Chris Harrison Breaks Silence: Talks Bachelor Nation Exit and Addresses the Rachel Lindsay Interview

In the first episode of his new iHeartRadio podcast, The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever, Chris Harrison speaks candidly about his interview with Rachel Lindsay in February 2021. The former host of The Bachelor also addresses why it took him so long to speak out on the matter and the “astonishing” amount of people from Bachelor Nation who tried to come for his job in the aftermath.

Chris Harrison’s stayed out of the public eye so he could ‘figure out what he wanted to say’ 

As Harrison explains in “It’s Time We Talk,” the podcast will be about relationships. But before he covers those topics, he needed to address his step back after the media frenzy his interview with Lindsay created. 

“If I’m going to ask you guys to believe in me … I think I need to be willing to do the same,” Harrison said. He apologized for taking so long to address his exit from The Bachelor franchise and mentioned that he hadn’t spoken publicly since he left the show, despite how much other people talked about it. 

“None of it came from me — it was everybody else talking,” he said. “When there is so much noise, me talking is just going to be more noise … you wouldn’t have heard it. And selfishly, I think I needed time … to figure out what I wanted to say.”

Shortly after the interview with Lindsay, Harrison issued an apology on Instagram. In the first episode of his podcast, Harrison compared that apology to “yelling in a cave” saying it didn’t matter.

“Even after that apology, we were still at ground zero,” he said. Despite the nerves and trepidation he felt recording the show — and the oversaturated market that is podcasting — The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever is live and available wherever you stream podcasts. 

Chris Harrison’s intentions during the Rachel Lindsay interview were different than what came out

According to the former Bachelor Nation host, the point he was trying to get across in his interview with Lindsay was, “people need time to think.” However, what came out amid their conversation regarding Rachael Kirkconnell’s photos at an antebellum party was: “Well, Rachel, is it a good look in 2018? Or, is it not a good look in 2021? Because there’s a big difference.”

According to Harrison’s podcast, what he meant was: “You need time to process. We must have grace and patience for people to think and process or else you’re just getting this nonsensical, reactive emotion from people.”

Chris Harrison’s brother wrote a letter about his situation, but asked him to take it down

Amid the media frenzy, Harrison’s brother Glenn published a letter about his situation. Despite how much support Harrison felt from his brother’s words, he asked that he take it down.

“Anybody who stuck their head up above water was going to be devoured by this wave,” Harrison said, wanting to protect the people who wanted to speak out on his behalf. “I didn’t want that for anybody else.” Whether or not that letter will ever get re-released is unknown. 

Former ‘Bachelor’ and ‘Bachelorette’ host ‘astonished’ at how many people came for his job 

Hosting The Bachelor and The Bachelorette is a role many alum dream of having. Harrison knows that. 

“I know people coveted my job,” he said, mentioning a former Bachelorette who wanted to come back and host the show. “It was funny because she didn’t see it as a job or asking for me to be unemployed in front of me,” he explained. “Every year, I am creating 25 to 30 people who want to host my show.” 

Harrison also spoke of those who join the dating show who sign up to become influencers or want to do TV. Many of those people saw Harrison’s situation with Lindsay as a way to advance themselves and their careers, like that unnamed former Bachelorette. 

In addition to that person, Harrison said there were an “astonishing” amount of others who “had their hand out and wanted to get paid for this.” He added: “I should teach a master class … if it wasn’t happening to me, it’s an amazing study in human behavior.”

Hear more from Harrison in new episodes of The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever.