As far as reality TV is concerned, the genre is privy to some iconic and very memorable contestants.
Were you a fan beforehand?
Walk me through that early process.
Then I watched Season 2 in Vegas, and I actually never applied.
I got a random DM from a recruiter on a Sunday.
She FaceTimed me to check that that I was a real person and everything.
I was like, “Why not?
I’m 23, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
I’m happy I stuck through it and did it.
I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity.
It was a great experience.
You were a fan of at least the U.K. version beforehand.
It was absolutely insane.
I don’t even know if I still have words for it.
I couldn’t wrap my mind around it for the longest time.
It still hasn’t set in.
It’s so crazy to attempt to comprehend what just happened.
What was it about Sereniti that caught Tyler’s attention?
Did you have specific expectations, or were you looking to take things as they came?
I took it day by day [and] did what felt good to me.
I didn’t go in with any expectations.
I wanted to feel everything out [and] see what came naturally.
I’m more of a shy, reserved guy, too.
It definitely helped me get out of my comfort zone.
Talk about a crash course.
Oh, my gosh definitely.
Doing that and then talking to everybody …
I ultimately went with what I felt the most comfortable with, what felt natural to me.
What was it about her that initially caught your attention?
I’m a more shy, reserved person.
From the first conversation I had with Sereniti, I caught myself smiling ear to ear.
I felt like I was at home.
She did such an amazing job with that.
She was such a caring person.
It felt like it was just five minutes.
There was no silence.
We were talking the entire time about anything and everything.
That’s naturally how I am as a person.
I always want to be a gentleman no matter what, too.
I’d rather take things slow than go at a faster pace.
Honestly, I was doing what I was comfortable with.
It was still a newer relationship.
You don’t always see what’s going on with us either.
Along those lines, it was moving at a pace that I felt was comfortable for me.
She would help, too, making the first moves and stuff.
I would imagine that comes with a unique set of challenges.
You never know when your time could be up.
you could’t second guess yourself go with what feels the best with you and run with it.
Or were you trying to keep an open mind?
You still have to have that in the back of your mind.
If somebody turns her head, more power to her.
It’s her life too.
She can do what she wants."
But I was pretty confident with where we were that I wasn’t really worrying about that.
Of course, we know what happened.
Do you regret anything, or are you happy with how it panned out?
It’s a lot to take in at once.
From a regret standpoint, that would probably be the only thing.
But I was extremely genuine to myself.
I was who I am in the real world.
Obviously, I would’ve been more affectionate.
We would’ve gone closer and developed our relationship more if I was in there for more time.
That can always create animosity or problems, stuff like that.
I definitely don’t have any regrets with how I was in the villa.
I stayed true to myself.
I’ve never been on a reality TV show.
You don’t even think that there’s cameras.
Just live it like it’s your actual life.
I’m not overly shy.
I’m not trying too hard or anything like that.
Making those connections with people was something that I’ll always remember.
I can do this.
I can be comfortable.
I can get in the swing of everything.
Just be a nice guy; be who you are.
People will accept you no matter what.
Those are definitely two of the biggest things that I’m going to take away from my time there.
I loved his hair."
What’s that feeling like now that people are talking about you on such a broad scale?
Like I said earlier, too, I’m still waiting for it to set in.
I’m over-joyous with everybody’s support, love.
It’s been a great feeling.
once you nail settled down from this whirlwind of an experience, what is next for you?
What’s on the horizon?
Well, I’m starting my doctorate in occupational therapy at the end of August.
I don’t know right now.
I’m going to take the next few days [and] think over all my options.
I don’t have a for-sure, set-in-stone option yet.
Could you ever have predicted you’d be in this kind of situation?
That’s why every day, I wake up with the biggest smile on my face.
It’s an awesome experience, everything about it.
I got nothing but positive things to say about it, and it really is life-changing.
Now I have these different opportunities, options and everything.
I can write my next chapter in life, which is great.
This interview was edited for clarity.
