Colton Underwood

Colton Scott Brown-Underwood, born January 26, 1992, is an American reality television personality and former professional football player. He played college football as a defensive end at Illinois State University before spending time on the practice squads and offseason rosters of several National Football League teams. He achieved widespread public recognition through his appearances on reality television, including serving as the lead of the 23rd season of The Bachelor.

Brown-Underwood was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Scott and Donna Underwood, both of whom were collegiate athletes at Illinois State University. Raised Catholic alongside his younger brother Connor, he attended Washington Community High School, graduating in 2010. He subsequently attended Illinois State University, where he followed his father's path to play college football for the Redbirds. In May 2014, he entered professional football as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Over the next two years, he spent time on the practice squads and rosters of the Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Oakland Raiders before being released in August 2016.

Following his football career, Brown-Underwood transitioned into reality television as a contestant on the 14th season of The Bachelorette in 2018, reaching the eighth week before being eliminated. Later that year, he appeared on season five of Bachelor in Paradise. ABC subsequently named him the lead for the 23rd season of The Bachelor, which began filming in September 2018. Through his participation in these programs, he spoke publicly about his personal background and choice to remain a virgin, becoming a prominent figure within the franchise.

After his tenure on The Bachelor, Brown-Underwood expanded his screen appearances into unscripted and competitive television. In December 2021, Netflix premiered Coming Out Colton, a six-episode unscripted series produced by Jeff Jenkins that followed his interactions with openly gay public figures such as Gus Kenworthy, Michael Sam, and Cody Alan. In 2024, he competed as "Lovebird" on season eleven of The Masked Singer. In August 2025, he co-hosted the Hulu dating reality series Are You My First? alongside Kaitlyn Bristowe.

Outside of entertainment, Brown-Underwood established the Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation in January 2016 to raise funds for cystic fibrosis research and medical equipment, inspired by his cousin's diagnosis. Through the foundation's Legacy Project, launched in 2018, the organization delivered chest wall oscillation devices to children across the United States. In his personal life, he publicly came out as gay in April 2021 during an interview on Good Morning America, making him the first lead in Bachelor franchise history to do so. He married Democratic strategist Jordan C. Brown in May 2023, and the couple welcomed a son in September 2024.