Chris Harrison has spoken out for the first time since saying goodbye to his presentation duties for ABC’s first reality series ‘The Bachelor’.
The star recently spoke to Michael Goodhan, the host of Good Morning America, to address his recent scandal, in which Harrison defends current ‘Bachelor’ contestant Rachael Kirkconnell after photos resurface of her attending a party with an ‘Old South ‘theme in 2018 on a plantation.
“It was a mistake,” Harrison, 49, said in a preview of the “Good Morning America” interview. “I made a mistake. I’m an imperfect man. I made a mistake and I own it.”
The full interview will be broadcast on Thursday.
‘BACHELOR’ PUSH CHRIS HARRISON ‘RETURNS’ NEXT RETURN OVER RACISM
Last month, the longtime collaborator conducted an “Extra” interview with former “Bachelorette” star Rachel Lindsay, where Kirkconnell’s performance was discussed.
DISCLAIMER ADDED TO CHRIS HARRISON’S FAMOUSNESS OF FORTUNE EPISODE
Harrison and Lindsay debated the seriousness of the photos, and during the interview, Harrison asked for “a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion” for Kirkconnell and implied that many people would go to such parties in 2018 has to celebrate the ‘Old South’. .
Harrison apologized several times for the incident and announced last month that he would “step aside. [from ‘The Bachelor’] for a period. ‘
Chris Harrison spoke out after resigning from his ‘Bachelor’ host duties. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth / WireImage)
“I have been listening for the last few days to the pain my words have caused, and I am deeply remorseful. My ignorance has harmed my friends, colleagues and strangers. I have no one else to blame myself for what I said and the way I spoke, ”he wrote in a long statement shared on Instagram at the time.
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His statement continued: “I have set standards for myself, and have not complied with them. I feel that I am with every fiber of my being. Just as I taught my children to stand up and possess their deeds, “I would do the same. By apologizing for historical racism, I defended it. I called the term ‘vigilant police’ unacceptable. I’m ashamed of how uninformed I was. I was so wrong.”
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The network has announced that writer and TV personality Emmanuel Acho will take over the hosting duties for the time being. It is unclear when Harrison will return and whether he will return to a ‘Bachelor’ spin-off – which includes ‘The Bachelorette’, ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ and ‘The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart.’