Whos Hosting The Bachelorette And What Happened to Chris Harrison?
The Bachelorette kicks off with another season tonight, with Katie Thurston as the lead looking for love. Thurston, who first starred on Matt James season of The Bachelor, made a name for herself right when she stepped out of the limo brandishing a vibrator. But it was her no-B.S. approach to the show, during which she shut down any gossip or rumors, that won over plenty of fans earlier this year. Now, shes back as a star of the franchise, which after almost two decades on air is losing its longtime host. When Thurstons season premieres later today, Chris Harrison wont be the one announcing the final rose or checking in with the series lead during emotional moments. Heres what you need to know about The Bachelorette host and the future of Chris Harrison on the show. Harrison is being replaced this season by former Bachelorettes Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams, who will co-host the show. Adams, who led last season of The Bachelorette, told Entertainment Tonight she was shocked she was picked to host, but that she and Bristowe formed a really fun dynamic duo and were able to provide a little clarity and comfort for Katie. Fans will likely remember Tayshia as the most recent Bachelorette, who ended her season engaged to fianc Zac Clark. Like Tayshia, Kaitlyn also competed on The Bachelor before becoming The Bachelorette in 2015. She left the show engaged to contestant Shawn Booth, but the two later split in 2018. When Bachelor in Paradise premieres this summer, Harrison will also be a no-show. In his place is a roster of guest hosts including David Spade, with more guests to be announced in the near future. If you need a refresher, heres why Harrison was booted as host. Back in February, Harrison appeared on Extra for an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, who made history with her season as the shows first Black lead. During their conversation, Harrison defended Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who had posted photos of herself at an antebellum plantation-themed party in college. At the time, Harrison told Lindsay that people should give Kirkconnell grace, and said she was a victim of cancel culture following backlash from the photos. Because theres a big difference. Following his interview, Harrison stepped away from the franchise and apologized in an interview with Good Morning America, where he also shared his hopes for returning to the show. Despite saying he planned to be back, Harrison will be absent from both The Bachelorette and the upcoming season of Bachelor in Paradise. According to Matt Belloni, probably not. The former Hollywood Reporter editorial director told his newsletter subscribers this weekend that Harrison is likely leaving the Bachelor franchise. Belloni reports that his sources tell him Harrison is planning his exit after 20 years with the reality phenomenon, but it wont be a clean break. Although Harrison was reportedly hoping to return as host, according to Belloni, his negotiations with ABC and Warner Bros. Television have since turned sour, with the former host either getting a payout to leave or turning his exit into a nasty legal battle. After working on the show for years, Harrison is said to have plenty of dirt on both creator creator Mike Fleiss and the franchise as a whole  which could potentially come to light if the disagreement between Harrison and ABC escalates into a publicly-filed lawsuit, per Belloni. Where to watch The Bachelorette