The Bachelor: The Best (and Worst) of Nick Viall

The Bachelor Season 21 won’t grace our TV screens until January, but the newest Bach has already proven to be a controversial choice!

Having previously appeared in two consecutive seasons of The Bachelorette and the latest of Bachelor in Paradise, Nick Viall is certainly a very familiar face among members of Bachelor Nation. And although the verdict is currently split on whether Viall is a fan-favorite hero or washed-up villain, there’s no denying that he’s had his fair share of ups and downs throughout his time with the franchise.

So in anticipation of his very first leading role, we’ve narrowed down the very best — and very worst — of The Bachelor’s Nick Viall…

THE BEST OF NICK VIALL

1. Receiving Andi’s First Impression Rose

In his first-ever appearance on The Bachelorette, Nick caught Andi’s – and America’s- attention right away. When presenting him with the coveted First Impression Rose on night one, Andi gushed that Viall had impressed her with how “genuine” he seemed.

2. Showing Love For His Family

As one of eleven children, Nick appears to be incredibly close to his family. When he visited his hometown with Andi and then again with Kaitlyn, it was clear that Viall valued his family’s opinion- particularly his mother’s. The obvious love and concern they all had for him and his future shined a very positive light on Nick’s character.

3. Standing Up for His Friends

Nick’s appearance on this summer’s Bachelor in Paradise often felt like a redemption story. Coming off of two appearances on The Bachelorette wherein he played the villain, he took the moral high-ground in paradise and came off a hero.

Most notably, Nick took a firm stance against Josh, who was arguably the season’s biggest “bad boy.” Viall suspected Josh was in paradise for the wrong reasons and made several attempts to warn and protect single-mom Amanda from him.

4. Embracing His Silly Side

Some of Viall’s most memorable moments from Bachelor in Paradise had nothing to do with romance or playing the hero. During one of his personal interviews, he took some time to lovingly mock his fellow stars in paradise. Nick’s (spot-on) impressions provided some laughter in the midst of all the drama and showed that our newest Bachelor has a silly side!

5. Opening his Heart to Finding Love Again

The announcement that Nick would be the next Bachelor certainly took fans by surprise, but once the crowd settled down and the shock wore off, he gave an interview that assured us he was up for the job.

Clearly humbled by the decision and nervous for what was to come, Nick seemed genuinely hopeful he would finally find love on the show.

THE WORST OF NICK VIALL

1. Embarrassing Andi on After the Final Rose

Viall made headlines early on in his Bachelor Franchise career when he publicly called out The Bachelorette star for sleeping with him in the show’s fantasy suite. Though an invitation to the fantasy suite does imply a more intimate date for the final two contestants, audiences have always been left guessing about what really goes on away from the cameras.

Many fans, and Andi herself, took major issue with Nick’s very public acknowledgement of their very private actions.

2. Arriving Late to Kaitlyn’s Season

In his second attempt at finding love on The Bachelorette, Nick was thrown into Kaitlyn Bristow’s season five episodes in. This sparked animosity from the men who arrived on night one, who saw him as a threat to their time with Kaitlyn and felt he had been incredibly disrespectful to Andi in the past.

3. Feuding with Shawn

Though the majority of Kaitlyn’s suitors took issue with Nick’s arrival, front-runner Shawn was especially resentful of his presence. The resulting feud between them painted Nick as the villain, standing in the way of the true love between Kaitlyn and Shawn and delaying her ultimate choice.

4. Getting (Publicly) Intimate with Kaitlyn

Having already been cast in a negative light when he joined the season, Viall made matters much worse for himself when he engaged in what was widely viewed as distasteful behavior with Kaitlyn: having (very audible) sex after their first one-on-one date together.

5. Leading Jen On

Despite Nick’s clear attempts at redemption throughout his run on Bachelor in Paradise, he once again sparked controversy when he chose to end things with Jen, who he dated for the majority of the season.

By the time their breakup aired, viewers knew things couldn’t work out between them (as Viall had been named the next Bachelor a week prior), but watching Nick end it with Jen as she arrived to receive her final rose was no less heartbreaking. His seemingly rash decision left Bachelor Nation asking: did Nick dump Jen in hopes of becoming the next Bachelor?

Do you agree with our picks? Do you think Nick Viall will make a good leading man, or go down as the next Juan Pablo? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!