Colton Underwood talks about his ideal contestant

THE BACHELOR - "Episode 2301" - What does a pageant star who calls herself the "hot-mess express," a confident Nigerian beauty with a loud-and-proud personality,; a deceptively bubbly spitfire who is hiding a dark family secret, a California beach blonde who has a secret that ironically may make her the BachelorÕs perfect match, and a lovable phlebotomist all have in common? TheyÕre all on the hunt for love with Colton Underwood when the 23rd edition of ABCÕs hit romance reality series "The Bachelor" premieres with a live, three-hour special on MONDAY, JAN. 7 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Craig Sjodin)FRONT: NICOLE. CAITLIN, ANGELIQUE, KATIE, CASSIE, COLTON UNDERWOOD, COURTNEY, KIRPA, ALEX D.TAHZJUAN, DEMIMIDDLE: HANNAH G, REVIAN, JANE, ONYEKA, TRACY, NINA, ELYSE, LAURA, ERIN, TAYSHIA, CAELYNNREAR: BRIANNA, DEVIN, HANNAH B, ANNIE, ERIKA, SYDNEY, HEATHER, ALEX B, CATHERINE
THE BACHELOR - "Episode 2301" - What does a pageant star who calls herself the "hot-mess express," a confident Nigerian beauty with a loud-and-proud personality,; a deceptively bubbly spitfire who is hiding a dark family secret, a California beach blonde who has a secret that ironically may make her the BachelorÕs perfect match, and a lovable phlebotomist all have in common? TheyÕre all on the hunt for love with Colton Underwood when the 23rd edition of ABCÕs hit romance reality series "The Bachelor" premieres with a live, three-hour special on MONDAY, JAN. 7 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Craig Sjodin)FRONT: NICOLE. CAITLIN, ANGELIQUE, KATIE, CASSIE, COLTON UNDERWOOD, COURTNEY, KIRPA, ALEX D.TAHZJUAN, DEMIMIDDLE: HANNAH G, REVIAN, JANE, ONYEKA, TRACY, NINA, ELYSE, LAURA, ERIN, TAYSHIA, CAELYNNREAR: BRIANNA, DEVIN, HANNAH B, ANNIE, ERIKA, SYDNEY, HEATHER, ALEX B, CATHERINE

Who will Colton Underwood choose this season? The new Bachelor opens up about what he wants in an ideal contestant.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, new Bachelor Colton Underwood opened up about what he’ll be looking for in a woman on his journey to find love.

Whether you’ve been on the fence about him or Team Colton all the way, when you read his answers you’ll have to admit that they are good. Colton’s heart definitely seems like it’s in the right place and that he isn’t going to be making any stupid blunders when it comes to finding Mrs. Right.

Our favorite take away from his interview was that he emphasized the need for his lucky lady to be passionate about something. The Bachelor sometimes gets a bad rep for featuring contestants who seem more beauty than brains. Competitors are occasionally shallow and don’t have a lot going on under the surface. It’s great to hear that Colton is looking to eliminate that. He describes wanting someone who cares deeply about a hobby or interest and works to pursue it. Colton claims that they don’t have to be an athlete or even “really into dogs” the way that he is, as long as they show a passion for something in their life.

Will he find a woman that lives up to his standards? Well, that’s another matter entirely. In the past, Bachelors have been known for being blind to a forward contestant’s bad qualities or making exceptions when a competitor is attractive. Obviously, we’re hoping that Colton will indeed find a woman who shares his passions and that together they can build a happy and successful life.

Colton was a controversial pick heading in to this season of The Bachelor, but that doesn’t mean he has to stay that way. It seems plausible that he can win over the hearts of Americans everywhere if he finds a sweet, sensible girl who cares about a little more than her reality TV image.