Chris Harrison isn’t returning to Bachelor Nation anytime soon.
Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment told Page Six in a statement on Friday that Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams will co-host the next season of “The Bachelorette.”
“Chris Harrison will not be hosting the next season of The Bachelorette,” the statement read. “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.”
The statement continued, “As we continue the dialogue around achieving greater equity and inclusion within The Bachelor franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC representation of 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.”
Adams, 30, replaced Clare Crawley as the lead on season 16 of “The Bachelorette,” while Bristowe, 35, starred on season 11.
Harrison took leave from this season of “The Bachelor,” which is lead by Matt James — the first black Bachelor — after he was criticized for defending contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s alleged racist actions in an interview with Rachel Lindsay, who was the first black Bachelorette.
“By excusing historical racism, I defended it. I invoked the term ‘woke police,’ which is unacceptable. I am ashamed over how uninformed I was. I was wrong,” the 49-year-old longtime Bachelor Nation staple wrote in a February Instagram statement. “I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special.”
Emmanuel Acho was announced as the replacement for Harrison as host of “The Bachelor: After the Final Rose” special, which is set to air on Monday, March 15.