Bachelorette Alum Mike Johnson Has A Message For Chris Harrison
Bachelor Nation was shook when Chris Harrison officially resigned as host of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" franchise, even though rumors of his exit had been circulating for months. Although his departure comes in the wake of some scandal, there is apparently no love lost between the host and the many former contestants and leads of the popular dating show. And now some of those former contestants are speaking out, including former "Bachelorette" contestant Mike Johnson, who appeared on Hannah Brown's "Bachelorette" season.
On the June 10 episode of the "Click Bait" podcast with Tayshia Adams, Mike called Harrison the "GOAT" (which stands for "greatest of all time") and said on behalf of himself and his castmates, referencing some of the scandal surrounding Harrison's departure, "We just wanna show love to you Chris. We have nothing negative to say. We wish you well in your next endeavors. And I just wanted to read a quick quote from Coretta Scott King. 'It doesn't matter how strong your opinions are. If you don't use your power for positive change, you are indeed part of the problem.'"
He added, "And with that being said, we know Chris was amazing as a host. And for the individuals that say the show won't be the same without Chris, you're right. It won't be. With that being said as well, we are here to grow and we are here to continue to evolve with the Bachelor franchise. Chris, well wishes."
Here's what sparked Chris Harrison's exit
Chris Harrison's position on "The Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" had been in limbo since he defended Season 25 "Bachelor" contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's 2018 photos of her at an Old South themed fraternity party on a plantation. After initially saying that fans should have "compassion" for her, he eventually apologized for his comments and announced that he would be taking a break from the show in February 2021 before officially resigning in June, per Deadline. The outlet reported that after hosting the show since 2002, Harrison negotiated an eight-figure deal to leave the franchise (and to likely take behind-the-scenes knowledge and gossip to himself).
Harrison addressed his departure in an Instagram post, writing, "I've had a truly incredible run as host of 'The Bachelor' franchise and now I'm excited to start a new chapter. I'm so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we've made together. While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I've made will last a lifetime."
That new, more inclusive, chapter is also what Mike Johnson and his castmates seem to be hoping for in their comments about Harrison leaving the series. Only time will tell if the rest of Bachelor Nation is ready to accept all the changes.