Chris Harrison isn’t going down without a fight.
The embattled “Bachelor” host appeared on “Good Morning America” on Thursday to say his leave from the show doesn’t necessarily mean a permanent exit.
“I plan to be back. I want to be back,” he said. “This interview is not the finish line. There is much more work to be done.”
Last month, Harrison, 49, stepped away from his duties on the dating competition show following a controversial interview with Rachel Lindsay in which he admittedly spoke “in a manner that perpetuates racism.”
“I am an imperfect man I made a mistake and I own that,” he told co-anchor Michael Strahan on “GMA.” “I believe that mistake doesn’t reflect who I am or what I stand for. I am committed to the progress not just for myself also for the franchise.”
ABC, which airs both “The Bachelor” and “GMA,” hasn’t revealed whether Harrison’s leave from the show will turn into something more, but he has been replaced by former NFL player Emmanuel Acho as host of the upcoming “After the Final Rose” special.
On “GMA,” Harrison also blasted “Old South”-themed parties, which he first defended after Lindsay called out current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell for attending one in 2018.
“Antebellum parties are not OK,” he said. “Past, present, future, knowing what that represents is unacceptable.”
He also again apologized to 35-year-old Lindsay, as well as the black community, for his words.
Harrison made it clear that he is “not a victim” and said he is committed to making changes for himself and the ABC franchise going forward.
“I made a mistake and I own that,” he said. “Racism, oppression, these are big dynamic problems and they take serious work. I am committed to that work.”
Harrison also said he’s been working with race educator Dr. Eric Dyson, who has taught him the idea of “counsel, not cancel.” As a result, Harrison said he’s taken “full accountability” for his actions and is learning from the black community by listening.
Following the interview, Strahan described his conversation with Harrison as a “surface response.”