There’s one refrain that keeps getting thrown around about the last two disastrous seasons of The Bachelor: If the producers had simply chosen Mike Johnson to be the Bachelor, none of this mess would’ve ever happened. The contestant from Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette is one of the most beloved members of Bachelor Nation — and he recently gave a little love back to the fans when he participated in an AMA, an Ask Me Anything Q&A sesh, on the /r/TheBachelor subreddit.
The commenters had all kinds of questions for the star, and he was happy to share whether he was talking about his life, his family, his future projects, or his time on the show. While he didn’t spill too much tea, he was open and honest in every answer — and I’ve gone ahead and rounded up the most important bits for you below. You’re welcome, fellow Mike Johnson stans!
Mike is the perfect catch
OK, he didn’t exactly say that, but what he did reveal is that he’s even better than the man we met on our TV screens a few years back. While we saw him be sweet and charming while wooing Hannah B., he promised he’s a total smarty, too. “I do more than just smile,” he teased when someone asked about his TV edit. While he feels like his “goofiness, vulnerability and eagerness to want a life long partner” came through loud and clear, he wants fans to know he’s also “pretty analytical.” That said, he stands by his — and most — edits. “It's hard to make a good person look bad, but [definitely] easier to make a bad person look horrible.”
He would be an incredible Bachelor
According to him, his ideal date on the show would include forgoing the traditional date card in favor of personally asking the woman out at the mansion. Then, they’d do something fun like visit a trampoline park or meet a Hollywood costume designer, get dressed up like Mario Kart characters, and do a little go kart racing. The outing would also include a park picnic, a flash mob, a Bruno Mars concert, and a dinner all about imagining what life would be like after the show. As for sharing “sob stories,” he says they’d skip that entirely and instead rendezvous with all the successful Bachelor Nation couples who’ve been together for at least two years to take on an escape room as a crew.
“The escape room aspect [would] be fun, to see my date and I [interact] under pressure and if we communicate well in a group setting and together,” he explained. “After the escape room, the guys take me away and the ladies take my date away and we talk about how to stay committed post show. … After the escape room and talking [with] the couples, they'd leave and my date and I [would be] charted off in a helicopter to the desert where we are under the night sky, no lights so we can truly see all the stars,” he proposed. “We [would] create a lil fire and talk under the stars in the middle of the desert next to our fire while making s’mores.”
That’ll probably never happen, though
While Mike admits he was interviewed back when they were selecting the lead for what ended up being Peter Weber’s season, they didn’t come back for round two when casting Season 25. “I don't think they asked anyone,” he shared. “They [just] wanted Matt after he was taken off Clare's [season].”
At this point, he doesn’t think it’s ever happening. “I don’t think they’d ever choose me,” he said in one answer. In another, he elaborated, “I feel they just don't like me. They = the 5 or so [people] who choose who the lead will be.” No one ever gave him a specific reason, but there is one working theory. “I've heard them say it's [because] they thought Peter would give a better 22 [hours] of entertainment.”
At this point, though, he’s not sure it’s a fit for him, either. “I don’t think they’d ever choose me,” he admitted. “I’d want a voice and [to] not be muted.” While he at one point wanted to be the first Black Bachelor on the show, he also admits he “dodged a bullet” with this season: “So much drama off the show.”
In fact, he might be done with the franchise as a whole
While he loved his time on The Bachelorette, he wasn’t so hot on his Bachelor in Paradise experience. “I felt like BIP was a popularity contest. It gave me [high school] vibes all over again,” he dished. “I think with that show and how IG works, it’s tough.”
But he does have a Bachelor Nation crush.
OK, OK, he didn’t name names exactly, but he hinted that he’s into Pieper James from Matt James’s season. When he found out that he was her Bachelor Nation crush, he admits he “blushed,” then proceeded to Insta stalk her to try and see if they were compatible. We totally ship it — and we just might get the chance to see a potential romance play out between them even if he does skip BIP. When a fan asked him if he’s slid into her DMs, he responded only with a smirking emoji and a wink.
For now, his “three queens” are still the most important women in his life.
Taking a second to brag about them, he revealed his “madear,” a.k.a. his grandma, worked at Arizona State University and started the diversity program at the school. His mom is obtaining her PhD, raised him to be the incredible man he is, and is on her way to running for office in her city, something he’s encouraging and helping her to do. As for his sister, she’s a retired Army captain, a “badass at work” and a “partier after work,” and she’s starring in an upcoming TV show he created.
Oh, yeah, he created a TV show.
The details of the show seem to still be under wraps, but he let fans know it’s a project he’s working on, and he shared he “would love to pitch [it] to a streaming service.” He’s also working on a book — his second after releasing Making the Love You Want last October — and he still has his podcast, which helps him keep in touch with plenty of people from the franchise.
He’s still tight with a lot of his fellow Bachelor alumni.
Not only does he live with Connor Saeli (who, by the way, he’d love to matchmake with Madi Prewett), he’s also close with Dylan Barbour, Peter Weber, Tyler Cameron, Dustin Kendrick, Devin Harris, and Matteo Valles. He’s even on decent terms with Luke Parker, who he butted heads with on the show. “I think Luke P. is misunderstood, TBH,” he said. “He's a good hearted person, [he just has different] values, and they're STRONG STRONG values.”
He’s in touch with some behind-the-scenes crew members, too.
That’s thanks to his podcast, “Talking It Out.” He shares, “Some [producers] will call sporadically every blue moon, but that's about it.” He hinted it’s just business for the most part. “I'm in a [different] position than most.”
That said, he’s got some advice for how the franchise can fix its racism problem.
“Listen to us as former cast, as current cast, as [people] who watch the show,” he recommended. “The [behind-the-scenes] crew (execs, [people] in charge) needs to be diverse as well. Diff classes, sexualities, ethnicities, religions, etc.” Even just featuring artists other than country artists would help mix things up, he shared. And he wants the show to take racist social media behavior seriously.
“Don't be opportunistic when it comes to matters of race (that truly feels like a slap in the face),” he said. “I have a [very] hard time believing they don't truly vet ppl (speaking as someone who went through the process). If they find something racial on someone's [social media], don't bring them on or at least have a conversation to understand where they're coming from and don't bring them on the show if they're racist.”
One other point he emphasized is that racial representation isn’t just about Black and white leads. “THERE’S MORE THAN SALT AND PEPPER in my spice rack,” he told fans. “So many beautiful people that haven't been represented in the lead role.”
What about Chris Harrison?
As for Chris Harrison making a comeback, he didn’t exactly weigh in on whether he should stay or go to save the franchise, but he’s not sure it’ll be that simple. “IDK about Chris,” he said. “I feel he wants to be back, but after Tayshia/Kaitlyn crush this [season] as hosts, guess we'll see.”
No matter what, though, he’s got Matt James’ back.
“I reached out [just] to make sure he knows I'm here for him,” Mike shared. It sounds like the two haven’t necessarily shared a conversation, but Mike is ready to support Matt in whatever way he needs, and he’s making sure Matt is “being uplifted” despite everything going on.
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