AKRON, Ohio — In the game of love, an Akron man continues to win, on ABC's reality dating show, The Bachelorette.
Michael Allio, 37, advanced for the second time, accepting a rose from Katie Thurston and with it the chance to continue to get to know this season's leading lady in the hopes of getting engaged in the finale.
Michael charmed viewers in Monday's episode, telling Katie how nervous he was that he wasn't selected for a one-on-one or group date during the first week after their initial meeting.
Katie eased his mind, though, at the standard cocktail party before eliminations, by grabbing Michael's hand immediately and letting him know she had held off on scheduling more time together because she was already confident in their initial attraction from night one, and needed to see how she felt about the other contenders.
By the end of their interaction, Michael and Katie shared their first on-camera kiss, and the sparks were flying.
At the end of each episode, producers show previews of what's to come, and in that we see the two on an adventurous date, flipping over a dune buggy.
In previous interviews, Katie described Michael as "the best date," "husband material," and "father material," the latter of which making a lot of sense for the widower who is father for a 4-year-old son, James.
Michael, an entrepreneur and founder of the L4 Project, was recently named to Crain's Cleveland Business' "40 Under 40" list of people making a difference in the Northeast Ohio community.
The L4 Project is a "mission-driven apparel brand whose profits are given to individuals and organizations whom quietly serve others and enhance the community around them." The company is a passion project sparked by the death of Michael's wife, Laura, who passed away from breast cancer in 2019. L4, according to the brand's Facebook account, stands for "Live Life Like Laura."
Michael says he is now ready to find love after loss and is looking for "a witty woman with a funny bone and a self-deprecating sense of humor," and someone who "has strong convictions and stands up against ignorance."
"Michael lives a life that is incredibly fulfilling and says he is more than ready to find someone to share it with. His dream woman is compassionate, empathetic, resilient and not easily offended."
You can tune in to watch Michael woo Katie on this season of "The Bachelorette," every Monday night at 8 p.m. on ABC.