Colton Underwood (Getty Images)

Out gay reality star Colton Underwood has confessed he thought of The Bachelor as a form of “conversion therapy” when he signed up.

Speaking on Paul C Brunson’s We Need To Talk podcast, where he also revealed he exclusively slept with married men before coming out as gay, Underwood explained he was struggling with his sexuality and felt the dating show could force him to be with a woman.

Before coming out as gay in 2021, Underwood felt the opportunity to star on The Bachelor came to him for a bigger purpose.

He said: “Why else would an opportunity like that fall into my lap, if not put there to sort of help me? What I was telling myself is, like, this is going to force me.

“I’m going to be so publicly straight that I will never be able to be gay again.”

Underwood went on: “On one hand, it was like even if it doesn’t work, this conversion therapy way doesn’t work, I’m so trapped because I’m so publicly known now from being The Bachelor that I can never do gay things again.”

On the show, Underwood became known as the “Virgin Bachelor”, something he said was down to his faith – whereas it was actually because of his struggles with his sexuality.

He added: “I think there was always, like in the back of my mind, a little guilt of, why would I do that? Why would I go down that path with a woman if I know in my heart that I’m gay?”

Colton Underwood, 34, is a former professional football player and more recently a reality television star.

He first starred on the 14th season of The Bachelorette, before becoming The Bachelor in its 23rd season. After, he became the first lead star of The Bachelor to come out as gay, in 2021.

Since coming out, Underwood has been with Democratic strategist Jordan C Brown, with the pair marrying in May 2023. They welcomed their son, Bishop, in September 2024.

Underwood has also appeared on his own Netflix series, Coming Out Colton, as well as The Masked Singer and The Traitors.

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