The Reason Demi Burnett Didn't Want Colton To Be The Bachelor

Demi Burnett was a standout contestant from Colton Underwood's Bachelor season, quickly gaining favor among fans of the show. While Colton sent Demi home after she shared that she was falling for him, fans got to see more of the spunky Texas native on Bachelor in Paradise. Although it was clear that Demi was interested in Colton more as his season of The Bachelor went on, it turns out he wasn't her first choice for the series' leading man.

Back in May 2020, Demi revealed on Big Brother stars Nicole Franzel and Victor Arroyo's Coco Caliente podcast that she'd had her eye on another Bachelor Nation member from Becca Kufrin's Bachelorette season: Jason Tartick. Jason is now dating Kaitlyn Bristowe, and the pair seems super happy together. But at the time, Jason was another fan-favorite from Becca's season who didn't end up getting the final rose.

Here's what Demi said about not wanting Colton to be The Bachelor and how her opinion changed as time went on.

Like so many fans of The Bachelorette, Demi Burnett has a soft spot for Jason Tartick, who vied for Becca Kufrin's heart on the reality series. "I think at the time, I was probably like — this guy Jason was, like, the hot commodity," Demi said to Nicole Franzel and Victor Arroyo from Big Brother on their Coco Caliente podcast (via Us Weekly). "I think that I wanted it to be him."

But as fans saw on the show, Demi's opinion of Colton Underwood grew more positive the more she got to know him as a contestant on his season. Demi seemed pretty bummed when Colton sent her home, but she did get to share a message about knowing her worth before leaving the show. "I love Colton," Demi said on the podcast, which aired in May 2020. "He's a great guy."

Colton ended up giving his final rose to Cassie Randolph, but the couple broke up in May 2020, not long after Colton battled the coronavirus.

After being sent home on Colton Underwood's Bachelor season, Demi Burnett went on to find a connection with Derek Peth before rekindling a pre-Paradise romance with Kristian Haggerty. Kristian wasn't a member of Bachelor Nation, but she joined the Bachelor in Paradise gang and ended up getting engaged to Demi on the show.

Demi and Kristian announced their breakup with an Instagram post in October 2019. "With a heavy heart full of love for one another we have decided it is best for us to take a step back from our relationship. We ultimately want what is best for us in the long run and for us right now, that means being apart and growing individually," Demi wrote in her Instagram caption. "We will forever be proud of the impact our love story has made and we hope it has helped others feel more accepted and confident within themselves."

While Kristian hadn't appeared on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette before heading to Paradise, many fans loved seeing her with Demi. The competition series' nature doesn't leave much space for LGBTQ+ representation, but Paradise was able to change that with Demi and Kristian's same-sex engagement. Even though the relationship didn't work out, it was still a milestone moment in Bachelor history.

After her breakup with Kristian Haggerty, Demi Burnett dated musician Slater Davis, but the pair called it quits in June 2020. "I recently broke up with my boyfriend," Demi said on her podcast Big Demi Energy (via People). "I love him, I'm crazy about him, he's wonderful, and it's just been really hard. But we are wanting to work on ourselves and we are still very good friends. It's just never fun whenever you're going through that."

One of Demi's pals from Colton Underwood's Bachelor season, Katie Morton, introduced the couple, according to Us Weekly. The pair started dating in February 2020, and Demi even spent time with the musician's family during the pandemic. Now, though, any traces of him have seemingly been scrubbed from Demi's Instagram grid.

"Being with somebody who you just met like, a month ago, and then spending every single day together, both of us going stir-crazy and not being ourselves, not doing our normal routines, it really gets to people," Demi said on her podcast, referring to their time quarantining together. She explained that she was enjoying the slower pace of being at home, while her now-ex was eager to get back to making music.

For now, it looks like Demi is enjoying the single life. And while she didn't get what she wanted with Jason being the Bachelor, Demi grew to care for Colton, even if that's through friendship rather than a romantic relationship.