Mike Johnson is arguably America’s cheeriest reality star. With a notoriously wide grin, charismatic personality, and kind heart, he made it all the way to week seven of Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette. Although the 31-year-old portfolio manager tried to find love on Bachelor in Paradise as well (he formed a connection with Sydney Lotuaco), he ultimately left the beach solo. Johnson was rumored to have dated pop star Demi Lovato in the weeks that followed, but now, still single, he remains more optimistic than ever. Below, he looks back on his life-changing TV experience. 

Why did you decide to submit to be on The Bachelorette? 

It was an opportunity that was given to me. I looked at it like, "Hey, I can find my thunder buddy forever, or at least learn something about myself that will make me a better human.

What was your first impression of Hannah? 

I hadn't watched Hannah on Colton [Underwood]’s season of The Bachelor, so I didn't know anything about her personality at all! I only saw her the day before walking out of the limo when she was announced as the new Bachelorette, and five of my castmates were able to meet her. When I walked out of the limo and saw her for the first time, I had the biggest smile ever because, at that moment, I knew the journey I was going on [was going to be amazing]. I thought she was a cutie!

What was your favorite date you went on and why? 

The group date when we played rugby. Hannah was able to see us compete, be aggressive, and determine if we were team players. The night portion of the date was, to say the least, a bit annoying for Hannah and us guys, as some castmates got into a disagreement. Hannah wasn't in her best spirits or smiling when I was able to speak with her. When I went into the room with her that night to talk to her briefly, I knew I wanted to put a smile on her face and let her know she was going to make the right decision for her path. I asked her what her favorite dance move was, and she immediately jumped up and played air guitar! I joined in, and we had a great little moment. Then, tears of laughter came out when I ripped my jeans open down the crotch area—I thought I was Jimmy Hendrix trying to do the splits while playing air guitar! She was smiling after a rough day. 

What was your favorite city you visited? 

Inverness, Scotland! That's when Hannah asked me to go on our first one-on-one. The date and city were both breathtaking! 

How did you deal with heartbreak in the aftermath? What advice do you have for those who are currently going through a breakup? 

As soon as I laid eyes on Hannah, I knew she was going to send me home that night. I was mentally preparing myself while at dinner—we jumped straight into the breakup. During the breakup, I just wanted to console her. I've matured quite a bit in my dating history, and I knew that I couldn't dwell on her breaking up with me. I love myself so intensely, and I know that I'm a fantastic catch, as is Hannah, yet we weren't aligned for each other in holy matrimony. So the way I dealt with it was realizing I gave my all. I didn’t do anything out of character, so I wasn't going to beat myself up over it. I would've loved to have had closure immediately after she broke it off with me, but we shouldn't let things that are out of our control take up too much space in our emotional thoughts. The advice I'd have for anyone going through a breakup is to do the exact opposite of what I did when I first got my heart broken! Firstly, don’t isolate yourself. Don’t be that annoying person always talking about your ex with your friends. Second, go to the gym! That’s literally the biggest help. Third, make other people genuinely smile as often as you can. By doing this, you feel the energy from the person you made smile, and even it makes you smile for just one second, that's one second that you weren't frowning! Fourth, set an incredibly hard goal and focus on it. By focusing and working toward that really hard goal (for me, it was to be the rookie of the year at my job—I didn't work for a year after I got my heart broken because I took it very seriously), it causes you to think more about the task at hand in comparison to what your ex is doing and with who. Fifth, appreciate the times you did have and know it happened for a reason, one that you can’t control. Learn from it what you can do better for your next partner. Sixth, forgive yourself. Seventh, watch comedies. Not romcoms—just comedies. Eighth, I like to run around my house naked and screaming with my favorite music on when I‘m heartbroken. Ninth, choose one thing you love about yourself and write it in a place that you'll see it daily. If you can think of more than one, do it. Tenth, reach out to me if none of the above help—I gotchu!

How did your experience on Bachelor in Paradise differ from The Bachelorette? 

BIP just wasn't the move for me. It was different because I wasn't able to have any alone time. I can't deal with these crazy fools 24/7!

Would you ever go back to Paradise? 

“Never say never” is the saying, but ya boy is highly unlikely to be caught on a beach again in front of a camera. 

After the show, you and Demi Lovato were rumored to be close. Where do you two stand now? 

I'm cheering her on in life. 

Follow Mike on Social Media:

Instagram: @mikejohnson1_

Twitter: @mikejohnson1_