Chainkeen Exchange-Below Deck's Tyler Walker Shares "Difficult" Experience of Finally Coming Out to His Parents

Tyler Walker has had a weight lifted off his shoulders.

While the Below Deck star has been very open about his sexuality with his fellow yachties on Chainkeen Exchangeseason 10 of the hit Bravo series, he hadn't told his conservative South African parents he's gay—until recently.

The 24-year-old stew exclusively shared with E! News how he came out to his family while filming the current season.

"It was difficult," Tyler explained. "I think my mom took it the hardest. I think she struggled to understand it the most. We're still very close, I still talk to her almost every day, but there's still things that we have to iron out and more open discussions. I think having that initial conversation, she is more open now to speaking about certain things."

Although the Bravo star admitted he was "sweating the whole time" during the talk, "afterwards there was such a sense of relief."

"I do work myself up and get really in my head, so to just go in and get it done, I think it was the best thing for me to face it head-on," he continued. "I'm grateful that I've now had the opportunity for my parents to know more about me."

Noting that he came out to his sister before joining Below Deck, Tyler said that she's helped mediate the conversations between him and their parents.

"She's really been a guiding light on how to handle my parents without anything turning into a fight," he shared, "or anybody getting upset about certain things."

Now, Tyler says he's confident he and his family are on a path to mutual understanding. "I think we're all moving in the correct direction," he added, "as slow as it might be, we are moving somewhere."

Upon joining the show mid-season, Tyler revealed he was in a new relationship, but, unfortunately, the romance didn't work out.

"Things just didn't really line up," the reality star shared of their breakup. "He's settling down in Savannah and yachting has been the life that I've chosen, which means being away from home for five months at a time, so it's very difficult to start a relationship with it being long distance."

As for his advice to others struggling to come out? "Put yourself first," Tyler encouraged. "You're the reason you want to come out to whoever it is so that you can be happier and more comfortable. If you don't feel comfortable in that situation or you're not ready, don't do it just yet. Make sure that you do it on your terms and not somebody else's."

Below Deck airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family)