Tia Booth Admits It Will Be ‘Strange’ To See Colton Underwood As ‘The Bachelor’

Tia Booth is over Colton Underwood, but it wasn’t as instantaneous as it appears on TV. The brokenhearted Bachelor in Paradise beauty cried many tears off camera in the months between her on-camera breakup and the announcement that Underwood will be the next star of The Bachelor.

Earlier this week, Bachelor in Paradise fans saw Colton end things with Tia after telling her he wasn’t able to give her what she deserves. Tia broke down in tears and the two separately left the Mexican resort where the ABC reality show is filmed. The next day, Colton was announced as The Bachelor.

While it looked like a fast rebound for Colton, the Paradise scenes were filmed several months ago. Tia told Entertainment Tonight that while she was crushed over Colton’s breakup, she ended up consoling him in the aftermath of their split.

“I cried every freaking day. It just got to where it was like, you know what…it’s a mess. Honestly, during that breakup, I felt like I was consoling him because he was so upset and it bothered me to see him upset.”

Tia went on to say she is “appreciative” that Colton told her his feelings when he did instead of leading her on for a future heartbreak.

“He knew that he wasn’t giving me what I deserved and what I knew I was ready for. And all I could do in that moment was know that he fully tried. I feel like it happened exactly how it needed to so we could realize that we are not for each other and so we can both move on.”

Tia Booth told E! News that after all of her “ups and downs” with Colton, the relationship “ended as best as it could” have. The Bachelor in Paradise star added that she was happy they both left Paradise at the same time instead of Colton making his decision at a rose ceremony.

“I think we have fully transitioned to friends,” Tia said of her current relationship with the new Bachelor star. “I don’t still feel a romantic connection with him.”

Still, Tia admitted it would feel a little odd to watch Colton courting 25 other women as the star of The Bachelor.

“Colton being The Bachelor will be a little strange. It will be interesting to watch, but I just want his heart to be fully ready for something like that. I told him during our breakup he ends to do some soul searching and really find himself and figure himself out before he can fully give himself to someone else.”

Tia Booth has already offered her support of Colton’s new gig as The Bachelor, joking on Twitter that she hopes his season of the ABC dating show is “full of protein powder, puppies, and naps.” Tia, who previously turned up on Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette to stake her claim on Colton, also assured fans she will not be a contestant on Colton’s Bachelor season. “Lord bless,” she wrote.

Just before Colton Underwood’s Bachelor role was announced, Tia Booth told ET she “would hope that he is fully ready for that experience knowing that he wants to be engaged at the end of it.”

“I don’t think Colton has bad intentions but I also don’t think that he’s necessarily ready for a serious relationship like I was. I mean, you could see that.”

Colton Underwood seems gung-ho to find a wife. While critics have said the 26-year-old self-professed virgin is too young and inexperienced for the high-profile leading man role, Colton has made it clear he’s on the hunt for his future wife and hopes to end his Bachelor run as an engaged man.

“That’s what I’m looking forward to the most, being engaged and getting married shortly after that,” Colton told Good Morning America earlier this week.

Colton Underwood’s season of The Bachelor begins filming later this month for a January 2019 premiere.