'The Bachelor' host stepping away after racial controversy

Chris Harrison, host of 'œThe Bachelor,'ť says he is stepping down from his TV role and is 'œashamed'ť for his handling of a swirling racial controversy at the ABC dating show.

In a new statement posted Saturday, Harrison apologized again for defending the actions by a contestant that are considered offensive. 'œBy excusing historical racism, I defended it,'ť he wrote.

Harrison came under fire after an interview on 'œExtra'ť when he was asked about racially insensitive past behavior from current 'œBachelor'ť contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.

Past photos of her resurfaced in which she is dressed in costume as a Native American and at an antebellum plantation themed ball. Kirkconnell later issued an apology for what she calls her past 'œracist and offensive'ť actions.

In the interview, Harrison defended Kirkconnell against what he called the 'œwoke police'ť on social media. 'œWe all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion," he said in the interview.

Harrison apologized on Saturday, saying 'œmy ignorance did damage'ť and he was 'œashamed over how uninformed I was.'ť He said he is stepping aside from his TV show 'œfor a period of time'ť and will not be hosting the 'ťAfter the Final Rose" special that will follow the season finale of 'œThe Bachelor.'ť