Chris Harrison has said he would not be hosting the TV show "The Bachelor" for an undetermined length of time after his insensitive racial comment, which has reignited controversy about the reality franchise's history of racism. Last week, Harrison was being interviewed by Extra host and former star of 2017's "The Bachelorette" Rachel Lindsay when he defended current contestant, Rachael Kirkconnell's was snapped at an antebellum plantation-themed party with her Georgia college sorority sisters in 2018. His remarks in the interview prompted a widespread backlash.
Harrison, who said that he will be away for a period of time from his hosting duties during the "historic season" of "The Bachelor," has since tendered a public apology on his Instagram saying that he is sorry for the pain and damage he had brought to his "friends, colleagues and strangers alike." He further said: "I am sorry to the communities and individuals that my actions harmed and offended. I am ashamed about my lack of education. I deserve to be held accountable for my actions." The current season of "The Bachelor" features Matt James, who is the show's first Black lead.
On February 15, reality TV star Rachel Lindsay opened up on the controversy in an exclusive interview about the way she feels about Chris Harrison's decision to stepping down as host of 'The Bachelor'. Lindsay, who happens to be the first Black contestant in the "Bachelor" franchise, said that she hopes Chris Harrison will "educate himself" moving forward reacting to his multiple apologies.
The former contestant of the reality show also said: "I'm happy to see that he's getting education to be more productive and more profound in his level of understanding in regards to this issue. I'm happy to hear that, and I'll be one of the many that's going to sit back and wait and see what happens with all of this," according to HL
The longtime host for the Bachelor franchise took to his official Instagram page to share the lengthy post on February 13, after he grabbed the spotlight for his controversial remarks during the interview with Rachel on Extra channel. The "Bachelor" franchise made its debut in 2002 and it did not cast a person of colour as its lead until Lindsay. Reportedly, Lindsay doesn't want to be a part of the franchise any longer.
