ABC/Craig Sjodin Chris Harrison is under fire for his comments about the Rachael Kirkconnell controversy.
STOP! Do not read further if you do not want spoilers on season 17 of The Bachelorette.
Bachelor Nation has a new host, or rather co-hosts. Reality Steve reported Chris Harrison will be replaced by two former Bachelorettes for the upcoming season of the dating competition.
“Tayshia Adams & Kaitlyn Bristowe are your new co-hosts for Katie [Thurston]’s Bachelorette season,” Reality Steve wrote on Twitter. “Every1 is currently quarantining in New Mexico – Katie, the men, the co-hosts, and production – & filming begins late next week at the Hyatt Tamaya, just outside of Albuquerque, NM.”
(SPOILER): Tayshia Adams & Kaitlyn Bristowe are your new co-hosts for Katie’s Bachelorette season. Every1 is currently quarantining in New Mexico – Katie, the men, the co-hosts, and production – & filming begins late next week at the Hyatt Tamaya, just outside of Albuquerque, NM.
This revelation comes just a day after TMZ reported Harrison was not quarantining in New Mexico.
Last night, Thurston, who Reality Steve reported will be announced as Bachelorette on After the Final Rose, tweeted in part, “I hope that Chris Harrison continues to take more time to step away while sincerely educating himself & dedicating himself to the work.”
I stand with other alumni who have expressed that learning & growth require time. I hope that Chris Harrison continues to take more time to step away while sincerely educating himself & dedicating himself to the work. We can all grow and do better with time, and I hope he does.
Harrison announced he was “stepping aside for a period of time” amid backlash for an Extra interview with Rachel Lindsay. During the interview, when the former Bachelorette asked the franchise’s longtime host about the racism accusations facing Rachael Kirkconnell, he questioned if her involvement in an antebellum-themed party would be considered “not a good look” under a 2018 lens.
While ABC has yet to comment on whether Harrison’s absence will impact other seasons or be made permanent, Emmanuel Acho stepped in as host for the filming of After the Final Rose.
Acho Is Expected to Announce Thurston and Michelle Young as Upcoming Bachelorettes
(SPOILER): What I posted last week is now “official.” Katie Thurston was named the “Bachelorette” at this past Friday’s ATFR taping. For real this time.
Despite previously confirming Thurston as Bachelorette, recent promos for After the Final Rose showed Acho teasing a “curveball.”
Reality Steve has now confirmed that the author of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man “also informs us that Michelle Young will have her OWN season of the ‘Bachelorette’ filmed later this summer.”
Young’s season is expected to film in July, though no location has been announced.
“I’m sure some are asking, ‘If they wanted Michelle, why didn’t they just give her the season about to be filmed? Why have Katie?” wrote Reality Steve. “Michelle did not want to leave her class again to start filming in a few weeks, hence the reason she is getting her own season this summer when she’s out of school.”
Bachelor in Paradise is expected to return after a year off during its typical timeslot.
Harrison Said He ‘Plans to Be Back’ During a ‘Good Morning America’ Interview
Harrison appeared on Good Morning America for his first interview since stepping down amid controversy, telling host Michael Strahan “I plan to be back. And I want to be back.”
He called himself an “imperfect man” who “made a mistake,” telling Strahan, “I didn’t speak from my heart, and that is to say I stand against all forms of racism, and I am deeply sorry. I’m sorry to Rachel Lindsay, and I’m sorry to the black community.”
The 49-year-old revealed he has turned to the community he hurt, which includes working with a “race educator and strategist.”
Dr. Michael Eric Dyson spoke with Entertainment Tonight about the work he is doing with Harrison, calling the host a “sponge.”
“I think that he has been dedicated, I think he’s committed, and guess what? If he is a change agent as a host of this tremendous franchise, look at the influence he can have across the board and not just convincing Black people that he’s serious, but talking to other white people who may be insensitive or unaware and he can make the difference,” Dyson said.
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