Has Chris Harrison Congratulated New ‘Bachelorette’ Hosts?
On Friday, March 12, ABC finally put the rumors to bed. They officially announced if Chris Harrison will return for Season 17 of The Bachelorette. The familiar host of the franchise found himself in a firestorm after he tried to defend Rachael Kirkconnell from allegations of racism.
In the aftermath, he temporarily took a step back, but no one knew for sure for how long. A debate raged – and still rages – among fans over how long Harrison’s self-imposed suspension should last.
Taking into account what Bachelor Nation alums thought was right, the network decided not to bring Harrison back into the fold just yet. Instead, two former Bachelorettes will co-host the new season.
Tayshia Adams & Kaitlyn Bristowe Named Temporary Hosts
The rumors about the vacant hosting job involved several prominent television personalities, including GMA’s Michael Strahan. However, ABC didn’t have to look too far to find the hosts for the next season in the franchise.
Rather than bringing in new blood, the network went with Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams as co-hosts. They are both already in New Mexico, quarantining before filming can start.
Kaitlyn was Season 11’s Bachelorette. Tayshia took over for Clare Crawley after she left Season 16 early on to be with contestant Dale Moss. Both ladies were also on different seasons of The Bachelor.
SPOILER For Next Bachelorette
Fans will still see Chris Harrison one more time before his indefinite break. Matt James’ season of The Bachelor filmed long before the scandal involving Rachael Kirkconnell came to light. As a result, Chris Harrison will still appear in Monday’s Season 25 finale.
However, he won’t be grilling Matt James in the hot seat for After the Final Rose. The network tapped Emmanuel Acho for the special. Acho is a well-established Fox Sports analyst. He is also the author of the book Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.
Blogger Reality Steve has been spoiling all-things-Bachelor-Nation for over ten years. According to his sources, an announcement naming the next Bachelorette happened during the ATFR taping.
His sources report that Tayshia and Kaitlyn will help Season 25’s Katie Thurston navigate multiple suitors as the next Bachelorette. But that’s not all.
Another season will film later this year. Michelle Young will head up Season 18 of The Bachelorette. Obviously that means the final rose goes to Rachael Kirkconnell.
Awkward!
Has Chris Harrison Congratulated Tayshia or Kaitlyn?
Both Tayshia and Kaitlyn posted on their respective Instagrams about their new gig. Many Bachelor Nation alums congratulated the pair, including Kaitlyn’s boyfriend Jason Tartick. (Oddly, Tayshia’s fiance Zac Clark remained silent on the news. Read more about that here.)
Chris Harrison may not have spoken up publicly in support of the decision, but he did so privately. According to Us Weekly, Chris Harrison did reach out to Tayshia. The intel comes from her Instagram Stories, where she thanked fans for their support.
Regarding Harrison, she said, “The fact that I talked to Chris the other day and he was so kind. She continued, “[He] congratulated me for being a part of the next season [and it] meant the absolute world.”
While Bachelor Nation fans are showering Tayshia and Katilyn with love, not everyone is happy about the change. Kaitlyn Bristowe responded to several Instagram trolls bashing her for taking the job.
Chris Harrison hasn’t been active on social media since posting his statement of apology last month.
Matt James hands out his final rose on Monday, March 15. After the Final Rose airs directly afterward. Join us on Facebook for a live chat.
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