The Bachelor approaches me with his arms outstretched.
Im a hugger, he says, wrapping me in a flannel embrace.
He smells manly, a mix of woody (but not overpowering) cologne and clean sweat.
Credit: Rick Rowell/ABC
Colton knows a lot of people didnt want him to be the Bachelor.
Hell, he knows thatIdidnt want him to be the Bachelor.
Overall, our chat registered about a 6.4 on the Awkward Scale.
Photo by Kristen Baldwin
Read on, rose lovers!
Dont… have bad breath?
Little things like that.
You have very nice teeth.Thank you.
Im gonna take lots of naps tomorrow and get ready, but it is a long night.
The adrenaline and excitement will get me through it.
I crushed some meatballs at like 3 in the morning.
When did producers start talking to you about possibly being the Bachelor?
Had you come back fromBachelor in Paradise?Oh yeah.
It was about a month and a half or two months after we filmedParadise.
What were your concerns?Just the concern of it not working at the end of this.
Thatd be the hardest thing.
Thats my greatest fear in all of this.
[But] theres more to a person than whether or not they like dogs.
But you seem, like,reallyintodogs.I obviously have a very strong love for dogs.
The other question I always get too is, Do they have to be athletic?
I am concerned for your mental health.Im fine!
I see a therapist once, twice a week sometimes.
Are you going to keep doing that while youre shooting?Yeah, if thats what it comes to.
And its not like thats the biggest ordeal.
Everybody goes through this.
But the other thing is you dont have to be this perfect person to deserve love.
You dont have to be this perfect person to put yourself out there.
And its okay not to be perfect.
Its okay not to be polished.
]I have no concerns with being pressured into anything.
Ive lived 26 years in one of the toughest industries and battled that pressure every single day.
Its been good to me so far.
The Bachelorpremieres Monday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
