\u201c[There are] a few people that are sitting in Hollywood right now nervous as hell that I am doing a podcast \u2014 and I guess I would say to those people, if you\u2019re nervous, maybe you should be.\u201d Chris Harrison<\/a> <\/strong>brings the theatrics on his new show, \u201cThe Most Dramatic Podcast Ever,\u201d <\/a>but did he deliver? Us Weekly<\/em> is breaking down the first two episodes of the former Bachelor<\/em> host\u2019s new venture.<\/p>\n The 51-year-old reality TV host goes solo on the premiere episode, released by iHeartRadio<\/a> on Monday, January 9, before he\u2019s joined by fianc\u00e9e Lauren Zima<\/strong><\/a> for his second installment. Throughout two hours, Harrison details what it was like to navigate the backlash of his February 2021 interview that ultimately cost him his gig with the franchise.<\/p>\n \u201cI was heartbroken. And I was gutted. I was embarrassed. I was mad at myself. I was disappointed in myself. The last thing in the world I ever wanted to do was be an agent of anything negative. Whether it had to do with race, or anything, the fact that I was involved in this and that I had a big part in this, I do own that,\u201d Harrison said.<\/p>\n He added that there were \u201dmany things out of [his] control\u201d and \u201cthings definitely spun out of control for a number of reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n As Bachelor Nation will recall, Harrison came under fire when asked about resurfaced photos of Bachelor<\/em> season 25 contestant (and eventual winner) Rachael Kirkconnell<\/strong> at a college party in an antebellum-style dress<\/a>. At the time, he told Rachel Lindsay<\/strong><\/a>, the first Black Bachelorette<\/a> who now works for Extra<\/em>, that fans need to have \u201ca little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion\u201d for Kirkconnell, who had yet to speak out.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is Rachel Lindsay and who is Chris Harrison and who is whatever woke police person out there, who are you? I\u2019ve heard this a lot of, \u2018I think she should,\u2019 \u2018I think he should.\u2019 Who the hell are you? Who are you that you demand that?\u201d Harrison said during the controversial chat.<\/p>\n Harrison apologized via an Instagram statement and ABC subsequently hired Emmanuel Acho<\/strong> to host Matt James<\/strong><\/a>\u2019 After the Final Rose<\/em> in March 2021. Months later, Harrison\u2019s official exit from the franchise was announced. (Kaitlyn Bristowe <\/strong>and Tayshia Adams<\/strong> were tapped<\/a> to host seasons 17 and 18 of The Bachelorette<\/em> before Jesse Palmer<\/strong> took over.<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t my normal, eloquent self. I didn\u2019t express myself like I normally do. I think that part we all agree on,\u201d Harrison said on Monday. \u201cBut as far as my standing in the community and the show, it really didn\u2019t register on the Richter scale. There was much more egregious things going on in the world and things that had happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Harrison implied that his bosses \u201cdidn\u2019t really think it was going to amount to much\u201d and was told that if he apologized, \u201cWe would be able to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had someone, a very prominent person say to me, \u2018You know, the mistake you made Chris, you apologized.\u2019 And I understood what that person was trying to say,\u201d he explained. \u201cBut I said, \u2018I disagree with you. My apology was warranted. Because I did misstep. And I made a mistake.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Harrison went on to compare things to Stranger Things<\/em>\u2019 The Upside Down.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the timing of this is very relevant of where we were in the world. We were all coming out of two years of being locked up. And I think we were all angry and frustrated and then culturally, what was going on in the world with civil rights and there was a lot of confusion, anger and resentment,\u201d Harrison said. \u201cIt was a very combustible moment in time. And my timing of being sloppy, inappropriate, and wrong in that moment \u2014 that\u2019s on me to have not seen that. You know, I was just as frustrated and blind and pissed off as everybody else in the world coming out of what we came out of. But that\u2019s not to say that was OK. \u2026 I had no problem putting out that first apology, it was a written apology that I put out on Instagram. But there was just so much noise at the time. It just didn\u2019t matter. Apologies didn\u2019t matter. And I\u2019ve never seen a time like that in my life, I\u2019ve never known that not to work \u2026 if you sincerely apologize and open your heart.\u201d<\/p>\n Scroll through for more from Harrison:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> John Salangsang\/Shutterstock\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201c[There are] a few people that are sitting in Hollywood right now nervous as hell that I am doing a podcast \u2014 and I guess I would say to those people, if you’re nervous, maybe you should be.\u201d Chris Harrison<\/a> <\/strong>brings the theatrics on his new show, “The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever,\u201d <\/a>but did he deliver? Us Weekly<\/em> is breaking down the first two episodes of the former Bachelor<\/em> host\u2019s new venture.
