‘The Bachelorette’ find that widowed father Michael Allio tugged on both audiences and Bachelorette, Katie Thurston’s heartstrings last week when he opened up about how his late wife, Laura’s battle with breast cancer that ultimately stole her life in January 2019.
Now Michael is dishing further, this time with alums, Becca Kufrin and Catherine Giudici on their Bachelor Happy Hour podcast about how he ended up on national television, duking it out against 30 other men for Katie’s affections.
“I never applied for this. It was never something I had in my plan whatsoever,” Michael explained. “Producers reached out to me.” Michael went on to say they did so via his Instagram, and he turned them down…twice.
‘The Bachelorette’: Widowed Dad and Frontrunner, Michael Allio Explains How He Was Recruited For the Show by Producers
“At first, all I really saw was downside risk, that’s kind of how I think,” he admitted to Becca and Catherine, assuring the two alums it wasn’t because he didn’t believe in the process. “It was just, ‘Is this how I want to go about finding that missing piece?’ It’s such an absurd idea, but it’s sort of a really beautiful thing too.”
Michael finally came around after realizing his “2019 was really difficult and 2020 was really difficult.” Finally, he decided it was time to “bet on myself, take a risk, get outside of my box, and try to find some ways to grow and find love and that missing piece in my life that is really so vital.”
However, making the decision wasn’t all Michael’s. The father to four year old, James needed the blessing of both his own parents and his in-laws.
“We all really leaned on each other and have kind of grown over the past three years,” Michael explained. “They’re amazing because they wanted to see me, you know, find happiness again and I think everybody needs somebody to help them navigate life.”
Michael couldn’t make the final decision to take producers up on their offer, however, until his sister made him see that no matter the pitfalls that could arise from being on the uber popular ABC dating competition show, he couldn’t stop smiling about the prospect.
It was only then Michael realized the idea of appearing on The Bachelorette gave him a little “pep in my step” and that he’d been “in a rut” before signing up.
Michael and Katie’s touching one-on-one date last week seemingly solidified that Michael made the right decision and he expressing to Katie how it would be a gift to fall in love twice pretty much guaranteed him a spot in the final four.
I think this could be the start of me falling in love with Michael, Katie admitted after the date, “and it’s so unexpected!”
Watch The Bachelorette, Mondays on ABC at 8pm to see if Michael can go all the way.
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