‘The Bachelor’: Chris Harrison Is Still On-Air After Scandal, and It’s Awkward

Matt James’ season of The Bachelor continued on Monday night. But, given that the episode aired in the midst of controversy surrounding host Chris Harrison, many viewers took to social media to address the situation. In short, they didn’t shy away from sharing their true feelings about how it was a bit awkward to see that Harrison was still a part of the season amid this real-time scandal.

Since The Bachelor filmed the season that is currently airing months prior, Harrison is still at the helm of the show. Although, the latest episode of the series is airing only days after the host came under fire for his interview with Extra with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay. During the interview, Lindsay asked Harrison about his opinion on Rachael Kirkconnell, who is currently competing on this season of The Bachelor, as users on social media unearthed photos of Kirkconnell at a 2018 event that was identified as the Kappa Alpha Order ‘Old South’ formal, “an antebellum plantation themed ball” (Kirkconnell has also been criticized for her social media, as she reportedly liked numerous posts on Instagram that were racially insensitive). Harrison responded to the scandal by telling Lindsay that Kirkconnell had been “thrown to the lions” and also questioned whether there was an issue with her attending the party in 2018 (as opposed to in 2021).

Harrison has since issued an apology and shared that he will step down as the host for the upcoming After the Final Rose special following The Bachelor‘s finale. However, he was still a part of the episode that aired on Monday, as many users on social media pointed out.

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During his interview with Lindsay, Harrison defended Kirkconnell and the controversy surrounding her alleged racist actions. He even noted that he took issue with the “woke police” and said that there needed to give the “poor girl” more time before she released a statement about the matter. As Lindsay pointed out, it has been some time since this scandal arose, and fans have been curious as to how Kirkconnell would address her alleged behavior especially since she is competing on a season with the franchise’s first Black male lead. 

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It didn’t take long for Harrison to receive backlash for his comments. In fact, many Bachelor Nation fans, and former contestants on the shows, have even spoken out about this matter. 

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Following the controversy, the longtime Bachelor host did release a statement in which he apologized for “wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism.” He wrote, “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.” He then offered an apology to Lindsay for not “listening to her better” during their interview. Harrison also noted, “I promise to do better.”

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Harrison didn’t just release an apology, he also addressed his future with this season of The Bachelor. In a separate message, the host said that he will be stepping aside for the traditional After the Final Rose special that airs at the end of each Bachelor and Bachelorette season. It has not yet been announced who will be taking his place. 

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Kirkconnell, who has been at the center of this controversy, offered up her own apology amidst this scandal. She wrote, in a statement that was posted on Instagram, “While there have been rumors circulating, there have also been truths that have come to light that I need to address. I hear you, I am here to say I was wrong. At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them. My age or when it happened doesn’t excuse anything. They are not acceptable or okay in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.”

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Many Bachelor viewers noted that it was awkward to watch the episode considering everything that has taken place in Bachelor Nation over the past week. One user even wrote, “Watching Chris Harrison now is like looking at a ghost.”

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As previously stated, Harrison will not be taking on his typical hosting duties for the After the Final Rose special. As far as his future with the franchise is concerned, it’s unclear what his role will be (if he does have one) going forward.