Posted in: ABC, Opinion, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: ABC, chris harrison, opinion, the bachelor, the bachelorette

The Bachelor Ex-Host Chris Harrison Doesn't Deserve Sympathy Rose

The Bachelor ex-host Chris Harrison doesn't deserve sympathy, yet he can't help seeing himself as the victim in his own self-inflicted exit.

Chris Harrison, the former host of The Bachelor franchise, has launched a new podcast this week, The Most Dramatic Podcast…Ever With Chris Harrison, where it is teased, "For the first time ever, Chris will discuss everything, and there's no telling what he will have to say." For those that do not remember, Harrison left the franchise in 2021 after controversy stemming from comments he made in an interview with Extra host Rachel Lindsay, herself a former Bachelorette, defending contestant on the show Rachael Kirkconnell for attending a plantation-themed sorority party in college. You can see the interview below.

Chris Harrison Trying Hard To Hang On To Fame

Man, watching that again, he just keeps digging and digging. On the first two episodes of his new podcast, Chris Harrison talks a bit about the backlash he went through: "I was embarrassed. I was mad at myself. I was disappointed in myself. The last thing in the world I ever wanted to do was be an agent of anything negative — whether it had to do with race or anything. Things spun out of control for a number of reasons, and I was sick, sick to my stomach. I lost 20 pounds. I didn't sleep. I didn't eat. I was scared to death… It was just one gut punch after the other, and mentally and physically, I deteriorated pretty bad." This is where I remind you that he negotiated a $10 million buyout to his contract with ABC when he exited the show. He sure thinks highly of himself still, though: "I am sure there are a lot of people that are sitting in Hollywood right now that are nervous as hell that I am doing a podcast," he said. "Maybe you should be because you probably know that I know."

And just in case you thought he may have "let it lie," so to speak, with the show, he couldn't resist getting a couple of digs in: "When I left, it was still the number one show on TV. Now, look. Do I keep an eye on the ratings? Do I know what's happening now? I'm not going to say I'm not so humble or whatever to have not paid attention to the scoreboard. Yes, I do know. I realize the ratings are down 50 to 60%, and the show has changed dramatically. That hurts me a little bit because it's something I took pride in building."

Chris Harrison has always over-inflated his role in "building" the franchise of The Bachelor, and, to be quite frank, does anyone really miss him? Can anyone seriously say with a straight face that "The Harrison Factor" is actually a thing? Jesse Palmer is fine, but when they had Tayshia Adams & Kaitlyn Bristowe host for a bit, they were better than he ever was. In fact, in the latter seasons, it feels like they annoyingly inject the host into some segments because they are paying them, and they have to do something. He put his foot in his mouth, left before he could be shown the door, and got paid to do it. Nobody in Hollywood is "nervous" about anything an ex-"reality" game show host was an exaggerated sense of self has to say. I have never seen someone who makes things more about himself in my life. As someone who has been watching this show for pretty much its entire run, the day you left was a day to celebrate. Either fade into obscurity or get some sense of humility- your call. But it already seems like you've started doing the former… in the most dramatic way possible.

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