Chris Harrison confirms The Bachelor exit, posts farewell message

Chris Harrison

Following reports earlier today that he is departing The Bachelor franchise after 19 years, Chris Harrison is now making it official.

In a new post on his Instagram (which you can see below), the longtime host confirms that he will no longer be a part of the series. He claims that he is “excited to start a new chapter. 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.” Chris was a part of the show from the very first season, and was the continuous thread that tied multiple eras of the franchise together.

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Harrison’s standing with Bachelor Nation fell apart earlier this year, after a controversial interview with former lead Rachel Lindsay where he downplayed the past actions of then-contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. He stepped away from the After the Final Rose special on Matt James’ season, claiming he did not want to be a distraction. He later stated on Good Morning America that he eventually wanted to return to Bachelor Nation, but now it’s clear that this will not come to pass.

As previously reportedBachelor in Paradise will have a rotating panel of guest hosts when it premieres this summer. A host for Michelle Young’s upcoming season of The Bachelorette has not been announced where as Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams are taking on the gig for this current season starring Katie Thurston. So far we are really enjoying Tayshia and Kaitlyn’s contributions to the show!

What do you think about Chris Harrison’s statement, and the of his time as The Bachelor / Bachelorette host?

Be sure to let us know in the comments, and remember that we’ll have more coverage from this franchise soon. (Photo: ABC.)

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

 

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