Chris Harrison to Address ‘Bachelor’ Scandal for 1st Time in 2 Years

He might now not ship the ultimate rose, however Chris Harrison isn’t letting go of Bachelor Nation. The previous host is launching a brand new podcast with a title that pays homage to the franchise — and addressing his controversial exit for the primary time.

“I’m a bit of nervous. I’ve not spoken publicly for 2 years about this and I’ve plenty of ideas. I take into consideration this day by day. Really, day by day of my life I take into consideration this and what I need to say,” the 51-year-old former ABC character started within the trailer for “The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever … With Chris Harrison,” which iHeartRadio dropped on Monday, December 19. “And the way essential it’s that I converse to all people for the primary time. So it’s heavy. It’s actually heavy. We’ll see the way it goes. We might scrap this entire factor to be trustworthy, I don’t know.”


Chris Harrison.
Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

Harrison concluded: “However I feel it is going to be cathartic. I’m trying ahead to getting this off my shoulders and repairing this, transferring ahead, and letting all people hear from me.”

The official description for the present reads: “Followers can count on to listen to Chris open up like by no means earlier than. Utilizing his unparalleled experience, he’ll dig into all issues relationships each week. Followers will now not simply be going alongside for the trip, they’ll be up shut and private with Chris as he navigates by courting, marriage, love, loss, and extra. For the primary time ever, Chris will talk about every part, and there’s no telling what he should say.”

Followers will recall the Excellent Letter creator got here below fireplace in February 2021 whereas selling Matt James’ season of The Bachelor throughout an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay. On the time, the Further correspondent requested the longtime host about resurfaced photographs of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell at a university get together in an antebellum-style costume.

“All of us must have a bit of grace, a bit of understanding, a bit of compassion. As a result of I’ve seen some stuff on-line — this choose, jury, executioner factor the place persons are simply tearing this lady’s life aside and diving into, like, her dad and mom, her dad and mom’ voting document,” Harrison stated. “I haven’t heard Rachael converse on this but. Till I really hear this lady have an opportunity to talk, who am I to say any of this?”

He continued on the time: “Who’s Rachel Lindsay and who’s Chris Harrison and who’s no matter woke police particular person on the market, who’re you? I’ve heard this plenty of, ‘I feel she ought to,’ ‘I feel he ought to.’ Who the hell are you? Who’re you that you simply demand that?”

Chris Harrison Previews Addressing 'Bachelor' Controversy for 1st Time
iHeartMedia

The interview sparked immediate backlash, with many followers questioning why Harrison felt compelled to defend Kirkconnell so passionately. Different viewers directed hate at Lindsay, to whom Harrison later apologized.

“I do settle for the apology,” Lindsay stated in March 2021 after Harrison addressed the controversy on Good Morning America as ABC pulled him from internet hosting James’ After the Remaining Rose particular. “And I feel it’s essential for me to say that as a result of I haven’t actually talked about, you recognize, Chris and the assertion as a result of I’m not attempting to make this a Chris-versus-Rachel. However the truth that, as soon as once more, you recognize — this isn’t the primary time he’s apologized to me — he apologized once more on GMA at the moment and I do settle for that and I feel it’s essential for me to say that as a result of we have to transfer ahead. And for me, for us to maneuver ahead, I want to simply accept the apology, so we will all be higher from this case, which is what we wish.”

That very same month, ABC introduced former leads Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams would host Katie Thurston‘s season 17 of The Bachelorette. Harrison’s everlasting exit was introduced in June 2021. (Jesse Palmer took over in 2022.)

“Chris Harrison is stepping apart as host of The Bachelor franchise. We’re grateful for his many contributions over the previous 20 years and need him all the perfect on his new journey,” Warner Horizon and ABC Leisure stated in a press release on the time.

Kirkconnell, for her half, gained James’ season — however the twosome break up amid the scandal as she apologized for her previous actions. They later reunited and are nonetheless courting. In his memoir, James, the primary Black Bachelor, spoke about how disillusioned he was with what the present selected to give attention to — however he didn’t point out Harrison by title.

“I hate beating a lifeless horse and every part’s performed out the way it’s performed out and there’s no want to return [to] one thing that we’ve talked a lot about as a result of sadly, these kind of conversations overshadowed context that I might’ve preferred to have been utilized to the season that may’ve answered a bunch of questions,” James stated on Us Weekly’s “Right here for the Proper Causes” podcast in Might. “That they had issues that I talked about and mentioned and went into in-depth in my dates and on group dates and on one-on-ones that by no means aired. So I didn’t wanna take any extra time to speak about that stuff. I needed to give attention to themes that I felt might actually assist individuals and I don’t suppose that going again on that may be any assist to anyone.”

Months later, Kirkconnell gave a uncommon interview in regards to the state of affairs, addressing Harrison’s motives behind defending her so strongly.

“I didn’t even know he was doing that interview. My telephone was blowing up like everybody else’s. … I had no concept. … The ignorant facet of me needs to be, like, ‘It’s as a result of I used to be the ultimate one and he was attempting to avoid wasting, like, the truth that we had been collectively,’” Kirkconnell stated on the “Ya, However Who Cares” podcast in October. “If he would have reduce [himself] brief proper then and there, stated the one sentence like, ‘Let’s simply allow them to have their time.’ He might have ended it like that. However clearly, that wasn’t the case due to every part else that was stated afterward. So it’s not the rationale.”

Whereas various experiences about Harrison’s settlement cash surfaced following his exit, he has stayed mum — till now. “The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever … With Chris Harrison” drops its first episode on January 9, 2023.