America's next great marriage race has begun.
And behind it all? Down-to-earth Sonoma winemaker Ben Flajnik, the newest bachelor on the ABC's The Bachelor, which premiered Monday night.
You might recognize Flajnik from the last season of The Bachelorette, where he was a serious contender for Ashley Hebert's love (unfortunately, his marriage proposal was rejected -- Hebert chose construction manager J.P. Rosenbaum instead.) But despite his past, the humble northern Californian isn't ready to give up on love -- and is back to find The One, no matter what it takes.
Despite the fact that no bachelor has been successful in actually marrying the woman he picked on the show, Flajnik is an eternal optimist -- and a hopeless romantic. In the clip above, the sincere bachelor mentions that he's never dated 25 ladies at the same time (well, we should hope not) but that he's ready to give the experience a chance (three contestants weren't as lucky -- Flajnik booted Anna, Shira and Amber off the show at the end of the premiere episode).
"One would like to hope that you find the love of your life at any point in time. And if I can find it being The Bachelor, then I'm all for it," says Flajnik. "I know this experience can work, and I'm looking forward to it. It'll be a hell of a story."