LOS ANGELES — On Saturday, Emmanuel Acho announced he had "accepted the rose" and would be "honored" to host ABC's The Bachelor After the Final Rose, replacing longtime "Bachelor" host Chris Harrison, who announced last month that he is stepping away from the franchise "for a period of time" after a recent controversial interview about a contestant on this season of the show.

"It's been a pivotal season and this episode will be one of hte most storied shows in its history. Empathy is needed and change is coming," Acho wrote in a tweet annoucement. 

Harrison came under fire after an interview on Extra when he was asked about racially insensitive past behavior from current Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.

"This historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions," Harrison wrote in an Instagram post earlier in February. "To that end, I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special."

Past photos of Kirkconnell resurfaced in which she is dressed in costume as a Native American and at an antebellum plantation themed ball. She also has been criticized for allegedly liking Confederate Flag-related TikTok posts. Kirkconnell recently apologized for past actions, which she called "offensive and racist."

"I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist," she wrote on Instagram at the time. "I am sorry to the communities and individuals that my actions harmed and offended. I am ashamed about my lack of education, but it is no one's responsibility to educate me."

"I deserve to be held accountable for my actions," she continued. "I will never grow unless I recognize what I have done is wrong. I don't think one apology means that I deserve your forgiveness, but rather I hope I can earn your forgiveness through my future actions."

In the interview with Lindsay, Harrison made the case that Kirkconnell's actions were in the past and defended her against what he called the “woke police” on social media. “We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion," he said in the interview.

"The picture was from 2018 at an Old South antebellum party," Lindsay responded. "That’s not a good look."

Harrison replied, "Well, Rachel, is it a good look in 2018? Or, is it not a good look in 2021? Because there’s a big difference."

"It’s not a good look ever," Lindsay said, adding, "If I went to that party, what would I represent at that party?"

In his apology, Harrison also said, “my ignorance did damage” and he was “ashamed over how uninformed I was.”

Acho is the author of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, which is also the title of a web series he hosts and produces focused on having difficult conversations about race. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, and then traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, where he spent the majority of his NFL career. Following his career in the professional football, he worked for ESPN before hosting Fox Sports 1's "Speak For Yourself."