Will The Bachelorette be delayed after Chris Harrison controversy?

There is a new episode of The Bachelor on ABC tonight, but for the second straight week, much of the story of Matt James’ season is clouded mightily by Chris Harrison. His comments and lack of pointed criticism of Rachael Kirkconnell’s offensive past still loom large in Bachelor Nation, and leave so many with an uncomfortable feeling. Add that to the long-problematic history of this franchise towards race in general, and you can see the problems that now loom front and center.

Following Matt’s season, we know that there is a season of The Bachelorette planned. So what is ABC going to do about that? This is where things get a tad mysterious, but a source at Us Weekly claims that there have been “conversations” about pushing the next season of the show back. There were rumors at one point suggesting that Katie Thurston could be the new lead for the show, and we personally think that her and Abigail Heringer are the two frontrunners.

Did you know we cover The Bachelor with weekly videos? Think of it as your ongoing companion to all things related to the show! Watch our video for last week’s episode, and our take on the Harrison scandal, below — we will be back tonight to talk hometown dates! Subscribe to Matt & Jess on YouTube to make sure you don’t miss it.

Is pushing the show back the right move for ABC to make? It mostly comes down to their goals. If they chose to replace Harrison, it feels like there’d be no reason to push the season back at all. Even if they don’t replace him, The Bachelorette likely would not premiere for three more months. There is time in there for the host to take accountability further and try to repair the damage he has caused. We still feel like he should be getting on-camera and talking about his comments and mistakes directly, as opposed to issuing social-media statements that are deliberate and don’t always carry the same authenticity.

The ball is in Chris Harrison’s court, and we’re sure we will hear more about The Bachelorette over the next two months.

Related – Watch a sneak peek for hometown dates right now

Do you think that The Bachelorette should be delayed, or would you rather see Chris Harrison replaced?

Be sure to let us know in the comments, and we’ll have more discussion soon enough. (Photo: ABC.)

This article was written by Jessica Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.