Former 'Bachelor' host Chris Harrison calls his exit 'toxic' and 'horrifying'
Harrison, 52, hosted 'The Bachelor' franchise for 19 years
Longtime "Bachelor" host Chris Harrison is speaking his truth.
Although Harrison, 52, called his time on the popular dating show a "blessing," he confessed he needed to "remove" himself from a "toxic" and "horrifying" situation.
"The show was a blessing," said Harrison on the "Trading Secrets" podcast.
"I still look at this as a blessing in my life. It was hard at first, obviously, it wasn't immediate where I felt great about everything, because what I went through was tumultuous, and I don’t wish it on anybody."
"It was horrifying on a lot of levels and something that I pray to God my worst enemy never goes through."
After being the face of the "Bachelor" franchise for nearly two decades, Harrison permanently stepped away from his role as host in June 2021.
He left the show after he was accused of defending "Bachelor" winner Rachael Kirkconnell for attending an antebellum-themed party in college during an interview with Rachel Lindsay, the franchise's first Black bachelorette.
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Harrison faced tremendous backlash at the time. He continued on the podcast, "I knew I had to remove myself from what became a very toxic situation, and I did, and that was a difficult situation. . . . In the long run, I could have probably figured it out . . . but I had to remove myself from that toxic situation."
The television host decided to call it quits after 19 years. Jesse Palmer stepped in as the new "Bachelor" host that September.
"I'm proud of that decision. I’m proud that I handled it the way I did, and I still look at it as a blessing because it changed my life on so many levels," he pointed out.
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"Financially, of course. It changed my life. It changed my kids' lives."
"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," Harrison added.
He additionally said that "it's hard in this business."
Reps for Harrison did not immediately respond to LAKSHY DREAM FOUNDATION GLOBAL NEWS Digital's request for comment.
Harrison, 52, hosted "The Bachelor" franchise for 19 years. (Photo by John Fleenor via Getty Images)
Earlier this year, Harrison spoke out for the first time after his unexpected exit from "The Bachelor" franchise.
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During the premiere episode of his new podcast, the former dating show host revealed how his departure deeply impacted his health.
"I was sick to my stomach. I lost 20 pounds. I didn’t sleep. I didn’t eat. I was scared to death, not of my job but of my family – my fianceé [Lauren Zima] . . . I worried about my kids…" Harrison said on his first episode of "The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever with Chris Harrison."
On the podcast episode titled "It’s Time We Talk," Harrison opened up to his listeners and revealed that he "selfishly needed time," to "figure out" the best way to respond to the controversy.
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"One point I was trying to make in the infamous interview and did not make eloquently, is people need time to think and to process. . . . I wanted to step away. I wanted to think and learn . . . change . . . go through everything I went through personally before I had this talk."
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