The fantasy suite on “The Bachelor” might be a little different this season.
Colton Underwood, 26, will be the star of the show for Season 23 and he’s already got quite a storyline.
For one, he’s very open about being a virgin.
“[Being a virgin] needs to be normalized; it’s just who I am and what I believe in,” he told People magazine.“I hold a lot of value in it and I hold it to a high standard. I’m just waiting for the right heart.”
Here’s what else you should know about Underwood:
He’s a former football player
According to his ABC bio, the Indiana native was named after the Indianapolis Colts.
That foreshadowed Underwood’s future, as he went on to play for three NFL teams, including the San Diego Chargers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Oakland Raiders.
Underwood is a philanthropist
In his early 20s, the former pro athlete started a cystic fibrosis charity in honor of a relative who has the disease.
The Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation was started in 2015 “to empower people with Cystic Fibrosis to live fully, dream big and support each other,” according to the organization.
“The Foundation raises funds for research and provides equipment and resources for people of all ages living with Cystic Fibrosis,” a statement on the foundation’s site reads. “Since 2015, the Legacy Foundation has given nearly $100,000 in cash and equipment donations to CF patients as well as clinics and research organizations focused on treating people living with Cystic Fibrosis.”
He used to date an Olympian
Underwood was in a high-profile relationship with Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman.
In June 2017, he told the Lincoln Journal Star they were “taking a break.”
“We’re still good friends and talk, but all that travel had been a nightmare,” Underwood said of their long-distance dating. “It ended fine. We’re in a good place.”
Underwood has experience dating within Bachelor Nation
It was revealed during his time on Season 14 of “The Bachelorette” that Underwood had dated star Becca Kufrin’s friend and former Season 22 “Bachelor” contestant, Tia Booth.
He and Booth tried to make a go of it again on “Bachelor in Paradise” but broke up during the show.
Underwood appeared to be grateful for their time together.
“Thank you for teaching me even more about myself, and most importantly, for your friendship that I know will continue far beyond ‘Paradise,'” he wrote in the caption on an Instagram photo of the pair. “Don’t settle for anything less than the world, because that’s what you deserve. Can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you and catch up on life some day, preferably over a hot dog dinner.”
Booth tweeted congratulations to Underwood after it was revealed he was the new “Bachelor” on Tuesday.
“Congratulations @Colt3FIVE, ” she tweeted. “I hope your season is full of protein powder, puppies, and naps! #TheBachelor.”
And no, Booth tweeted, she will not be a contestant on Underwood’s season of the show.
