Chris Harrison ‘Grateful’ He Left “The Bachelor”: ‘I Had to Remove Myself from That Toxic Situation’

The former host referred to his time on the series as a "blessing and a curse" during a conversation on the 'Trading Secrets' podcast

Chris Harrison is looking back at his time on The Bachelor with gratitude.

Harrison, 52, hosted the reality dating competition series for 19 years before stepping away from the franchise in February 2021, following backlash he received after defending season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's past racist behavior. Jesse Palmer was named as the new host that September.

The television personality referred to his time on the series as a "blessing and a curse" on the most recent episode of the Trading Secrets podcast, hosted by The Bachelorette alum Jason Tartick.

Related: Chris Harrison Marries Lauren Zima in Two Stunning Wedding Ceremonies: All the Details! (Exclusive)

"The show was a blessing," said Harrison. "I still look at this as a blessing in my life. It was hard at first, obviously, it wasn't immediate where I felt great about everything because what I went through was tumultuous. I don’t wish it on anybody."

He noted that the backlash was "horrifying on a lot of levels" and "something that I pray to God my worst enemy never goes through."

“But, with that said, I knew I had to remove myself from what became a very toxic situation, and I did, and that was a very difficult situation," he continued. Harrison said that while he believed something could have been figured out in the long run, he knew he had to "remove" himself from the "toxic situation."

Related: Chris Harrison Shares the Sweet Moment Clare Crawley Told Him About Baby: 'Almost Broke Out in Tears'

"I'm proud of that decision. I’m proud that I handled it the way I did and I still look at it as a blessing because it changed my life on so many levels," he said. "Financially, of course. It changed my life. It changed my kids' lives."

Harrison used his November wedding ceremony to Lauren Zima, which was attended by many Bachelor Nation alums, as an example of how the franchise blessed him with great friends.

"It was a blessing. It changed my life, but at the same time, I can also be grateful that I’m gone. That’s a relationship I don’t need to be in anymore because it wasn’t healthy," he said.

While Harrison said he wouldn't make a return to the franchise, he told Tartick, 35, that "it's hard in this business," noting the popularity of dating shows.

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“Once I left, people started taking their shots at the champ, and they’ve succeeded, and now there’s competition, and now there are shows in the zeitgeist, they’re being talked about, they’re getting press that we used to get. Again, it’s hard to survive when you don’t have those eyeballs anymore because people will talk about another show," he added.

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