Colton’s Response To Demi Being Labeled A ‘Bachelor’ Villain Might Surprise You

Nearly every season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette has had at least one contestant who gets dubbed the "villain." But Colton Underwood isn't really into that term for his season of The Bachelor. As he explained to Extra, Colton doesn't think Demi should be called a villain. In fact, he doesn't think anybody should.

The Bachelor offered his perspective on this season's most controversial contestant while crashing Extra's control room. In his "Colton Cam" response to Mario Lopez and Tanika Ray's commentary on the 23-year-old contestant from Texas, Colton made it clear that he supports Demi, and it could be a hint that she'll be around for longer than viewers are prepared for.

During the first episode of Season 23, it seemed that Catherine, the constant interrupter, was securing the role of the villain. But during Week 2 on Jan. 14, Demi showed that she's an expert at rubbing the other women in the Bachelor Mansion the wrong way. (And an expert at giving Colton a rubdown.) Yet, while watching as Lopez and Ray — and the rest of the viewing audience — started to call Demi the villain of the season, Colton felt the need to give his perspective. "I don't believe in villains," he said. "She's expressing herself. Demi is undeniably herself. I think she's just different. Everybody is different, every person is different so I don't know about 'villain.' I don't know how I feel about that word."

Colton is absolutely right to question the word "villain" when describing a real person and not some character in a story. But that term has long been a part of The Bachelor lexicon — and that's in large part to the franchise itself, which has been known to give a "villain edit" to more outspoken contestants. This is entertaining for viewers, but it can sometimes portrays the person in an unfairly negative light, even while the Bachelor or Bachelorette may be enjoying their company. And these "villains" are left with the whole world judging who they are.

When it comes to Demi, Colton doesn't appear to have a problem with her actions. During the Week 2 episode, he seemed to enjoy the fact that Demi kissed him in front of an audience during the group date, and he didn't object to her giving him a massage during the cocktail party.

During his appearance on Extra, Colton even weighed in on the controversy of Demi jokingly picking up the group date rose. "There's like these unwritten Bachelor rules and to be honest with you, I respect it. Let's break the rules, let's bend the rules, let's change the game," he said.

After Week 2, Extra also spoke to another notable villain of the franchise — Corinne Olympios. Corinne made it to Nick Viall's final four and Demi's behavior is drawing comparisons to the polarizing contestant of The Bachelor Season 21. Yet, unlike Colton, Corinne is not charmed by Demi. "This is so weird to say, but I actually don't think she's there for the right reasons," Corinne told Extra on Facebook Live. "When I was doing my stuff, it was actually with Nick, for Nick, about Nick. She's just trying to put on a Demi show for Demi."

But Colton seems to be enjoying the fact that Demi is so confident in herself. And, as he told Extra, he doesn't think you can judge the goings on of The Bachelor unless you've lived it. "Mario, Tanika — I appreciate your input," he said, addressing the Extra hosts. "But until you take a step into that mansion and you have to experience it for yourself, I don't know if you're really going to have the insight. You're just going to have to have me on and ask me."

It looks like Colton is standing by his own interpretation of his contestants. So, just like Demi, he's expressing himself — and considering that he is the titular Bachelor, his is the only opinion that really matters.