After ‘stepping aside’ from Bachelor Nation for season 17 of ‘The Bachelorette,’ Chris Harrison is now leaving the franchise for good, according to a new report.
Chris Harrison is officially out as host of The Bachelor and its spinoff shows, like The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, according to Deadline. The outlet claims that Chris has now exited the franchise “for good.” After a controversy earlier this year, Chris took a step back from his hosting gigs, and did not return for season 17 of The Bachelorette. However, now Deadline reports that he’s ending his run with the franchise permanently. HollywoodLife has reached out to reps for ABC, Warner Brothers Television and Chris for confirmation.
Chris has been host of Bachelor Nation since The Bachelor first premiered in 2002. However, while the show’s 25th season was airing earlier this year, he became embroiled in a controversy after he failed to publicly condemn a contestant’s past racist actions. In early 2021, Rachael Kirkconnell, who was a contestant on season 25, was called out for photos that showed her attending an antebellum-themed party while she was in college. When Chris was asked about the controversy in an interview, he defended Rachael.
The backlash immediately began pouring in after Chris’s February interview. Fans called Chris out for giving Rachael a pass, rather than acknowledging that she should have known better than to attend an event that glorified a time period where racism was prevalent. He apologized, but the damage had been done.
By the end of February, Chris confirmed he would be “stepping aside” from the franchise. He was replaced by Emmanuel Acho as host of After the Final Rose on season 25 of The Bachelor, which aired in March. Chris also did not come back for season 17 of The Bachelorette, which aired on June 7. There, he was replaced by Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Chris wouldn’t be back for the upcoming season of Bachelor in Paradise, either. Instead, it’s expected that there will be a rotating slew of guest hosts, including David Spade, who will fill in. The longtime host reportedly reached a settlement with Warner Bros. on June 7, leading to his exit from the franchise for good, according to Deadline.