The Bachelor spoilers: ABC tees up Clayton Echard’s season

We know that it’s been a long wait but earlier this week, ABC finally made it official: Clayton Echard is the next star of The Bachelor. We know it’s a polarizing choice and, honestly, it’s hard to imagine that changing between now and the January 3 premiere.

The best thing that Clayton can do is win over the skeptics when the show returns — but we would say that it doesn’t really matter if people are excited about him or not in advance. The truth here is that most of the enjoyment of The Bachelor comes from seeing the drama in the early going, and then the romance later on down the road. The most important thing is that we’re invested in Clayton and his suitors as we near the finale.

Earlier this week, we share the first trailer for what you can expect from the upcoming season; to go along with it, we also suggest to check out the official synopsis:

Following an emotional and tear-stained exit from Michelle’s season of “The Bachelorette,” Clayton Echard will step into the role of “The Bachelor” for the show’s upcoming 26th season, kicking off the series’ landmark 20th year. Clayton was first introduced to audiences on the current season of “The Bachelorette,” where he showed off his rugged good looks and Viking-level athleticism while managing to charm even the harshest of critics—a group of fifth-grade students. He is a puppy-loving goofball with a heart of gold (and surprisingly good dance moves) who is ready to find the love of his life. Clayton’s journey as “The Bachelor” premieres on the previously announced date of MONDAY, JAN. 3 (8:00-10:00 p.m.), on ABC. Watch episodes on demand and on Hulu the day following their premieres.

In general, we think what ABC is hoping for with Clayton is to play it safe with some of their established base — he’s similar in a LOT of ways to many leads they’ve had over the years, so we’ll see how this works out.

Related – Be sure to get some more news when it comes to The Bachelor right now

What do you most want to see from Clayton Echard as The Bachelor?

Be sure to share right now in the comments! Once you do just that, remember to stick around — there are other updates ahead and of course, we don’t want you missing them. (Photo: ABC.)

This article was written by Jess Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.