Victoria Larson Talks Bullying Accusations and Bachelor Journey: 'I Wasn't Taking It Seriously'

Craig Sjodin via Getty

It didn't take long for self-proclaimed "queen" Victoria Larson to be labeled the villain of Matt James' season of The Bachelor earlier this year — but she seemingly has no regrets.

"I feel like a lot of the girls [on the show] were careful about what they said or [did]," the reality star, 28, said on Tuesday's episode of Dear Media's Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast. "They wanted to present themselves well and like, yeah, I just wanted to have fun. It's a show. I wasn't taking it seriously. 'Cause, I mean, that's what it was."

Larson said she "absolutely" tried to push herself "to be more outgoing" because she was on TV, but started to let loose more after recognizing her lack of connection with James, 29.

"I think Matt is an amazing person. I definitely grew to appreciate him, but I didn't personally have that romantic spark or that, like, physical chemistry. I didn't feel it," she said. "So, I was just like, 'Okay, let's bring the queen. Like, let's just have fun with it.'"

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Craig Sjodi/ ABC Matt James and Victoria Larson

Larson was eliminated by James during week four of the competition. During her time on the show, she regularly used harsh words and picked fights with her fellow contestants, though she claimed on Not Skinny But Not Fat that she had a "really good relationship with everyone" in the house. She also claimed she was "categorized" as a bully after "a buildup of things" she said that were considered to be "mean."

"I swear, like, I am a nice person, but I don't lead with that," she said. "I don't lead with looking for sympathy and using that."

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In February, James opened up about his decision to eliminate Larson from the show.

"It was an easy [decision]," the real estate broker said during an appearance on PEOPLE (The TV Show!). "When that information was made available to me about what was going on in the house, that type of name-calling and just blatant lies and rumors is unacceptable."

"If you're having to belittle someone else for you to shine, then those aren't the qualities I'm looking for in my wife," he added.

He later apologized during the Women Tell All special, telling Larson, "When people ask me about you, I have nothing but good things to say about you. I know that, again, I've never been in your situation, not only from being on the other side of the rose but just your life experiences, so I apologize if you felt offended."

James has since distanced himself from the franchise after being engulfed in the racism controversy that erupted after former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay's Extra interview with longtime host Chris Harrison.