Viewers in the US reeling after the most shocking ‘Bachelor’ finale in history

VIEWERS in the US are reeling after the star of The Bachelor pulled a Blake Garvey and dumped the woman he proposed to for another contestant. But he did it all on camera.

Becca and Arie on The Bachelor in the US.

BACHELOR fans in the United States were left in shock yesterday — not because of who Arie Luyendyk, Jr. chose to ask to be his future wife, but because of how quickly − and cruelly − he changed his mind.

During the finale of The Bachelor which airs on ABC in the US, Arie, 36, proposed to Becca Kufrin, 27, in what was supposed to be the start of their long and magical lives together, but their engagement was short-lived.

It was revealed during the After The Final Rose special that Arie had a change of heart and decided to break it off with Becca because there was another woman on his mind — the runner-up, Lauren Burnham, 25, whose heart he had broken when he left her behind in Peru at the final rose ceremony.

Becca reacts to being dumped.

Arie dumps Becca on national television.

“I was in love with Lauren and it’s hard to separate that feeling of loss,” Arie said.

“With Becca, I feel an immense amount of guilt. It’s not fair for her to be in a relationship where someone is half in. I have to follow my heart. Just thinking of the possibility of something with Lauren is making me want to risk it all.

“I decided to call off the engagement and break up with Becca.”

Naturally, Becca was furious over Arie’s decision to call it quits after making the commitment to her on national television.

“Just leave. What are you still doing here?” Becca asked. “Just go.” After Arie convinced her to talk it out, he finally left for the final time, leaving her crying on the couch.

Viewers were quick to react on social media over the surprise ending: Some were outraged at Arie for the surprising plot twist, while others were simply left speechless.

Please tell me the After The Final Rose special ends with all of Arie’s eliminated women banding together to Big Little Lies him down a flight of stairs. #thebachelor

— tierney bricker (@tbrick2) March 6, 2018

All men have been in this situation with their significant other before but it's because we picked the wrong type of la croix at the grocery, not that we picked the wrong girl to spend the rest of our life with #Bachelor

— Paul Stange (@pstange24) March 6, 2018

Camera crew right now #TheBachelor #bachelornation #Bachelor pic.twitter.com/9JEamjRVtP

— Joey Conway (@J_Conway88) March 6, 2018

Dear Arie,
JUST LEAVE!
-Every woman in America #Bachelor #BachelorFinale

— Michelle Bloom (@MJolanBloom) March 6, 2018

welp i hope my therapist watches #TheBachelor because we're going to be talking about this break-up tomorrow.

— annieflockaflame (@_annieross_) March 6, 2018

I stole your once-in-a-lifetime proposal, have been lying to you for weeks, promised a fake future together, broke up with you and humiliated you on national television oh, and never truly loved you but,

“Hey, are you ok?”#TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/kgq5yzoOAF

— Cait B 💋 (@facesbycaitb) March 6, 2018

How is one supposed to sleep after that? I’m also very mad at my boyfriend all of a sudden for absolutely nothing. #TheBachelor

— Riss (@la_va1230) March 6, 2018

Fans in the US will have to wait until tonight’s episode to see how the story unfolds, as Becca and Lauren join Arie and the host of The Bachelor, Chris Harrison, for the first time since the suitor broke up with both of them.

The about-face by the Bachelor is similar to what Blake Garvey did to Sam Frost on the second season of The Bachelor Australia.

Garvey became one of the most hated men in Australia after he proposed to Frost during the finale and then later dumped her for the show’s runner-up, Louise Pillidge.

This article originally appeared on Fox News and has been republished here with permission.