Chris Harrison says he's 'grateful' he left “The Bachelor: ”'It wasn’t healthy'

"I knew I had to remove myself from what became a very toxic situation."

Former Bachelor host Chris Harrison is glad that he exited the franchise back in 2021.

The reality star, who hosted the dating competition for 19 years, departed the series after sparking heavy backlash when he defended Bachelor season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell for attending a "plantation-themed" sorority party in college. On a recent episode of Bachelor Nation alum Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast, Harrison described the entire experience as a “very toxic situation.”

“What I went through was tumultuous. I don’t wish it on anybody. It was horrifying on a lot of levels — and something that I pray to God my worst enemy never goes through,” he explained. “But, with that said, I knew I had to remove myself from what became a very toxic situation.”

Harrison issued multiple apologies and took a temporary hiatus from the series in the aftermath of the interview. While he expressed hope about potentially returning to the franchise, he ultimately left and was later replaced by Jesse Palmer. 

While speaking on Tartick’s podcast, Harrison called the controversy a “difficult situation,” but noted that he “probably could have figured it out.”

“We all could have figured it out, but I had to remove myself from that toxic situation. And so I'm proud of that decision,” he said. “I’m proud that I handled it the way I did and I still look at [the show] as a blessing because it changed my life on so many levels. Financially, of course. It changed my life. It changed my kids' lives.”

Harrison went on to further praise the show for all of the friends and adventures that it gave him over the years. “I hold those things dear. It was a blessing. It changed my life, but at the same time I can also be grateful that I’m gone,” he said. “That’s a relationship I don’t need to be in anymore because it wasn’t healthy.”

He also swiftly denied any chance of returning to the series in the future and suggested that it has started “going downhill” following his departure. 

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

Harrison also admitted he wasn't quite prepared to leave when he did. “I had to mourn the loss of something that I didn't intend to exit then. I would have probably soon, but not then, like that," he said. "And so there was mourning a loss there and I had to realize, like when I left my marriage, take your time and don't just jump back into the next relationship. That's not the bandaid that's gonna heal that wound."

He continued, "I did have some immediate offers to get right back into the game... [but] I realized, pump your brakes man. Take some time. I wanted to make sure my family was good. I'll be honest: I found love because of that. I had time to find love with [my wife] Lauren. I really enjoyed falling in love and I really enjoyed that journey. And I gave myself time to let that breathe. I think it's probably the reason we're married."

Listen to Harrison discuss The Bachelor with Tartick in the podcast above.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• All the Bachelor Nation couples who are still together

• Chris Harrison on his Bachelor franchise exit: 'I was heartbroken'

• The Bachelor producers explain how they pulled off that virtual rose ceremony

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.