Chris Harrison ‘will not return to Bachelor in Paradise’ after racism controversy

Show will be hosted by rotation of celebrity comedians

Chris Harrison will not return for the next season of Bachelor in Paradise, reports say.

According to US insider site Variety, the role will be shared by celebrity comedians, including David Spade.

Harrison stepped away from the Bachelor franchise in February amid a racism controversy.

The decision came after an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, in which Harrison sought to defend Bachelor contestant, Rachael Kirkconnell, against allegations of racist and offensive behaviour.

Kirkconnell, who ended up winning the season with Matt James, the first-ever Black lead of the dating series, had attended an antebellum-themed fraternity party in 2018, while she was a college student, with the images resurfacing on social media this year.

Kirkconnell issued an apology of her own, stating in part: “At one point, I didn’t recognise how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them... I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.”

After his interview with Lindsay in which he defended Kirkconnell, Harrison apologised in an Instagram post for “wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism”.