Bachelor Nation has been riding out a heck of a lot of drama this year, and it might take a short novella to recap all of it. It started with a race controversy surrounding one of the contestants of Matt James’ Bachelor season, who he eventually got back together with after seemingly dumping her in the After the Final Rose special. Then there was Chris Harrison’s interview with Rachel Lindsay about the controversy, which led to a backlash and him being labeled as "racially insensitive." Harrison had to step down from his hosting duties, which many believed to be temporary. Turns out, Harrison’s departure from the ABC franchise is a permanent one, though, and he is allegedly frustrated by the procedures unfolding.
Chris Harrison bid farewell to ABC’s Bachelor Nation franchise on his Instagram on Tuesday, just after reports leaked of an eight-figure deal being hashed out between his lawyer and WBTV’s Warner Horizons. But as of right now, things aren't quite set in stone. According to a source for US Weekly:
The whole situation is frustrating for him. Until things are settled legally and contractually, he can’t even plan his next steps.
After the announcement of Chris Harrison’s initial exit as host from Bachelor Nation in February, reports started to hint that the ousted host was lawyering up with Bryan Freedman, who represented Gabrielle Union during her dispute with NBC's America’s Got Talent. Allegedly, negotiations were being made for Harrison to leave the franchise comfortably, on the condition that he wouldn’t air whatever dirty laundry he might possess about ABC and the franchise.
Judging by this source’s new alleged insight, however, it would seem Chris Harrison’s saga with ABC may not be finished. He might be getting the big payout, depending on the number of years left in his contract, but he also might have to wait out a grace period before he can accept a new contract with a competitor. Supposedly though, Harrison is optimistic about his future endeavors. The source also said:
He’s been getting all kinds of offers on projects, so he’s hoping to lock something in soon. He has a team who has been supporting him this entire time and is working on his next move. He’s hosted other shows in the past so safe to say this isn’t the end of Chris Harrison hosting!
It's no question that Chris Harrison has hosting experience that any network would be eager to have in their arsenal. He hosted the live pre-show for the 2008 American Music Awards, had stints doing red carpet awards coverage, and even filled in for Terry Crews during the 2015 season of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. And of course, he juggled The Bachelor and all of its spinoffs for 19 years. However, it remains to be seen if other shows are willing to take on Harrison’s past controversy.
Former contestants rallied to support Chris Harrison in the wake of his first exit, and some fans vowed to boycott Season 17 of The Bachelorette without the familiar host. But it seems more people were curious about how replacement hosts Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe would do in their new roles. Per TV Insider, the premiere of Katie Thurston’s season topped the night in ratings, even over The Good Doctor's season finale.
So Bachelor Nation is clearly moving forward without Chris Harrison as host, regardless of what his feelings might be. We'll just have to wait and see what lies ahead for both him and the franchise he hosted for nearly two decades.
