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Emmanuel Acho Weighs In on Whether or Not Chris Harrison Should Return as ‘Bachelor’ Host
Speaking out! After the Final Rose host Emmanuel Acho is giving his thoughts on whether or not Chris Harrison should return to The Bachelor franchise after “stepping aside” from the show.
“Is it in the best interest of Chris Harrison, is it in the best interest of the show, for them to continue to mutually move forward?” the 30-year-old former football player said during an appearance on the Wednesday, March 10, episode of Good Morning America. “This is the most uncomfortable conversation in the history of The Bachelor franchise, because it’s not just about relationships, but now it’s about race. We’re intertwining race with relationships on one of the greatest unscripted shows in the history of television.”
The Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man author also revealed that he and the 49-year-old TV personality have had multiple conversations since Emmanuel was named the ATFR host. “I’ve gotten to hear his heart,” he said. “He’ll admit this. He was ignorant and arrogant and you cannot be both. And when he said that to me, I was like, ‘Well, you understand what caused this dilemma.'”
Chris made the decision to step away from The Bachelor franchise after publicly making controversial comments and appearing to defend Matt James‘ contestant Rachael Kirkconnell amid her racism scandal. When Bachelor Nation alum on February 9, he spoke out about claims that the 24-year-old graphic designer bullied a woman from high school and addressed a photo of her attending an “Old South” plantation party that surfaced online. “Is it [not] a good look in 2018 or is it not a good look in 2021?” he asked the Extra host at the time.
Following his temporary break from the ABC series, Emmanuel was announced on Saturday, February 27, as Chris’ replacement for the season 25 post-finale special, which is set to air on Monday, March 15.
During his conversation on GMA, Emmanuel weighed in on “cancel culture” and said he doesn’t believe in it. “I believe in accountability. I believe in understanding. I believe in growth,” he explained. “Now, if someone’s intent is malicious, then, by all means, cancel them. But if someone’s intent is not malicious, but their action still is, then educate them so that we can alter the intent and thus alter the act.”
The sports analyst also shared his goals for the upcoming special. “My mission for After the Final Rose is very, very, very simple: Allow my white brother and sisters who have watched the show and fell in love with Matt’s story, to understand that Matt’s love story and his journey of love is different than other journeys of love, particularly because of his complexion and his skin color,” Emmanuel told GMA host T. J. Holmes.
Matt’s season of The Bachelor marks a historic moment in the franchise’s history as the 29-year-old North Carolina native was the show’s first Black male lead. Following the controversy surrounding season 25, both Chris and Rachael have apologized for their actions.
“I hear you, and I’m here to say I was wrong. At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them,” Rachael said in a statement released on February 11. “I am sorry to the communities and individuals that my actions harmed and offended. I am ashamed about my lack of education, but it is no one’s responsibility to educate me. I am learning and will continue to learn how to be antiracist, because it’s important to speak up in the moment and not after you’re called out.”
Chris, for his part, released a social media apology and appeared on Good Morning America on March 4 to discuss the controversy. “It was a mistake,” he said in the interview. “I made a mistake. I am an imperfect man. I made a mistake. And I own that.”
The After the Final Rose special will air following The Bachelor finale on ABC Monday, March 15, at 8 p.m. ET.
