Sean Lowe reveals how 'Dancing with the Stars' almost ruined his relationship after 'The Bachelor'
- Sean Lowe appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" immediately after his season of "The Bachelor" ended.
- Lowe and his wife Catherine told Insider the dancing competition almost ruined their relationship.
- Fellow "Bachelor" star Matt James has just been announced in the new "Dancing with the Stars" cast.
Matt James will be the next "Bachelor" alum to compete on "Dancing with the Stars," following in the footsteps of other former leads like Sean Lowe, Kaitlyn Bristowe, and Hannah Brown.
But Lowe, who spoke to Insider about James' "Bachelor" season when it premiered in January, revealed that he personally wouldn't have signed up for the ABC dancing competition if he could do things over again.
Lowe joined "Dancing with the Stars" shortly after proposing to Catherine Lowe (née Giudici) on his season of "The Bachelor" in 2013. She moved to Los Angeles to be with her new fiancé, but Lowe was in rehearsals for up to 12 hours a day for the competition.
"I didn't understand in the moment how tough that was for Catherine," he said. "If I could rewind and do it over again, I would not have done that."
Catherine, who also spoke to Insider in January, said the couple's time apart while Lowe was competing on the show "messed me up for sure."
"It's not good for the relationship," she said. "To do it again would be heartbreaking for me. To do it that soon after, I would not wish that on another lead."
"But we got through it," she added. "And if you think your relationship is strong enough and know that your love will transcend all the hardships and challenges, then go take advantage of all the fun things that are after 'The Bachelor' - but definitely at the potential risk of your relationship."
Fellow "Bachelor" leads Jake Pavelka and Chris Soules also joined "Dancing with the Stars" immediately after their seasons ended in 2010 and 2015. Both broke up with their fiancées just weeks after their respective finales.
Lowe and Catherine were able to get through their rough patch after "Dancing with the Stars" and tied the knot in 2014. They remain happily married with three children, and Lowe and James are the only "Bachelor" stars (out of 25) who are still with the women they chose at the end of their seasons.
Lowe told Insider that he actually gave James some advice before James began filming "The Bachelor," telling the new reality TV star that "the hard work starts after the show."
"I did just say, 'Hey, put your focus on the woman, because it's going to be a tricky time, and don't forget that's priority number one,'" Lowe recalled.
"It's really easy to develop feelings for someone when you're filming 'The Bachelor' because everything is perfect," he added. "Then all of a sudden the show ends, then you have the pressure of fame and being pulled in a thousand different directions."
James and his winner Rachael Kirkconnell have had a bumpier beginning than most "Bachelor" couples. James' historic season as the first Black "Bachelor" was overshadowed by controversy after pictures of Kirkconnell at a plantation-themed frat party in 2018 emerged online. Longtime host Chris Harrison permanently left the show after defending Kirkconnell to Rachel Lindsay, the franchise's first Black "Bachelorette" star.
While James and Kirkconnell ended their relationship as the season aired, they got back together shortly after the finale and are now happily posting pictures of each other on their Instagram pages. Kirkconnell recently told People that the couple are "in a really good place."
Fans can see James on the dance floor during the season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars" on September 20. Fellow contestants will include Jojo Siwa, Olivia Jade, and Olympic athlete Suni Lee.