“I broke up with Mark because I just know long term it’s not right,” the 37-year-old said on her Let’s Be Honest podcast Oct. 1. “It’s not because of love lost or something bad happened, no one cheated, no one was mean. No one did anything. Those breakups are always the hardest, I think.”

Although she described Mark as “the best boyfriend I’ve ever had,” their 13-year age difference—which they both fiercely defended in the past—ultimately led to their breakup.

“I just know long term he needs to experience life,” she said. “He’s young, I mean, he is. I started to feel the age a little bit just with life experience. I look back on when I was 24 and how much life has happened for me between then. Those are crucial years; those are formative years. This is when you find yourself, and he needs to be able to do that.”

After debuting their relationship in February, the couple tuned out the criticism surrounding their age gap and were instead focusing on one another.

“She makes happy, I make her happy,” Mark told E! in March in a joint interview with Kaleb and Kade. “That’s what’s important, so I’m not too worried about the critics, honestly.”

Keep reading to see where it all started for Mark and Kristin.

“Dude if Kristin’s happy, like all for it,” the 37-year-old said. “He’s a really cool guy. He’s a really sweet guy.” (Watch more from the 2024 PCCAs on E! News tonight, Sept. 26)

Jason and Ashley—who have been married since 2013—were also proud to be representing Nashville at the Shania Twain-hosted PCCAs, as Ashley shared her animal-print jacket was sourced from local Nashville shops. (Click here to see all the red carpet fashion.)

Plus, they know the Tennessee town is a place like no other, especially when it comes to the country stars who live there.

“I feel like it’s so fun.,” Ashley said. “Nashville’s so different because I feel like in L.A., in Orange County celebrities are so, ‘Ah!’ And here, they’re just normal people.”

But most importantly: where do they stand on heading back to reality TV? Well for his part, Jason isn’t saying no, but he is looking for something more substantial than what he experienced on The Hills.

“I’ve obviously dedicated my life to mental health and addiction,” he said on the red carpet, “and if there was a true story arc—especially with the environment that we’re in today.”

In his ideal world, Jason could shed light on substance abuse and mental health, although he is well aware that “TV’s gotta be TV.”

“But if there’s something to really bring true awareness and help smash the stigma associated with it,” he explained to E!, “I would 100 percent do something like that.”

To see more from the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards red carpet, keep reading.

(E!, NBC and Peacock are all part of the NBCUniversal family.)