Chris Harrison Says Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams Were 'Set Up to Fail' as 'Bachelorette' Co-Hosts

Harrison said that he knew co-hosting The Bachelorette would be "awkward and tough" for Bristowe and Adams

From L to R: Tayshia Adams, Chris Harrison, Kaitlyn Bristowe. Photo: getty images (3)

Chris Harrison revealed why he believed that Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams were "doomed to fail" as co-hosts of The Bachelorette.

On the latest episode of his new podcast The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever with Chris Harrison, the 51-year-old television personality and former Bachelor Nation host said "the only thing" that upset him when he found that Bristowe, 37, and Adams, 32, were taking over hosting duties was that two hosts were named.

"You were doomed to fail," he told Bristowe on the podcast. "You were set up to fail. That was never going to succeed. That show, and again I know it intimately more than anybody, there's not room for two people."

"There's not room for two mentors," he continued. "There's not room for two emotions in that mental space that you're taking over and so that was just never going to work."

Harrison said that he knew co-hosting the show would be "awkward and tough."

Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe. ABC/Craig Sjodin

Bristowe — who did not return to host Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia's season of The Bachelorette — said she felt that co-hosting the show "didn't feel professional."

"It kind of made us feel silly and goofy with each other, where we didn't take it as serious [sic] as one person would have," she explained of her and Adams. "And like you said, there really isn't enough room for two people to be in that position."

Harrison responded: "To have two women hosting The Bachelorette, so now you really have three women, that's a lot in that space. I don't know how you're set up to succeed there."

Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty (2)

They also addressed Bristowe's claims Harrison went silent after she took over The Bachelorette's co-host.

On last week's episode of the Not Skinny but Not Fat podcast, the former Dancing with the Stars contestant admitted she cried "my eyes out" and that their friendship "just felt like it went down the toilet" after Harrison did not respond to her texts. However, Bristowe told Harrison she now "totally" understands why he did not respond at the time.

Harrison detailed his reason for not responding to Bristowe when the news broke in March 2021.

"I was the mentor — somewhat of a father figure — where I listened. And I asked questions, and I was all about you and your life, because that was my job and I care," he said. "And I took a lot of pride in that and that's how our relationship started."

"This time, I needed that flip of just the, 'Hey, how are you? Are you OK?' Not, 'Are you OK with me taking the show and you're irreplaceable?' And I appreciated those words, but it was just at that time, I didn't have the bandwidth to deal with all of that," he continued. "By the way, I really, truly just wasn't worried at all about who was hosting and who was the next mentor or what the show was going to do."

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