ABC/Paul Hebert
Colton Underwood is the current bachelor. He is 26, 6’3″, and weighs about 254 pounds.
Colton was born on January 26, 1992, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He grew up in Washington, Illinois.
Colton played football in high school, and went on to play in college at Illinois State University for the Illinois State Redbirds. In 2014, Colton was signed to the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent. He spent the next two years with the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad, and the Raiders’. In August 2016, he was released by the Raiders.
Not long after, he found himself as a contestant on Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette. Colton made it far on the show, but was eliminated following hometown dates.
During one of his later dates, he opened up about being a virgin. Colton’s virginity has since become a point of discussion– so much so that the ads for the new season are an homage to The 40-Year-Old Virgin film poster.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Underwood discussed why he was ok exploiting his virginity for the show.
“I don’t mind making light of it and having fun with it — I can roll with the punches,” Underwood said. “I’m used to locker room banter, and I can have fun with that side of things. Of course night one was maybe over the top, but it was also nice to have those jokes and be able to laugh and smile. That first night can be nerve-wracking and overwhelming, so moments like that have allowed me to stay loose and in the moment.”
Underwood continued, “Obviously, people are invested in that now because that’s sort of been my story and what people know me for… Hopefully, after this, they know me for much more than just being a virgin.”
Before becoming the lead of the newest bachelor season, Underwood was a contestant on Bachelor In Paradise, where he was in an on-and-off again relationship with Tia Booth.
In September, Tia opened up about her breakup with Colton, saying she’s moved on from him. She told People, “It’s a relief to close that chapter of my life… We’re in a good place. We’re in a solid friend zone. And it’s honestly nice to move forward instead of wanting something when it’s not there.”
Now, Tia has a new boyfriend. She is in a relationship with a man named Cory Cooper, who is the Executive Vice President at his family’s steel company. She has made the relationship official on Instagram.