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Photo Image Press\/Shutterstock\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Harrison said he was \u201csick to my stomach\u201d during the aftermath of the Extra interview. \u201cAnd I lost 20 pounds. I didn’t sleep. I didn’t eat,\u201d he said. \u201cI was scared to death of \u2014 not of my job, but of my family. My fiance\u00e9, who God bless Lauren Zima for being there every step of the way. \u2026 I worried about my kids. I worried about my family, my mom, my dad, my brother, all my loved ones, my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> AFF-USA\/Shutterstock\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the point I was trying to get across, I stay by,\u201d Harrison said. \u201cThe way I did it, it was messy, it was disappointing and it’s just not me. \u2026\u00a0 It was a messy, really bad conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Matt Dunham\/AP\/Shutterstock\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Harrison revealed that situation \u201ccrushed\u201d him and he wished he was able to address the viewers more directly, but claims he was instructed to keep quiet. He compared the situation to what Prince Harry and Meghan Markle<\/strong> said about the palace in their Netflix doc, Harry & Meghan<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI still have this policy of, like, if you want to come have a debate with me, if you want to talk, bring an open heart and an open mind and open ears and man, I will discuss anything with you. And I just wanted that so badly. It wasn’t that I wasn’t allowed to, but I wasn’t counseled to do that,\u201d he said. \u201cYou know what the royal family or the royal press folk were like, \u2018Don’t speak. Don’t give them anything, because they will take anything you do say and it will be held against you in the court of public opinion.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cI guess the best analogy is if you were in a tsunami \u2014 or if you’re a surfer, if you’ve ever been surfing, there\u2019s a huge wave and this massive wave, you don’t make it over the top. And so you get thrown down to the bottom of the ocean and it\u2019s like you’re in a washing machine, you’re getting thrown around, but it’s over, right? In about five, eight seconds, if you hold your breath, and you keep your head above you, you float to the top, and it’s over. And you when you come up, it’s actually really serene, it’s really Placid, it’s calm. But that wave is rolling on in. It’s destroying more and it’s loud. And that’s how I felt because when I got hit by this wave, and I was being thrown around, the decision was made, \u2018OK, apologize,\u2019 which I did and then, \u2018Don\u2019t speak,\u2019 and that’s what I was counseled. And I tentatively agreed, \u2018OK, this too shall pass.\u2019 \u2026 But that noise in this moment in time\u00a0 didn’t stop. And that’s where the playbook was thrown out the window. And that’s what none of us were prepared for.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> ABC\/Craig Sjodin\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n While Harrison said repeatedly that he has “love” for a lot of people at The Bachelor<\/em>, he threw shade at the ratings \u2014 and some of the higher-ups.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not mad at the show. The show changed my life. And I am grateful to The Bachelor<\/em> and Bachelorette<\/em> \u2026 There is no animosity. Now, was it a job where parts of it that sucked? Sure, it’s a job,\u201d he said.\u201d You know, tell me a job where you love your boss, and you love everyone you work for. It’s very rare. And God bless you if you do you found that. \u2026 The majority of people, I love and adored. Look, the show was a massive success. It\u2019s a historic show. It changed television in many ways, one of the most relevant television shows in history. And to be a part of that, to have helped create that over 19 years. I take great pride in that.\u201d<\/p>\n When Zima joined in episode 2, she added: \u201cThere are people at the show who are very problematic still.\u201d<\/p>\n Harrison noted that he hasn\u2019t watched his James\u2019 hometown episode.