A perfect match? When it comes to Bachelor star Colton Underwood and this season’s villain, Demi Burnett, her best friend, Hayley Tate, says yes.
“I think they could both learn from each other and really grow together,” she told Us Weekly exclusively. “They’re both young and there’s things on both sides each of them probably aren’t very familiar with.”
For the model, 23, that includes intimacy. “As you probably known from one of her interviews on the show, she doesn’t have a whole lot of relationship experience compared to him,” Tate explained. “And he doesn’t really have the feisty, sexual side she has discovered about herself over the past few years. I think they could definitely balance each other out in the long run.”
Tate told Us that the Texas native decided to appear on the show for the roller coaster experience. “It’s a true thrill ride,” she said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen. You could or could not fall for this guy, there’s really no way of producing that kind of thing before even flying out to meet someone for the first time, you know? Demi is someone that likes hopping into the unknown, taking chances and finding things out for herself … So why not go big and take the chance at potentially falling in the love on national TV of all places?”
While it remains to be seen whether the reality contestant will find love on the show, she’s made plenty of enemies during her time on the ABC franchise: Her housemates have been less than pleased with her romantic tactics of stealing the former NFL player, 27, away for extra time and showing up to a group date in nothing but a bathrobe.
The interior designer also took a shot at the athlete’s exes — who include Tia Booth, Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman and Bachelorette alum Becca Kufrin — on the show’s January 14 episode.
“I think Colton will realize he needs a girl in his life that is more bold and confident and will take a bit more of a dominant role,” she said. “I think that Colton is looking for a girl that can take charge and take control. Even if he, like, doesn’t know that he’s looking for that, I think that that’s what he needs.”
Booth, 27, responded to the diss on Twitter that same day, writing, “I scared him into dating me for 3 whole days so idk what’s more dominant than that!” with a crying laughing emoji.
Kufrin, 28, also commented on the assertion, tweeting out three sighing face emojis.
The Bachelor airs on Mondays on ABC at 8 p.m. EST.
With reporting by Emily Marcus
