Comedian David Spade is set to be one of the guest hosts for Season 7 of ABC‘s Bachelor in Paradise. With Chris Harrison temporarily stepping away from the show after his controversial remarks, Spade is a great choice.
David Spade has been a fan of the show for years.
In a 2016 interview with Canadian newspaper the Windsor Star, Spade talked about what he loved about the show. “There’s so many embarrassing things each show that happen. I wish I was just doing a live feed while I watched it and just talk to the camera because everything about it makes me laugh.” He “can’t help” but watch.
He continued, “I watch five seconds and I’m drawn in. I would watch it more because of the drama and the craziness but I just don’t have time. Period. I like watching it because I can’t believe how easy it is for these girls to fall for this guy. I’ve never met a group of chicks that is falling so hard in 15 seconds.”
He still loves the show. In an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in March, he commented “I like it all. I just make fun of whatever’s in front of me.”
The comedian will be one of the guest hosts filling in for Chris Harrison after he elected to step away from the show in March due to his defending of a previous Bachelorette, Rachel Kirkconnell‘s racist actions.
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Chris Harrison defended a Kirkconnell’s photos in redface earlier this year.
Chirs Harrison did an interview for Extra with ex-Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay. When asked about Kirkconnell’s photos featuring her dressed up as a Native American for an Old South antebellum party, he debated whether the photos were a “bad look” in 2021 or a “good look” 2018. He also said that people should have “a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion” for Kirkconnell.
After receiving backlash that his comments were insensitive and excused racism, Chris Harrison wrote an apology on Instagram, which read “To my Bachelor Nation family — I will always own a mistake when I make one, so I am here to extend a sincere apology. I have this incredible platform to speak about love, and yesterday I took a stance on topics which I should have been better informed. While I do not speak for Rachael Kirkconnell, my intentions were simply to ask for grace in offering her an opportunity to speak on her own behalf.”
He continued, “What I now realize I have done is cause harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism, and for that I am so deeply sorry. I also apologize to my friend Rachel Lindsay for not listening to her better on a topic she has a first-hand understanding of, and humbly thank the members of Bachelor Nation who have reached out to me to hold me accountable. I promise to do better.”
He also announced that he will “be stepping aside for a period of time,” in a subsequent Instagram Post.
Chris Harrison is trying to move forward by confronting his own implicit racism.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Chris Harrison opened up about how he’s been confronting his own behavior, explaining that he’s been talking to “a race educator and strategist” and explaining that “Dr. Dyson often talks to me about counsel, not cancel. That is full accountability … owning from that, learning from that. Seeking council from the community that you hurt, gaining experience knowledge and moving forward.”
He continued “I believe that mistake doesn’t reflect who I am or what I stand for. I am committed to progress, not just for myself, also for the franchise. And this is a franchise that has been a part of my life for the better part of 20 years and I love it.”
He also apologized for how callous he was towards Rachel Lindsay. “I am saddened and shocked at how insensitive I was in that interview with Rachel Lindsay. I didn’t speak for my heart, that is to say I stand against all forms of racism … I’m sorry to Rachel Lindsay and I’m sorry to the Black community,” “committed to progress, not just for myself, also for the franchise.”
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