Southern Charm's Austen Kroll Admits He Would 'Like to Find a Partner': 'I Need a Strong Woman'

Austen Kroll is ready to settle down — even if fans don't think so.

"Look, it’s a strange question because it’s weird to be on a show and there are obviously people out there that are like, 'It’s a trick question. He hasn’t changed.' But it is an interesting thing to look at yourself in the mirror, truly. I feel like I’ve evolved in a way where I don’t want things to bother me as much. I don’t want to treat people in a certain manner anymore. Obviously, I’m still trying to figure out how to date because I have not mastered that, have I? But I feel like I’ve really been trending in the right direction, and I personally am happy," the reality star, 39, exclusively told OK! on September 14 at the Spill the Tea at Sea event with City Cruises NYC.

Kroll, who has been linked to several women post-Audrey Pratt split, was "raised by a very strong woman," so it makes sense he wants to be with someone who can hold their own.

"I need a strong woman who is not going to crumble at the silly things, who has her own career, who has her own things going on," he shared, adding he knows women who only want to be with him for fame.

"I think that early on, after my fourth season, it was very much like, 'Wait, you have to be careful if somebody is maybe using you for the wrong reasons,' and this and that. But there is no way that I would let that happen. I would sniff that out so fast. I do think it’s hard because who has dated successfully on the show and gotten married and stayed married?" he shared. "Not just our show, but kind of across reality TV. The first year, they love it — the producers love it. They build you up: 'Look how cute they are together.' And then the second year, they’re like, 'Everybody bring up all the dirt you’ve ever heard about them and let’s f------ destroy it.'"

"Then you look at someone like Madison [LeCroy]. She met her man, married her man in between filming seasons, said nobody could weigh in, no one could drop their toxic s--- on them, and they were just like, 'We’re doing this, and we’ll see you next season.' So that’s the smart way to do it, I think. It is tough because if you have someone that you really care about, then you really have to ask, 'Do I want to do this on TV?'" he added.

Though Kroll has been single for some time, he is interested in finding his other half.

"I just feel like once you learn the joys of being alone — and I’m not just talking about not having a partner, I’m just talking about sitting on your couch with your cats, in my case — it’s kind of like a big game. I like it. This whole season, you’ll see, but I do think that I’m coming out on the other side where I would like to find a partner," he said, noting he's "happy" in his life.

After finishing filming Season 12 of Southern Charm, he's excited for viewers to see "things get wrapped up."

"So I think it’s going to be an interesting show week in and week out, with new things happening rather than dwelling on one thing. Of course, I’m coming from a place of hurt from Season 9, where all we talked about was Taylor [Ann Green] and me. But we keep it moving, and there’s always something else going on. I have fun when I hear about someone else’s thing that I had no idea about, and I think that the fans will like that too," he said.

In the meantime, Kroll spilled the tea during the New York City event, which took place on a boat.

"Being here tonight with City Cruises, it’s very exciting because my dear friend Hannah [Ferrier] has been doing these around the country. I always love to do events where we can interact with the fans, and I’ve never interacted with a fan base on a boat before. It’s so fitting, of course, because Hannah is from Below Deck. So we’re literally on a boat, and I’m pretty excited about it," he said of getting to host alongside the blonde beauty.

During the event, fans got to ask the duo anything they wanted to know about filming.

"Look, let’s be totally honest. In years past, when Craig [Conover] and I used to do our podcast tour, I was always kind of nervous for the Q&A because I’m like, 'What are these people about to ask me?' It was all dependent on the season that I had, and people are like, 'Okay, tell us about…' I’m just happy to be alive. I’m just happy to be here, to be totally honest. I’m not really nervous about anything, and I hope that people laugh at our stories because my life is a bit ridiculous," he quipped.

"I particularly love events where you have to buy a ticket to come because then you’re a fan. You are paying money, you’re taking time out of your day to come. Everyone who is here just wants to have fun, and I hope to feed off that energy," she added.