Although fans of The Bachelor and its spin-off series, The Bachelorette are feeling divided about whether Harrison should return to host the series, members of the franchise are certain he shouldn't.
Chris Harrison, who has been associated with the franchise for 19 long years, stepped down from his host duties in February. He came under fire after his interview with Rachel Lindsay, where he not only gaslighted her but also excused The Bachelor season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconell's racist behavior from 2018.
Bachelor Nation alums and fans were obviously furious, and later, Harrison revealed he'd be temporarily stepping down. But a certain Instagram gossip queen, aka DeuxMoi has revealed that producers were ready to bring him back as host...but their new leading lady wasn't on board with the idea.
It Was Katie Thurston's Decision
Katie Thurston, our new Bachelorette was a fan-favorite contestant on Matt James' season, and is a former TikTok star. She made a bold appearance on opening night when she arrived at the resort with a vibrator, and remained outspoken on subjects of bullying among contestants, and was never one to start gossip.
As per a source on DeuxMoi, the show's producers were ready to give back Chris Harrison his role within the show, but "Katie needed to sign off on it".
Chris Harrison personally contacted Katie to make sure his return wouldn't be awkward, but the Bachelorette "said no".
After the call, Katie tweeted immediately, citing that Harrison would not be returning to the show, in a move that shocked the producers and former host. The source further revealed, "Multiple contestants and leads have expressed they do not want him there for Bachelor in Paradise," adding that Michelle's season of The Bachelorette was a no-go too.
"Chris Harrison will never be back as host of any show for the franchise," they concluded in the statement. The source also explained how the producers "are not big fans of Katie" and gave her a "low-budget" promo for the same reason.
To imagine that producers hoped to give Harrison's back his status as host, even after he tarnished his reputation by supporting a contestant's racist past is shocking to fans.
With Harrison gone (at least for the time being), Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will be hosting the next two seasons of The Bachelorette.