Entertainment TV Reality TV Sean Lowe Recalls Awkward Car Ride with Catherine He ‘Begged’ Bachelor Producers for (Exclusive) "It was the best," Sean recalled of holding Catherine's hand for an hour, while speaking to PEOPLE about his Samsung partnership By Esme Mazzeo Published on July 8, 2024 11:28AM EDT Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici Lowe in 2023. Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC via Getty Images The rules of The Bachelor weren't meant to be broken, but at one point, Sean Lowe just couldn't help himself. The season 17 Bachelor managed to break protocol to spend as much time with Catherine Giudici as possible while they were filming the show in 2013. Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE recently about his partnership with Samsung, Sean, now 40, confessed that while filming, he "begged" producers to let him skirt a rule so he could score a few extra minutes with Catherine, now 38. "When filming the show, they really do not allow the Bachelor to be around the contestants off camera because they don't want anything happening that they're not capturing," he explained in a joint interview with Catherine. But after their first one-on-one date in Canada, during which they spent time on a glacier in the middle of a blizzard in an episode that aired in February 2013, Sean went to great lengths to extend his quality time with the woman who is now his wife of 10 years. Catherine Giudici Lowe and Sean Lowe Celebrate 10th Wedding Anniversary: ‘So Excited to Surprise This Old Man’ Catherine Giudici Lowe and Sean Lowe in 2015. Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic He told PEOPLE that he knew they had an hour's car ride back to their hotel and would normally make the trip in separate vehicles. But, "I was like, 'Please let her ride back in the car with us. Please, please, please, we won't do anything. We won't give you any great content that you would miss on the show,' " he recalled. Producers ultimately agreed to let the couple ride in the same car — under the condition that they wouldn't talk. "We just held hands and it was the best," he shared. "I was so happy to be with her for that hour-long car ride." Catherine confirmed that they "couldn't say a word" to each other for the trek. Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici Lowe for Samsung in 2024. Elizabeth Shrier Photography for Samsung Every 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' Couple: Where Are They Now? But they weren't actually alone, Sean added, noting that producers were in the car to make sure they didn't break their promise. The couple are now parents to three young kids — sons Samuel Thomas 8, and Isiah Hendrix, 6, and daughter Mia Mejia, 4 — and celebrated 10 years of marriage in early 2024. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Catherine Giudici Lowe and Sean Lowe on their wedding day in 2014. Todd Wawrychuk/Disney/GETTY As parents, the pair recently partnered with Samsung to help promote the company's sustainable products because they want to lead by example with their kids, they explained. "What we're doing in our house is making sure that our children are just aware of healthy habits moving forward, things that will help the future, like recycling and [managing] food waste," Catherine said. Their efforts are paying off. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Mom is proud to share that her little girl recently noticed a piece of recycling that was accidentally put in the trash. "She was like, 'This isn't supposed to be in here,' " Catherine recalled. "And so she took it out and put it in the recycling."