Things weren’t particularly rosy when Caitlin Bristow stepped in as co-host for The Bachelor.
The fan favorite, as a former competitor of The Bachelor, a former bachelorette, and winner of season 29 of dancing with the stars seemed like a natural choice to co-host the concert alongside fellow former contestant Tayshia Adams.
But it was still, apparently, painful for longtime franchise host Chris Harrison, whom Bristow says she once considered a close friend. “I’ve always said that when Jason proposes, he should ask my dad, my stepdad and Chris Harrison,” Bristow said.
While appearing on the podcast Not skinny but not fat, Bristow said that after she was publicly announced as the interim host of the ABC reality dating competition, Harrison stopped responding to her messages.
They bonded over Harrison’s remarks to the ex Maiden woman Rachel Lindsay regarding the controversy surrounding contestant Rachel Kirkconnell attending a plantation-themed sorority party. Harrison’s remarks in defense of Kirkconnell ultimately led to his departure from the franchise.
“He called, we talked, and he said, ‘I don’t want anyone interfering,'” Bristow said. “Then I was offered the position to come in and said he was Katie’s mentor [Thurston]. I wouldn’t replace Chris. Then all these articles started coming out about Kaitlyn Bristowe and Taisha Adams replacing Chris Harrison. So I texted Chris probably 10 times and he didn’t reply.”
Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment/Getty Chris Harrison, Caitlin Bristow
Bristow admitted she spun around a bit, hoping to make sure Harrison knew she felt “indispensable”. She explained: “I just wanted him to know that I consider him indispensable and I didn’t want to step on any toes. What I said was “You are irreplaceable. I don’t know what my role is. They said I was a mentor, but now I see articles about me replacing you and it makes me feel disgusting. And then he didn’t answer me.”
From there, Bristow said she panicked, texting Harrison to ask him why he wasn’t replying to her and if he hated her. “I was like okay he hates me. We were best friends and now he hates me,” she added.
Bristow finally spoke to Harrison again a few months later when they both attended the wedding of bachelor fixture Wells Adams and Modern family Sarah Hyland. She approached the former presenter to tell him that she misses him. Harrison replied, “Well I’ve always been here,” to which she replied, “No, you’re not! You haven’t answered me in ages!”
She added: “I bawled my eyes out about it. That friendship just felt like it went down the toilet.”
Bristow also had her own heartbreak over bachelor hosting concert. Although she and Adams hosted seasons of Katie Thurston and Michelle Young, they were replaced by the former bachelor Jesse Palmer, who is the current host. She revealed that she found out about the decision while on tour with dancing with the stars when the producers called her to inform her that she would not be getting the gig permanently, but were instead going with the “more consistent host” in Palmer.
Despite having her own podcast, wine label and released a single, Bristow was disappointed she wasn’t offered the full-time job. “I loved it,” she said. “I felt this was where I was meant to be in life. I thought I was going to do it for a long time.”
Representatives for Harrison did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.
Although he recently addressed his coming out for the first time on his new podcast The most dramatic podcast… evercalling out “some cast members” who campaigned to take over his job and detailing the debilitating physical and mental toll of the situation.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly’s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars and more.
Related Content: