The beloved couple also opened up about how they've made it work, 14 years after Trista's season of 'The Bachelorette.'
Trista Sutter may have given out her final rose on The Bachelorette in 2003, but given that she and her final pick have been going strong ever since, she probably knows what she's talking about.
The first-ever Bachelorette and her husband, Ryan Sutter, made an appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday, where they shared their advice for current Bachelor Nick Viall, and opened up about their quiet life since reality TV.
"He was a standup, you know, a gentleman," Ryan said of his first impression of Viall, before his wife's squirms caused him to change his answer. "He's a gentleman in progress."
The couple, who now reside near Vail, Colorado, with their two children, 9-year-old Maxwell and 7-year-old Blakesly, are still fans of the show that brought them together -- though the same can't be said of this season's villain, Corinne.
"Eventually it has to get, like, serious if he wants it to get serious," Ryan explained. "And she's gotta go, because she's just a distraction."
As for how Trista, 44, and Ryan, 42, have made it work despite the show's track record -- "Simon Cowell sat on a couch with me, and he's like, 'I give it two weeks,'" Trista confessed -- they say it comes down to resilience, gratitude and forgiveness.
WATCH: 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' Stages 'Bachelorette' Reunion With Trista & Ryan Sutter
"I think forgiveness is a big one because no one's perfect," Trista said. "Neither of us are perfect."
Of course, it helps that Ryan is every bit as romantic as he was when they first fell in love, keeping the final rose from his TV proposal, though now it's "very delicate."
Trista and Ryan are clearly as in love as they've ever been. See the couple's sweet 2014 vow renewal in the video below.