The conversation came after the current Bachelor star’s (and, from what spoilers tell us, Matt James’ final rose) old social media posts surfaced in which she appeared to be dressed as a Native American and attending a plantation-themed ball. Kirkconnell apologized in her own Instagram statement. But not before Harrison had a conversation with Lindsay, in which he spoke about the cancel culture “woke police” coming for Kirkconnell. He apologized twice. But then he announced his “stepping aside.” In his own words, “by excusing historical racism,” he “defended it.” Now, Harrison says he’s stepping aside–for the time being, at least. “I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special,” he wrote on Instagram. It’s unknown at this time how long he will be gone or when he’s coming back. In the meantime, everyone’s wondering who’s going to step into his shoes–whether it’s temporarily, as implied, or permanent. It’s just been announced that Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will take over the reins as dual hostesses of the upcoming season of The Bachelorette. No word if this is permanent. “Chris Harrison will not be hosting the next season of The Bachelorette,” ABC Entertainment and Warner Horizon said in a statement on behalf of The Bachelor franchise. “We support Chris in the work that he is committed to doing. In his absence, former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will support the new Bachelorette through next season.” The statement continued, “As we continue the dialogue around achieving greater equity and inclusion within The Bachelor franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC representation of our crew, including among the executive producer ranks. These are important steps in effecting fundamental change so that our franchise is a celebration of love that is reflective of our world.” But is this forever? Not necessarily. So, who could replace Harrison in the long run? We’re here to speculate, so you don’t have to.
Who could replace Chris Harrison as The Bachelor host?
1. JoJo Fletcher
JoJo Fletcher is the most obvious choice—she stepped in for Harrison when he had to leave for a few episodes during this past season of The Bachelorette, and she’s done hosting gigs for other television shows. She is also a Bachelor success story, and ABC loves to flaunt those.
2. Wells Adams
Yet another obvious choice, Wells Adams has become the second-host of sorts on Bachelor in Paradise as their bartender. He comes from a hosting background, he’s charming as can be and would provide the empathy needed in a position like hosting The Bachelor. Plus, this has been something people have wanted since before this scandal. Twitter seems game!
3. Ben Higgins
If anyone has been groomed to take over for Harrison, it would be former Bachelor Ben Higgins. Remember when he got a reality show after his season? He’s their golden boy and he doesn’t rock the boat.
4. Ashley Iaconetti Haibon
Ashley Iaconetti Haibon is the female Higgins—the franchise can’t get enough of her. She’s also a Bachelor success story—albeit an unconventional one—and truly is the marker of the change in how contestants interact with the media. Iaconetti Haibon was one of the original Bachelor Nation influencers, and while several past contestants who’ve leveraged their time on the show into an influencing career have distanced themselves from Bachelor Nation, Iaconetti Haibon has stayed a card-carrying member of Bachelor Nation. And they may want to reward that dedication. Having appeared on so many iterations of the show, not many know it better than she does.
5. Rachel Lindsay
As of right now, it seems Lindsay isn’t interested—she said after this week, she’s done with the franchise once her contract is up. But, that doesn’t mean production won’t ask her. And also, she would be fantastic at the job, if her performance on Ghosted is any indicator. She’s the first pick for countless Bachelor fanatics on Twitter. TMZ says Lindsay was asked to take his place for the After the Final Rose special, but she declined. She suggested they consider FS1 sports analyst Emmanuel Acho.
6. Mike Johnson
Production could make it up to those upset about the fact that Mike Johnson wasn’t made the first Black bachelor by giving him the hosting gig—one he would be especially fantastic in. He’s already taking hosting gigs. Twitter agrees:
7. Jenny Mollen
ABC will likely venture outside of Bachelor Nation to fill Harrison’s shoes. And why not Jenny Mollen? She’s got a ton of personality, is a publicly passionate member of Bachelor Nation and viewers responded well to her. They’ve trusted her with hosting Bachelor-related shows before (RIP, Bachelor In Paradise: After Paradise) and she cameo-ed on The Bachelorette with her husband Jason Biggs. She knows the ropes!
8. Keke Palmer
The latest development revealed that ABC is venturing outside of Bachelor Nation for its replacement for the After the Final Rose episode, according to TMZ. Sources “directly familiar with the production” told TMZ producers “now seem to have their sights set on someone without ties to the series – but who’s still part of ABC’s talent pool.” We’re putting our money on Keke Palmer. First of all, she’s everything they could ever want. Talented, whipsmart, funny, spunky and strong-willed. She’s also a former member of the ABC family, having cohosted GMA3 with Michael Strahan and Sara Haines before the pandemic hit. That makes her part of ABC’s talent pool, right? We think so! Plus, she’s an excellent host, as demonstrated on Good Morning America’s third hour and the MTV VMAs this past year. She can handle anything these contestants and producers throw her way. We know it.
9. Emmanuel Acho
Emmanuel Acho is hosting James’ After the Final Rose special. Is it a test run to see if he could take over for good? Who knows!
10. Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe
We could totally see their rein running on into future seasons! Next, meet Matt James’ contestant Bri Springs.
