Tyler Cameron Reveals How He's Dating During The Pandemic

For pretty much all of us, 2020 has been a rough year. Not only has the coronavirus pandemic halted the activities we so closely covet — like concerts, sporting events, and family gatherings — it's also hindered us from dating like we used to. 

That same fate befell former Bachelorette contestant Tyler Cameron this year as he found himself scrambling to assess how to move forward with his dating life. Speaking with The Hills alum Whitney Port for her With Whit podcast, Cameron answered a few questions the podcast host and her husband, Tim Rosenman, asked regarding using dating apps amid the pandemic. 

"I am not on the apps, but I'll send some DMs," Cameron said. "I shoot my shot — a lot of shots don't get made, but you know, my dad always told me you miss a hundred percent of the shots you don't take. So I'm going to shoot and some don't hit, some do, and it is what it is."

He went on, "That's how you can date right now. You can't go out and meet nobody, you know? So it's just kind of like, it's Wednesday at 6 p.m. and I see someone like, 'Oh she's pretty, I'll send her a message" (via People).

Tyler Cameron prefers the old fashioned way of dating

Cameron further shared on the podcast that although he's been navigating dating life in the pandemic as best he can, he still prefers a pre-pandemic dating style, hitting up bars and aiming for that Tinder IRL experience.  

The Bachelorette runner-up added that he even welcomed getting "turned down all the time" when going out, saying that was actually "the fun part" of being able to go out and mingle. "That's what I loved about going to the bar. We were going out to meet people and have fun and who knew where the night [would go]."

Okay, so perhaps going on a competitive reality TV dating show isn't exactly old fashioned, but Cameron (who once dated model Gigi Hadid) said he would consider becoming the lead on The Bachelor. "We've talked about it," he said. "And there was a time I was really close to saying yes. My dad was in the hospital again and I was like, 'Screw it. I'm going to do it.'"

The 27-year-old noted that he was going to take that job "for the money" just to ensure he could take care of his father and brothers, but after sitting on the idea and talking to his family, he ultimately opted against it.

Even so, Cameron teased a possible future return. "Down the road, who knows — I never say no to anything," he stated. "It's all about timing and when things are right."