The news of Chris Harrison’s exit as host of Bachelor Nation, following racial controversy, immediately garnered a polarizing reaction. While many saw it as a necessary consequence, some fans threatened to never watch The Bachelor or its many spinoffs again without him. Apparently, one Bachelor alum agrees with the latter half of viewers and has taken to “boycotting” the ABC franchise.
The “boycotting” Bachelor Nation alum in question is none other than Sean Lowe, who fans will remember from Season 17 of The Bachelor. During his season, Lowe picked Catherine Giudici for the final rose, and they've been happily married ever since 2014. Guidici was actually the one to reveal at an UnFiltered dating app launch party (via Us Weekly) that her husband is not watching Katie Thurston’s Bachelorlette season airing now. She said:
I’m watching it. My husband is kind of boycotting it because of the Chris Harrison stuff, but I’m watching it this season to support the girl. It’s been interesting. It’s been an interesting season. It’s just the beginning. … I’m excited for Katie [Thurston].
Sean Lowe boycotting Bachelor Nation over Chris Harrison’s exit is certainly a sign of loyalty to the longtime host. Other alums haven't come forward to explicitly say their boycotting the franchise, but many have vocalized their support for Harrison in the aftermath of the scandal. Eric Bigger (The Bachelorette, Season 13) urged that Harrison shouldn’t be fired for one mistake. The contestant with the most appearances on the franchise, Chris Bukowski, called the move “an easy way out” and said Harrison was “the face of the franchise.”
But it's noteworthy that Catherine Giudici decided to tune into the current Bachelorette season anyway, despite her husband's opposition. Judging by her support of “the girls,” emphasis on the plural there, it would seems she has a different perspective and is leaning into the change of Chris Harrison being replaced by Bachelor Nation alums Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe. It's not clear if the two women will continue to host after this year, but they already seem to be more involved on-screen than Harrison was in the past. In addition, the premiere ratings were not what alum Tanner Tolbert predicted.
Regardless of the dynamics within Bachelor Nation, Chris Harrison looks to be moving on just fine. He reportedly received an over $9 million payout for his exit from the franchise and, supposedly, is expected to move on to other hosting ventures in the near future.
Katie Thurston’s Bachelorette season also seems to be going fine for her without Chris Harrison at the helm. The drama is high, and a teaser for next week hinted at the appearance of a notorious Bachelor Nation alum, Blake Moynes. Thurston told Us Weekly that she spoke with Moynes (who is actually Tayshia Adams's ex-boyfriend!) prior to filming.
All bets are being taken as to who will get the final rose this Bachelorette season, and we have some ideas. (That spoiler from a few weeks ago already turned out to be a bust after the last elimination.) But one thing is certain, Sean Lowe will not care to have any say in the matter.
