Fan-favorite Bachelor Nation star Michael Allio stopped by the “Talking It Out with Bachelor Nation” podcast for a candid conversation with Mike Johnson and Bryan Abasolo.

Fans first met Michael on Season 17 of “The Bachelorette,” where he eventually self-eliminated so he could go home to his son James.

The single dad has been open about his losing wife Laura Ritter-Allio to cancer in 2019 when she was only 33 years old.

The two were together for over 16 years before she passed away, and they share their son James together.

Now, Michael is sharing some advice for others experiencing grief or loss. He told Mike and Bryan, “The bravest and strongest thing you could do is ask for help. That is by far the greatest thing. Asking for help isn’t failing; it’s actually refusing to lose.”

And he said as a friend or loved one of someone going through loss, connect with that person if you can.

Michael said, “If you can reach out and connect with someone and just listen or allow them to get something off their chest, you are helping.”

The Bachelor Nation star explained a challenging dynamic he’s experienced with his other loved ones since his wife passed away, saying, “An interesting part about grief is that believe it or not, because they’ve seen Laura and I together our entire lives, they like you sad. They would never admit this, but they prefer you sad. They like the idea that you had this long-lost love and there’s a martyrdom of losing somebody. It gets very uncomfortable for people when they start to see you building and making progress and having a hopeful future.”

Michael said that he is still very close with Laura’s parents, and they are a part of his life that whoever he dates next will have to accept.

He said, “Laura’s parents want me to be happy, but everyone gets worried that their spot is going to be replaced. And their role is going to be threatened. I reassure them that whoever the next person is in my life, it’s not even a discussion point. You have to be able to accept my in-laws. They’re not just like in-laws, they are family to me. It’s all of us together. We’ve been through so much, I can’t imagine a time where I would want to give up that history.”

And as for dating, Michael said he’s only been on three dates since his time on “The Bachelorette.” He’s been set up by a couple friends and has met a few people through Instagram DMs.

He did share that he would be interested in going back on a Bachelor Nation show at some point, but for now he’s still single.

Michael shared what he’s looking for in a partner, saying, “I’m always looking for women to be vulnerable. Don’t show me who you think I want you to be. At this point in my life, I cannot be with somebody that’s all rainbows and unicorns. I need someone who has been through some serious stuff, because what that shows me is grit. Grit is the number one characteristic I look for in friends, in partners, and it’s the number one thing I’m trying to teach my son.”

And now that James is 5 years old, Michael said he’s starting to understand more that he’s missing a mother figure in his life.

Michael hopes to meet someone who accepts him and James exactly as they are, grief and all.

The Bachelor Nation star said, “Grief for me, I’m not trying to get over grief, it’s a part of me. I like that scar and I don’t necessarily want it to heal. I can be productive, though, and I can have a beautiful life after all this.”

He went on, saying, “It’s a crazy thought to think that the next woman I’ll be with probably for longer than I ever knew Laura and James will know her better than he ever knew Laura. As sad as that is, because we lost an amazing person in Laura, it’s also exciting because that means we’re just getting started. It puts time into perspective.”

To hear more of Michael’s conversation with Mike and Bryan, check out the full episode of “Talking It Out with Bachelor Nation” below.