Katie Thurston on Chris Harrison's Absence from 'The Bachelorette' Season

One thing missing from the new season of The Bachelorette is the show’s longtime host Chris Harrison and leading lady Katie Thurston is sharing her thoughts on his absence.

Chris stepped down as host after he came under fire for defending Rachael Kirkconnell against accusations of racism.

In Chris‘ absence, Katie was welcomed to the show by former Bachelorette stars Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams.

“I thought, maybe, there’d be people helping with dates, you know, here and there, but I certainly did not expect to have both of them there with me the entire time,” Katie told Us Weekly. “And so I think I was just, like, so overwhelmed. You see [me], like, crying of relief and happiness and excitement to have them there to help me.”

Click inside for more of what she said…

“They gave me different advice, but [both pieces of advice] stand out. Kaitlyn said, ‘Don’t fall in love with one person on the first night, be open,’” she added. “And then Tayshia was the one who said, you know, ‘Surrender to the process. Trust the journey.’”

Katie has revealed if she had sex in the fantasy suites.