How do you know if your love is for real?
Cue James Patterson, the single (maybe?
), gorgeous, and lovable personal trainer who joined the cast from Jupiter, Florida.
Patterson is a self-described Army brat who spent a bulk of his childhood moving from place to place.
Here’s everything Patterson shared with us during an exclusive interview.
James reflects on his upbringing and unique childhood experience
You’re a self-described Army brat.
What was life like moving and growing up, probably across the country, maybe across the world?
I do have a crazy and diverse background and upbringing.
My dad was in the Army.
We lived all over the States.
We were in Hawaii for a long time.
It opened me to a lot of experiences and meeting tons of different kinds of people and cultures.
What would you say really stuck with you through that experience?
That stuck out the most and I’ve carried it along with me this whole time.
Did your parents give you a good example of a relationship?
Are they still together?
What does that look like for an Army relationship?
It’s funny you ask that, because they’re actually divorced.
They’ve been divorced since I was probably … nine or ten.
The one thing I was always thankful for is that they stayed friends.
They’re literally the best of friends, [but] they couldn’t be married.
My parents were grown enough to stay friends and I’m really thankful for that.
I’m sure you probably took quite a bit from watching them.
Why did James choose Temptation Island over other reality dating shows?
Why “Temptation Island”?
Why not “The Bachelorette”?
Why not “Love Is Blind?”
What stood out to you about this opportunity?
If I’m being honest, I like a challenge.
If you watch the show, you know the concept.
That was just crazy to me and it stuck out right away.
It grabbed my eye.
The structure of this show is so unique as well.
It’s not just watching 30 men compete for one female lead or vice versa with gender.
It’s an interesting setup.
I tell people, it’s a crazy concept and it’s not like other dating shows, right?
Up until watching, I’d never heard of a show like this before.
It’s a great show.
You’re single, you’re potentially shaking things up.
What was that experience and that initial “whoa” kind of situation like?
I underestimated the bond between the couples.
Beforehand, coming to the island, I thought that it would be a walk in the park.
These girls have boyfriends, they’re heavily invested no matter what the problems are.
At the same time, you’re going against 11 other dudes.
I would say I underestimated it, but it was interesting for sure.
People watching the show on the outside, they’re thinking, “Is this really real?”
That’s what sets it apart to me.
cute dates and that kind of thing.
With this show, there’s so many different factors.
Singles, couples, and the bonfires, those are always crazy.
There’s multiple factors that set this show apart.
What does James' love life look like now?
What did a day on set look like for you?
Was it the same all the time?
Was it really unexpected?
Take me through a day in the life on set.
It almost feels like a dream.
It was long nights and very early mornings, every single day.
The parties were so much fun, different themes here and there.
The parties and getting to know everybody, that’s pretty much what we did everyday.
Anything that really stands out to you.
The cast members [had] some funny characters.
One in particular [was] Blake.
He’s such a good guy.
You’ve seen him on there.
Recently, he’s been vibing with Ashley.
Every night before he went to sleep, he said goodnight to every single one of the dudes.
It was our thing.
Taylor Patrick, that man was funny.
He’s got coffee running through his veins.
That stuck with me.
The show taught me a lot about myself, and so did the girls.
It helps you to look at yourself in a different light, from a different perspective?
It helped me grow.
What are you hoping viewers will take from watching your experience on the show?
Do you think you were presented authentically on the show as well?
Before the island, I told myself I wanted to be real as possible.
I hope the people watching the show realize that off the bat.
What was the second question?
Do you think that you were presented authentically?
What was that experience like for you?
I was presented in an authentic way.
I was vibing, having fun, and being real with everybody.
I think we talk a lot about authenticity when it comes to reality dating shows so much.
That’s not really what I’m like.
Everyone in my life can attest that was not me in a positive light or an authentic light."
It’s cool that this is an experience that brings people to the table where they are.
However you act in front of the camera, that’s how you’re going to be shown.
They can’t fake how you act and what you say, right?
Did that ever get you into hot water at all?
Or were you mostly doing your thing and hoping everyone was going to be okay with it?
When I’m feeling something, I don’t hold back.
I don’t have time for that.
You don’t want to turn people off and rub people the wrong way too much.
I was pretty real with them, for the most part.
What is your next move or project or hope for this like next season of life off camera?
I have a few things in mind that I’m going to do this year.
I like to speak things [into] existence manifest, as you say.
A podcast is going to be done this year, [along with] YouTube [content].
You’ll see my face again.
What kind of podcast topic or arena do you want to go into?
There’s going to be a lot in store.
I thought the show was very diverse.
I feel like I’m not like your normal person.
I’m a bigger guy.
I got long curly hair, green eyes.
I feel like I stick out for most people, so I was a part of that diverse cast.
Iris, I believe she’s Filipino American.
No one on the show had a problem with it.
At the end of the day for me, if you’re cool, you’re cool.
If I find you attractive, I find you attractive.
I look at people’s hearts and whether or not I find them attractive.
Everyone did a good job, I feel like.
They brought on a Filipino American girl, a Black girl, a Black dude."
I see people and I’m like, “Oh, that’s a good looking dude.
He’s a stud.
Oh, she’s very pretty.
She’s cool, he’s cool.”
I don’t ever think about race like that, but some people might.
