Though he’s no longer announcing “the final rose of the evening” or hosting “The Men/Women Tell All” specials, former long-term Bachelor host Chris Harrison is ready to “tell all” about his own life and experience on the show that made him a household name.
US Weekly reported that he’s also addressing his controversial firing from the franchise that made him a millionaire. “I’m a little nervous. I have not spoken publicly for two years about this, and I have a lot of thoughts,” the former ABC host began in the trailer for The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever… With Chris Harrison.
“I think about this every day,” Chris continued. “Truly, every day of my life I think about this . . . how important it is that I speak to everybody for the first time. So it’s heavy. It’s really heavy,” he added.
The author of The Perfect Letter: A Novel concluded, “But I think it will be cathartic. I’m looking forward to getting this off my shoulders and repairing this, moving forward, and letting everybody hear from me.”
The official podcast description promises, “Fans can expect to hear Chris open up like never before. Using his unparalleled expertise, he will dig into all things relationships every week. Fans will no longer just be going along for the ride, they’ll be up close and personal with Chris as he navigates through dating, marriage, love, loss, and more. For the first time ever, Chris will discuss everything, and there’s no telling what he will have to say.” In other words, The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever!
As fans of Bachelor Nation know, Chris was let go from the show he’d hosted for 19 years, per CBS News, during Matt James‘s season of The Bachelor. In an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, Chris was asked to weigh in on resurfaced photos of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell at a college party wearing an antebellum-style dress as part of an “Old South Antebellum” party, per US Weekly.
“We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion. Because I have seen some stuff online — this judge, jury, executioner thing where people are just tearing this girl’s life apart and diving into, like, her parents, her parents’ voting record,” Chris commented at the time. “I haven’t heard Rachael speak on this yet. Until I actually hear this woman have a chance to speak, who am I to say any of this?”
Unfortunately, Chris didn’t stop there, as he climbed further onto his soapbox and ended his own career. “Who is Rachel Lindsay and who is Chris Harrison and who is whatever ‘woke’ police person out there, who are you? I’ve heard this a lot of, ‘I think she should,’ ‘I think he should.’ Who the hell are you? Who are you that you demand that?” he remarked.
The Bachelor host’s remarks caused an instant backlash, with many fans questioning why he felt compelled to defend Rachael (Kirkconnell) so vehemently, while others directed their anger at Rachel (Lindsay.)
The Dallas native later apologized to Rachel, the first African-American Bachelorette, and she accepted his mea culpa. “I do accept the apology,” Rachel said in March 2021, as ABC pulled Chris from hosting the After the Final Rose special for Matt James‘ season. “And I think it’s important for me to say that . . . I’m not trying to make this a Chris-versus-Rachel [thing]. But the fact that– he’s apologized to me — he apologized again on GMA today, and I do accept that and I think it’s important for me to say that because we need to move forward. And for me, for us to move forward, I need to accept the apology, so we can all be better from this situation, which is what we want,” she added.
I have to say, even though I’m a fan of Rachel Lindsay, as an attorney, she can really ramble on. Get to the point, girl!
RELATED: The Bachelorette Alum Rachel Lindsay Explains Keeping Marriage With Bryan Abasolo Private
Long story short, Chris was officially fired from The Bachelor franchise later that same month. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (otherwise known as Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe) were brought in as temporary hosts. Former Bachelor and ex-NFL quarterback Jesse Palmer was hired as Chris’s replacement in 2022.
Rachael and Matt briefly split up following all the controversary, but ended up together.
Until now, Chris Harrison has never spoken about any monetary settlement he may have received or anything else regarding Bachelor Nation. But all that’s about to end. The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever drops its first episode on January 9, 2023.
TELL US – WERE YOU SURPRISED WHEN CHRIS’S COMMENTS ABOUT RACHAEL GOT HIM FIRED? WILL YOU BE LISTENING TO HIS NEW PODCAST?
[Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images]
