ABC formally announced on "Good Morning America" this morning that the star of the next "The Bachelor" series will be 27-year-old Andrew Firestone, the great-grandson of the tire entrepreneur Harvey Firestone. He'll be in the driver's seat when the newest run of "The Bachelor" debuts on March 26. Firestone says he doesn't have trouble meeting women, but in the past his wealth has drawn women who were after him for his money, he said.
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"This is a unique opportunity to meet a lot of beautiful women who come into this sincerely … without knowing my last name," Firestone said. He doesn't have an "ideal woman," but will follow his mother's advice, which is to find a woman who "completes" him and balances him out. He said that his good points are that he is energetic and outgoing, but he probably needs someone to keep him grounded and organized. Like the previous Bachelors, and The Bachelorette, Firestone gave away very little about the show's outcome. "It was a great experience," he said.
The son of pioneering vintner Brooks Firestone, founder of Firestone Vineyard, one of California's successful winery and brewery enterprises, and of former British Royal Ballet soloist Catherine Boulton, Andrew Firestone was born in Santa Barbara County's Santa Ynez Valley.
As a child, Andrew worked in the vineyard, rode horses and raced motorcycles. In high school, he was an athlete, playing football, baseball, basketball, soccer and track — and the cello. While in college at the University of San Diego, he played football until a knee injury ended his playing days. He graduated with a degree in business in 1998, then backpacked through Europe, and even ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
He came back to the United States and did some stints at the family winery before beginning work as a trader at a brokerage firm in San Francisco. When the tech sector cooled, he rejoined the sales/marketing team at the winery, and is still working there along with his older brother Adam.
Producers had originally contacted Andrew's brother, Adam, believing him to be single, when in fact he is married with four children. Adam mentioned that his brother, Andrew, is a bachelor, and the producers decided he would be the perfect next Bachelor.
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