The Bachelorette has highlighted some upstanding gentlemen this season, including kindhearted Mike Planeta.
Mike made an impression on Katie Thurston fairly early when he opened up about being a virgin and managed to still showcase intimacy during the sex-themed group date.
While Mike’s virginity was one of his main attributes emphasized on the show, Mike recently revealed that he isn’t as sexually inexperienced as initially perceived.
Mike Planeta is finally honest about his sexual past
Since being sent home after his cuddly one-on-one date with Katie and Cuddle Queen Jean, Mike has been sharing about his experience on The Bachelorette and he recently got candid on the Talking It Out podcast.
Mike felt it important to remain open about his intimate experiences and admitted that, while it’s true he hasn’t engaged in technical intercourse, he has had other sexual encounters in the past.
Mike expressed that it was those physical exchanges that actually led him to build a conviction about saving himself for marriage. He told the podcast, “…the two times I did slip up and do those things, those were things that taught me actually the significance of why I actually was putting sex on such a pedestal.”
Mike Planeta won Katie Thurston over with his vulnerability
Throughout the show, Mike appeared to wrestle with exactly how to tell sex-positive Bachelorette Katie that he was a virgin. The moment to open up came sooner than expected when he was one of the many guys to go on a group date all about sexual intimacy.
Mike surprised everyone when he won the trophy and Katie’s heart by giving a heartfelt speech during the date. Katie really appreciated his sincerity and vulnerability, and while he’s had more sexual experiences than portrayed, Mike was genuine in saying he’s never had what he referred to as “sex sex.”
Mike’s impact on Katie led him to make it pretty far in the competition until eventually, Katie sent Mike home after their first and last one-on-one date, where the show’s editing made Mike appear like a true blue mama’s boy. Fortunately, Mike found his edit on the show to be humorous, although he did want to clarify some things about his on-screen image.
During the Talking It Out podcast, Mike shared, “I am not some perfect little, like, you know, golden boy. Dude, I am a very flawed human being. Like I am extremely flawed.” While Mike is flawed like every human being, his transparency and genuine spirit are very commendable.
The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.