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14 April 2021

The Bachelor star Colton Underwood comes out as gay

"I’m like the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been in my life"

By Jamie Tabberer

Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: ABC

Colton Underwood, who appeared in the 2019 season of The Bachelor, has come out publicly as gay.

The reality TV star shared the news in an interview on Good Morning America today (Wednesday 14 April 2021).

Explaining he has only recently come to terms with his sexuality, the 29-year-old said: “I’ve run from myself for a long time and I’ve hated myself for a long time, and I’m gay.”

“I’m still nervous”

The former professional footballer said: “Obviously this year’s been a lot for a lot of people, and it’s probably made a lot of people look themselves in the mirror and figure out who they are and what they’ve been running from or what they’ve been putting off in their lives.

“[…] I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it.”

Speaking to interviewer Robin Roberts, Colton added: “The next step in all of this was sort of letting people know. I’m still nervous, but it’s been a journey for sure.”


Colton – who has wiped his Instagram account since coming out – first appeared as a contestant on The Bachelor in 2018. He was then the lead the following year, naming contestant Cassie Randolph as the winner with no proposal.

In today’s interview, Colton furthermore revealed that hiding his sexuality left him battling mental health issues. 

“There was a moment in LA that I woke up and I didn’t think I was going to wake up,” he said. “I didn’t have the intentions of waking up, and I did. And I think for me that was my wake-up call, that, ‘This is your life. Take back control.’ I think looking back even beyond that is… even just suicidal thoughts and driving my car close to a cliff, like, ‘Oh, if this goes off the cliff, it’s not that big of a deal.’ I don’t feel that anymore.”

He also said: “I’m emotional, but I’m emotional in such a good, happy positive way. I’m like the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been in my life. That means the world to me.”

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