Mike Johnson may not be the next Bachelor, but he still knows how “wonderful” he is.
Viewers across the country thought Mike was an absolute shoe-in for the role of The Bachelor. After all, the contestant from Hannah Brown‘s season is charming and attractive, plus he has the “diverse” factor, as Mike puts it. So when Peter Weber was announced as the new lead at the Bachelor in Paradise finale, people were outraged. “They had Mike Johnson’s fine ass sitting right there and they picked someone else to be The Bachelor,” one fan tweeted.
But this wasn’t a shock to the star in the slightest. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, he said, “I did [say I thought it was going to be him], but that wasn’t because ABC told me. I just felt that way, and I will always be honest with the way I feel, and I felt that for what they were looking for, that Peter would be a really good fit.”
While Mike didn’t explicitly say that he was passed over because he is black, one can surmise that he felt race was a factor based on his response. “I can only speak on my personality and the wonderful man that I am. I do know that Peter and I are two completely different people—both good people, kind-hearted people. But I do feel that I’m a bit more outspoken than Peter. I’m a bit louder than Peter is,” he explained. “I have tattoos, and the obvious, I’m black, so we are very diverse and different in that regard as well.”
ABC/John Fleenor
The portfolio manager adds, “And we like different women. I want to make sure the focus is centered around love because that’s what this show is about. So, Peter and I also are attracted to two different types of women as well.” Although, it must be noted that they both vied for the affections of Hannah Brown, so their types must not be that different.
And in anticipation of the defense that Peter is part-Cuban, the Air Force vet, who recently went on a date with Demi Lovato, stated, “Yes, Peter has a Cuban mom, but let’s just be honest—he’s white, right? And that’s just being completely transparent. I think that there should be an Asian lead, an Indian lead… diversity is not just black and white. It’s not just salt and pepper.”
Moreover, Mike seems to think that Peter’s “white”-ness will increase the likelihood that the next Bachelorette is Caucasian. “If Peter likes one thing—not saying what he does like and he doesn’t like—but if he likes Caucasian women for example, then there may be a higher percentage of it being a Caucasian Bachelorette... On Peter’s season, he may have a higher likelihood of picking a woman who is Caucasian.”
Mike also has some thoughts on the rumor that producers didn’t choose him for the lead because he wasn’t “emotional” enough on Bachelor in Paradise. He said, “I think that’s quite honestly ignorant for someone to say, because I am an emotional person.”
On the other hand, some people think that it’s Peter’s sex appeal—remember the windmill?—that caused producers to rule Mike out. To which the 31-year-old told Extra, “I’m in better shape and my stamina is longer and that’s where it lies.”
Did you hear that, Demi?
Don’t miss E! News every weeknight at 7, only on E!