Chris Harrison has officially been let go from The Bachelor franchise after hosting the popular reality show since 2002! His suspension came after a controversial interview with former bachelorette Rachel Lindsay where he defended contestant Rachael kirkconnell’s past racist actions on the first ever Black bachelor Matt James’s season.
Many on the show have refused to watch new bachelorette Katie Thurston’s season because they disagreed with this decision as they think they are cancelling Chris for something that was insignificant in their eyes and thought Chris was the glue to the show.
However, after the premiere episode of Katie’s Bachelorette journey on Monday night, I beg a differ – Chris Harrison doesn’t actually need to be there and in fact, it was way better without the 49 year-old.
Don’t get me wrong, I was a fan of Chris too – his witty comebacks, his genuine care for the leads, and his calmness during chaos were much appreciated. However, after watching Tayshia and Kaitlyn take over hosting duties, it was very clear why ABC decided to let the Texas native go – the show was more fun to watch without him.
Having two bachelorette as hosts meant they could not only give Katie solid advice, but their star quality of the two being the most likeable leads and their commentary throughout the night was what made it one of the best, if not the best night one premieres ever.
Usually with every man that comes out of the limo, it’s the same old, same old – some become fan favourites while others are very gimmicky and it is up to the lead to carry the season. But with Tayshia and Kaitlyn commenting after every entrance, they made it more light-hearted as if we had friends watching with us because they say exactly what we’re all thinking.
Plus, The Bachelor franchise needed a change. We’re having younger bachelorettes and a host that could be her dad probably doesn’t exactly mesh well. The Bachelor also runs on a very similar formula every season in terms of how the dates are ran – so much so that fans can even predict the outcome just from watching the how the trailer is edited.
However, it has been announced that Bachelor in Paradise is going to be ran not by past leads but by David Spade. Even though David Spade would likely be a father figure similar to Chris, the comedian may offer more humour and bring a new vibe to the show.
So, while Chris is going to be missed, it turns out we didn’t really need him. This is also largely due to the fact that Chris’s role is very limited as well, only coming in and out of rose ceremonies most of the time. You may disagree with the decision to have him let go, but The Bachelor wasn’t really centered around the former host in the first place. Audiences will simply still watch it for its premise – to see people fall in love.
What do you think of Chris leaving the franchise?
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