Why James ‘Harry’ Harris really quit The Bachelorette
House rules star James “Harry” Harris shocked fans when he walked away from The Bachelorette mansion, despite receiving the “country rose” in the first episode. Now he’s revealed why he really left.
Entertainment
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They say three makes a trend, but this is one we’re not really into.
In the space of two episodes, this week, three South Aussie single guys have left The Bachelorette mansion.
James “Harry” Harris has followed in the footsteps of Sajed “Saj” Bakhsh and Andrew Thomas, who exited the show on Wednesday night’s episode.
But while Saj and Andrew are out of the running to win the heart of either Elly or Becky Miles because neither received a rose, Harry decided to walk away.
It’s a shock move considering Harry received the “country rose” for making the best impression on the red carpet in the first episode.
Harry also has a great track record when it comes to reality TV - he finished runner-up on House Rules in 2017 with his then partner Kate Whiting, with whom he shares a five-year-old son called Xavier.
While Harry says his time on The Bachelorette was “amazing” and that “meeting two beautiful girls (Elly and Becky) was sensational”, the slow burn he was feeling wasn’t love but, rather, a need to leave.
“It was a gradual thing,” Harry explains, adding: “If it’s not true love and you can’t see a massive future together...
“It started to creep in reasonably early... (I realised) wow, well, I’ve got someone pretty special at home waiting for me, maybe I am here for the wrong reasons.”
That “someone pretty special” was Xavier, from whom Harry was separated for six weeks.
“It was really tough (being apart) ... it really got to me coming to the end of my experience on the show,” Harry says.
“The more time I was away (I decided) if it’s not love I should be at home, at the end of the day, with my boy.”
Fans of The Bachelorette will know Harry went on the show declaring he was ready to find love again, but now he’s not so sure.
“If the right girl comes along and blows you away I think I am (ready), but I’m pretty content and happy with my little life with Xavier, to be honest,” he says, adding: “At the end of the day, Kate is Xavier’s mum and she’s pretty special, so you’re not just going to have any girl just walk into your life and go ‘Oh, here I am’ and you’re going to accept that...
“At the end of the day, if it’s (going to be) long-term, you have got to have someone who is going to support Xave and be his stepmum and that’s massive... you’ve got to find someone special,
“I don't know if I am completely ready yet, but are you ever ready?... I haven’t had that feeling yet.”
With Harry, Saj and Andrew gone, there’s only one SA single guy left on the show, namely, Pete Mann.
Pete is the former husband of Channel 10 Adelaide and Melbourne weather presenter Kate Freebairn.
He famously shared a kiss with Becky during a photo shoot in the first week and Confidential hears he goes a long way in the competition. Stay tuned.