Chris Harrison has revealed he purposely declined to announce who will star as the next Bachelor during After the Final Rose.

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"More than a few of you tweeted me... reminding me that I forgot to announce who the new Bachelor is [on After the Final Rose]. Believe it or not I didn't forget to announce something that big," Chris Harrison explained in his Entertainment Weekly blog.

"The truth is, we haven't decided 100 percent on whom that is yet. Obviously we take this decision very seriously and a lot goes into this process. There are endless discussions and heated debates on which direction to go and what to do. We are very close to making that decision, but the only big mistake we could really make is to rush this and try to get it done in time for [the special]."

Harrison said he sympathizes with viewers but simply doesn't want to make a rash decision.

"I know you're all anxious, and I wish I could tell you exactly when we'll make that announcement, but I just can't because the decision hasn't been made. I do love reading the 'stories' that claim one thing or another but I am a part of these heated debates, and I can promise you one took place last night after the show, so it's still not a done deal," Harrison explained.

"I'll keep you posted via Twitter as to when and where we'll make the final decision."

While Andi Dorfman's suitor Chris Soules has been dubbed the frontrunner to land the leading role, a few other names have been tossed around in the press. Former The Bachelorette bachelors Marquel Martin, Marcus Grodd and Arie Luyendyk Jr. have reportedly all been considered.

Soules clearly received the biggest reaction out of the audience at both The Men Tell All and After the Final Rose specials. Soules had a very flattering image this season, as he was depicted as a successful farmer, gentleman and family man.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.