![Chris Harrison standing in front of a rose wall.](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pjimage-52.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780)
Getty Images Chris Harrison has apologized for comments he made about the controversy surrounding Rachael Kirkconnell.
Chris Harrison has made the decision to step aside from the Bachelor franchise for a “period of time” after he upset fans with some insensitive comments during an interview earlier this month.
Fans presumed that this meant that Harrison would not film the upcoming episode of After the Final Rose, but would likely resume his hosting duties for the next season of The Bachelorette. However, it is possible that fans will be seeing a lot less of Harrison on The Bachelor, despite the fact that his scenes have already been filmed. It’s entirely possible that his role will be edited out.
“There have been conversations about somehow cutting Chris Harrison out from some of the prerecorded episodes or at least some of the portions. If not, they may add a disclaimer at the top of the remaining episodes,” a source told Us Weekly.
Here’s what you need to know:
There Is a Chance That Chris Harrison Will Return for ‘The Bachelorette’ but Production May Be Delayed
At this point in time, fans of the Bachelor franchise don’t know when Harrison will return to his hosting duties. While some people are hoping to see him return in the not-so-distant future, others are hoping that he’s removed and replaced.
And while ABC executives have yet to address the controversy that has engulfed the franchise, there has reportedly been some discussion about what the next move will be. Although Reality Steve believes that someone will need to address the controversy in order to move forward, Us Weekly’s source shared that there has been some chatter about moving forward — perhaps with Harrison.
“There have been conversations about pushing the ‘Bachelorette’ back,” the source shared. The purpose would be to “give Harrison more time away,” according to Us Weekly.
There has also been some chatter about the next season of The Bachelorette being canceled altogether.
“Do they take a season off and do a full reboot of the show? Do they continue with ‘Bachelorette’ in a month, new host and all, and try to fix things on the fly? Your guess is as good as mine, but I’d say these next few weeks will probably be the most important weeks in this shows history. They need to have an exec come out publicly and give a detailed explanation as to HOW they are going to change going forward,” Reality Steve blogged.
Chris Harrison Has Been Silent on Social Media Since February 13 Announcement
Chris Harrison has not returned to social media since announcing his decision to step away for a bit. He has not spoken out any further or done any interviews since February 13.
“To my Bachelor Nation family — I will always own a mistake when I make one, so I am here to extend a sincere apology. have this incredible platform to speak about love, and yesterday I took a stance on topics about which I should have been better informed,” Harrison’s Instagram apology reads, in part.
Bachelor franchise fans seem split on what they’d like to see happen with Harrison in the future. Some fans have vowed to never watch the show again if Harrison is still the host, while other fans say they will not watch if Harrison is fired.
The new season of The Bachelorette was supposed to start filming in just a couple of weeks. This means that a decision about Harrison’s future will need to be made soon.
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Here’s Why You May Not See Chris Harrison on the Rest of ‘The Bachelor’