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Chris Harrison will NOT host 'The Bachelorette' amid racism row, fans boycott show due to 'overdone wokeness'

'I love the bachelor, but not if Chris Harrison isn't going to be the host anymore,' said a fan

Season 17 of 'The Bachelorette' is yet to begin but there's already plenty of drama awaiting us. For nearly two decades fans of 'The Bachelor Nation' tuned in every week to catch up on the romantic dilemmas of the singles and their suitors, while Chris Harrison carried out the hosting duties.

As we gear up to watch Season 17 of 'The Bachelorette', the upcoming offering from 'The Bachelor Nation', a shocking statement was released by Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment about the major change that awaits us in the upcoming season: The absence of Chris Harrison. According to the statement, he won't be hosting the upcoming show owing to the racism controversy he found himself embroiled in. 

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Why Chris Harrison won't host 'The Bachelorette' Season 17?

According to the statement released by the network and Warner Horizon on the show's official Twitter account, Chris won't be hosting the show, while the showrunners continue focusing on "achieving greater equity and inclusion within 'The Bachelor' franchise." The statement reads, "Chris Harrison will not be hosting the next season of The Bachelorette. We support Chris in the work that he is committed to doing."  "In his absence, former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will support the new Bachelorette through next season," continued the statement. 

"As we continue the dialogue around achieving greater equity and inclusion within The Bachelor franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC representation of our crew, including among the executive producer ranks. These are important steps in effecting fundamental change so that our franchise is a celebration of love that is reflective of our world," explained the statement.

Chris Harrison  . She was also accused of liking a photo containing the Confederate flag. During an interview with former 'The Bachelor Nation' alum Rachel Lindsay, Chris passionately defended Rachel's actions. He said that an estimated "50 million people" attended such parties" in 2018. His response wasn't received well, and he immediately began getting backlash from every corner.

Chris eventually apologized by declaring he made a "mistake" and owning up to being an "imperfect man". He said during an appearance on 'Good Morning America', "I am an imperfect man, I made a mistake and I own that.I believe that mistake doesn't reflect who I am or what I stand for. I am committed to progress, not just for myself, also for the franchise."

Following the backlash, he announced that he was "stepping aside" from his hosting duties for a "period of time". But fans had no idea that it included the hosting of 'The Bachelorette'. Several fans took to their Twitter to slam Chris's absence from the upcoming season of 'The Bachelorette' franchise. Fans declared that they hate the show, and wouldn't be watching it without their favorite host on it. A fan tweeted, "Chris Harrison is no longer hosting the bachelor. i officially hate it here." Another fan wrote, "Chris Harrison seriously said nothing wrong lol cancel culture is the worst." "I love the bachelor, but not if Chris Harrison isn't going to be the host anymore. :(," declared a fan.

Many fans also began sharing that Chris did nothing wrong. A fan expressed, "This is ridiculous! Chris Harrison is one of the all time best hosts. He did nothing wrong. Stop carrying this to such extremes. What “work” does he need to do. Seems this franchise needs to work on stopping being so touchy. Stop looking for racism under every rock!" Another fan shared, "Big mistake. Done with your show. This whole thing got blown so far out of proportion. Chris Harrison doesn't deserve this. He did nothing wrong. #ChrisHarrison." "I am not a huge fan of Chris Harrison, but he absolutely did nothing wrong. All this overdone wokeness is fake as Hell..Nothing sincere about any of this. Rachel Lindsey is a trouble maker & is totally biting the hand that feeds her. This is the knife in Bachelor Franchise's!" seconded a fan.

Chris revealed on his 'Good Morning America' interview that he was seeking guidance from a "race educator and strategist," who is teaching him how to learn from this debacle and move forward.