Us Weekly confirmed earlier this month that David Spade would be doing a two-week hosting stint on the ABC reality dating spinoff, set to premiere in August. On Wednesday, June 9, ABC confirmed he’ll be joined by a diverse group of stars including rapper Lil Jon and former boyband heartthrob Lance Bass.

Wells Adams, who has appeared as the trusty bartender on BiP since 2017, is also rumored to be trying his hand at hosting alongside his fiancée, Sarah Hyland.

The franchise has been under fire for several months after Harrison, 49, asked fans to give controversial contestant Rachael Kirkconnell “grace” for her past racially insensitive social media posts, some of which showed her attending an antebellum-themed party in 2018. During a heated interview with Rachel Lindsay in February, the longtime host questioned whether the 25-year-old Georgia native’s mistakes were being fairly judged.

“Is it [not] a good look in 2018 or is it not a good look in 2021?” Harrison asked Lindsay, 36, who was the franchise’s first Black lead in 2017.

Later that month, the Texas native announced that he would be stepping back from his hosting duties for the remainder of Matt James‘ season 25 of The Bachelor. In March, the network confirmed that Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams would be taking over for season 17 of The Bachelorette. However, Harrison asserted to Good Morning America that he hoped to return to the gig.

“I plan to be back and I want to be back,” he said, apologizing for his remarks. “And I think this franchise can be an important beacon of change. I know that change is felt, not just by me, but by many others.”

Three months later, Us confirmed that Harrison was officially out after Deadline reported details of his eight-figure payout. “Chris Harrison is stepping aside as host of The Bachelor franchise,” Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment said in a statement. “We are thankful for his many contributions over the past 20 years and wish him all the best on his new journey.”

Plans season 18 of The Bachelor, which will feature Michelle Young, are “still unknown,” a source exclusively told Us, as the rotating host setup on BiP could be “like an audition” to “test” out more permanent options for the role.

Scroll down for a closer look at which celebs will be hitting the beach on season 7 of BiP:

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This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Meredith Nardino