The 26-year-old Bachelor is opening up to ET about what to expect on night one and beyond.
It's almost here!
Colton Underwood's Bachelor premiere is just over a month away -- and we're in for a few surprises. While his virginity has been the overwhelming topic of conversation since he was announced as the Bachelor in September, there's much more to the 26-year-old beneath the surface. And as he exclusively told ET's Lauren Zima at his official Bachelor photo shoot ahead of night one, he's ready to reveal all.
"I feel like I'm finally able to be comfortable in who I am," he shared, adding that he had "zero hesitations" about accepting the gig. "You got to see how I dealt with the serious situations, but there's also another side of me that's this fun-loving, loose, full of energy [guy] and I can't wait to just be myself and showcase that too."
So, from tears to potential awkward conversations to what exactly will go down in the fantasy suite, here are seven things to expect from Underwood's season, in his own words.
1. A Lot of Feelings
It can't be the most dramatic Bachelor season ever without a whole lot of feelings -- and Underwood has promised to feel them all. "The one thing that I want to do is I want to live in the moment. I want to be present. I want to feel all the emotions, the good, the bad, the happy, the sad. I want to feel everything," he told ET. "I'm just so excited for it. I'm very excited for this season."
2. Some Tears
It's hard to forget Underwood's full-on meltdown at the sight of his ex, Becca Kufrin, on Bachelor in Paradise, but according to our new Bachelor, he doesn't usually cry that much. Lucky for us, however, he's not opposed to turning on the waterworks.
"Everybody says I cry a lot [but] I feel like I've only cried twice so far," he said. "But you know what? I'm fine with that, I'm comfortable with that, because that's who I am, and that was the person that I was, and that's what I was feeling in that moment."
"That's what I'm going to apply to this [season], and how I feel in the moment, I'm going to let that be known," Underwood insisted. "I could cry on the first night."
3. And a Little Affection on Night One
The former NFL player is applying that same thinking towards kissing on the first night -- which means we might get some early PDA. "I'm going to live in the moment," he repeated. "[I] could [kiss] all of them, I could [kiss] none of them."
4. A Few Walls Will Come Down
Bachelorette viewers saw snippets of Underwood's private life when he discussed the reasons behind his virginity, as well as offering insight into complex family relationships. While he previously confessed that he wasn't sure his dad even knew he was a virgin, and that they had a much more coach/player relationship, Underwood said that on The Bachelor, we'll get more of the whole story.
"My dad and I have such a good relationship, and we've only continued to grow in that. Same with my mother," he expressed. "I think realizing that I was portraying what a typical football player should be really was eye-opening for me. It was in the moments where I didn't want to cry, where I was like, 'I'm supposed to be this tough football player, I have this exterior that nobody's supposed to see me sweat, nobody's supposed to see my emotions'... that finally came down."
"And I'm comfortable with that. I'm excited for that," he added. "I'm planning on just being me and being true to myself."
5. Perhaps a Couple Awkward Conversations About His Virginity
While Underwood is ready to move on from the topic, he can't guarantee that the women won't want to address it.
"I'm sure they're going to have their questions, and I'm willing to answer [them]," he said. "I can't speak on their behalf, I don't know what they're going to ask and how they're gonna feel about it. But I'm just going to be present in the moment and enjoy every second I have."
6. Maybe Even Some Action in the Fantasy Suite
Underwood is waiting to have sex until he meets the right person, and that might mean he does the deed while filming the show.
"I don't like to speak in definitives," he coyly answered when asked if he could lose his virginity before the fantasy suites -- through it happening on the overnight dates might be more likely.
"We're going to cross that bridge when we get there. It’s just all depending on where my feelings are," he explained. "I said I’m waiting for someone that has the right heart. I’m waiting to be madly in love with somebody, so if that happens by the time fantasy suites comes around, so be it."
7. A Possible Engagement
"I'm all in. I want to find a wife, I want to find somebody who I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with, I want to find somebody who's going to be a mother to my children," Underwood told ET at his photo shoot of his commitment to the show, revealing that he has plans for his relationship beyond the finale. "My mom had me when she was 24, so I want to be a young cool dad. I want to have some fun with my kids growing up."
While speaking with reporters on Thursday, after his season had wrapped, however, Underwood's position on marriage appeared to have skewed a bit.
"The Bachelor isn't for marriage," he said. "Of course, you want it to end in a marriage, [but] it's for a proposal, and it's typically to fall in love, and to find your person, to spend time developing a relationship and spending time on a relationship and on your personal life. And that's exactly what I did."
8. A Few Noteworthy Moments
We saw Underwood hop that fence in the season's trailer, but as dramatic as it was for us, it was even more impactful for him. During an interview with ET last month, the Bachelorette alum called it "the most pivotal moment in the entire season."
"Jumping the fence [was a] very real moment... and it happens towards the end, so you're going to have to watch the thing all the way through to see how it happens, and to see how we get there," he shared. "In that moment, my emotions were heightened and I gave production a run for their money, quite literally."
But that moment isn't the only one we have to look forward to. Bachelor host Chris Harrison previously teased that viewers will see Underwood make a particularly emotional and personal reveal during a conversation with one of his contestants, Caelynn. Harrison said that it will "change the course of the entire show."
"In that moment with Caelynn, we had a conversation that both of us haven't had the whole time in our life. I know for me, after spending time with her and hearing some conversations from her end, it allowed me to open up and really talk about something that I haven't openly discussed at all," Underwood said during Thursday's conference call. "So I think that's all I can say about that, in the moment, and I think once it all plays out, I think it will make a little more sense."
9. And an Overall Break From the Status Quo
"I wanted to make sure that I did things my way," the Bachelor said on Thursday of how he'll shake things up this season. "I know that sounds sort of brutal to say, because there has been a format to this show, and there has been success attached, for a reason, but everybody loves differently."
"Everybody goes through this process differently, and I'm included in that," he continued, adding that he was "more like a Bachelorette than a Bachelor" in to his decisions to break from the show's mold. "I'm exactly where I need to be in my life right now."
The Bachelor returns Monday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC -- join ET's Bachelor Nation Facebook group here.
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