Bachelor Nation, rejoice: Your show has found a new captain, at least for the immediate future.
Amid usual host Chris Harrison's absence from the show, football analyst Emmanuel Acho will step in to host the upcoming "After the Final Rose" episode for this season of The Bachelor. Acho announced the move via Twitter Saturday afternoon.
Harrison has stepped away from his hosting duties after his controversial comments defending the behavior of current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who came under criticism after Instagram photos surfaced of her attending an Antebellum-themed sorority party in 2018.
Appearing in an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, Harrison defended Kirkconnell's actions, asserting that while the theme of the party was not acceptable through the lens of 2021, it was more acceptable in 2018.
Get SPORTS ILLUSTRATED's best stories every weekday. Sign up now.
Acho, 30, was a standout linebacker at Texas from 2008 to 2011. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection as a senior, recording 114 tackles and three sacks. Acho was a sixth-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2012, and last appeared on an NFL team in 2015.
He began his media career in 2016, first with the Longhorn Network before moving to ESPN in 2018. He currently hosts the Fox Sports 1 show Speak for Yourself.
