Mike Johnson Applauds Hannah Brown for Following Her Heart with Peter Weber on The Bachelor
Mike Johnson has some thoughts about Hannah Brown crashing her ex’s season premiere of The Bachelor last week and confessing to Peter Weber, a.k.a. “Pilot Pete,” that she still had feelings for him.
During an episode 2 watch party hosted by Johnson and Smirnoff Seltzer, the official hard seltzer of The Bachelor franchise, he revealed to PEOPLE that he seriously respects Hannah’s decision to return to the show.
“I got so much love for Hannah,” explained Johnson, 32, on Monday. “Hannah embodies [self-love]. She realizes she’s a human being, she realizes she’s going to make mistakes, and it doesn’t matter. She’s going to … keep moving.”
“I think what Hannah did was perfectly her, following her heart, nothing wrong with it,” he continued.
After Brown showed up to the premiere last week, viewers were anxious to learn the outcome of her emotional conversation with Weber. On Monday’s episode, we finally got to see the second half of their sit-down, which picked up with Brown admitting she wasn’t sure she “made the right decision” when she sent Weber home on The Bachelorette.
“I just want someone to want me as bad as I want them,” he told her at the beginning of Monday night’s episode. “And you telling me that you have feelings still, and that you made mistakes, I want to hear that and I want to believe that.”
The two got closer and closer on the couch, with Brown gently rubbing her back after she climbed into his lap. But just as it seemed they were about to kiss, he pulled away. “I can’t do this,” he said, deciding instead to return to the women waiting for him.
Ugh! Pete! Breh we jus want you're happiness
— Mike Johnson (@MikeJohnson1_) January 14, 2020
When asked what he would have done had Hannah reached out to him during After the Final Rose like she did with Tyler Cameron, Johnson had to think for a moment before eventually concluding that he probably wouldn’t have said yes to a post-show date with the former Bachelorette star.
“[At that time], I would say … that’s something that we’d have to discuss further. … Now, I would say we’re homies. But at that time, trying to put myself then and go backwards … well, I’d have to say ‘Well you sent me home before final hometowns, so probably not.'”
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In his interview, Johnson confirmed to PEOPLE that he is still single, but very happy and preparing for some exciting opportunities ahead of him. “I’m happy to continue my partnership [with Smirnoff], I’m happy to be working with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, I’m happy and eager and excited for my book tour. … I would say, just be prepared for awesome adventures, a fun time, and living life to the fullest, baby.”
The Bachelor airs Mondays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.
