2010-02-08 13:29:18 -

THE KOOKS star LUKE PRITCHARD has opened up about his romance with actres= s MISCHA BARTON, insisting he called off their relationship because he ne= eded to "pull himself back" from "the whirlwind." The couple split last March (09) amid

speculation they found it hard to= maintain their trans-Atlantic relationship.
The British rocker admits he had a good time with the former The O.C. s= tar, but disliked being caught up in her wild lifestyle when he saw his p= rivate life slapped across gossip columns.
He tells the U.K.'s Metro newspaper, "Personally I never thought I=E2=80= =99d be that person or be perceived in that way. It just kind of happened= .. Things happen really quickly and then you are in certain situations but= I enjoyed it. There was a time when I didn=E2=80=99t know what the f**k = was going on at all. It was just the whirlwind of it all. You just end up= in certain situations and it=E2=80=99s fun then, sometimes you want to j= ust pull yourself back a bit." Pritchard reveals he rarely contacts his ex-girlfriend now, but they ar= e still on friendly terms.
He adds, "I don=E2=80=99t see her. I did see her the last time I was in= New York and we were perfectly amicable."