The well-known host of the reality television show The Bachelor has publicly announced that he will be stepping down from his position and will not be attending the After the Final Rose Special. Chris Harrison was questioned on Feb. 9 for his stance regarding a contestant from the current season. 24-year-old Rachael Kirkconnell’s past behavior, while she was attending Georgia College, has been condemned by the public as racist. Harrison spoke candidly about his opinion on the backlash but later acknowledged that his comments during the conversation with former The Bachelorette star, Rachel Lindsay, were wrong and unintentionally hurtful to those around him.
The controversial topic began when the contestant evidently gave attention to posts on TikTok and other forms of social media that contained Confederate flags or spread offensive conspiracy theories. Then shortly after, Reddit photos were discovered of her in 2018 attending an “Old South” plantation-themed sorority party. Lindsay, who is also a correspondent for Extra, decided to take matters into her own hands and confront the issue.
When Harrison spoke to her, Kirckconnell had yet to address the issue publicly. He did not condemn her or the franchise for staying silent, nor the actions she decided to make prior. “Well, Rachel, is it a good look in 2018, or is it not a good look in 2021? Because there’s a big difference,” he responded. “Where is this lens we’re holding up and was this lens available, and were we all looking through it in 2018?” Many fans of Bachelor Nation expressed their anger, offense and frustration to this reaction.
He later explained that he did not mean to hurt anyone with the responses he made that day. “My ignorance did damage to my friends, colleagues and strangers alike,” his apology post on Instagram states. Harrison allegedly had no concerns with the interview, which he explained to Lindsay after the show through texts. He expected conflict but assumed they were able to disagree in a civil way; he did not anticipate it would lead to the end of his career. After the interview, Bachelor Nation stars expressed their anger towards Harrison and implored that he be fired after his disregard for the matter. Women from the current season with Matt James have spoken out and denounced his “defense of racism.” Taylor Nolan, a season 21 contestant, started a petition online to have him removed that was signed by 30,000 people.
After days of silence, Kirkconnell apologized to the nation via Instagram stating, “I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.” With this acknowledgment, she admitted that she does not have a viable excuse, that her lack of education and comprehension on the topic affected her ignorance, and she will continue to learn how to be antiracist. Her final comment explains, “Racial progress and unity are impossible without (white) accountability, and I deserve to be held accountable for my actions.”
Harrison stated on Feb. 13 that he is “temporarily stepping down” as the host. The question remains: will he be back? Lindsay was not quick to accept his apology, and many still do not.
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