"Sean Lowe is Bachelor, Ryan Lochte Not Even Runner Up"

From the Huffington Post:

 

It has just been announced that Sean Lowe will be the new "Bachelor" on the hit ABC show. However, Sean has known for more than two months that he would be handing out the roses next season.

“They decided on Sean because of the way women have taken to him. He is good looking, rich and most importantly he wants to find love,” a friend of Lowe tells me. “He has made it clear that he isn’t doing this to find fame, he wants to find a wife.”

Sean was the second (my correction:he was third) runner-up when Emily Maynard was "The Bachelorette" and came close to being this year's Bachelor.

“Despite rumors, [Olympic swimmer] Ryan Lochte was never in serous talks,” one show insider tells me. “It ultimately came down to Arie Luyendyk, who also vied for Emily’s heart, and Sean. Producers thought Sean would have a better connection with viewers and contestants and thus produce better ratings. Arie says that he was the first choice but passed on being The Bachelor but this simply isn't true. Sean was picked two months ago."