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BIP’s Dean Unglert on Kristina Schulman: ‘I Was Definitely the Most Struck by Her Beauty’

Love at first sight? Dean Unglert dished on meeting and getting to know his Bachelor in Paradise costar and love interest, Kristina Schulman.

Related: ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Season 4 Cast Revealed: Find Out Who’s Heading to Mexico to Find Love!

“I was definitely the most struck by her beauty the first time she came down the stairs,” the startup recruiter, 26, who placed fourth on Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette, told Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti during his guest appearance on their podcast, Almost Famous, on Tuesday, August 15. “I think that she has a really fun personality too and then as time wore on that first day I began to see that.”

Dean Unglert and Kristina Schulman on Bachelor In Paradise.
Dean Unglert and Kristina Schulman on Bachelor In Paradise. ABC/Paul Hebert

Before Schulman’s arrival, the Venice Beach native was drinking on the beach with his former Bachelorette costars. But, upon realizing that he had a genuine interest in getting to know the dental hygienist, Unglert quickly sobered up. “When I began to realize that her and I had a spark, I was like, ‘Alright. I need to tone it back, keep drinking water and kind of focus in on this,’” he told Higgins, 29, and Iaconetti, 29 of his first encounter with Nick Viall’s Bachelor castoff. 

Related: 10 Times ‘The Bachelor’ Made Our Heads Explode!

Unglert also explained that previous Bachelor in Paradise seasons “had a little bit more love than this one” due to the limited time cast members had to get to know one another.

As previously reported, Warner Bros shut down production in Mexico for two weeks to investigate allegations of misconduct on set between Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson. The production company later announced in a statement after investigating and reviewing the footage that it had found no evidence to support the claims.

“It definitely changed things,” Lindsay’s fan-favorite said of the effects that the hiatus had on the cast. “You can definitely feel the tension in the air, maybe among the people who were less solidified in their relationships. They felt like the time was dwindling down and they had to, you know, make some moves.”

Related: The Bachelorette After the Final Rose: Broken Engagements, Weddings, Babies, and More!

Ever so romantic, Unglert made sure to comfort Schulman amid the chaos. “I pulled Kristina aside and I guess noted how stressful it must be for her and I gave her like an hour long massage in the privacy of one of the cabanas. I was doing it for selfish reasons, I just wanted to get one back eventually,” he joked, adding that “unfortunately” Schulman didn’t return the gesture.

Unglert also reflected on his decision to not meet any of his costars prior to hitting the beach in Mexico. “I made a concerted effort to not talk to any of the women before I went on the show because I wanted to go in with a very blank canvas, an open mindset to meet every single one of them,” he said.

Bachelor in Paradise airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

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