The Bachelorette alum Rachel Lindsay admits she has a "love-hate relationship" with The Bachelor franchise.
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During Tuesday's episode of the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast -- which marked Rachel's 100th episode -- Rachel and her co-host Becca Kufrin reflected on their time together, shortly after Rachel announced she's leaving the podcast.
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"You know, I talk about why I'm leaving, but I'm not saying 'thank you' enough, so I want to say thank you to you, [Becca], and I want to thank Warner Bros.," Rachel, 36, said.
"I talk about the franchise -- we know I have this love-hate relationship, but I am thankful for the opportunity to do this podcast, and it has been so great and so much fun."
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Rachel added, "And I feel like you and I have made an impact in Bachelor Nation, which is something we both stand for and we always want to do."
Rachel also thanked all of the listeners and the fans of the show for their "support."
"Sometimes, you hear the negativity louder than the support, but there is so much overwhelming support," Rachel noted.
"And so, I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you... I want you to know how much you mean to me and how much I appreciate you."
Rachel began the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast in July 2019 with sixth-season The Bachelorette star Ali Fedotowsky, who eventually stepped down as co-host and was replaced by 31-year-old Becca, who starred on The Bachelorette's fourteenth edition.
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Becca couldn't help but get emotional while recording her last podcast episode with Rachel given the women are close friends.
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"I'm sad that you are leaving me, Rachel! I truly can't imagine doing this without you. I'm not only losing just an incredible co-host but also such a great friend and sidekick... But our door is always open to have you back in any way, shape or form," Becca shared.
Becca said doing the podcast with Rachel "never felt like work."
"I just feel so honored and grateful... and blessed, not only to have had this opportunity but to do it alongside you," Becca told Rachel.
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Becca continued, "You've not only inspired me and helped me in so many ways, but you've been such a pivotal force in Bachelor Nation for so many contestants. Whether you fully recognize the power and the change that you've had in this franchise, it's there... and it's so meaningful."
But Becca and Rachel agreed the end of their work relationship on the podcast doesn't signify the end of their friendship.
"I literally have been crying all day today!" Rachel responded, before telling Becca, "I adore you."
"You might be the only person who makes me come back to this podcast as a guest," Rachel gushed to her co-host. "I'm so proud of you and I can't wait to see what you continue to do with this podcast."
"It's sad for me to leave, but I feel comfortable leaving knowing that you're going to be the one who's going to be taking this on and leading Bachelor Happy Hour to all of its greatness," Rachel concluded, adding that she'd like to participate in a live show down the road.
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Rachel just announced her Bachelor Happy Hour exit last week for the sake of her mental and emotional health and well-being.
"I'm going to make this short and sweet: All good things must come to an end and I feel like certain things run their course and for me I have run my course when it comes to the podcast," Rachel said on the podcast's 99th episode.
She shared at the time, "I've been struggling, that's no secret. And it's been really, really hard for me lately, and a lot of the things that we talk about on this podcast are also about taking care of yourself and finding your peace and protecting that peace and protecting your mental health."
"It's just I have to, for me, walk away," Rachel noted.
Two months ago, Rachel took a temporary leave of absence from Bachelor Happy Hour and deleted her Instagram account after receiving hate and harassment on social media in the wake of The Bachelor host Chris Harrison "stepping aside" from his hosting duties due to a racism scandal.
In February, Rachel, reporting for Extra, conducted an interview with Chris in which he defended The Bachelor Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's racially-ignorant and racially-insensitive actions in the last several years.
Chris came under fire for asking for "grace" and "compassion" for Rachael -- who posed for photos at an antebellum-themed "Old South" fraternity party at her Georgia college in 2018, for example -- and criticizing the "woke police" and "unbelievably alarming" response to Matt James' eventual winner's history of racist behavior.
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Members of Bachelor Nation rallied and petitioned for Chris to be fired from his position permanently, and Rachel said Chris had made "the right decision."
Many fans who remained loyal and supportive of Chris, who apologized multiple times, blamed Rachel for Chris' departure.
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Rachel has suggested on multiple occasions she's "had enough" with the franchise and its lack of diversity over the years and lack of change.
"I can't take it anymore," Rachel recently said on her other podcast, Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay, according to People.
"I'm contractually bound in some ways, but when it's up, I am, too. I can't. I can't do it anymore."
When co-host Lathan asked where the current controversy puts her within the franchise, Lindsay acknowledged that while her experience with the show benefited her in ways and introduced her to now-husband Bryan Abasolo, she has "had enough" and is "f-cking tired."
Rachel was the first Black The Bachelorette star in 13 seasons, and Matt just starred as the first Black Bachelor in 25 seasons.
The Bachelorette's upcoming seventeenth season, which reportedly wrapped production in late April in New Mexico, will be co-hosted by Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams when it premieres Monday, June 7 on ABC.
It's unclear when or if Chris will resume his position and lead the show again, but he revealed on a March episode of Good Morning America he plans to be back.
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