This week on The Bachelor, Juan Pablo had to deal with heartache as his front runner Sharleen decided to quit the competition while viewers had a glimpse of the feud between Nikki and Clare. How exactly does Juan Pablo feel about Sharleen’s departure? And what does Bachelor host Chris Harrison have to say about this week’s cat fight? Find out after the jump!

When Sharleen told Juan Pablo that she didn’t think he was the man for her, he felt devastated but ultimately appreciated her honesty. 

“She has all my respect,” Juan Pablo wrote on his People blog. “She has been the most honest, realistic and mature of all the women. She was struggling and she let me know every time we talked about how hard it was for her. I loved listening to the words she used and we had a great time talking about anything and everything. Unfortunately you were only able to see a little bit of Sharleen and I understand the way people might judge her. But remember – you judge by what you see on TV and not everything makes it to the screen. I was very sad but I was prepared because of her struggles over the weeks. She was going to have a hometown date and things maybe would of changed after that. In this situation, a single word can change my way of seeing or thinking about someone and that’s the reason I took everybody and everything they say so seriously. I’m glad she put her life on hold to come see if we could have a future together, because I met a great woman. Like I said – I’d rather not be appreciated and be honest, than be appreciated and not being honest.”

Meanwhile, Bachelor host Chris Harrison, Bachelorette season 1 star Trista Sutter and Bachelorette season 9 star Desiree Hartsock have also shared their thoughts on Sharleen’s departure: 

“Had she followed her instincts (and maybe done a little less kissing and a little more talking), she could’ve saved JP a bit of heartache and given the other woman a bit more time with their potential happily ever after,” Trista wrote in her blog. “Granted, she did decide to bow out on her own so that she wouldn’t take up a coveted hometown spot, but I hope the lesson learned is that her intuition should never be denied… just as is true for anyone looking for love.”

“Her leaving wasn’t much of a surprise but I am glad that she was honest with herself and decided to leave before both families got involved or before Juan’s feelings got stronger for her,” Desiree said. “You might think she shouldn’t have waited this long to leave but when you’re in the situation and struggling internally with your feelings, it’s easier to say than actually do. It’s not everyday your boyfriend is dating multiple women (I sure hope not!) so the struggle and feelings happen differently than in a monogamous relationship. I think deep down she has her own walls to climb and I can respect her for telling him the truth.”

“I’ve said from day one that Sharleen and Juan Pablo’s relationship is one of the oddest, most awkward relationships we’ve ever had on this show,” Chris Harrison wrote on his EW blog. “I found it really interesting how Sharleen would send him mixed signals. I think it’s because she was pretty confused herself. Whether it was fair or not is up for debate, but she definitely gave him plenty of reasons to think she was into him. When they were together, their chemistry was insane and they couldn’t take their hands and lips off each other. But if you listened to Sharleen, she sent plenty of signals the other way as well.” 

As for this week’s Bachelor drama, Chris Harrison reveals how the Nikki vs. Clare fight has affected other people in the house though it appears to be insignificant in the coming episodes.

“It’s a simple case of two women who want the same thing and they just don’t like each other,” Chris said of Nikki and Clare. “Because of this battle, the house and the ladies have kind of been divided down the middle. Chelsie and Renee are on team Clare and Andi is on team Nikki. The good news for these two is that this is the last week they have to really spend any time together. From here on out, the women don’t see each other except at the rose ceremonies — so while it provided for some good drama this week, it’s really a moot point now. One funny inside note to give you about the cocktail party: We showed Nikki and Clare sitting in silence alone, but that moment went on much longer than we could show and it was beyond uncomfortable. It felt like an hour, but there was a good five or ten minutes where these two just sat beside each other in complete silence. It was really amazing to watch. We showed you enough to get the point across, but it went on for much longer.” 

Though the feud is kind of pointless, it did change Trista’s opinion of Nikki. 

“Until last night, I’ve been a fan of her sarcasm,” Trista said of Nikki. “Not sure if I’m keen on the cocky comments, like how few times she’s been rose-less at a rose ceremony, or the insensitive ‘I’m not a sentimental person’ comment though. Her attitude seems to be changing and not necessarily for the better.” 

Are you on team Nikki or team Clare?

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(Image courtesy of ABC)

Dean Bextor

Staff Writer, BuddyTV