Chris Harrison Permanently Leaves ‘The Bachelor’ Franchise

Chris Harrison Permanently Leaves ‘The Bachelor’ Franchise
Host Chris Harrison is interviewed on the red carpet of Boardwalk Hall before the 96th Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., on Sept. 11, 2016. Mark Makela/Reuters
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LOS ANGELES—Chris Harrison, the original host of ABC’s “The Bachelor” and its spinoffs, is leaving the long-running franchise.

His departure comes four months after he defended contestant Rachael Kirkconnell against criticism over 2018 photos showing her at a fraternity formal with an Old South plantation theme.