Fatal error in convert_smilies() due to count() receiving non-countable value

function convert_smilies( $text ) {
    global $wp_smiliessearch;
    $output = '';

    // Verify if smilies are enabled and if the smilies search pattern is defined.
    if ( get_option( 'use_smilies' ) && ! empty( $wp_smiliessearch ) ) {
        // Split the text into elements using preg_split.
        $textarr = preg_split( '/(<.*>)/U', $text, -1, PREG_SPLIT_DELIM_CAPTURE ); // Capture the tags as well as in between.

        // Check if $textarr is an array before continuing.
        if ( is_array( $textarr ) ) {
            $stop = count( $textarr ); // Count elements for the loop.

            // Ignore processing of certain tags.
            $tags_to_ignore       = 'code|pre|style|script|textarea';
            $ignore_block_element = '';

            // Iterate over each part of the text.
            for ( $i = 0; $i < $stop; $i++ ) {
                $content = $textarr[ $i ];

                // If we are in an ignore block, wait until we find its closing tag.
                if ( '' === $ignore_block_element && preg_match( '/^<(' . $tags_to_ignore . ')[^>]*>/', $content, $matches ) ) {
                    $ignore_block_element = $matches[1];
                }

                // If it's not a tag and not in an ignore block.
                if ( '' === $ignore_block_element && strlen( $content ) > 0 && '<' !== $content[0] ) {
                    $content = preg_replace_callback( $wp_smiliessearch, 'translate_smiley', $content );
                }

                // Did we exit the ignore block?
                if ( '' !== $ignore_block_element && '</' . $ignore_block_element . '>' === $content ) {
                    $ignore_block_element = '';
                }

                $output .= $content;
            }
        } else {
            // If $textarr is not an array, return the original text without changes.
            $output = $text;
        }
    } else {
        // Return the original text if smilies are not used.
        $output = $text;
    }

    return $output;
}