The long time host of The Bachelor franchise is permanently leaving the reality dating show after almost 20 years.
According to the reports, the 49 year old host of the franchise has reached an eight-figure settlement with ABC. Under the agreement, Harrison will be paid in eight figures upon exiting the show. The formal announcement is yet to be announced, which is expected to be done by the end of this week. However, the exact amount being has not been revealed as it is confidential.
Besides, the rumors about Harrison leaving the show had surfaced last week, when Fleiss pal David Spade and others were revealed to be appearing as guest hosts for the next season of Bachelor in Paradise, which will come out this summer.
The news of Chris leaving the show came out soon after Katie Thurston’s season 17 premiere of The Bachelorette on 7th June.
As per the reports, Chris Harrison is being paid off in eight digits in exchange to keep his mouth shut about the dirty deeds associated with the show. Besides, Harrison’s lawyer Bryan Freedman has been dealing and negotiating with the show on behalf of Chris Harrison in exchange to not expose the channel and the show.
The news arises also after the February incident, when Harrison faced criticism for defending The Bachelor Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who was known to have made racial insensitive comments.
However, Chris later apologized for “wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism.” After three days, he announced he would step aside from the franchise for a “period of time” and get “educated on a more profound and productive level than ever before.”
Later, in an interview with Good Morning America, Chris showed his intention to get back to hosting the show. He said, “I am an imperfect man, I made a mistake and I own that… I am committed to progress, not just for myself, also for the franchise. And this is a franchise that has been a part of my life for the better part of 20 years and I love it.”
Harrison also added at the time, “I plan to be back and I want to be back. And I think this franchise can be an important beacon of change. I know that change is felt, not just by me, but by many others. And we are excited and willing to do the work to show that progress.”