Chris Harrison abruptly left The Bachelor franchise in 2021 after nearly 20 years as host. He’s finally ready to return to television five years after his departure. In rare comments about his time on the ABC show, he reflected on the ‘tough call’ he made to leave the franchise and why it was the right decision. Keep reading for all the details.
Chris Harrison Shades ‘Messy’ Bachelor Nation Relationships
Chris Harrison served as host when ABC debuted The Bachelor in 2002. While reality dating shows are common now, it was a somewhat new format at the time. He saw some things during his 19 years as host. But he was more than just a host. He was the sounding board for the leads and contestants. Chris Harrison helped navigate awkward breakups on After the Final Rose.
And there were a lot of breakups. He threw light shade at the franchise on Matt and Abby Howard’s Unplanned podcast. “If I learned anything over the years about relationships and breakups — and I’ve seen a lot of breakups — is that things don’t end how you always want them to,” he said.
“Breakups are messy at times. Divorce is messy at times,” he said before addressing his breakup with ABC. “This was a divorce. It got a little contentious, a little messy, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t right.”
Chris Harrison continued, “For me, I still look at it, oddly, as a blessing, because it’s gotten me to where I am today and it allowed me to grow as a man, as a husband, as a dad, as a friend to my friends, to reconnect.”
Former Host Opens Up About ‘Tough Call’ Leaving Bachelor Franchise
Defending Season 25 frontrunner Rachael Kirkconnell from allegations of racism ultimately led to Chris Harrison’s downfall. He suggested Rachael Kirkconnell deserved “grace” after photos of her at an antebellum college party resurfaced while the season was airing. She faced massive backlash at the time.
Matt James ended up dating Rachael Kirkconnell for four years after the season, despite public opinion. Chris Harrison is finally making his long-awaited return to reality TV. He’s hosting Fox Nation’s new dating show, The Vow.
“The only thing that I thought is when I stepped away from the show — and it was a mutual parting of the ways, we all decided, you know what, it’s time — and for me, it was a tough call,” he said about leaving The Bachelor.
He felt that it was time to go and he’s glad he did. “Everything led to this. God gives you these blessings sometimes and it’s not always just wrapped up in this cute little box under the tree. That’s not exactly how God works.”
The Vow premieres on the streaming service Fox Nation on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger