Not Even Luke P. Can Stop Me From Getting Hyped About 'Bachelor In Paradise'

It's the most wonderful time of the year, Bachelor Nation. Are you ready? While we're still deep in Hannah Brown's Bachelorette drama headlined by villain — and frontrunner — Luke P., ABC released the first wave of cast members for Bachelor in Paradise on Jun. 17. So naturally, fans are getting hyped about the Season 6 premiere. But when does Bachelor in Paradise return? Although fans were promised an earlier air date this year, it looks like BiP will come back around the same time as usual.

Back on Apr. 10, the Bachelor in Paradise Instagram account posted a hilarious clip of Chris Harrison with a caption that read, "Hey Beaches! #BachelorInParadise returns for a new season on Monday, July 29!" Since the ABC reality series typically premieres in the first week of Aug., the early start date to Season 6 felt too good to be true — and it was.

On Jun. 14, Harrison released a promotional photo for the spin-off series. In the post, he announced that there was new Bachelor in Paradise premiere date for 2019 — Monday, Aug. 5. "Life is a beach...and that’s a great thing! #BachelorinParadise is back Aug 5th," Harrison wrote.

Thankfully, the latest change only pushes the return back by one week. And while some people might be disappointed, this still gives fans two weeks to calm down after the Bachelorette finale on Jul. 29.

As per tradition, the sixth season of Paradise will feature a number of fan-favorites from Bachelor Nation. While most hail from Colton Underwood's season of The Bachelor and Hannah's season of The Bachelorette, there are some contestants from older seasons. And although the full cast list for BiP hasn't been revealed for reasons, ABC did release 19 contestants.

Thus far, the cast includes: Annaliese Puccini, Bibiana Julian, Blake Horstmann, Caelynn Miller-Keyes, Cam Ayala, Chris Bukowski, Clay Harbor, Demi Burnett, Derek Peth, Hannah Godwin, Jane Averbukh, John Paul Jones, Katie Morton, Kevin Fortenberry, Nicole Lopez-Alvar, Onyeka Ehie, Sydney Lotuaco, Tayshia Adams, and Wills Reid.

Months before the cast list was announced, fans already had a favorite couple in mind — Blake and Hannah G. When Season 22 of The Bachelor wrapped, the Alabama native explained that she already had her eye on someone.

“I think that there’s a few really good options and I’d have to meet with them in person and see if there’s a connection," Hannah told Us Weekly. “I don’t know. I think Blake’s a cutie.”

Following Hannah G.'s statement, fans went nuts over the possibility. And yes, the powers that be — aka the producers — delivered.

That said, with the official cast announcement, fans wasted no time in coming up with new favorite Paradise pairings — and NGL, they're all pretty phenomenal.

Unfortunately, Bachelor in Paradise comes back to our screens a week later than fans were expecting. But if there's anything to take from the first round of cast members, it's that this season will be a wild ride. So hold on tight. Summer's almost here.

Bachelor in Paradise returns Aug. 5 on ABC.