Wells Adams has addressed rumors that he will replace Chris Harrison as the permanent host of the "Bachelor" franchise.
The role was left vacant earlier this year when Harrison stepped away from the reality series after defending a former contestant accused of racially insensitive past behavior. Since then it has been said that Adams was tapped to fill his shoes and, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, he finally broke his silence.
"Those are really large shoes to fill," he said. "I want to be a part of the franchise in whatever aspect that they want me to be involved, to be honest with you."
Adams will be appearing on "Bachelor in Paradise" as its Master of Cocktails and Ceremonies — a gig that he believes has benefits over being a host.
"I love being the bartender. The host role is the one that is a little bit separated from the cast, if you're really looking at it objectively," he said. "[With] the bartender role, I'm entrenched with everyone. I'm kind of a part of the landscape, so my relationship with them is a very strong one. Whereas the host role has got to be a little bit step back and a little bit more objective, I suppose."
Adams emphasized that there have not been any talks or negotiations about his taking over as host, and that he did not really know how he would do "stepping into that role," but added that it was not something he was ruling out.
"Whatever Bachelor Nation wants and what ABC wants, I'm happy to do," he said. "But I'm just excited for Paradise. I'm excited to mix up some margaritas and some drama and just watch it all burn in front of me."
Harrison took a hiatus after he came under fire earlier this year following an interview in which he defended "The Bachelor" contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who was accused of racially insensitive past behavior after photos emerged on social media of her attending an antebellum plantation-themed fraternity formal in 2018. Many said Harrison was defending racist behavior.
In June Deadline confirmed that, "just hours after the 17th season of 'The Bachelorette' debuted, longtime host Chris Harrison has exited the romance franchise for good."
It was later reported that Harrison was paid $9 million by ABC in his exit from the franchise. He reportedly demanded a $25 million payout but instead received roughly $10 million, which included the $9 million exit settlement and remaining contractual fees.
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