Chris Harrison, the longtime host of ABC’s “The Bachelor” and its spinoffs, is leaving the franchise.

During the “After the Final Rose” special, he revealed that he had broken up with her after the controversy came to light. It's tough to judge whether Harrison's absence had any impact on the “After the Final Rose” ratings, because ABC hadn't done one of those specials since 2018. CBS won the week in the ratings, with an average of 4.5 million viewers in prime time. “The Bachelor,” ABC, 6.1 million. “The Bachelor: After the Final Rose,” ABC, 5.67 million.

(Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)Chris Harrison will not host the upcoming season of “The Bachelorette” following controversy over racially insensitive comments, and will instead be replaced with two former contestants, ABC Entertainment and Warner Horizon said in a statement. Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will pick up hosting duties for the show's next season, the statement issued late Friday said. Harrison stepped down from hosting for “The Bachelor” in February following the controversy connected to an interview with “Extra.” He had defended “Bachelor” contestant Rachael Kirkconnell after she was accused of racially insensitive past behavior. Past photos of her resurfaced in which she is dressed in costume as a Native American and at an antebellum plantation themed ball. He later apologized for his comments, saying in a statement: “By excusing historical racism, I defended it.”Ad“We support Chris in the work that he is committed to doing,” ABC and Warner Horizon said Friday's statement.

Emmanuel Acho, who played linebacker for the University of Texas at Austin and is a current co-host on Fox Sports 1, will host “The Bachelor After the Final Rose” following this season’s final rose ceremony. The host-to-be made the announcement official on social media on Saturday. IT’S OFFICIAL: I’ve accepted the Rose & am honored to be hosting the @bachelorabc After the Final Rose this year. 🌹 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/eWBXT6Kv6J — Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) February 27, 2021“I’ve accepted the rose and am honored to be hosting The Bachelor After the Final Rose this year. It’s been a pivotal season and this episode will hopefully be one of the most storied shows in TV history,” Acho said on social media.

In a new statement posted Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 Harrison apologized again for defending the actions by a contestant that many consider offensive. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)Chris Harrison, host of “The Bachelor,” says he is stepping down from his TV role and is “ashamed” for his handling of a swirling racial controversy at the ABC dating show. In a new statement posted Saturday, Harrison apologized again for defending the actions by a contestant that are considered offensive. Harrison came under fire after an interview on “Extra” when he was asked about racially insensitive past behavior from current “Bachelor” contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. “We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion," he said in the interview.