Opening up.

Bachelor Nation got to know Michael Allio on Season 17 of “The Bachelorette” and again on Season 8 of “Bachelor in Paradise.” 

During his time on the Bachelor Nation shows, Michael was open about being a father and his experience as a single dad since his wife Laura passed away a number of years ago.

Last year, the Bachelor Nation star hard-launched his relationship with girlfriend Jade Marie online and has been keeping fans updated about their time together ever since. 

Now, Michael has joined the “Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour” podcast to discuss navigating a new relationship through grief, and shared how “The Bachelorette” “saved” him after Laura's passing. 

Looking back on his time on the show, he said, “It was two years after Laura had passed. I was very much caught up in grief and trying to figure out where my life was really going, how I was gonna make these next leaps and chapters into my life happen. You know, it was two years as a single parent.” 

He went on, “I think it exposed me to things I otherwise would not have been exposed to. I think when I went on the show for the first time, looking back, we actually didn’t know Katie was going to be the Bachelorette. We were sitting in quarantine in New Mexico and all of a sudden it was announced while we were there that Katie was going to be the Bachelorette. So… you’re kind of walking into an experience and then once it starts, you kind of open yourself up to love and the whole entire process. And so it was a bizarre but really amazing experience. I’m so happy that I did it because it’s an experience few people can actually talk about.”

Michael shared that Laura passed away in 2019 and for the following two years he felt lost and nervous about how to move forward. He noted that once COVID hit, his “whole entire support system” disappeared. 

“It just so happened that the producers had reached out to me on Instagram during that time, and it felt like a good time to kind of just roll the dice and take a risk and jump into a new experience. And I’m happy I did.” Co-host Susan Noles suggested, “It saved you almost, if you will.” 

Michael agreed, “Yeah, I needed the spark. And I think as we get older, you can get caught up in the routine of life. You can lose your zest, you know your youthfulness. Like the things that used to fire you up, and it was an important reminder to me to say yes to things that feel uncomfortable and to dive in.”  

Hear the rest of Michael’s interview in the full episode of “Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour” below.