After stint on 'The Bachelor,' this Peoria-area reality TV star is newly engaged

Colton Underwood is engaged, as might befit a former lead character in "The Bachelor."

The Washington Community High School graduate and ex-NFL player is appearing in another reality-television show, too. Although his star power in that genre might be fading somewhat.

On his Instagram account Tuesday, the 30-year-old Underwood posted engagement photographs of him and political strategist Jordan C. Brown. The two have been dating since last summer, not long after Underwood came out publicly as gay.

"This is what our day of love looked like," the 2009 Journal Star large-school football player of the year stated in the engagement-photo post.

Brown, 39, and Underwood became engaged last month, according to People magazine.

Engagement photos snapped during a Big Sur getaway

The engagement photos were taken at Big Sur in California. Underwood told People that was the site of a weekend getaway following his birthday, which was Jan. 26.

"I couldn't have pictured a more beautiful place to celebrate an amazing milestone in my life and relationship," the former Illinois State University football player said.

Peoria-area athletes: A ruling has been made in the Julianna and Ben Zobrist divorce case

Underwood has spent much of his adult life on reality TV. The apex might have been his turn as protagonist in the 2019 season of "The Bachelor," the long-running ABC-TV reality program. He also appeared on "The Bachelorette" and "Bachelor in Paradise."

By the end of his "Bachelor" tenure, Underwood had paired with schoolteacher Cassie Randolph. They dated for about a year and a half, but the relationship ended acrimoniously.

Subsequently, Underwood appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" and revealed he was gay. That led to another reality-TV series, "Coming Out Colton," which debuted last December on Netflix.

Peoria entertainment: This Bartonville native is living his dream career with Disney's new 'Encanto' movie

Currently, Underwood is back on weekly free TV, this time on CBS. He is appearing as one of nine contestants on "Beyond the Edge," a five-episode series that airs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays and premiered last week.

Underwood and the eight other celebrities live for two weeks in the Panamanian jungle and face off in physical challenges to raise money for charity. His not-for-profit is the Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation, which supports people who have cystic fibrosis.

'If he were marrying Brad Pitt, maybe the answer would be different'

But at least one other Underwood reality-TV attempt doesn't appear to be going anywhere, if a report from the Radar website is to be believed.

According to unnamed sources, Underwood has been pitching a TV wedding. He believed becoming the first gay "Bachelor" to get married would start a bidding war among various TV outlets, but nothing has materialized so far.

"To say he was optimistic is an understatement," Radar quoted sources as saying. "He was 100% positive this was a done deal. Not only would he earn a chunk of money, but Colton would be back where he loves to be — on TV.

"If he were marrying Brad Pitt, maybe the answer would be different, but he isn’t."

Celebrity relationships: Illinois woman dating former 'Saturday Night Live' star Chris Kattan

The Radar report described ratings for "Coming Out Colton" as soft at best. More episodes are not in store, according to Underwood. In an interview with Us Weekly, he said another season wouldn't be a healthy decision for him and Brown.

"Right now, we’re not exploring that for our relationships or for my work ventures," Underwood said.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Colton Underwood engaged to Jordan C. Brown, back on reality TV