Chris Harrison, who hosted ABC’s The Bachelor for nearly 20 years, reflected on his “toxic” departure from the show on the “Trading Secrets” podcast. Harrison said that he would not wish the backlash he received for defending contestant Rachel Kirkconnell, who attended a plantation-themed party in college, on his worst enemy. He opened up about his exit, commenting that he initially thought he could handle the Kirkconnell situation with the show’s execs but that things quickly escalated, leading him to leave the show all together. “I knew I had to remove myself from what became a very toxic situation, and I did, and that was a very difficult situation," he said. “It was a blessing. It changed my life, but at the same time, I can also be grateful that I’m gone. That’s a relationship I don’t need to be in anymore because it wasn’t healthy.” Jesse Palmer stepped in as the show’s new host in 2021.
