Meet Ben H., Officially the Nicest Bachelor Ever

It’s officially official, rose lovers! The worst-kept secret in television is out: Ben Higgins — aka seemingly the nicest human being ever to appear on a Bachelor/Bachelorette show — is the new Bachelor. The Bachelor host Chris Harrison announced the news on Monday’s Bachelor in Paradise after-show, After Paradise. So what do we know about Ben H.? He’s a 26-year-old software salesman from Denver whose idea of the perfect date is “hiking back to a quiet place in the woods where we can be alone.” Not in a creepy, serial-killer kind of way, of course.

For those of you who didn’t watch last season of The Bachelorette… well, I applaud your restraint. Also, here are a few things to know about our new Chief Rose Giver and Breaker of Hearts.

1. He keeps cool under pressure.
Nowhere was this more evident than on the Bachelorette’s infamous “sex-ed” date, when the guys had to teach the birds and the bees to a bunch of wide-eyed kids. Most of the guys fumbled and bumbled through their presentations, but Ben framed his lesson as a sweet, G-rated fairy tale about love that was not only informative, it also managed to work in patented Bachelorette themes like “journeys” and “connections.” Watch his stellar performance:

2. He’s not afraid to stand up for himself.
Much of the drama on last season of The Bachelorette involved Kaitlyn’s relationship with Shawn — and the fact that she told him “you’re the one” when they had an off-camera meeting. Ben, who was privy to that Shawn-Kaitlyn moment because it happened in the hotel room he shared with Shawn, pulled Kaitlyn aside in Dublin to get some clarity on what was going on. Without getting angry, confrontational, or mopey, Ben asked Kaitlyn whether he was wasting his time. Check it out:

3. He handles rejection well.
Not that this is necessarily a skill Ben H. will need to employ as the Bachelor — he’ll be doing the rejecting, after all — but the fact that he handled getting dumped on television so well does speak to his strength of character. Watch his graceful goodbye:

Congrats, Ben H.! Here’s hoping that a) you’re not so nice that you make for boring TV or b) the show turns you into a slutty d-bag, a la Ben Flajnik or Bob Guiney before you. Let me know your thoughts on Team Bachelor’s choice — and place your bets on what kind of Bachelor Ben will be by taking our poll.

The Bachelor premieres in January 2016 on ABC.