The 26-year-old medical device salesman dishes to ET on his possible 'Bachelor in Paradise' plans.
"Old" Matt Donald only made it one night on Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette, but fans are still rooting for him to find love.
Bachelor Nation fell in love with the 26-year-old medical device salesman in his heartwarming intro package on the Bachelorette premiere, hoping to make him the next "Grocery Store" Joe Amabile. As fans know, Amabile was sent home on night one of Becca Kufrin's season, but ended up finding love on Bachelor in Paradise -- and then appearing on Dancing With the Stars.
"I saw the comparisons, but there's never going to be another 'Grocery Store' Joe. He's the iconic first-night elimination," Donald told ET's Lauren Zima on Tuesday's Roses and Rose Live. "It's a huge compliment though. And he tweeted that night and I was so starstruck."
"I was so sad. I was really bummed out," he added of being eliminated from The Bachelorette so soon. "I was anticipating going on the show for such a long time that when I didn't get a rose at the end, I was like, 'Man, what an awesome opportunity that unfortunately has already ended.'"
Donald said Brown "could probably sense" his nerves on night one. He remembered getting about five minutes to chat with her at the mansion, during which he just "wanted to fill space" and forgot to ask her anything about herself. At the end of the day, however, "it is what it is," he expressed. "I was true to myself like my mom asked me to be."
Donald's sweet relationship with his family, some of whom are deaf, was a big focus of his intro package, which he said he was "pleasantly surprised" to see played during the premiere. "I had no idea if all 30 guys had an intro package," he shared. "It was a lot of fun."
The bachelor -- yes, he's still single! -- has a different opinion about the cast's first headshots, which were revealed before Hannah's premiere. Set in front of a green background, the photos lacked lighting and admittedly didn't do many of the men's looks much justice. "They were actually pictures [from] the final interview process," Donald revealed. "I was not thinking it was going to be presented to the whole Bachelor Nation... we all don't look good in these pictures."
As for whether he could be taking another Bachelor headshot for an upcoming appearance on Bachelor in Paradise, Donald said it's "the million-dollar question."
"I honestly have no idea... I'd love to go," he confessed. "It's a different organic environment that I think I could actually thrive in."
"I am not dating anyone right now. I'm just watching The Bachelorette," he joked, sharing that he's letting his dating life "simmer for a while."
"There's not really anyone in particular [I want to meet in Paradise]. In terms of attraction, that box is going to be checked.... [by] all of them," he added. "Caelynn, Tayshia, Hannah G., they all check the boxes."
The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Join ET's Bachelor Nation Facebook group here.
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