The Bachelorette's Runner-Up Nick Viall Tells PEOPLE: 'I Was in Shock'
Kaitlyn Bristowe's runner-up says his feud with the other suitor was "unfortunate" and "frustrating"
Just minutes before proposing to Kaitlyn Bristowe, Nick Viall was dealt a crushing blow: She is in love with someone else.
“I was in shock,” Viall tells PEOPLE exclusively of being dumped by Bristowe, who got engaged to Shawn Booth on Monday night’s The Bachelorette finale. “And then reality set in and I felt that hurt and pain. It sucked.”
Throughout the season, there was no love lost between Viall and the other contestants, especially Booth. The two faced off on Monday’s After the Final Rose special, but the 34-year-old software salesman says he doesn’t hold any grudges.
“It was unfortunate and it was frustrating,” Viall says of the feud. “We looked immature and petty. But I have no animosity towards Shawn. And I didn’t get to know him well, but I did get to know Kaitlyn, and I trust her judgment. No matter what I think, that says something. Shawn and I just butted heads.”
Viall says has no regrets and hopes everyone will move on.
“I don’t know if I would have done anything differently,” he says. “I wish them both the best.”
That said, after logging a second televised rejection (Andi Dorfman left him blindsided on the finale last year), Viall won’t be signing up for another season in the future.
“There is zero percent chance I’ll go back,” he says. “I am done with The Bachelorette!”
For much more from Kaitlyn and Shawn, including exclusive photos, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE, on stands Friday