The 49-year-old TV personality was announced to be stepping down as host of 'The Bachelor' franchise in June after he received backlash for defending Rachael's racist past behavior.
- Jul 29, 2021
AceShowbiz - Chris Harrison shared his thoughts in a new interview, during which he also talked about Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell's reunion. The former "The Bachelor" host, who exited the francshise after defending Rachael's racist past behavior, seemingly had no hard feelings for the couple.
"I wish everybody the best. I will say it's been kind of nice to have, after 19 years, to have my Mondays back, including last night," he told TMZ on Tuesday, July 27. He also gave his girlfriend Lauren Zima a loving shoutout for planning his 50th surprise party.
When asked about his take on Matt rekindling his romance with Rachael, Chris shared, "You know what, I'm happy for them and I wish them all the best." He continued, "I hope they're in love and I hope they do great."
Chris was announced to be stepping down as host of "The Bachelor" franchise in June. "Chris Harrison is stepping aside as host of 'The Bachelor' franchise. We are thankful for his many contributions over the past 20 years and wish him all the best on his new journey," Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment said in a statement back on June 8.
"I've had a truly incredible run as host of 'The Bachelor' franchise and now I'm excited to start a new chapter," Chris confirmed his permanent exit from the show on Instagram at the time. "I'm so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we've made together. While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I've made will last a lifetime."
Earlier this year, Chris landed in hot water after he defended Rachael for allegedly attending a party with insensitive theme. The TV host issued an apology in February, writing, "To my Bachelor Nation family -- I will always own a mistake when I make one, so I am here to extend a sincere apology. I have this incredible platform to speak about love, and yesterday, I took a stance on topics about which I should have been better informed. While I do not speak for Rachael Kirkconnell, my intentions were simply to ask for grace in offering her an opportunity to speak on her own behalf."
The 49-year-old went on saying, "What I now realize I have done is cause harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism, and for that I am so deeply sorry. I also apologize to my friend Rachel Lindsay for not listening to her better on a topic she has a first-hand understanding of, and humbly thank the members of Bachelor Nation who have reached out to me to hold me accountable. I promise to do better."
