Colton Underwood opened up about his “first love” (and first heartbreak) with Aly Raisman

Colton Underwood, aka the new Bachelor, is on TV every week surrounded by dozens of potential love interests…so it’s easy to forget there was a time when he was smitten with just one. In a new interview on the LadyGang podcast, Underwood opened up about his seven-month relationship with Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, including the heartbreak that came with their breakup. When prompted by the hosts about his “first heartbreak,” Underwood revealed, “I would say it was my first love.” He was hesitant at first to confirm who exactly he meant, but eventually he said it was Raisman. He also said that while the breakup was difficult, it made him a better person.

"While [the breakup] was confusing and hard in the beginning, it also taught me a lot about myself: what I need, what I want, what I can do better in a relationship," he said. "It was a big step for me. That was...it was really tough."

"I dated with intent to marry," he said of his previous relationships. "Always. If I didn't feel like it could get to a certain level I didn't waste time."

Underwood and Raisman’s relationship began when he helped film a congratulatory video for Team USA after she competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics (Underwood was on the same football team as the husband of gymnast Shawn Johnson at the time). “My roommate, my teammates, everybody over here is super proud of you,” he said in the video, adding, “If you’re ever in San Jose and want to go on a double date…”

Raisman tweeted a personal thank you at Underwood, writing, “@Colt3FIVE thanks for the sweet video…. looking forward to meeting you :)”.

The pair were then first spotted on a red carpet together in December 2016, and dated until summer 2017. At the time of the breakup, Raisman said they were “still friends.”

Listen to the full podcast episode here.