The Bachelor host Jesse Palmer has revealed that he thought Kat Izzo was going to be Zach Shallcross' last woman standing and the winner of Season 27.
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"If I'm being honest, there was a time that I thought Kat was The One," Jesse told Us Weekly.
"Having talked to Zach on camera [and] talked to Zach off camera, I really thought it was Kat at the end... Kat going home in Budapest was shocking to me."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
On The Bachelor's latest Season 27 episode that aired on Monday night, Zach ousted Kat, a 26-year-old registered nurse from Tampa, FL, at the Rose Ceremony in Budapest, Hungary preceding hometown dates.
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Kat was blindsided and demanded to know why Zach had decided to send her home, and so Zach explained while they had "the best and strongest connection" for a while, their dynamic changed in Estonia and Budapest and he no longer felt confident in their future together.
"I tried in any way I could to make sense of [what had changed between us], but I wouldn't ever lie to you," Zach told Kat after denying her a rose, adding, "It was nothing you did... The feeling in my stomach, that's me -- and it's not you."
Because of how much Zach cared for Kat during the process, Jesse knew her elimination was going to be especially difficult for The Bachelor star.
"I knew how difficult these decisions were becoming for him, and I knew how hard he was taking the goodbyes, obviously. I knew that was going to be a really tough one," Jesse said.
When Kat left the show, Zach bawled his eyes out and received a big hug -- and some much-needed comfort -- from Jesse.
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Zach told the show's host that he never expected his relationship with Kat to end so soon. In fact, during his week in The Bahamas, Zach had been certain he would meet Kat's family during hometown dates.
"I'm with the producers watching the goodbye at the castle in Budapest, and I just saw his face when he was standing out in front of the castle and I thought, 'Man, I've just got to go out there and give a guy a hug,'" Jesse recalled.
"[I thought], 'He needs someone just to kind of be there with him for this moment.'"
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Zach apparently let Jesse in throughout his The Bachelor journey and confided in the host during challenging times.
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"He's always been so great about allowing me to kind of share that space with him just a little bit to try to help," Jesse said.
"But, you know, I know I wasn't the only person surprised at Kat going home at that point. And I know that was one of the toughest decisions that Zach has had on his entire experience."
Zach chose to give his Final 4 roses to Ariel Frenkel, Charity Lawson, Gabi Elnicki, and Kaity Biggar.
"I think he just felt like his connections with the other women had surpassed his with Kat," Jesse explained.
"I think with Kat, it was very strong early and then in Estonia, they seemed to hit a bit of an impasse and a roadblock, and it was a bit of a disconnect."
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Zach told Kat at the time that he felt something was off between them during the witchcraft date in Estonia. He could sense something was wrong or that Kat seemed a bit detached.
Zach, for his part, told the magazine that he had a "strong relationship" with Kat "very early on," but his feelings for his Final 4 bachelorettes grew stronger in the two weeks before hometowns.
"It never, like, fell off by any means. Nothing ever happened that was wrong, but the other relationships that were growing were just being stronger and stronger and I couldn't deny those," Zach explained.
"[But] you can kind of see I don't take the goodbyes well because the feelings just don't evaporate once you make that decision."
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Zach said letting Kat go was "a very tough decision," clarifying that "there was nothing she did wrong or anything like that."
Following Kat's exit, she lamented in her final words, "This hurts... I gave this man my entire heart, and I never thought I'd be saying goodbye to him."
"Every time I put myself out there, this sh-t happens," she continued, "and it's so exhausting and painful. I'm so sick of feeling that way. It's not fair. It's just not fair."
Kat said she just hoped to find her person, who would want and love her, because that's what she deserves.
"And he just wasn't that," Kat concluded.
Zach also eliminated Greer Blitzer and Brooklyn Willie during his week in Budapest.
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The Bachelor will now be heading into Zach's hometown dates with Ariel, Charity, Gabi and Kaity on the next episode airing Monday, March 13 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.
The Women Tell All special will air the following night on Tuesday, March 14.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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