THE latest series of The Bachelor has found itself dominating the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
It comes after some photos of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell resurfaced online sparking a race row.
Follow all the latest news and stories on The Bachelor

Chris Harrison has apologized for âdefendingâ Rachael Kirkconnell
What did Chris Harrison say to Rachael Lindsay?
Bachelorâs Chris Harrison has apologized after he was slammed for âperpetuating racismâ as he âdefendedâ contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.Â
The longtime host of the franchise came under fire for his comments with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay about the Matt James frontrunners current âracistâ scandal.Â
In an interview on February 9, 2021 with Rachel â the first Black lead in franchise history â Chris said: âWe all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion.
âBecause Iâve seen some stuff online⌠again, this âjudge, jury, executionerâ thing where people are just tearing this girlâs life apart.

The Bachelor Rachael Kirkconnell contestant has found herself in hot water over some resurfaced photos
âAnd diving intoâŚher parents voting recordâŚitâs unbelievably alarming to watch this!
âI havenât heard Rachael speak on this yet, and until I actually hear this woman have a chance to speak, who am I to say [anything]?â
Then on February 10, 2021 Chris took to Instagram and apologized for his comments in the interview, calling them a âmistakeâ in a lengthy post.Â

Rachel Lindsay interviewed Chris about the current âracistâ scandal
What are the photos that have resurfaced of Rachael Kirkconnell?
Past photos of Georgia native Rachael were labeled as âoffensiveâ when dug up as she can be seen wearing a Native American costume.Â
The ensemble included a beaded feathered headpiece and matching brown fringe dress.Â
She was also slammed by fans for 2018 photos of the contestant which show her attending a controversial âOld Southâ party.Â
The bash is described as an âantebellum plantation-themed ballâ by the college fraternity that throws it, Kappa Alpha.Â

Chris has hosted The Bachelor and Bachelorette since season one
Kappa Alpha has been criticized as âracistâ due to its embrace of Confederate General Robert E. Lee as its âspiritual leader.â
Through the ongoing backlash, an insider told The Sun that Rachael has learned from her âignoranceâ and will be coming forward with a statement soon.Â
âRachael absolutely feels bad about going to the party. She wasnât aware of the history because the version they throw today is marketed as an old school party, not a confederate celebration. But her ignorance is a wasted excuse at this point.
âRachael plans to make a statement about this and then look into advocating for better education about the microaggressions disguised as âtraditionâ regarding confederacy in southern schools.â
ABC did not respond to The Sunâs request for comment and have not publicly addressed the ongoing reaction to Rachaelâs past.Â
<!--googleoff: all-->
<div class="sun-grid-container sun-grid-container--white">
<div class="sun-row ">
<div class="col sun-col-6">
<div class="rail rail--classic rail--trending theme-showbiz" data-slide-count="4" data-slide-count-tablet="4"> <div class="swiper-container">
<div class="rail__header">
<h3 class="rail__title theme__after-color">MORE ON THE BACHELOR</h3>
</div>
<div class="swiper-pagination theme__swiper-pagination"></div>
<div class="swiper-wrapper">