Chris Harrison, former host of The Bachelor, was paid $10 million from ABC to resign from his hosting position. After 19 years of hosting all the numerous shows within the franchise, Chris ultimately announced he would be stepping away from hosting after a controversial interview aired in which Chris made racially insensitive remarks. Earlier this month, Chris announced he would not be returning to his past hosting position within the franchise.
Chris' Bachelor announcement came just days before Katie Thurston's season of The Bachelorette premiered. Katie was one of the many ladies who were a part of Chris' final Bachelor season. In his place, former Bachelorette leads Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams took over as co-hosts for the latest season of the show. Both Kaitlyn and Tayshia recently itted they were shocked by the news of Chris' permanent departure from the franchise.
While the news of Chris leaving the show for good was shocking in and of itself, Bachelor Nation is now even more shocked by how much Chris was paid to resign. Following his announcement, accusations claimed that The Bachelor's Chris would be receiving an eight-figure payout for his departure; however, a specific amount was not revealed at the time. Now, according to Variety, ABC paid Chris around $10 million to step away from hosting the franchise. It was stated that the $10 million payout was made up of "a combination of a $9 million exit settlement, plus remaining contractual fees."
When allegations claimed Chris would be making eight-figures for leaving, it was also stated that Chris was required to stay quiet regarding the agreement. His $10 million departure payout is seemingly nothing compared to what Chris was making on the show. In 2011, Chris made around $60,000 per episode, which added up to about $2 million that year. This pay for hosting the Bachelor franchise shows has undoubtedly grown since then. Most recently, former Bachelor host Chris' net worth was estimated at $25 million.
As of this writing, it is unknown who will take Chris' place as the permanent host within the Bachelor franchise. Amongst the many possible replacements is Emmanuel Acho, who took his place hosting the After the Final Rose special for Matt James' season of The Bachelor. Rachel Lindsay, who conducted the controversial interview with Chris, is also in the running to be the Bachelor replacement. Her interview with Chris ultimately led to his permanent departure from the franchise after having a 19-year run as the host. Both ABC and Warner Brothers, as well as Chris' legal representatives, have declined to release a statement regarding Chris' $10 million Bachelor franchise payout.
The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8pm on ABC.
Source: Variety