Chris Harrison Defends ‘Bachelor’ Nick Viall’s Sincerity, Admits He Skated Through Early Season 21 Episodes

Fans of “The Bachelor” have been up in arms since the announcement that Nick Viall — who appeared on “The Bachelorette” twice and one season of “Bachelor in Paradise” — had been chosen to star in Season 21. The drama continued after the season premiere of the ABC dating competition, with some fans questioning whether the Wisconsin native was on the show for the right reasons.

Chris Harrison sat down with Ellen DeGeneres on “The Ellen DeGeneres” show to defend the current “Bachelor” amid claims he was “guarded and not sincere.” The “Bachelor” host admitted that Nick was “skating” when Season 21 kicked off on Jan. 2, but assured Ellen, 58, and the rest of Bachelor nation that his attitude would soon change. The pair are said to have had a “come-to-Jesus meeting,” during which Chris, 45, said he really got through to Nick.

“At the beginning of this show, he’s kind of skating, and he’s kind of just going through the paces and going through the motions,” he said (via Us Weekly). “Sometimes you got to have that come-to-Jesus meeting. I had one of those with Nick. It definitely gets to that breaking point of ‘I need you to show up.’”

Chris also discussed Corinne Olympios — the reigning villain of Season 21 of “The Bachelor.” He revealed to Ellen that while many fans were struggling to relate to Corinne, she was kind of his “spirit animal.” The comedian acknowledged her aggressive behavior while pursuing Nick, but said that it was for the best that neither he nor “The Bachelor” intervened.

“[Nick] probably could have helped her a little bit, but at the same time there’s always the gray area of, how much do you as a producer or even you as ‘Bachelor’ get involved, because you really want to see how this person acts,” he explained.

Nick’s favoring of Corinne in episodes 1 and 2 of “The Bachelor” has not sat well with fans or the other contestants. On Tuesday, Corinne fired back at those who were being critical of her unconventional tactics when it came to getting more of Nick’s time and attention. In an Instagram post she wrote that she “was confident” and being herself throughout both episodes. She explained that the only reason she was so aggressive was that she was hoping to maximize her time with Nick, 36. Corinne asked that anyone with negative opinions keep them to themselves, adding that she’s “only human.”

The Season 21 contestant will continue to steal the spotlight in episode 3, according to trusted spoiler blog Reality Steve. Corinne will apparently be chosen to go on yet another group date with Nick. Throughout the date she will continue to pursue Nick in the same manner she’s been employing since the “Bachelor” premiere, which will finally push her co-stars over the edge. That, coupled with the revelation that she has a nanny for herself, will come back to bite her.

Tune in Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC for “The Bachelor.”