MT grad is next contestant on ‘The Bachelor’
Andy Baldwin, a Navy lieutenant, a doctor, a triathlete — and son of Rep. Roy Baldwin — in ABC reality show airing in spring.
By Jane Holahan
Lancaster New Era
Published: Nov 28, 2006 2:36 PM EST
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - In September, Andy Baldwin, 29, went to his younger brother’s wedding and the buzz from everyone was “So Andy, when are you getting married?”
It’s a question millions of people will be asking this spring.
Baldwin, the oldest son of Rep. Roy Baldwin and his wife, Cindy, is going to be the next contestant on the ABC reality show “The Bachelor.”
The news came at the end of the ninth edition of “The Bachelor” Monday night, when Italian prince and cosmetics heir Lorenzo Borghese chose Jen over 24 other bachelorettes to, “have his own fairy tale ending,” according to the show’s Web site.
Baldwin, who lives in Hawaii, will begin taping the 10th edition in January and it’s expected to run in the spring. No word yet on where the show will be filmed.
Roy Baldwin says his son is looking to find a special woman.
“He’s at the point in his life when he’s ready to settle down,” he says. “He’s very in tune with family values and he’s looking for someone who feels the same.”
And ladies, he’s quite a catch.
He’s a doctor, a lieutenant in the Navy and a triathlete who participated in the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii in 2002.
“He’s the most driven individual I ever met,” says the older Baldwin. “Growing up, he was always that way. If he wanted something, he’d get it.”
The 1995 graduate of Manheim Township High School was determined to be the class valedictorian and he was. (Ane he was an All-American swimmer.)
He wanted to go to Duke University and he did.
He wanted to become a doctor and, sure enough, he earned his medical degree at the University of California’s San Francisco School of Medicine.
He now serves as an undersea medical officer for a special operations dive unit stationed in Pearl Harbor.
His service has taken him to Laos, Thailand and the Philippines.
“He wants everyone to know how proud he is to serve his country,” the older Baldwin says. “Being in the service, he had to clear some extra hurdles to be on the show.”
Baldwin, who has a younger brother, Matthew, and sister, Susie, first told his dad he wanted to be an Ironman when he was 10.
“He’s got a great mixture of brains and athletics,” his dad says.
And he held three jobs in high school, including being a New Era paperboy, a lifeguard at Overlook Pool and he had his own lawn mowing business.
And what is this most eligible bachelor looking for in a woman?
“He’s looking for an independent woman who is intelligent, self-confident and athletic,” says his dad. “I think he wants someone who can challenge him.”
Last year, Baldwin was selected as the most eligible bachelor from California for Cosmopolitan magazine’s “Bachelor Blowout.”
He was featured on the “Today” show and “Live with Regis and Kelly.”
“One of his friends nominated him for ‘The Bachelor,’” his dad explains. “None of us thought it was serious, but he got a call and was one of four or five others being considered. After the audition, he was told he was their number one choice.”
“Who doesn’t love the movie ‘An Officer and a Gentleman?’” asks Mike Fleiss, the executive producer of the show. “We’re bringing the best parts of that romantic film to real life.”
Twenty-five women will be cast to appear with Baldwin on the show. They’ll have to be pretty active themselves to keep up with him.
“Andy doesn’t sleep a lot,” says his dad. “And in order to relax, he’ll get involved in some playful activity, like tennis or snorkeling.”
As driven as he is, Baldwin knows how to have a good time, according to his dad.
“He’s tuned into what he eats, for example, but he can go out and have some ice cream or drink a beer.”
And he’s not shy.
“He tends to ham it up,” says the older Baldwin. “He likes to be out in public. He takes after his old man in that way. He’s not bashful at all.”
So, is there anything at all negative that potential bachelorettes should know about Andy Baldwin?
“Well,” his dad says with a laugh. “He’s a lousy mechanic.”
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