The Orewa surf-lifesaver, 28, told the magazine things got especially intense during the show's final days of filming.
"I felt a little burnt-out after filming. I was constantly ending relationships, but wasn't able to properly process those feelings," he said.
"I know Viarni found it hard to deal with the way the show played out in the end."
Franich has previously revealed he battled depression in 2015 over a court case relating to his selection for a K2 1000 boat at the World Cup regatta.
"It was really not a good time," he said. "I was really lost, and just went lower and lower and found myself at the bottom of a really great big hole, and into a bit of depression.
The pair, who kept up their relationship in secret after filming until Bright was revealed as the winner last Sunday, also reveal they're yet to say the 'L' word to each other.
But Franich does admit that Bright is "the only one I can see myself falling in love with".