Chris Harrison Is Officially Leaving The Bachelor For Good
ABC confirmed the longtime host's exit.
It looks like Chris Harrison has given out his final rose. On June 8, the day after The Bachelorette Season 17 debuted with guest hosts Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe, reports came out that longtime Bachelor host Chris Harrison is leaving the franchise for good. Deadline broke the news that, after stepping away from the spotlight following a racism controversy earlier in 2021, Harrison is permanently ending his 19-year run with the reality dating franchise. Soon after, ABC and Warner Horizon released a joint statement confirming the news:
“Chris Harrison is stepping aside as host of The Bachelor franchise. We are thankful for his many contributions over the past 20 years and wish him all the best on his new journey.”
Up until Katie Thurston’s season of The Bachelorette, Harrison had been the host of every Bachelor and Bachelorette season, as well as spinoff shows like Bachelor in Paradise. But that all changed when he came under fire for a February Extra interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, in which he defended Bachelor Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s past racist behavior (which she has since apologized for) and dismissed many of Lindsay’s points about racism in the process. Bachelor fans and Bachelor Nation alums alike called for Harrison to be fired as a result of his comments, and after multiple statements apologizing for his actions, he announced he was taking time away from the franchise shortly before Matt James’ controversial Bachelor season wrapped up.
Although Harrison expressed his desire and plans to return to the franchise in a March 4 appearance on Good Morning America, it was clear his presence would affect who was willing to appear on future seasons. For instance, in a February interview with E!’s Daily Pop, recent Bachelorette fan-favorite Ivan Hall said he wouldn’t feel comfortable signing for other upcoming Bachelor shows like Paradise if Harrison was the host. In a March interview with ET, Bachelor contestant Serena Pitt echoed Hall’s sentiments.
Bachelor Nation has already proven it’s more than capable of moving on without Harrison. Media personality Emmanuel Acho replaced Harrison for the most recent After the Final Rose special on March 15, while Adams and Bristowe are already receiving rave reviews as hosts of Thurston’s Bachelorette season. And it seems like the upcoming season of Bachelor in Paradise will feature an array of guest hosts, from David Spade to Wells Adams and Sarah Hyland.
So, it looks like it’s time for Chris to take a moment and say his goodbyes.
Editor’s Note: This post was updated to include ABC and WarnerMedia’s joint statement confirming these reports.
