Colton Underwood: I Thought The Bachelor Would Make Me Straight “I Prayed To God”

Colton Underwood became one of the most talked-about figures in reality TV after going from the NFL to The Bachelor, before publicly coming out as gay in one of the most scrutinised moments of his life. In this rare conversation, Colton reflects on growing up in football, faith and the Midwest, while privately knowing he was gay and trying desperately to hide it. He speaks about praying to be straight, building a fake public life, and the pressure of becoming “the virgin Bachelor” while living behind what he describes as a spiderweb of lies. Colton opens up about the rules, secrecy and fear that shaped his relationships, the NFL locker room culture that kept him in the closet, and the blackmail that pushed him toward finally coming out. He also reflects on his time on the US Traitors, the backlash that followed, and why he believes some viewers still misunderstand who he is now. Now a husband and father, Colton speaks about accountability, healing, and what it means to stop performing after years of hiding who he really was. Colton Underwood, We Need To Talk This conversation includes discussion of addiction and mental health. Please take care while watching. We’ve included links to support resources below: Samaritans: https://linkly.link/2kE85  MIND:  https://linkly.link/2dx8b  CALM: https://linkly.link/2dx8H Follow us here: https://www.instagram.com/needtotalk   https://www.tiktok.com/@weneedtotalkpod   Sign up to our newsletter https://linkly.link/2eXHX Follow Colton here: https://www.instagram.com/coltonunderwood/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@coltonunderwood (00:00) Intro (01:51) Early Life and Upbringing (07:14) Growing Up Gay in the Midwest (09:07) How Colton’s Parents' Divorce Affected Him (12:13) Navigating His Sexuality As A Teenager (24:28) Being Drafted into the NFL (29:21) Navigating Homophobia in American Football (37:03) Saily Ad (38:11) How Colton Got on The Bachelor (42:35) Why Colton Became Known as the Virgin Bachelor (45:46) How Colton Hid His Sexuality on The Bachelor (48:14) The Fence Jump That Changed The Bachelor (56:15) Backlash from The Traitors (01:02:39) ID Mobile Ad (01:04:29) Colton Opens Up About Xanax & Alcohol Abuse (01:06:56) Being Blackmailed And Coming Out (01:15:51) Paul Surprised Colton (01:17:22) How Colton Met His Husband Jordan (01:19:36) Going Through Surrogacy in the USA (01:24:29) Paul Surprises Colton With A Letter (01:25:44) Writing His New Book, Dear Bishop (01:31:56) Would Colton Do Another Reality TV Show? (01:33:14) Most Memorable Conversation (01:36:46) Paul's Takeaways Sponsored by: Saily - Download from the app store and use code WNTT at checkout for 15% off. For more details: https://saily.com/wntt ⛵ iD Mobile: Ditch the texts and ‘Make it a Call’ — your voice is more powerful than you think. https://www.idmobile.co.uk/make-it-a-call?affiliate=marketing%7CYouTube_Display%7CMakeItACall_Brand&utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Display&utm_campaign=MakeItACall&utm_content=Brand Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices