Colton Underwood Details the “Shame” He Felt Losing His Virginity Before Coming Out As Gay

Colton Underwood, who was a virgin during his tenure on The Bachelor, detailed his first time having sex to E! News ahead of the premiere of his new show Are You My First? on Hulu.

Colton Underwood doesn’t have the fondest memories of his first time.

The Bachelor alum, who openly spoke about being a virgin while appearing on season 23 of the ABC dating series, looked back on his first sexual experience by summarizing the encounter in just three words.

“Confusion, shame and guilt,” Colton shared in an exclusive interview with E! News. “That was your closeted, confused man.”

Two years after giving his final rose to Cassie Randolph in 2019, the 33-year-old came out as gay in a televised interview. He went on to marry Jordan C. Brown in 2023, and the couple welcomed son Bishop via surrogate in September.

Now, Colton is channeling his experience as a virgin in the public eye in the new Hulu reality show Are You My First?, where a group of celibate singles look for love in an oceanside oasis.

“I was less there to give dating advice and more so to say, ‘This is a journey of self-discovery,’” he said of co-hosting the show alongside fellow Bachelor Nation star Kaitlyn Bristowe. “Yes, you are looking for a life partner, but you really learn a lot about yourselves.”

“I think a lot of these virgins came into the experience with an understanding of, ‘I’m virgin because of this,’” he continued, “and they left with a whole new understanding of what virginity meant to them, what has been holding them back and what they’re looking for moving forward.”

Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

At the very least, Colton said the format offered the cast an environment where their sexual history—or lack thereof—wasn’t a deal breaker.

“I already felt bonded to them because I understand how brave and how vulnerable you have to be to do this,” he explained. “But I also was excited for them, because what a great opportunity they had to have a safe environment, to push each other, to challenge one another and to also have that safety net of knowing everybody there is a virgin.”