for those women in the past, I was also very thankful that it didn’t work out, having removed myself from the situation. But there’s no denying, I’ve always been attracted to women with strong personalities, a lot of confidence, and women who are intelligent and willing to be my partner.

I have a big personality and I push back a lot with people that I respect and trust, and I want someone to be comfortable enough with me to do that. I want to be with a woman who feels empowered and feels like they’re my partner and part of a relationship.

Are you happy with how your journey as The Bachelor ended? Was it everything you hoped for? Did you find love again?

I can say I definitely found love. I won’t be able to get into much more detail about that other than to say, you’ll have to watch and see how that all played out and what that all meant. But going back to my original answer, I certainly have no regrets, I never looked back and, regardless of how it all played out, I always look forward and overall feel good about things.

Lauryn H did an interview in September in which she said you actually continued dating and were in a relationship with Jenn after Bachelor in Paradise ended, but you allegedly dumped her to become the next Bachelor star. Do you want to set the record straight on that?

No, none of that was remotely true.

What made you think a fourth time would be different?

I suppose I didn’t know it was going to be different, you know? But whether it’s as The Bachelor or in life, I don’t think I’ll ever give up on the possibility of finding love. And, I think, being The Bachelor is certainly an incredibly different opportunity than going on The Bachelorette or going on Paradise. It was something that I was optimistic would work out, but certainly there was no guarantee.

Because you’ve been through the process before, do you think that you had an easier time kind of seeing through any women who were not there for the right reasons?

Certainly, I think, having done this before prepared me as much as anyone to handle the responsibilities of being The Bachelor, but having done it now, certainly being The Bachelor is a lot different and a lot more goes into it. I like to think I’m a fairly good judge of character overall. That’s not something that was a big concern of mine, not only going into the season but throughout it.

 Was there any point in your journey where you were, like, “This is too much for me to handle, I can’t believe I agreed to this?”

Every day! In all seriousness, when I was asked to be The Bachelor, I didn’t immediately say yes. It’s a huge responsibility. It’s obviously an incredible opportunity but a lot goes into it and there are no guarantees. There are obviously are a lot of amazing things that come with being The Bachelor. It’s fun and cool but it’s also a big commitment and if you’re serious about it, it can be very difficult at times.

It’s very personal. There’s a lot of feelings. With the hopes of meeting the right person that can be kind of a terrifying feeling. So it can be challenging. And every day, you face those challenges and it’s very easy to question those things.

How important was it for you to get Kaitlyn or Andi’s blessing or advice? Did you reach out to them at all? 

It certainly wasn’t a priority at all to get their advice. I didn’t reach out to them. Andi did reach out via a simple text to wish me luck and it was a very gracious text. But no advice was given and certainly no advice was asked. I haven’t had any contact with Kaitlyn at all.

ABC has teased that a girl from your past shows up on night one. What can you share?

I can’t give too much detail away other than the fact that I didn’t know that someone from my past would show up and, certainly when that happens, I think anyone would be shocked. As far as how it all plays out or what I thought about it, I think that will be a very compelling part of the first episode and I look forward to you all checking it out.

The Bachelor premieres its 21st season tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.