The torch — and single stemmed roses — have officially been passed.

Before new Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Jr. set out on his proverbial journey for love, he turned to pal Sean Lowe for some expert advice. (The duo first met in 2012 while vying for Bachelorette Emily Marynard’s heart.)

“I told him to stay open minded and not to find the most attractive girl the first night and only have eyes for her,” the Bachelor season 18 star recalled exclusively to Us Weekly while celebrating the launch of Bertolli’s new rustic cut pasta sauce in NYC on October 4. “Then I told him after the show is the hardest part. That’s when you have to commit and make it work and block out all the bright lights that come your way. Hopefully he takes my advice.”





Still, Lowe has no doubts the race car driver, 36, will thrive as lead of the ABC dating competition. “Arie has got a great personality,” the 33-year-old said. “He’s kind of quirky. He knows he’s nerdy, which I think is endearing. He definitely doesn’t play the cool guy part. He knows who he is and doesn’t put on any fronts. He’s just a nerdy race car driver.”

Wife Catherine Giudici is equally impressed with Luyendyk Jr.’s off beat charm. “Sean was funny but you wouldn’t expect that from him. Arie is the same way,” the LoweCo designer, who scored Lowe’s love on the series, admitted.. “You would expect him to be this cool, sauce guy but he’s not. It’ll disarm a lot of the girls, which will be great. It’s like, ‘Oh, you’re kind of weird. I’ll be weird too. I’ll be me.’”





As Us previously reported, season 22 kicked off without a hitch. “The first night went really well,” a source explained after filming began on September 20. “The girls are fantastic. Arie is so engaged and sincere.”

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