ABC is reportedly considering reinstating Chris Harrison as the Bachelor’s host to salvage the show’s plummeting ratings – just two years after he was forced off TV following a racism scandal.
The production company is said to have intended to bring back the embattled host as the decades-long show is “on life support,” an insider told Radar Online.
A well-placed source revealed to the outlet that Harrison could soon replace new host Jesse Palmer, but they wondered if he even wanted to return “after being cast aside”.
Harrison resigned from his 19-year hosting gig in 2021 with a $10 million payout after defending a contestant pictured at a plantation-themed college party.
The first Bachelorette season garnered 20 million viewers in 2003, but that early success has dwindled over the years, with the most recent premiere garnering just 2.9 million viewers.
ABC is reportedly considering bringing back Chris Harrison due to the lackluster ratings of his previous show, The Bachelor
Harrison was fired for publicly defending pictured Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell after old pictures surfaced of her attending a plantation-themed party
The shock of bringing Harrison back comes as ABC executives fear The Bachelor, which first aired over 20 years ago, is no longer a hit with audiences.
Harrison’s last two seasons as presenter drew 6.07 and 5.23 million viewers respectively, but with Jesse Palmer pulling in less than 3 million in this year’s opener, bosses are reportedly already looking to make a change.
“Everyone knows the Bachelor is on life support,” the insider claimed.
Amid declining viewership and plummeting revenues, ABC may choose to overlook the racing series in which they eliminated Harrison in February 2021.
The scandal erupted after Harrison publicly defended candidate Rachael Kirkconnell after old pictures surfaced of her at a college pre-war plantation-themed party.
It was also claimed that she liked and shared social media posts featuring the Confederate flag.
But Harrison leapt to her defense as she suffered severe backlash following the claims, during which he asked viewers for “sympathy” for Kirkconnell.
During an interview with Extra, former contestant Rachel Lindsay, the first Black Bachelorette, slammed the pictures as “not good looks” for Kirkconnell.
At the time, Kirkconnell was on track to win the show alongside first black Bachelor Matt James, with the couple staying together two years after the scandal.
In response to Linsday, Harrison said: “Well Rachel, is 2018 looking good? Or is 2021 not looking good? Because there is a big difference.”
He also urged fans of the show to have “a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion” for Kirkconnell after the old pictures surfaced.
“Who is Rachel Lindsay and who is Chris Harrison and who is that bright cop out there who are you?” he continued.
“I’ve heard that a lot of ‘I think she should’, ‘I think he should’. Who the hell are you? Who are you to ask this?’
After a hostile back-and-forth, with Lindsay repeating that “it never looks good,” Harrison was publicly ousted from his lucrative hosting gig, a decision that seems to have slowed the formerly popular show.
Amid falling viewership under new host Jesse Palmer, ABC executives are considering bringing back embattled former host Chris Harrison
Rachael Kirkconnell won a rose from Bachelor Matt James in the 2021 season despite a racism scandal that saw host Christ Harrison fired
Photos of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell surfaced at a plantation-themed party in 2018, as well as a story of liking photos with the Confederate flag
The former contestant received heavy backlash after photos surfaced of her attending an antebellum plantation-themed party, along with allegations that she liked and shared pictures with a Confederate flag
Harrison’s racism scandal came as America was still reeling from the BLM riots that have plagued the country in recent months. His comments sparked a backlash when debates about race in the nation were in full swing.
The controversy prompted ABC Wake parent company Disney to throw him under the bus after his defense of the old pictures, for which he later apologized.
Harrison later revealed the stress of the public ordeal was taking a toll on his personal life, leading to him losing 20 pounds and fearing for his family’s future.
The former presenter said on his new podcast last month he was “stomach sick” in the wake of the scandal, adding: “I wasn’t sleeping. I have not eaten.’
“I was scared to death – not of my job, but of my family. My fiancé Lauren Zima, bless God for being there every step of the way…I was worried about my kids,” he said.
He also explained that he was disappointed in himself after the Extra interview: “I was heartbroken. And I was gutted. I was embarrassed. I was mad at myself. I was disappointed in myself.’
At the time of his public discharge, Harrison was reportedly demanding $25 million to quietly leave the show or he would spend 19 years behind the scenes unraveling bachelor mysteries and filing numerous lawsuits against producers and executives.
“He’s been on dirt for almost 20 years,” an insider told Page Six at the time.
“Instead of handing them a rose, he was absolutely willing to hand them a lawsuit detailing all the behind-the-scenes details.”
After his public discharge, Harrison later admitted “it was kind of nice” to have his free time back after 19 years hosting The Bachelor
However, the host subsequently accepted a $10 million severance package — the equivalent of two years’ wages from his reported $5 million salary.
Despite tense negotiations over his exit just two years ago, executives at the long-running reality hit are already considering bringing Harrison back in a Hail Mary move to save the show.
has reached out to ABC for comment on the claims.
The rumors come as ABC producers are reportedly anticipating the worst ratings in the show’s history due to a lack of social media interactions or online public exposure.
A source told The Sun last month: “The show has clearly had its ups and downs but this is the first time the big bosses have actually feared ABC is going to pull the plug.
“The Bachelor was a handover mess they’re trying to prevent from falling any further down the line, but those in charge are preparing this premiere to be the lowest in the show’s history.”