Chris Harrison Just Called 'The Bachelor' a 'Toxic Situation'

After hosting The Bachelor for 19 years, Chris Harrison is more than happy to have taken a step back.

The reality TV mainstay appeared on Bachelorette contestant Jason Tartick's podcast, Trading Secrets, where he said that his time hosting the ABC franchise was a "blessing"—but he's still glad it's over.

"I still look at it as a blessing because it changed my life on so many levels," Harrison said of hosting the franchise (via People). "Financially, of course. It changed my life. It changed my kids' lives … It changed my life, but at the same time, I can also be grateful that I’m gone."

Harrison also alluded to the circumstances surrounding his departure from the series in 2021. At that time, the host faced backlash for urging fans to have "compassion" and "understanding" for Rachael Kirkconnell, a Bachelor contestant who had previously participated in a plantation-themed event. "Is it [not] a good look in 2018, or is it not a good look in 2021?" Harrison said of the controversy while speaking to Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay, a statement for which he later apologized.

Despite his apology, many fans called for Harrison to leave the show—and he did, with a temporary leave that became permanent. "What I went through was tumultuous. I don't wish it on anybody," Harrison told Tartick on the Trading Secrets podcast. "I knew I had to remove myself from what became a very toxic situation."

As shown by his appearance on Tartick's podcast, Harrison is still on good terms with many Bachelor alums. He's putting his work on the franchise behind him—and hopefully learning from the circumstances that led to his departure, too.