Ben Higgins Says He's ''Not Hiding'' His New Girlfriend But Isn't Ready to Go Public

The Bachelor star shares new details about his latest relationship on his podcast

By McKenna Aiello Jan 21, 2019 10:31 PMTags
Ben HigginsCourtesy of iHeartRadio

Ben Higgins is navigating his latest relationship on his own terms. 

Last week, the reality TV star sent shock waves through Bachelor Nation when he admitted to dating someone new following his 2017 split from fiancée Lauren Bushnell. Now, in a sneak peek from tonight's episode of The Ben and Ashley I. Almost Famous podcast, Higgins is slowly but surely peeling back the curtain on his love life. 

When answering a fan's question, the 29-year-old confirmed his girlfriend was not a contestant on Colton Underwood's season of The Bachelor, which is currently airing on ABC. 

He continued, "The reason that I just didn't want to put out names yet is because at some level I didn't even really mean to slip up. I didn't think I slipped up. I'm not hiding anything."

That said, Ben confessed he's not quite ready to take the next step in their relationship and introduce the mystery woman to his millions of followers.  

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Ben said he's waiting for the "right timing" to "publicly put everything out there" and hopes to avoid "the pressure" that comes with dating in the spotlight.

Watch: Nick Viall & Ben Higgins Give Colton Underwood "Bachelor" Advice

"Dating is fun and it's exciting and I've been able to get back into it," he continued. "So life's good, but she's not from Colton's season. Not at all. Not from the show." 

So what else is there to know about the lucky lady who took Ben off the market? From his perspective, she's "the best, purest person" he knows, and to make matters a bit more complicated, they're currently doing long-distance. 

Fans of The Bachelor franchise have seemingly identified Ben's girlfriend as a Nashville, Tenn. resident and recent college graduate by the name of Jessica Clarke.

Hear more about Ben's love life when the latest episode of The Ben and Ashley I. Almost Famous podcast drops tonight at 8 p.m. PST.