Chris Harrison Is ‘Stepping Aside’ From Hosting ‘The Bachelor’ After Public Outcry Over His Racially Insensitive Remarks
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If you’re a Bachelor Nation fan, you’ve probably heard the news: long-time “Bachelor” host Chris Harrison is going to be “stepping aside” from hosting duties in the wake of recent controversy.
The move comes after Harrison caught major blowback for defending a current contestant who attended an antebellum plantation-themed frat party in 2018.
The contestant in question also liked various problematic social media posts before she appeared in this season.
The backlash (mostly directed at Harrison’s tone towards former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay) was fierce. Current and former BIPOC and non-BIPOC contestants condemned Harrison for his comments and asked for an apology.
Harrison did apologize before releasing a statement saying he would be taking a break from hosting duties for a “period of time”.
“The historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions,” he wrote. “To that end, I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special.”
For those not well-versed in The Bachelor world, this news is shocking because Chris Harrison has been hosting The Bachelor since its premiere in 2002. He is the show’s voice, face, and figurehead. His name is synonymous with the brand.
And while some people are happy to accept Chris Harrison’s apology, others still have their reservations.
Colombiano and season 13 winner Bryan Abasolo took to his podcast to call Chris Harrison’s apology “weak”.
Abasolo, who is married to Rachel Lindsay, started off his comments by saying that he had “highly respected” Harrison before his comments but now, he “definitely lost respect” for the Bachelor host.
Abasolo also said that Harrison’s comments were “irresponsible”, “hurtful” and “flat-out unacceptable.”
“Chris comes out and says this, and to me it makes me wonder like, ‘Damn, is this how everyone on the top feels?’ I hope that isn’t the case, but this is the figurehead. Is this the sentiment that we are trying to overcome, still in 2021?”
“[Chris was] adamant about it, vented Abasolo. “Quite frankly, the apology…I thought it was weak, not gonna lie.”
“You said everything you’ve said in public, I believe that it should be standard that you should apologize by showing your face and speaking in public the same as your words were aired in public when you said them.”
Abasolo also explained that while he “doesn’t believe in cancel culture” that the public “needs to see the growth” from people in the spotlight who mess up.
“You have too big of a platform and you’re too big of an influencer for you not to lead by example in this situation,” Abasolo said. “I just pray that we see that evolution from him play out for everyone to see.”
