For the first time, Ben Higgins is opening up about a health scare he experienced while on The Bachelor.
While searching for his happily ever after in 2016, the best-selling author wasn't exactly feeling his best. In fact, he had a parasite in his gut that hit right when filming started.
"The craziest thing that ever happened to me on this franchise, that I can speak to openly now, is I had a massive parasite the whole time I was on the show," he shared on the Fubo Sports TV show Drinks With Binks. "I was in Honduras—which is a country I love—for a wedding. I get a parasite in my gut."
Ben continued, "I have an incredible stomach flu for the three months of the season, I lose 30 lbs. from start to finish."
So how did the Bachelor Nation member hide it for so long as he searched for love with JoJo Fletcher, Lauren Bushnell, Amanda Stanton and other contestants?
"It was blamed on being stressed and anxious," he explained. "You can't really share this after the show because that isn't a great look for The Bachelor. It's not a great look for the contestants. It's not a great look for the show, that I was sick the whole time."
And while fans were distracted by lavish trips and romantic date nights, the co-host of iHeartRadio's Almost Famous podcast explained that some evenings were more challenging than others.
"You have to imagine what it's like to be sitting on a date with somebody else, and all of a sudden you go, 'uh oh,'" he said. "You tap out. You run. You run."
The confession comes after Ben released his highly anticipated book titled, Alone in Plain Sight: Searching for Connection When You're Seen but Not Known.