The Bachelor is an amazing opportunity most guys probably wouldn't turn down, but Nick Viall is more than ready to pass the torch on to the show's next star.
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"Though I'm thankful for it, I'm excited to not be the Bachelor," Nick, 36, recently admitted to People at The Bachelor: The Women Tell All taping.
"I think there were a lot of reminders with how difficult this environment can be. It's always important not to sweat the small stuff, but in this world, a lot of things can seem like a big deal. Obviously when you remove yourself, they're not."
Nick has always said he's a "one woman guy," so juggling 30 women at once and multiple ladies in love with him was challenging to say the least.
"I think being the Bachelor is like nothing else," Nick said. "I think [Rachel Lindsay] will find that to be the case during her time as the Bachelorette. There's a reason why people don't and shouldn't date multiple people outside The Bachelor world. It's messy and it's not always fun. While it can work, it's not ideal."
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In fact, Nick joked he had a moment "every day" when he regretted his decision to initially become Season 21's The Bachelor star.
"In all seriousness, when I was first asked, my response was, 'I don't know.' And quite honestly... I knew how great the opportunity was, both to be the Bachelor in general and for the opportunity to meet someone. It's poetic having been on it so many times, but there's so much pressure! There's so much responsibility," Nick vented to People.
"And you can have input on the casting process but you're not a part of the casting process. That's a very terrifying feeling. And then once you're in it, something could go wrong. And so I think every day there are moments of, 'Was that the right move?' And some days it's every day. I'm still very grateful for it. And I'm not somebody who looks back and has regrets."
Nick currently has Raven Gates and Vanessa Grimaldi still in the running for his heart, but to get to this point in his journey, Nick had to deal with some very painful goodbyes -- including Rachel and Kristina Schulman.
"There were some great women," said the former software salesman from Wisconsin. "I don't know what's in the future, but I hope we can all be friends at some level. I have a lot of respect for them. I would be lucky to have some sort of friendship with them."
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The Bachelor's two-hour finale airs Monday, March 13 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC followed by the one-hour After the Final Rose special.
"I'm always happy no matter what. I was happy with the decision I made," Nick revealed. "Whatever happened at the end of all this, I think it ended the way it should have. And the only way I was able to come to that conclusion was to just put myself out there, not worry, and just go for it. I feel like I did that."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski