It’s been almost two years since Chris Harrison parted ways with ABC and The Bachelor franchise, following controversial comments he made in relation to race during an interview on Extra. Now the former host has returned to the public eye, speaking for the first time about what transpired after the February 2021 interview that led to his firing after serving as the sole host of The Bachelor and its spinoffs for nearly 20 years. Harrison revealed that he lost 20 pounds, as he received backlash from those comments and also admitted to keeping an eye on the “scoreboard,” making a catty comment about the shows’ ratings.
Chris Harrison launched The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever, with the first two episodes discussing the fallout he faced after defending former Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell amid her own scandal. The situation apparently had a big effect on his health, as the former host said:
I was heartbroken. I was gutted. I was embarrassed. I was mad at myself. I was disappointed in myself. The last thing in the world I ever wanted to do was be an agent of anything negative. Whether it had to do with race or anything, the fact that I was involved in this and that I had a big part in this, and I do own that — there were many things that were out of control and things definitely spun out of control for a number of reasons — but for my part in this, I was sick, sick to my stomach. And I lost 20 pounds, I didn’t sleep, I didn’t eat, I was scared to death.
He clarified that he wasn’t scared of losing his job, but rather was worried for the safety of his family and friends. He and fiancée Lauren Zima said they received hate messages, including death threats.
Rachael Kirkconnell came under fire during Matt James’ season of The Bachelor for problematic behavior and resurfaced photos from an Antebellum-themed fraternity party she’d attended in college. Chris Harrison spoke with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay on Extra about the situation, where many thought it seemed he was trying to excuse Kirkconnell’s behavior, asking for grace for the eventual Season 25 winner.
Chris Harrison apologized and stepped away from the franchise following the interview, and months later it was decided he would not return as host, as a departure agreement was reached that saw ABC pay him roughly $10 million to leave his longtime hosting position. The former host said on his podcast that he’s not mad at the show and is, in fact, grateful for how it changed his life. However, he said he hasn’t watched it since his exit, even getting a little dig in when discussing the ratings. In Harrison’s words:
I don’t watch. The last thing I think I watched was the last show with Matt James, hometowns. When I left, it was still the No. 1 show on TV. Now look, do I keep an eye on the ratings? Do I know what’s happening now? I’m not gonna say I’m not so humble and whatever to say that I haven’t paid attention to the scoreboard. Yes, I do know, I realize the ratings are down 50-60 percent and the show has changed dramatically. But also, that hurts me a little bit, because it’s something I took pride in building.
With Chris Harrison back in the public eye, he has many fans who have missed him as host of The Bachelor and who are interested to see what he does next. Meanwhile, The Bachelor has moved on with new host Jesse Palmer, who is set to lead Zach Shallcross on his own journey to find love when The Bachelor Season 27 premieres on Monday, January 23, on ABC. Take a look at our 2023 TV schedule to see what other shows are coming soon.
