Bachelor ratings drop 1 MILLION viewers per episode on Matt James’ season as Chris Harrison accused of racist comments
BACHELOR ratings have dropped by over 1 MILLION viewers per episode on Matt James’ season as Chris Harrison is accused of racist comments.
As the backlash for the ABC franchise rages on, ratings continue to suffer for the current season, which has been an all time low for the long-running series.
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Ratings for the current Bachelor season have dropped amid Chris Harrison’s ‘racism’ scandal[/caption] Matt James’ episodes average under five million viewers per week[/caption]Following the show – and particularly its longtime host – receiving unprecedented outrage, it has taken another hit in viewership.
Season 25 of the Bachelor has averaged just under 5 million US viewers per episode where as last year had between 6 to 8 million people tuning in, according to Nielsen’s television data.
This week’s Women Tell All garnered 4.6 million TV sets where as Peter Weber’s special last year received 6.3 million, marking a nearly two million-person drop.
Matt’s highest-watched episode came during week seven, just before hometown dates, which attracted 5.51 million viewers.
One year before, Pilot Pete’s most-watched episode was unsurprisingly the After The Final Rose finale – which smashed ratings with 8.5 million who watch.
Matt’s season has been surrounded with drama following Chris comments on race[/caption] The first Black Bachelor has narrowed down his group of ladies to the final three[/caption]This year’s ATFR special is expected to also be Matt’s highest-rated episode of the season as Emmanuel Acho will step in as the host in place of Chris – the first time ever he will not be at the helm.
Low viewership following the show’s racism scandal has also plummeted well below years’ past, including Colton Underwood, Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Nick Viall.
In 2017, villain-turned-lead Nick scored over seven million people on average per episode when he was cast as the lead.
The next year, race car driver Arie took a small dip in viewership averaging around six million.
Colton followed with similar numbers, though his ratings continued to climb as his season aired.
Peter Weber racked in over eight million people during his ATFR special[/caption] The current season is also being less watched than Colton Underwood’s time as Bachelor[/caption] Matt’s season ratings are far below Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s numbers in 2017[/caption] Nick Viall scored high viewership when he was the ABC lead in 2017[/caption]Bachelor viewers have declined as Chris, 49, was accused of “perpetuating racism” during an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay.
Chris asked fans to show “compassion” for Rachael Kirkconnell, 24, after resurfaced photos showed her attending an “Old South” plantation party with deep ties to the Confederacy in 2018.
During the 16-minute chat, Chris also continued to speak over the ex Bachelorette and claimed the racism problems were “okay” in 2018 but “not in 2021” – while adding he’s “not the woke police.”
After the accusations, Chris stepped away from his position indefinitely as fans demand he be fired after making a series of “unacceptable” comments while chatting with former the Bachelorette.
The brunette beauty is the frontrunner to win Matt’s season of The Bachelor[/caption] Chris was accused of ‘perpetuating racism’ during an interview with Rachel Lindsay[/caption]Many members of Bachelor Nation took to Twitter to call for the TV personality to be ousted from the series he both hosts and produces.
Some contestants went even claimed that they would “not be comfortable” with Chris on set.
On Saturday, former NFL star Emmanuel announced he’s accepted ABC’s rose and will be officiating Matt’ After The Final Rose finale later this month.
He broke the news on Twitter, writing: “IT’S OFFICIAL: I’ve accepted the Rose & am honored to be hosting The Bachelor After the Final Rose this year.
“It’s been a pivotal season & this episode will be one of the most storied shows in its history. Empathy is needed and change is coming. See y’all then!”
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In a separate tweet, he called his new gig “life changing,” while adding he “can’t wait!”
After weeks of not speaking out publicly, Chris will break his silence on his racism scandal during an appearance on Good Morning America later this week.
The Bachelor – which heads into Fantasy Suites next week – airs on Mondays at 8pm ET on ABC.
Chris Harrison will NOT be hosting After The Final Rose for the first time ever[/caption] Emmanuel Acho will replace Chris for the Matt James finale episode[/caption]