With Matt James' truly historic season of The Bachelor coming to an end on Monday, March 15, all eyes are on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette. But unlike past seasons, it's less about who the next Bachelorette will be (though we still care about that) and more who will host the next season of The Bachelorette. Well, on Friday it was announced via the Bachelorette Twitter account that Chris Harrison will not be hosting next season, and will be replaced by former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe.
In a statement attributed to Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment, the note read:
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. As we continue the dialogue around achieving greater equity and inclusion within The Bachelor franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC representation in 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.
After an explosive interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, in which Chris Harrison defended the racist actions of current Bachelor frontrunner Rachael Kirkconnell, Harrison stepped "away" from his role as host of the show to allow time to reflect and learn from his actions.
At the time, the decision meant he would not be hosting the After the Final Rose special (that role has since gone to Emmanuel Acho), but it left many fans wondering what a post-Chris Harrison Bachelor and Bachelorette would look like.
Earlier this month, Harrison revealed on Good Morning America that he had no plans on resigning from the his duty as host, a position he has held for almost 20 years. He vowed to "do better," and stated, "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."
Still, many fans called for more action to be taken, including Lindsay, who has stated in the past that the only way the franchise can make meaningful change is "to have a person of color in the decision room."
In line with Lindsay's concerns, the statement released by ABC and Warner Horizon touches on the initiative to improve the BIPOC representation behind the cameras, including those in the "decision room," aka the executive producers.
Harrison himself is an executive producer of the franchise, but the statement notably does not mention if he will continue to hold that title during his off season, or how long his departure from the franchise could even last.
Prior to the interview with Lindsay, Bachelor Nation already wondered if Harrison was long for the hosting world. It felt, with the occasional drop in from a former Bachelor or Bachelorette, that the show was almost auditioning future hosts (or substitute hosts) for Harrison should he ever decide to retire from the job. (Read Chelsea Duff's dissection of JoJo Fletcher's hosting gig for The Dipp here.)
One particularly obvious choice for the role would have been Lindsay herself, but following the season's mishandling of its first Black male lead and Harrison's repeatedly disappointing missteps, Lindsay revealed as of Feb. 12 that she would not be renewing her contract with the franchise.
So what happens next? According to Bachelor blogger Reality Steve, Tayshia and Kaitlyn (as well as the future Bachelorette and her contestants — no spoilers here, but click at your own risk) are already quarantining in New Mexico preparing to film.
After that, a lot is still up in the air. Will we go straight into a new season of Bachelor in Paradise, and if so, who will host that? And if the network follows through on the very early rumors that a second season of The Bachelorette will premiere this fall, is it possible Harrison could make a return then?
Whatever happens, you can bet it will be dramatic.
Images: ABC