The Bachelor: Chris Harrison Leaves With Two Years Worth Of Pay

Chris Harrison has officially left the ‘Bachelor’ franchise after months of social media outrage, apologies and statements from previous contestants refusing to cooperate with Chris due to racially insensitive comments made on ‘Extra’. It all started in February 2021, when Chris appeared for an interview with “Bachelor” alum Rachel Lindsay to discuss the 20th season of “Bachelor” with Matt James.

At the time, “Bachelor Nation” was struggling with resurfacing photos of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell at a planting party. The former “Bachelor” presenter defended Rachael, which didn’t go down well with fans. Chris apologised soon after the interview aired, saying in a statement, “While I do not speak for Rachael Kirckconnell, my intentions were simply to ask for grace in offering her an opportunity to speak on her own behalf.”

The apology wasn’t quite enough, and Chris eventually took a break from the franchise, opting not to host a special season of After the Final Rose or Katie Thurston’s The Bachelorette. During Harrison’s break, the presenter vowed to educate himself on racial issues, but due to continued setbacks, it wasn’t long before the presenter was the official host of the hit reality series The Bachelor after 19 years. Fortunately for fame, the final goodbye meant a big payout from ABC.

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The Bachelor: Chris Harrison Leaves With Two Years Worth Of Pay

In an in-depth report on Chris’s events from the moment he spoke to Rachel Lindsay on ‘Extra’ to the moment he officially said goodbye to the ‘Bachelor’ franchise, Variety claims sources tell Variety that the presenter originally went on ‘Extra’ entirely of his own volition. However, the decision clearly didn’t go the way Chris Harrison had hoped. Just days after the host publicly apologized for his comments, the former reality series contestants joined forces in a statement doubling down on their displeasure with Harrison. “We are deeply disappointed and want to make it clear that we denounce any defense of racism,” the statement read. It is clear that Harrison was still treading in the deep waters that eventually got him kicked out of the franchise.

Variety reports that Chris Harrison had a rather large severance package, leaving The Bachelor with a $10 million payout consisting of “a $9 million severance package and the remaining contractual fees.” The publication notes that this amount compensates Harrison for only two years of work as host, who earned $5 million a year.