Chris Harrison Finally Speaks Out About The Interview That Got Him Fired From The Bachelor

In February 2021, former "Bachelor" host Chris Harrison was asked in an "Extra" interview what he thought of the racism allegations against contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. He went on to explain his thoughts about the controversial social media post in question. "The picture was from 2018 at an old South Antebellum party," Rachel Lindsay said in the interview. "That's not a good look." Harrison defended Kirkconnell by mentioning that it just wasn't a good look in 2021. "It's not a good look ever," Lindsay fired back. "She's celebrating the old South."

Shortly after, Harrison announced that he would be stepping away from his hosting duties after nearly two decades of working with the franchise. "The historic season of 'The Bachelor' [featuring the show's first Black bachelor] should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions," he said in a statement reported by NBC News. "I am dedicated to getting educated on a more profound and productive level than ever before."

In March 2021, Harrison sat down with "Good Morning America" to address the controversy surrounding him. "I plan to be back, and I want to be back," he told Michael Strahan. "This interview is not the finish line. There is much more work to be done and I'm excited to be a part of that change." However, the former television show host has not returned to the franchise and is now working on other projects.

In June 2021, Chris Harrison announced that he was leaving the "Bachelor" franchise. "I'm so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we've made together," he said in a since-deleted Instagram post (via Deadline). "While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I've made will last a lifetime."

Since then, Harrison has been producing a new podcast called "The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever." In the first episode of the podcast, he started out by saying that he felt "sick" after receiving backlash from the controversial interview with Rachel Lindsay, admitting that he had lost 20 pounds. "And as soon as this happened, I just wanted to wrap my arms around all of you, everyone who has ever been on the show, and just say I'm sorry," he said. Harrison also believes the timing of the interview was a contributing factor to how things played out, specifically with the pandemic and racial unrest. "There was a lot of confusion, anger, [and] resentment ... And [also] my timing of being sloppy, inappropriate, [and] wrong," he admitted.

In March 2021, it was reported that Harrison had hired an attorney for the way he was treated since the bombshell interview, though it's unclear if he will pursue legal action. "Chris has had a spotless record for 20 years," a friend of Harrison told Page Six. "Now he's ready to tell the truth about how things really work over there."