Chris Harrison Announces He's 'Stepping Aside' As Host Of The Bachelor Amid Show's Current Racism Controversy

Chris Harrison is stepping aside from the Bachelor franchise.

On Saturday morning, the longtime TV host announced as much in an Instagram post about the current state of the show in light of the racism controversy surrounding contestant Rachael Kirkconnell as well as Harrison’s own disastrous interview about it.

Now, he’s walking away. At least for the time being.

The Bachelor mainstay announced as much just about an hour ago, confirming that the last few days have been “deeply remorseful” for him as he’s reflected upon the pain he’s caused in his role perpetuating racism.

As you can see (below), Harrison didn’t hold back in making his full, emotional announcement:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLPmjrFgEv8/?utm_source=ig_embed

Wow.

In part, Harrison wrote:

“To the Black community, to the BIPOC community: I am so sorry. My words were harmful. I am listening, and I truly apologize for my ignorance and any pain it caused you. I want to give my heartfelt thanks to the people from these communities who I’ve had enlightening conversations with over the past few days, and I am so grateful to those who have reached out to help me on my path to anti-racism.”

Later, he continued:

“This historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions. To that end, I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After The Final Rose special. I am dedicated to getting educated on a more profound and productive level than ever before. I want to ensure our cast and crew members, to my friends, colleagues, and our fans: this is not just a moment, but a commitment to much greater understanding that I will actively make every day.”

Shocking stuff to see Harrison go. We had a feeling he may not be long for the Bachelor world and all, especially as this particular controversy just seemed to grow and grow over the last few days. But still, we’d be lying if we said we expected anything like this to happen — especially so soon.

And now we’re seriously wondering if he’s ever going to be back! He’s been hosting this show for a long, long time. Could this be the end for Harrison in general? Is it time for him to walk away and pursue other things? Could a brand new host take over and handle this show on their own anyways?!

So many questions here. What do y’all think about what’s going on here, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF about everything with your take on Harrison’s surprising news and the fallout that may come from it, all down in the comments (below)…

[Image via WENN/Instar]