The Bachelor host Chris Harrison has revealed how much of a role Colton Underwood's virginity will play throughout the upcoming season.

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"There are plenty of cliches on Night 1 as all the women arrive. He and I talk about it and then, of course, when the women get there, they make light of it," Harrison told The Hollywood Reporter.

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"And the good thing is that he has a great sense of humor about it and it was pretty funny. It's been cute and it's been fun to have it as a bit of a party joke, but I am very much looking forward to getting past that."

Harrison apparently understands Bachelor Nation may quickly grow tired of the ongoing discussion about Colton's virginity.

"When I hear things on social media where people say -- 'It's going to drive me crazy if they beat this to death' -- well, we don't," Harrison insisted.

"It is a storyline but it's one of many. It doesn't define Colton. It's not, 'Hey, Colton virgin.' This is Colton the Bachelor who is a good man, who is sincere and looking for the love of his life."

But at the same time, it does make for some interesting conversation and television, especially when the time of Colton's overnight Fantasy Suite dates come around.

"Yes, he turns out to be a virgin and that is something that we have to deal with," Harrison explained.

"We have some serious talks on the first night where I ask him if he is as sick and tired of this thing being such a cocktail joke and superficial, and he was just as sick of it as I was. It was liberating to get past that and to start getting into the show."

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Although it's possible the 26-year-old charity founder and former professional football player had sex for the first time in a Fantasy Suite, Harrison assured fans there was "nothing different" about the dates themselves.

"There are conversations that clearly need to be had once you get to that point and maybe Colton's conversations are a little deeper because of the situation," Harrison told The Reporter.

"But these conversations always happen. It's always a moral dilemma once you get to that point in the relationship on the show. And that's one of the reasons I love the Fantasy Suite date card. Because it does push that envelope and that conversation you need to have."

Colton will be shown dating 30 women on Season 23 of The Bachelor season, which is set to premiere Monday, January 7 at 8PM ET/PT with a special three-hour special event on ABC.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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