Underwood tells ET that his real reasons for not having sex will offer 'insight' into who he is as a person.
Colton Underwood has said that he's waiting for the right person to lose his virginity, but that's not the only reason he hasn't had sex yet.
"It's just a lot of things that go into it. It's not a simple answer," he told ET's Lauren Zima during a sit-down interview on Tuesday. "People ask me the question and they expect this, 'Boom, this is why,' and I can't give them that, because that's not how it is... That's just the facts."
The 26-year-old former football player did, however, share that more insight into the reasons behind his virginity will be shown on his season of The Bachelor, during an emotional conversation with one of his contestants, Caelynn.
"While a lot of people make light -- and including myself -- of my virginity, there is a deeper level to that that not a lot of people know, and I haven't spoken about it publicly at all," he said. "I think in that moment with Caelynn, we had a safe space with each other to share things that we haven't really talked a lot about. And it'll give people a little more insight not only to who I am, but who she is, and to how our relationship was."
Underwood's virginity has been hotly debated by fans since he revealed he was a virgin on Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette over the summer. He confessed on Monday's season premiere of The Bachelor that he was ready to lose his virginity to her before his elimination right before fantasy suites.
"Everything happens for a reason," he told ET on Tuesday when asked if he's glad he didn't have sex for the first time with Kufrin. "But I believe you make clear and conscious decisions and where those feelings were at, I mean, I just want to make sure for me I want to be in love, I want it to be meaningful."
On Monday's premiere, a few ladies took no time at all when it came to questioning him -- or joking -- about his virginity.
"It was [a lot]," Underwood conceded of the many jokes, which came from Demi, Caitlin and Katie right out of the limo. "I feel like America thought the same thing at times, but, you know, it's all fun and games, I guess."
"Would I ever bring that up on a first date? I don't know, probably not, but I kind of knew it was coming, and I knew I would have to talk about it at some point. Did I think I was going to have to talk about it as much as I did on night one? Absolutely not," he said. "I really hope that throughout all of this, you get to see different sides of me than just the label of virgin."
Underwood is also looking forward to fans getting to know his contestants better. Bri, for example, became a big fan favorite for her fake Australian accent, which Underwood admitted he didn't realize wasn't real. "I don't know if I was shocked or relieved, because there were a lot of languages going on and a lot of people trying to stand out," he said.
Hannah G., meanwhile, impressed him from the get-go, even with her joke about him not wearing underwear. "I just don't like them," the Bachelor admitted on Tuesday. "Right off the bat, she was very relatable... that was very comforting."
Underwood also found himself relating to Heather, the woman who had never been kissed. "We have some great conversations, so you are going to have to stay tuned for that one," he said, before dishing on the "connection and chemistry" he felt with Hannah B. "We had a lot in common."
And though she didn't earn the first impression rose, Cassie remains a big fan favorite. There appeared to be instant sparks between her and Underwood, who picked up one of her plastic butterflies and stuck it in his jacket pocket. "I am a big tchotchke guy... I just hold a lot of sentimental value into the little things," he explained. "Night one, I wanted to remember everything."
It's onward and upward from here for Underwood, who hopes that he "breaks free" from his virgin label this season. "Let's hope that there's more to it than just the virginity thing," he said. "But it's not up for me to prove anything or to have to defend it, but I think if people are looking for more clarity on it, or more background on it, they're definitely going to get that."
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC -- join ET's Bachelor Nation Facebook group here.
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