After a season filled with dramatic highs and lows, even The Bachelor himself can still manage to be surprised.
The March 14 Women Tell All special—in which all of the contestants from Zach Shallcross' season reunited to air their dirty laundry—featured one shocking moment after another. (For all the bombshells, click here.)
However, in an exclusive interview with E! News, Zach revealed one particular revelation stood head and shoulders above the rest.
"I was surprised by Kat's allegation of Anastasia having a boyfriend the whole time," Zach admitted. "That was a little shocking."
During the episode, Kat claimed she had "receipts" that Anastasia had a secret partner throughout filming, which Anastasia denied.
"I don't know if it's true or not," Zach continued. "But that got me. That was a curveball."
In addition to addressing the more scandalous parts of the season, Women Tell All also allowed Zach to come face-to-face with the women for the first time since production.
"What was important to me was the women having closure on the relationships," Zach said of the experience. "It's tough because I'm making these decisions with my heart and gut instinct. It becomes clear to me and then I have to move on to the next week."
So, despite the awkwardness, Zach found the difficult conversations to be cathartic.
"It was really important for me to talk to them and let them know what I was feeling," he continued. "Like, 'No, I really did like you so much.' It was really nice and helpful for me. And hopefully for the women."
As for what comes next, Zach teased that he's optimistic about his future—happily ever after on the horizon or otherwise.
"I'm just excited for the next chapter in life, with or without someone," he said. "Having this wild whirlwind of a show and then, as dramatic as it is, it's going to come to an end and the next chapter of an exciting new life starts. Who knows?"
Go along for the ride when The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
--Reporting by Olivia Modarelli