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I left, it was still the number No. 1 show on TV. Now look, do I keep an eye on the ratings? Do I know what’s happening now? I’m not going to say I’m not so humble or whatever to say, I haven’t paid attention to the scoreboard,\u201d he admitted. \u201cYes, I do know. \u2026 I realized the ratings are down 50 to 60 percent and the show has changed dramatically. But also, that hurts me a little bit because it’s something I took pride in building. And there’s still some wonderful people that I talk to on the show, cast members and crew.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Shutterstock (2)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Both the season 21 Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise<\/em> bartender were open about wanting Harrison\u2019s gig.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew about certain cast members who were calling in. And the funny thing is, the people who were calling in I knew had no chance to get the job,\u201d Harrison said on episode 1 without naming names.<\/p>\n During episode 2, he addressed Viall directly, explaining: \u201cNick wasn’t really strongly against me or said anything. But, you know, I think Nick was one of those among many who probably saw the blood in the water and saw the opportunity of a job that would be really phenomenal. And I had no doubt he wanted that job. But we saw each other at Wells and Sarah\u2019s [Hyland]<\/strong> wedding and gave each other big hugs.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Harrison also revealed that he thought Adams was the man for the job. (He never referenced Palmer getting hired.)<\/p>\n \u201cWells has always been a very good man and a good friend of mine,\u201d Harrison said. \u201cWells was in a very difficult situation because obviously he was still kind of connected to the show and he was doing stuff on Paradise<\/em>, but he was one of the first to reach out to me and just say, \u2018Look, I\u2019m staying out of this. I love you and respect you.’ \u2026 I thought, to be completely candid, that Wells was going to get the job. \u2026\u00a0 I even told him, I said, \u2018Hey, man, I won’t speak out publicly because I don’t think that will help you at all. In fact, it would do a lot more harm than good. But I really hope you get the job. I think you’d be great at it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nChris Harrison Details \u2018Bachelor\u2019 Exit: 20-Lb Weight Loss, Checking Ratings, Why Wells Adams Should Host and More Podcast Takeaways<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\nThe 51-year-old reality TV host goes solo on the premiere episode, released by iHeartRadio<\/a> on Monday, January 9, before he\u2019s joined by fianc\u00e9e Lauren Zima<\/strong><\/a> for his second installment. Throughout two hours, Harrison details what it was like to navigate the backlash of his February 2021 interview that ultimately cost him his gig with the franchise.
\n
\n\u201cI was heartbroken. And I was gutted. I was embarrassed. I was mad at myself. I was disappointed in myself. The last thing in the world I ever wanted to do was be an agent of anything negative. Whether it had to do with race, or anything, the fact that I was involved in this and that I had a big part in this, I do own that,\u201d Harrison said.
\n
\nHe added that there were \u201dmany things out of [his] control\u201d and \u201cthings definitely spun out of control for a number of reasons.\u201d
\n
\nAs Bachelor Nation will recall, Harrison came under fire when asked about resurfaced photos of Bachelor<\/em> season 25 contestant (and eventual winner) Rachael Kirkconnell<\/strong> at a college party in an antebellum-style dress<\/a>. At the time, he told Rachel Lindsay<\/strong><\/a>, the first Black Bachelorette<\/a> who now works for Extra<\/em>, that fans need to have \u201ca little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion\u201d for Kirkconnell, who had yet to speak out.
\n
\n\u201cWho is Rachel Lindsay and who is Chris Harrison and who is whatever woke police person out there, who are you? I\u2019ve heard this a lot of, \u2018I think she should,\u2019 \u2018I think he should.\u2019 Who the hell are you? Who are you that you demand that?\u201d Harrison said during the controversial chat.
\n
\nHarrison apologized via an Instagram statement and ABC subsequently hired Emmanuel Acho<\/strong> to host Matt James<\/strong><\/a>\u2019 After the Final Rose<\/em> in March 2021. Months later, Harrison\u2019s official exit from the franchise was announced. (Kaitlyn Bristowe <\/strong>and Tayshia Adams<\/strong> were tapped<\/a> to host seasons 17 and 18 of The Bachelorette<\/em> before Jesse Palmer<\/strong> took over.<\/a>)
\n
\n[jwplayer crmzm7cd-zhNYySv2]
\n
\n\u201cI wasn’t my normal, eloquent self. I didn’t express myself like I normally do. I think that part we all agree on,\u201d Harrison said on Monday. \u201cBut as far as my standing in the community and the show, it really didn’t register on the Richter scale. There was much more egregious things going on in the world and things that had happened.\u201d
\n
\nHarrison implied that his bosses \u201cdidn’t really think it was going to amount to much\u201d and was told that if he apologized, \u201cWe would be able to move forward.\u201d
\n
\n\u201cI had someone, a very prominent person say to me, \u2018You know, the mistake you made Chris, you apologized.\u2019 And I understood what that person was trying to say,\u201d he explained. \u201cBut I said, \u2018I disagree with you. My apology was warranted. Because I did misstep. And I made a mistake.\u2019\u201d
\n
\nHarrison went on to compare things to Stranger Things<\/em>\u2019 The Upside Down.
\n
\n\u201cI think the timing of this is very relevant of where we were in the world. We were all coming out of two years of being locked up. And I think we were all angry and frustrated and then culturally, what was going on in the world with civil rights and there was a lot of confusion, anger and resentment,\u201d Harrison said. \u201cIt was a very combustible moment in time. And my timing of being sloppy, inappropriate, and wrong in that moment \u2014 that’s on me to have not seen that. You know, I was just as frustrated and blind and pissed off as everybody else in the world coming out of what we came out of. But that’s not to say that was OK. \u2026 I had no problem putting out that first apology, it was a written apology that I put out on Instagram. But there was just so much noise at the time. It just didn’t matter. Apologies didn’t matter. And I’ve never seen a time like that in my life, I’ve never known that not to work \u2026 if you sincerely apologize and open your heart.\u201d
\n
\nScroll through for more from Harrison:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"20](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/20-Pound-Weight-Loss-Due-to-Stress-Chris-Harrison-Lost-20-Lbs-Amid-Bachelor-Exit-Podcast-Takeaways.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Lost")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nLost 20 Pounds Amid \u2018Bachelor\u2019 Exit<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Stands](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Stands-By-His-Point-Chris-Harrison-Lost-20-Lbs-Amid-Bachelor-Exit-Podcast-Takeaways.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Stands")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nStands By His Point<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Relates](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Relates-to-Prince-Harry-and-Meghan-Markle-Chris-Harrison-Lost-20-Lbs-Amid-Bachelor-Exit-Podcast-Takeaways.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Relates")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nRelates to Harry & Meghan<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Sees](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Sees-Ratings-Are-Down-Chris-Harrison-Lost-20-Lbs-Amid-Bachelor-Exit-Podcast-Takeaways.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"\u2018Bachelor\u2019")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\u2018Bachelor\u2019 Ratings<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Nick-Viall-and-Wells-Adams-Wanting-His-Job-Chris-Harrison-Lost-20-Lbs-Amid-Bachelor-Exit-Podcast-Takeaways.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Nick")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nNick Viall and Wells Adams Wanted \u2018Bachelor\u2019 Hosting Gig<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Lists](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Lists-Alums-Who-Reached-Out-Catherine-and-Sean-Lowe-Chris-Harrison-Lost-20-Lbs-Amid-Bachelor-Exit-Podcast-Takeaways.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"On")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n![\"Lauren](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Lauren-Zima-Gets-Emotional-Chris-Harrison-Lost-20-Lbs-Amid-Bachelor-Exit-Podcast-Takeaways.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Lauren")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n