Colton Underwood says off-camera Bachelor Nation hook ups aren't a problem: They add 'more drama' to the show

Season 6 of “Bachelor in Paradise” may soon be coming to an end, but there was no shortage of excitement on the beach this year. Especially since the drama kicked off before cameras even started rolling — something that franchise alum, Colton Underwood, is no stranger to.

The former “Bachelor” was one of the first to be involved in an off-camera relationship with a fellow Bachelor Nation alum, Tia Booth, before he competed for Becca Kufrin’s heart on season 14 of “The Bachelorette.” But even after setting a precedent for off-camera romances, like Blake Horstmann’s infamous Stagecoach hookups, Underwood maintains that the growing tendency to connect with other contestants before the show isn’t bad, it’s just different.

“It definitely adds a different dynamic to [the show], and it definitely does add a little more drama,” Underwood tells Yahoo Lifestyle while celebrating the NFL kickoff with Yahoo Sports. “But as long as people’s intentions and the reasons of linking up or connecting before are pure, then there’s no problem with it.”

In fact, the 27-year-old, who flipped the script of the show during his own “Bachelor” season by gaining a girlfriend instead of a fiancée, suggests that the drama is a necessary means to the show’s romantic end. Although it nearly became too difficult for him to handle.

“You have to go along with the show. That was what got hard for me. I almost got to a point where I felt like I was cheating on Cassie. So I just couldn’t keep doing it anymore. And then I jumped a fence to get away…” he jokes, before offering advice to the future “Bachelor.” “But I think as long as they stay true to their feelings and they really just trust their gut and trust their heart [...] they won’t have to try to trick producers or anything. They really just have their feelings and their truth.”

Oddly enough, the former NFL player says that the journey of handing out roses isn’t much different than creating a lineup for his fantasy football league.

“You’re narrowing it down, you have to do your homework, you have to put the work in,” Underwood says. “But to be honest with you, it all comes down to chemistry.”

Luckily, he found that chemistry with his girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, who even lets it slide when Underwood sneaks the Yahoo Sports app onto his phone during a date.

“You can watch the game anywhere and I have a very on-the-go, active lifestyle,” he says. “So the fact that I can maybe even sometimes be on a dinner date, sneak away and watch the game is very, very helpful.”

Watch NFL games on your phone for FREE with the Yahoo Sports app.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

• Amanda Stanton supports Dean Unglert's dramatic return to 'Bachelor in Paradise'

• Twitter can't stop making fun of 'Bachelor in Paradise' star following dramatic return

• 'Bachelor in Paradise' fan favorite goes off the rails, leads to surprise exit

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