Chris Harrison Was 'Shocked' and 'Saddened' by Peter Weber's Mom Barb at The Bachelor Finale

Even Chris Harrison was surprised by all the drama at The Bachelor: After the Final Rose.

Harrison, 48, opened up to PEOPLE about Peter Weber‘s controversial mother Barbara‘s harsh critique of her son’s relationship with Madison Prewett, saying he was “shocked and a little saddened” by her blunt honesty.

“If you ask my honest to God opinion, I thought she was going to say, ‘Look, yes, I love Hannah Ann. I know I was hard on Madison and yeah, they have a lot of obstacles, but’ — I was waiting for the ‘but’ — ‘but that’s our son and we’re going to see how this goes.’ There was never a ‘but,’ ” he said at the launch of his Seagram’s Escapes Tropical Rosé on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

courtesy Seagrams Chris Harrison attends the Seagram’s Escapes Tropical Rosé event

Randy Shropshire Seagram’s Escapes Tropical Rosé event

“That car kept driving off the cliff. And I was really surprised and shocked and a little saddened by that,” he shared at the event, which provided Sprinkles Rosè Cupcakes, Sugarfina Rosè Bento Boxes and floral design by Mark’s Garden. “I’m not saying Barb’s right or wrong, but the timing and the way it was put, maybe not the best. And you know, I don’t know if she regrets it. You’d have to talk to Barb.”

Paul Archuleta/Getty; ABC/John Fleenor

RELATED: The Bachelor‘s Hannah Ann Sluss Says Peter Weber’s Mom Has ‘Reached Out’ to Her Since Their Split

Tuesday night’s epic finale saw Weber propose to Hannah Ann Sluss after Prewett decided to walk away from the show. But one month later, the pilot broke off his short-lived engagement to pursue a relationship with Prewett after realizing his feelings for her never went away.

As footage of the proposal and subsequent breakup aired, a camera held steady on Barbara to get her reaction — and it didn’t disappoint. The mother was often seen frowning and rolling her eyes.

“She was a star,” Harrison said of the now-viral “Barb Cam.” “She was such a pivotal part of the show and she was a big central figure in Peter’s life.”

ABC

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Weber, 28, and Prewett, 23, reunited during the live show, but things quickly took a turn when Barbara openly disapproved of the relationship.

“Chris, he’s going to have to fail to succeed,” she said. “All his friends, all his family, everyone that knows him knows that it’s not going to work.”

Despite the harsh words, Harrison said he is hopeful that the family can get back on track — and he’s willing to “help them do that.”

“I’m a big believer in time and this too shall pass,” he said. “I hope their love and their faith is strong enough that they will amicably come back together and maybe I’ll help them do that.”