On Monday night’s episode of The Bachelor, the women who have appeared and been eliminated from Matt James‘ season will reunite to discuss all of the drama. The special will be hosted by Chris Harrison, who has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks following his Extra interview with former Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay, during which he defended current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell over her alleged pre-show racist actions. While Harrison will be stepping back from the show towards the end of the season, he will appear as the host for this special, as it was taped before this racism scandal took place.
According to Us Weekly, the Women Tell All special will feature contestants who were featured on Season 23 of The Bachelor, including Serena Pitt, Victoria Larson, Pieper James, Kit Keenan, and Sarah Trott. A description for the episode reads, “15 women return to relive the romance and rehash the rivalries from their journeys to find love. Some may seek forgiveness while others take a stand, but everyone will have the opportunity to speak their piece, including the Bachelor himself, Matt James. Among other reunions, Serena and Matt will face each other for the first time since her emotional hometown date exit. This pre-taped special takes all the emotion and sprinkles in hilarious bloopers as well as an exclusive sneak peek at the remainder of the season.” Just as the description notes, this episode was filmed about a month ago. In fact, it was filmed on Feb. 4, five days before Harrison made headlines for his interview with Lindsay. As a result, fans will indeed see Harrison at the helm during the special.
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Harrison previously came under fire as he seemed to downplay Kirkconnell’s alleged pre-show racist actions, including her attendance at an “antebellum plantation-themed” fraternity formal in 2018, during his interview with Lindsay. The host subsequently issued an apology for his words. He wrote on Instagram, “I will always own a mistake when I make one, so I am here to extend a sincere apology. 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 … What I now realize I have done is cause harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that per that perpetuates racism, and for that I am so deeply sorry.”
The longtime Bachelor host also apologized to Lindsay for “not listening to her better on a topic she has first-hand understanding of.” (Kirkconnell has also addressed the matter on social media and apologized for her previous actions.) Harrison later announced that he would be stepping back from the series and that he would not be hosting the After the Final Rose special that typically airs after the finale. The Bachelor since tapped Emmanuel Acho, a former NFL linebacker and the author of the 2020 bestseller Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, to replace Harrison on After the Final Rose.
