Fans and followers of "The Bachelorette" are once again devastated by the decision made by Kaitlyn Bristowe as Ben Higgins was sent home, leaving Shawn Booth and Nick Viall to battle it out in the Final 2. While the reality star says that handing Ben the red rose "broke her heart," Chris Harrison reveals otherwise. According to Harrison's interview with TV Guide, "The Bachelorette" host shares that he doubted whether "Ben even had a chance" against Shawn and Nick.

Describing Ben as "a great guy" and someone who emits the vibe "what you see is what you get," Harrison opines that Kaitlyn's feelings for both Shawn and Nick overshadowed her good judgment in terms of truly appreciating Ben. "He's so handsome, has a great self-deprecating sense of humor, and he's down to earth, which is rare when you find a guy with a package like that -- God doesn't give it all to you!" shares "The Bachelorette" host.

He adds, "I just think Kaitlyn was so into Nick and Shawn that I don't know if Ben even had a chance. I think she tried to keep those doors open as much as she could, but at the end of the day Nick and Shawn were so much the front-runners that I don't know if guys like Ben or Jared ever [could've made it to the end]. It was a huge struggle for Kaitlyn. I think she realized, like, "In what world am I saying goodbye to this guy?"

The same sentiment was echoed by Kaitlyn via People. She wrote, "I knew what I had to do and that I had to follow my heart, but the thought of sending Ben home broke my heart." "The Bachelorette" star then went on to say, "It's not that what I had with Ben wasn't real or didn't mean anything to me, but I had to make a choice of how I was going to move forward. It crushed me to say goodbye but all I could do was trust my heart in that moment."

While this is truly heartbreaking especially for those rooting for Ben, a silver lining might be in the horizon as E Online reveals that the latest "The Bachelorette" contestant sent home is named as next season's "The Bachelor." According to the media outlet, the third runner-up's deal with the network is "pretty much a lock" and is now simply waiting for the final touches to be made by both parties. As per the usual practice of ABC, the official announcement of "The Bachelor" will only come after "The Bachelorette" is done.