In a bombshell interview with The Sunday Project, Nick explained his decision and added that it hit him "with a thunderbolt."
"Out of respect to these women, if I can't stand here right now and say I'm picking her and I love her...if I can't say that, why would I start something with someone?" he told interviewer Lisa Wilkinson.
He later admitted to ABC Radio National that he didn't want to fake a relationship for three months as a contractual obligation.
"And what’s more important, me just saying 'yes' and going through the motions and dragging some girl through all this media about how we’re in love and then three months down the track after the contract’s over, um, we’re allowed to break up. I’m not going to drag them through that rubbish … and break her heart. Bugger that."
Brittany and Sophie were unsurprisingly shocked by Nick's move and slammed his controversial decision.
"I would hope he's a little embarrassed," Sophie admitted to Lisa on The Sunday Project.
"We just went through so many highs and so many lows and I'm sure he did too but I just hope there's something in him that's a little unhappy or uneasy with his ultimate decision because God knows that we have been through hell and back on this ride."
Following the finale, Nick ended up fleeing the country to Papua New Guinea to hike the Kokoda Trail and was rumoured to be dating Steggles chicken heiress, Lucy Steggles.
However, in November that year, the Bachelor made his first public appearance since the show at the Melbourne Cup and spilled some truths to the Daily Telegraph.
“I don’t regret it,” he confessed to the publication of his experience on the reality dating show.
“I didn’t enjoy it a great deal but I don’t regret it because I learnt a lot.”
The Honey Badger is now returning to reality TV on SAS Australia along with convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, PR maven Roxy Jacenko and 2018 Bachelorette Ali Oetjen.
As for his dating life, it appears Nick is dating Sydney socialite Alexandra George and is spending lockdown in Seal Rocks, on the mid-north coast of New South Wales with her.
However, neither have confirmed their romantic relationship.
