The Bachelor has finally confirmed who will be taking over from Chris Harrison as host, in light of the racism controversy surrounding its former presenter.
On Tuesday, September 28, ABC announced that former NFL quarterback Jesse Palmer, who actually starred as the Bachelor himself on the popular reality show back in 2004, will be fronting the next instalment.
No stranger to television broadcasting, the 42-year-old has previously worked as a sports commentator for ESPN, as well as special contributor on Good Morning America and other ABC News titles. His most recent presenting gig was on The Ultimate Surfer, which sees male and female up-and-comers compete to be named the best in the board-based biz.
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He's also collaborated with The Bachelor boss Mike Fleiss before, on 2018's The Proposal.
"For more than 20 years, The Bachelor has brought the world dozens of unforgettable love stories, including at one time, my own," Palmer, who will host the show for the first time in 2022, said in a statement.
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"Falling in love is one of life's greatest gifts, and I am humbled by the opportunity to return to the show as host this season to offer the newest Bachelor advice gained from first-hand experience and I am grateful to play a small part in his journey."
The Bachelor called time on its 19-year relationship with Harrison in June 2021, when he publicly defended Bachelor winner Rachael Kirkconnell after three-year-old photos of her taking part in an Old South slave plantation-themed fraternity formal emerged online.
His comments, spoken in a now-infamous interview on Extra, garnered widespread criticism, causing him to apologise for causing "harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism." He later stepped down from the role, claiming, "I invoked the term 'woke police,' which is unacceptable. I am ashamed over how uninformed I was. I was so wrong."
