Having dozens of women fawn all over you might sound like fun, but as Juan Pablo Galavis learned while filming season 18 of The Bachelor, it can actually be pretty stressful. During an interview with Access Hollywood Live on Wednesday, Jan. 8, the 32-year-old Venezeula native said it was "overwhelming" trying to choose a potential wife on ABC's hit series.
Asked how often he wanted to just give up and go home, the former soccer pro replied, "Phew! A couple of times. Yeah, a couple of times. It's hard. I don't like hurting people, and it gets tough as you start getting to know people better."
So why sign up in the first place? "You can meet somebody at a club. You can meet somebody at a restaurant. But maybe that person is not on the same page," he reasoned. "Maybe that person is like, 'I'm starting out, I don't want to get married now.' Or, 'I don't want to have kids.'"
"I took the chance [because] I knew that 25 [women] were going to be there who knew who I was, knew what I want," he said.
In fact, there were 27 women. So many ladies were interested in Galavis — who first made Bachelor nation swoon on Desiree Hartsock's season of The Bachelorette last year — that producers opened up the casting to additional contestants. Among those who were chosen to meet the single father? A fellow single parent, a self-described "free spirit," and an opera singer from Germany.
Galavis shared his thoughts on the women with Access Hollywood, noting that making out with them was "lovely."
On Lucy, the free-spirit who showed up barefoot: "I don't walk barefoot. When I see a girl barefoot in the street…I'm like, 'Really?' But obviously I can't judge someone for that first impression."
On Sharleen, the opera singer who got the "first impression" rose: "She's very elegant. She had a different dress than anybody else. She's got mundo — she's worldly. She's an opera singer, she lives in Germany, she's Canadian…I saw her getting out of the limo, [and I thought,] 'Whoa, that dress is not from an American girl.'" (The dress in question was a blush-colored blouson gown with graceful draping and a jewel neck.)
On Renee, the single mom: "When I saw her, she introduced herself, she says she's a mom. So I thought, 'Okay, a little bit like me.'"
On Nikki, the sexy nurse: "She cares about other people, so that's important to me."
On Andi, the tough federal prosecutor: "She's very quick-minded. She's smart…she likes to read."
