Colton Underwood found a meaningful job as the cohost of Are You My First?, a reality dating show that follows a crop of virgin daters as they search for love.
“It was an honor to host that show with Kaitlyn Bristowe,” Underwood, 33, said on the Sunday, August 3, episode of the “Two Parents and a Pod” podcast. “We have 20-plus virgins for everyone to meet, and we help them date.”
He added, “It was a full-circle moment for me because my virginity was a story line that I really didn’t want to lead with during my Bachelor run for reasons that are now obvious. Like, I was struggling with my sexuality [and] I didn’t really want people to pry into that.”
Colton appeared on Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette in 2018 before joining Bachelor in Paradise the same year. After leaving both shows single, Colton was named the next Bachelor. He was frequently called the “virgin Bachelor,” since he had not had sex before appearing on the reality shows.
Despite ending The Bachelor in a relationship with Cassie Randolph, Colton publicly came out as gay in 2021 after their split. He married Jordan C. Brown in 2023, and they welcomed son Bishop via surrogate in September 2024.
Now, Colton and Kaitlyn, 40, are teaming up to help a cast of 20 virgins find The One.
Colton Underwood and Kaitlyn Bristowe in ‘Are You My First?’ Disney/Jeff Daly
“I always found the topic of virginity so interesting because it, sort of, consumed a lot of the dates and time that I spent when I was dating women,” he explained on Sunday’s podcast episode. “For all of these virgins to come together to one place to date without having to feel that shame or stigma that was going to come up [on a date].”
According to Colton, sometimes he would share his virginity status only to watch “the vibe shift in a date.”
Virgins are few and far between in Bachelor Nation. Ashley Iaconetti, Sean Lowe, Colton Underwood and Becca Tilley are just a few of the cast members who famously spoke out on TV about holding onto their V-cards. “I feel like people think I’m less of a man because of that. And that’s the hardest thing […]
“It’s happened to me,” he said. “For us to provide this space for these virgins to date without shame, to date without stigma, to push boundaries [and] to see how it feels in a safe way, knowing that the other person has something in common with you was so special. I’m really excited for America to meet these people.”
While Colton couldn’t give away the format of the new dating show ahead of the series premiere, he believes it will remind fans of another beloved franchise.
“It was a format that made a lot of sense, and it’s from the creators of Love Island,” Colton teased. “It’s the same, sort of, similar vibe and one of the best productions I’ve been a part of.”
Are You My First? premieres Monday, August 18, on Hulu.
