Consider this your very own one-on-one with America's favorite fence-hopping virgin as you go behind the scenes of The Bachelor to contemplate the big questions of life and love.
In his new book, THE FIRST TIME: Finding Myself and Looking for Love on Reality TV (Gallery Books; Hardcover; on-sale March 31, 2020), Colton Underwood reveals what his life was like before his star turn on The Bachelor, including never-before-told details on what happened when the cameras were off, and how his life has changed since the show ended.
Colton was a goofy, socially awkward, overweight adolescent who succeeded on the football field while struggling with personal insecurities off it. He grew up on a family compound in Illinois and attended school at Illinois State University, his father's alma mater. Instead of partying or dating on college weekends, Colton opted to drive home. He excelled on the football field and fully expected to be drafted into the NFL, but was not. He continued to pursue his dream and ended up playing for teams including the San Diego Chargers and the Los Angeles Raiders for several years, until an injury ended his NFL career.
Colton details how he was broke after paying $40,000 for shoulder surgery and began both seeing a therapist and finding his faith. Although he was having some success in his personal life-he dated Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman for a time-the reality was that he was 25 and living in his dad's basement. That is, until a random stroll in Denver changed his life forever.
In THE FIRST TIME, Colton opens up about how he came to find himself and true love at the same time via the Bachelor franchise. Unencumbered by cameras and commercial breaks, he delivers a surprisingly raw, endearing, and juicy account of his journey through The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and The Bachelor, along with what has happened with him and Cassie Randolph since his season wrapped. He opens up about being dumped by Becca, his secret dalliance with Tia, what it was like to be the world's most famous virgin, his behind-the-scenes conflicts with production, and how his on-camera responsibilities as the Bachelor nearly destroyed him.
A memoir for Bachelor Nation and anyone who believes in the magic of love, THE FIRST TIME is an endearing and emotional memoir. As Colton writes about love at the close of the book --"I may be unsure where it will take me, but I know it's already taking me on an incredible journey."