Night one intros on The Bachelor are notoriously cringe-inducing. And Sean Lowe admits there was one that got his panties in a twist.
"Fifty Shades of Grey was a big thing back then," Sean shared with E! News in an exclusive interview while looking back on his 2013 season. Which is why hairstylist Ashley Palenkas made a reference to E.L. James' steamy romance novel "and dangled a tie in front of my eyes."
But it wasn't exactly a Mr. Lowe will see you now moment.
"If you know me, I'm not that guy," he joked. "That was the first moment of ‘OK, I'm gonna get a mixed bag here.'"
But for every awkward innuendo, there was a high point, like meeting a quirky graphic designer from Seattle, Wash. "From the get-go, I knew that she just had this energy," Sean recalled of meeting now-wife Catherine Giudici. "She was one of those girls where I was like, ‘I don't know what it is about her. I don't even know if there's romantic feelings there. But I just want to be around her.'"
That gut feeling led him through a journey of over-the-top dates, dramatic rose ceremonies and the start of a love story worth celebrating 10 years later.
"I believe everything was orchestrated so that I would meet my future wife and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity because it changed my life forever," Sean, now dad to Sam, 6, Isaiah, 4, and Mia, 3, said of his experience on the ABC reality hit. "My family—the most prized possession in my life—is all due to that cheesy, corny reality TV show called The Bachelor."
As a new season with Zach Shallcross begins Jan. 23, Sean is taking a look back on his televised journey.
From a delicious ice cream taste test to a live fairytale wedding watched by millions, Sean's season may just prove a good guy can finish first.
The Bachelor airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC.