Chris Harrison, longtime host of ABC’s “The Bachelor” franchise, will reportedly not return for future seasons of the show nor any related spin-offs.
The news of Harrison’s permanent departure was first reported by Deadline on Tuesday. The outlet also reported Harrison reached a confidential settlement to depart the franchise, also confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter.
Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment confirmed in a joint statement to Spectrum News that Harrison is "stepping aside" as host of the franchise: "We are thankful for his many contributions over the past 20 years and wish him all the best on his new journey.”
Harrison had previously announced he would be temporarily stepping away from his role on “The Bachelor” earlier this year, when he came under fire after an interview on “Extra” where he was asked about racially insensitive past behavior from “Bachelor” contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.
Kirkconnell appeared on season 25 of the show, which saw Matt James appear as the series’ first-ever Black male lead.
After the season aired, past photos of Kirkconnell resurfaced in which she was dressed in costume as a Native American and at an antebellum plantation themed ball. Kirkconnell later issued an apology for what she called her past “racist and offensive” actions.
In the interview, which was hosted by Rachel Lindsay, who appeared as the first Black female lead on season 13 of “The Bachelorette,” Harrison defended Kirkconnell against what he called the “woke police” on social media. “We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion,” he said in the interview.
Harrison’s comments in the interview were widely criticized by both Lindsay and fans of the “Bachelor” franchise.
Harrison later apologized for his comments, saying his “ignorance did damage” and he was “ashamed over how uninformed I was.” He said he would be stepping aside from his TV show “for a period of time” and would not be hosting the ”After the Final Rose” special that follows the season finale of “The Bachelor.”
At the time, neither Harrison nor ABC clarified how long Harrison would be away from the show.
In March, Harrison — who hosted “The Bachelor” since 2002 and related shows “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise” since their respective launches in 2003 and 2014 — told ABC’s “Good Morning America” he was committed to improving, and indicated he was hopeful he could return to hosting duties.
“I am an imperfect man, I made a mistake and I own that,” he said in the interview on March 4. “I believe that mistake doesn’t reflect who I am or what I stand for. I am committed to progress, not just for myself, also for the franchise. And this is a franchise that has been a part of my life for the better part of 20 years and I love it.”
But speculation that the departure might be more permanent surfaced when it was announced that comedian David Spade would reportedly take over hosting duties for this summer’s “Bachelor in Paradise” season. According to Us Weekly, the 56-year-old seemed to confirm the news when he reposted several stories of the announcement to his Instagram.
Season 17 of “The Bachelorette” premiered on Monday, and did not feature Harrison as host. Instead, former contestants Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will serve as “The Bachelorette’s” Katie Thurston love gurus on this season.
Adams appeared on season 23 of “The Bachelor” and the 6th season of “Bachelor in Paradise,” and replaced Clare Crawley halfway through season 16 of “The Bachelorette”; Bristowe was a contestant on the 19th season “The Bachelor,” and as the lead on the 11th season of “The Bachelorette.”
This article has been updated to include a joint statement from Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.