When Sean Lowe signed up for Season 17 of “The Bachelor,” he thought me made his intentions clear to both the producers and the viewers: he signed onto the dating show to find his wife. Leading with transparency about what he was looking for in a life partner, Lowe found love with Catherine Giudici.
After the show aired, “Bachelor” fans were surprised when it was revealed that not only were Lowe and his fiancé waiting for their wedding night to have sex, the 30-year-old had been abstinent for six years.
“I was asked about my sex life and I said I want to wait until I’m married,” Lowe told FOX411. “After that, it was a firestorm and everyone person was asking me about sex and every tabloid calling me the ‘Virgin Bachelor.’”
Lowe found his new nickname “annoying” most of the time, but he said it also gave him a platform to share his faith.
“That name kind of cast me as being an outsider because of my values and [people] didn’t want to understand why I made that decision,” he said. “But now I see that it’s opened up a lot of conversation and it’s been a blessing to be able to help people in some small way and maybe introduce them to Jesus because of it.”
Lowe said his view on premarital sex wasn't explicitly mentioned on "The Bachelor" because it would make for boring television.
"If I'm sitting around talking about my faith and how important it is, that's not fascinating TV," the Texas native explained. "So I don't blame [the producers] for not airing it. But what they did air was the kind of life I want to live, and my morals and values. Maybe it wasn't directly my relationship with Christ, but I think it was obvious."
While Lowe's sex life became the focus of everyone's attention, it's just a small part of his relationship with God, he said.
"Sex is just a small component of my faith," the 30-year-old former "Bachelor" said. "After living for me and doing what made only me happy, it was just a viscous cycle of unhappiness so I stopped living for myself and started living for God."
Whether it comes to dealing with his newfound fame after appearing on the hit ABC show, or with everyday life struggles, Lowe turns to God.
"I see Christ first and that I always remind myself of James 4:14 where it talks about how your life here on earth is just a vapor," said Lowe. "Because I know that the worldly pleasures that I tend to pursue are nothing in the grand scheme of things."
Lowe also leans on his faith when it comes to his marriage and dealing with tabloid rumors.
"Catherine and I are really big on communication even when we're apart. We're always talking to each other and it gives us both a sense of comfort and security. When [we're dealing with] silly tabloid rumors, we know who we are as a couple and our love is strong."
Now that the newlyweds have built a stable foundation for their marriage, Lowe said kids are the natural next step.
“Hopefully in the next year or so,” he revealed. “Catherine wants a big family but I just have one sibling and I was happy.”
Faith & Fame is a regular column exploring how a strong belief system helps some performers navigate the pitfalls of the entertainment industry.
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