On Tuesday, ABC formally announced that Bachelorette castoff Colton Underwood would be handing out roses this winter as the next Bachelor lead. The decision to choose Colton over Becca Kufrin’s finalists Jason Tartick and Blake Horstmann generated a lot of waves and now Tartick is opening up about not being chosen and his willingness to return to television to try to find love.
Jason Tartick was let go by Becca Kufrin during the fantasy suite overnight dates in Thailand and he quickly became a frontrunner to be the next Bachelor . Fans were rallying for him to get the gig, and even Becca said he’d be her pick. However, ABC ultimately decided to go with Colton Underwood instead.
In a chat with Radar Online , Tartick supported the network’s decision to go with Underwood, noting that the two men are good friends. The Bachelorette fan-favorite even posted a photo on Instagram showing him with Colton, praising him and saying he was happy for him in snagging the gig.
However, Jason did say that he had been approached by ABC about being the Bachelor , and he noted that Blake Horstmann was approached too. Tartick said he doesn’t know why they didn’t pick him, noting that there were meetings above his head that took place where they decided to go with Colton instead.
Tartick was not a part of Bachelor in Paradise this summer, as he didn’t feel he was ready to date again when filming took place. While Jason has not thrown himself back into the dating scene yet, he says he’s open to it and he would be open to doing BIP next summer if offered the opportunity.
The Bachelorette castoff said that he won’t put his dating life on hold waiting for that chance to come along, but if he’s in the right place come casting next summer, he’d absolutely give it a go. Jason added that he was asked to do Season 5, but the turnaround time from when he was eliminated by Kufrin to when he’d be filming was just too quick for him.
“If I were to do Paradise , it would be to find someone. I wasn’t mentally prepared at that point to be in a position to find love.”
While Tartick was heartbroken to be eliminated by Kufrin at the time, he has watched the season and said he saw how deep Becca and Garrett’s chemistry was. He wished them the best and says she made the right choice, and he said that he is open to looking for love on television again because he knows it works.
Viewers would have loved to have seen Jason Tartick on Bachelor in Paradise this summer, although they certainly respect the fact that he could be honest about not being ready. Franchise fans are definitely disappointed that he won’t be handing out roses this winter as the Bachelor , but it looks like he’s probably a lock for BIP next summer if he remains single.
