Chris Harrison has broken his silence less than 24-hours after it was announced he will be exiting the ‘Bachelor’ franchise for good!
Former stars and contestants of the hit show have expressed their shock and sent their well wishes.
On Tuesday, June 8, it was reported Harrison would be exiting the famed franchise after 19 years.
The announcement came soon after the debut episode of ‘Bachelorette’ Katie Thurston’s season aired on Monday, June 7.
Harrison has been with the franchise since the very beginning and was a warm and welcomed face in ‘Bachelor Nation’ homes.
The Blast previously reported on his decision to step away from the series in February.
Harrison took a hiatus from the show at the beginning of the year, which eventually turned into an indefinite exit, after defending Rachael Kirkconnell’s controversial past.
At the time he issued multiple apologies to his fans and colleagues writing in one post, “My ignorance did damage to my friends, colleagues and strangers alike. I have no one to blame but myself for what I said and the way I spoke. I set standards for myself, and have not met them. I feel that with every fiber of my being. By excusing historical racism, I defended it. I invoked the term “woke police,” which is unacceptable. I am ashamed over how uninformed I was. I was so wrong.”
Harrison has kept a pretty low profile since this all unfolded only posting a few photos to his Instagram.
Tuesday, June 8, Harrison finally addressed the big news of his exit in yet another post to his Instagram grid.
He posted a photo of himself on the set of a ‘Bachelor’ after show and captioned it, “I’ve had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now I’m 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.”
Former ‘Bachelor’ and newly out star Colton Underwood commented, “Love you Chris. Thank you for your friendship ❤️.”
Sean Lowe wrote, “It will never be the same. Love you buddy.”
Jojo Fletcher sent her love while Catherine Giudici wrote, “Love you @chrisbharrison ❤️ you have a lot to be proud about. Can’t wait to support you in your next endeavors :).”
There was no shortage of love and support for Harrison’s announcement.
As for his next big gig, that is still to be announced; however, Deadline reported Harrison inked an eight-figure deal prior to the exit.
