No one thinks about Bachelor Nation without thinking of the name Chris Harrison. The guy is an icon for the franchise, as was there since The Bachelor premiered in 2002. He also hosted The Bachelorette since it began in 2003 and later Bachelor in Paradise.
Chris Harrison stepped away from his role as The Bachelor franchise host after nearly 20 years in the role, after coming under fire for comments he made about Rachael Kirkconnell and the controversy surrounding her during Matt James’ season of The Bachelor.
While much of Bachelor Nation believed he would return after a short hiatus, that is not what happened. Instead, Chris ended up receiving a multi-million dollar settlement and walked away from Bachelor Nation forever.
How are Bachelor Nation fans feeling about Chris Harrison’s exit?
According to a poll taken on a popular Instagram fan page, the vote is relatively close when it comes to those who still miss having Chris Harrison as host versus those who are just ready to move on.
Looking at the results, 55 percent of fans disagree with the statement: I am glad the Chris Harrison era is over, and 45 percent of people agree with the statement.
Monsters & Critics reached out to the fan page for the numerical data that corresponds to the percentages, and 3,479 people voted to be unhappy that Chris Harrison is no longer the host, whereas 2,727 voted they were glad the Harrison era was over.
Are the Bachelor alums happy about Chris’ exit?
There was quite a bit of support for Harrison when it came to Bachelor alums after being forced to resign.
Kelley Flanagan, Colton Underwood, Arie Luyendyk Jr., and Kaitlyn Bristowe were just a few of The Bachelor alum to back Chris Harrison, according to USA Today.
Colton remarked, “Grade A human being. Thank you for being a friend, a stand-up guy, and a hell of a host.”
Kaitlyn chimed in with, “You are truly irreplaceable as a host, thank you for all the years you put into this show and making it what it is. No one does it quite like Mr. Chris Harrison.”
However, that era came to an end in June of 2021 when, in an interview with Rachel Lindsay, he defended Rachael Kirkconnell, who had won the final rose of Matt James’ season.
Matt was the first Black Bachelor in the show’s history, and the woman he ultimately chose to be with had come under fire on social media.
It surfaced that Kirkconnell had attended a “plantation-themed party” in 2018 and appeared in TikTok videos that included the image of a Confederate flag.
Soon after The Bachelor finale and amid all the controversy, Matt and Rachael briefly called it quits. However, after issuing an apology for her “offensive and racist” actions, the pair ended up working out their relationship and are still happily together today.
The Bachelor returns Monday, January 24 at 8/7c on ABC.
I feel like the new host is just a scruffy clone of Chris …. he does not make the mark and I wish they would bring Chris back. For it to get to the point it did, is rediculous. Admit the mistake in letting him go and bring him back. the Bachelor/Bachelorette is not the same without him!
Y