Chris Harrison Permanently Exits 'Bachelor' Franchise With 8-Figure Payout Hours After 'Bachelorette' Premiere

Chris Harrison is permanently exiting the Bachelor franchise, per a new report, and the now-former host is said to be walking away with an eight-figure payout. The news of Harrison's exit comes just hours after the Bachelorette Season 17 premiere, with Deadline reporting that he will not be returning to The Bachelor, nor any of its spinoffs. Harrison has been the primary host of all things Bachelor since the show first debuted in 2002. There is currently no word on the exact amount of Harrison's exit package.

Harrison took a leave from the franchise earlier this year, after igniting a racial controversy with comments he made about The Bachelor Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. Harrison defended Kirkconnell after it was discovered that she once attended a college Antebellum party. Harrison's comments set off backlash, leading him to apologize and announce that he was taking a break from all Bachelor projects for the time being. "To my Bachelor Nation family -- I will always own a mistake when I make one, so I am here to extend a sincere apology," Harrison's apology statement began. I 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 continued, "While I do not speak for Rachael Kirkconnell, my intentions were simply to ask for grace in offering her an opportunity to speak on her own behalf. What I now realize I have done is cause harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism, and for that I am so deeply sorry. I also apologize to my friend Rachel Lindsay for not listening to her better on a topic she has a first-hand understanding of, and humbly thank the members of Bachelor Nation who have reached out to me to hold me accountable. I promise to do better."

Harrison later sat down for a Good Morning America interview with Michael Strahan and further apologized for his defense of Kirkconnell. "I am an imperfect man, I made a mistake and I own that," he said during his appearance. "I believe that mistake doesn't reflect who I am or what I stand for. I am committed to progress, not just for myself, also for the franchise. And this is a franchise that has been a part of my life for the better part of 20 years and I love it."

In the wake of Harrison stepping away from the Bachelor franchise, former contestants Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams are hosting the new season of The Bachelorette. It has also been reported that Bachelor-creator Mike Fleiss has found at least one replacement for Bachelor in Paradise. Comedian and former SNL star David Spade will be handling hosting duties on the summer series, while other guest hosts will reportedly be announced at a later date.