Photo: Vivien Killilea/Getty
Bachelor in ParadisestarBlake Horstmannis sharing his “hot take” on the future of theBachelorfranchise.
During a Q&A on his Instagram Story Tuesday, a fan asked the reality star whether he thinksThe Bachelorwill “last forever.”
“I mean no, because nothing lasts forever,” he began in hisvideo response. “But also, bold statement here, hot take: I think there won’t be anotherBachelorseason. I think it’s going to end after Michelle [Young].”
Young is slated to be theBacheloretteforseason 18in the fall, afterKatie Thurstontakes on the role as lead for season 17 this summer.
Both women were contestants onMatt James' season ofThe Bachelor, which was embroiled in controversy after photos surfaced of frontrunnerRachael Kirkconnellattending an antebellum plantation-themed party in 2018. (She has sinceapologizedand said that she is “learning and will continue to learn how to be antiracist”).
Blake Horstmann/Instagram
Longtime hostChris Harrisonthen announced he would betaking a step backfrom the franchise after he received backlash forhis responseto Kirkconnell’spast racist actions.
In an interview forExtrawith former BacheloretteRachel Lindsay, Harrison defended Kirkconnell and questioned the “lens” of 2021 compared to 2018 and said that people should have “a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion” for Kirkconnell.
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Horstmann, 31, cited the controversy surrounding Harrison, 49, when explaining his prediction thatThe Bachelorwill be ending soon.
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“Whether you think it’s right, wrong, whatever your stance on the Chris Harrison thing, I think it drove away a lot of loyal fans and viewers and they’re really not going to watch the show,” he explained. “And I think ratings are gonna plummet, and that’s my prediction.”
However he won’t be returning for Thurston’s season ofThe Bachelorettethis summer — former BachelorettesTayshia AdamsandKaitlyn Bristowewill betaking Harrison’s placeinstead.
source: people.com
