Getty "The Bachelorette" host Chris Harrison weighed on how he feels about Clare Crawley and Dale Moss whirlwind engagement.
After a dramatic first few episodes of The Bachelorette season 16, Bachelor Nation fans watched Clare Crawley and Dale Moss get engaged last week, mere weeks into filming. Their whirlwind engagement cut Crawley’s time as the show’s lead short and, as we know now, the production brought Tayshia Adams in to continue the season as the new Bachelorette for the remaining contestants.
As rumors swirled that Crawley was pushed out of being the Bachelorette, host Chris Harrison appeared on Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti’s podcast “Almost Famous” to dispel speculation that he’s anything but supportive of the love Crawley found during her short-lived journey on the reality dating show.
Here’s what he had to say:
Harrison Says That ‘No One Is Mad’ at Crawley for Committing to Moss So Quickly
In the wake of Crawley’s sudden engagement to Moss on The Bachelorette, fans have been searching for drama about the true nature of her departure as the lead, and wondering if there was more happening behind the scenes than played out on-screen. As a podcast guest on “Almost Famous,” Harrison asserted, “I’m not mad at Clare. No one is mad at Clare, at least on the show side, the producers. We embraced it. And I sat down with her and said, ‘Clare, my only issue is this isn’t fair anymore. Let’s just figure out what’s going on with you and Dale. Let’s stop the show.'”
Addressing speculation again, he added, “I just want to clear it up, at no point, was I disappointed in Clare. No point where any of us were disappointed. In fact, it was the contrary.”
He explained that the conversation and decision to cut Crawley’s time on the season short was motivated by observations during filming that made it apparent she was falling hard and fast for Moss, and only had eyes for him. He said, “Clearly her head was not there anymore. And clearly she was not even remotely giving anyone else a chance, which is not bad.”
Harrison Disapproves of Crawley Being ‘Vilified’ by Fans for What She Did
Fans have been critical of Crawley and the way her pursuit of Moss panned out on the show, but Harrison readily came to her defense when talking on “Almost Famous.” While the quick proposal was certainly “unprecedented” in Bachelor history, Harrison said, “There is nothing that Clare has done that deserves anger and for her to be vilified. Why are you mad that this woman found the love of her life and got engaged? I just want to ask everybody to have a little bit of grace and understanding.”
On social media, Harrison seemed to double-down on his support of the couple. He posted a photo taken with the two after their on-camera proposal, writing in the caption, “Congratulations to these two crazy kids! Wishing them nothing but love as they start this journey together.”
Although Crawley’s journey to find love is already complete, don’t think you’ve seen the last of her this season. Harrison revealed that they’re going to continue to check in on Crawley and Moss as the show goes on. This week’s promo teased a “tell-all” between Harrison and the engaged couple, who have been together for three months.
New episodes of The Bachelorette season 16 air on Tuesday nights at 8/7c on ABC.
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