• Chris Harrison hosted 'The Bachelor' for 19 years
  • He left the show after some differences couldn't be fixed
  • THIS is how Chris explained his exit

Chris Harrison now says his time working on the 'Bachelor' franchise was both a "blessing and a curse." After a jaw-dropping 19 years of rose ceremonies and romantic escapades, Harrison's departure in February 2021 sent shockwaves through 'Bachelor Nation'. But what's the real story behind the scenes?

Chris got very sincere

On the latest episode of the 'Trading Secrets' podcast, hosted by none other than 'The Bachelorette' hunk Jason Tartick, Harrison got candid about his tenure on the show, calling it both a "blessing and a curse." Fans, grab your popcorn because this tea is scalding!

"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," Harrison said. "I don’t wish it on anybody."

Chris faced a storm of tabloid controversy after defending Rachael Kirkconnell's past racially insensitive actions, leading to a "horrifying" backlash. "I don’t wish it on anybody," he said, revealing the ordeal was "tumultuous" and "toxic."

And as would be expected, back in February 2021 it was announced that the host and producer would be stepping away from his hosting duties.

"This historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions," Harrison said at the time in an Instagram post. "To that end, I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special."

"I knew I had to remove myself from what became a very toxic situation, and I did, and that was a difficult situation. . . . In the long run, I could have probably figured it out . . . but I had to remove myself from that toxic situation," Chris confessed. "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." 

Harrison, who tied the knot with Lauren Zima in a star-studded ceremony filled with Bachelor alums, isn't looking back with regret. "I'm proud of that decision," he declared, emphasizing the positive life changes, including a financial boost and a healthier environment for him and his kids.

And now he has a podcast to keep him busy as well! 

He also talked about how much his stomach turned before the first episode. His nerves were on edge, which is understandable given that the public's reaction to his comeback could have been hostile.

"I was sick to my stomach. I lost 20 pounds. I didn’t sleep. I didn’t eat. I was scared to death, not of my job but of my family – my fianceé [Lauren Zima] . . . I worried about my kids…" Harrison said on his first episode of 'The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever with Chris Harrison.'

These days he seems to be happy and healthy as was evidenced his Instagram post this holiday season:

Also interesting:

And what about his future?

Though he's ruled out a return to the 'Bachelor' franchise, Harrison hinted at the cutthroat nature of the reality TV biz, noting the rise of new dating shows vying for the spotlight.

"Once I left, people started taking their shots at the champ," he shared, alluding to the fierce competition for those precious TV eyeballs. It sounds like he still has an itch to be scratched there...

Let's see if Harrison will ever be back on TV again!