'The Bachelor' Star Nick Viall’s Comments On Jared & Ashley's Relationship Will Warm Your Heart

Bachelor Nation alums Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon are giving love a real shot, and according to former Bachelor Nick Viall, it's a match made in heaven. People caught up with the Wisconsin native during a New York City event on May 24, and Nick's comments on Jared and Ashley's relationship show how excited he is for the new Bachelor couple.

Though not walking away with the heart of Bachelorette Season 11 helmer Kaitlyn Bristowe, Nick and Jared did leave the ABC set with something even greater — a budding friendship. Today, the two Bachelorette alums living together in Los Angeles, and seeing as Nick's pretty much been around since the beginning of Ashley and Jared's history together, the reality star could totally have some valuable nuggets about his two pals to share.

When speaking to People about Ashley and Jared's uneasy road to love, he said,

"I’m very excited for them. They’re both some of my best friends. I’m very happy for Ashley, obviously, I know she’s kind of always hoped this would happen, and to my surprise, I did not think it would."

"I think Jared just kind of realized just how special Ashley is to him," Nick continued. "I feel like sometimes, as men, we maybe take too long to figure things out, but I’m glad Jared did. They’re very much in love. Almost to the point of it being slightly obnoxious — but in an adorable way."

Nick himself has tried his hand at finding on the Bachelor Nation sets quite a few times — four, to be exact. Before getting to hand out his own batches of roses as the Season 21 Bachelor, the former software salesman made to the final two men in both the tenth and eleventh Bachelorette seasons, and even had a stint on Bachelor in Paradise Season 3.

Throughout his time in front of the franchise cameras, Nick has rubbed fans of the show, as well as castmates, the wrong way on multiple occasions. Not only was the Wisconsin native pegged as the villain during both of his Bachelorette appearances, but during the After the Final Rose episode at the close of Andi Dorfman's season, Nick revealed a little too much information about what went down between he and Andi in the fantasy suite — which, not only caught the audience off guard, but as Andi puts it, the stunt deeply affected her relationship with Season 10 winner Josh Murray.

From that moment, Nick wasn't casted in the best light, and for the most part, was deemed as "immature" by many fans tuning into his Andi's Bachelorette season. But post BiP Season 3, followed by his own Bachelor season, the 37-year-old seemed to redeem himself.

Just as Nick's history with Bachelor Nation has been complicated, however, the same can be said for that of Ashley and Jared's courtship. The two attempted to foster a romantic relationship while on Bachelor in Paradise, but it just wasn't their time, apparently. After three years of flirtatious banter and fostering a strong friendship, the two finally decided to give their love a fair shot — announcing their status in a YouTube video detailing their amazing journey.

Ashley and Jared have pretty much put each other through the ringer — from going back and forth about their feelings for each other, to even planting a surprise kiss on Ashley before her flight, while she was dating her Bachelor Winter Games beau Kevin Wendt. But let Nick tell it, and that's how he knew the two were meant for each other. "I could tell every time Kevin’s name came up, he would just get visibly irritated, which was kind of endearing," Nick told People.

It's so nice to see Ashley and Jared living their best life with each other. And here's to hoping that their long and complicated love story inspires others to never give up on their journeys, either.