Talk about timing! The Bachelorette’s Hannah Brown made an appearance on the Thursday, May 16, episode of Live With Kelly and Ryan, just two days after Kelly Ripa admitted the reality dating series is “creepy” and “disgusts” her.
Ripa, 48, maintained her stance on the show while Brown began discussing her journey to find love — and Brown set the record straight on one of the talk show host’s thoughts.
“I am very against women fighting over a guy. I don’t believe in it. I think it’s — you know, weird and sets us back,” Ripa said. “But now, you are in the power position. So take me through that. How does that work?”
Brown, 24, replied: “Like you, I didn’t really follow the show. I wasn’t a big fan. Being a part of the show, it’s not women fighting against each other. Really, some of my best friends came from the show and were really supportive. When you have a group of 30 people together, there’s going to be people who don’t like each other. That’s just simple facts … It was one of the most empowering things that I ever did because I had to grow as an individual. That is why I decided that I wanted to be the Bachelorette. That’s why I wanted that so bad.”
Ultimately, Ripa, Ryan Seacrest and Brown had a fun dialogue, even letting the American Idol host, 44, give a shot at the first impression rose.
The All My Children alum slammed the Bachelor franchise during a conversation with cohost Seacrest on Tuesday, May 14, when he sparked banter about the season 15 premiere episode starring the Alabama native.
“Oh, it’s an entirely different person?” she asked, noting that she assumed the lead spot went to Colton Underwood’s girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, after they didn’t get engaged last season. “You guys, you know how I feel about the show, it disgusts me.”
Ripa further explained: “I can’t stand the idea of 25 exceptional women fighting over one ordinary fella, in my opinion. You know how I feel, ladies, we are too special to be arguing over a guy.”
The I Love You, Mom! author went on to jokingly call out audience members for applauding her for sharing her thoughts. “Having said that,” Ripa continued. “All of you women watch that gross, gross show.”
Though the New Jersey native has been open about her dislike of the hit ABC series in the past, her comments on Tuesday sparked backlash from Bachelor Nation’s Chris Harrison and Mike Fleiss.
Harrison, 47, who has hosted the show since 2002, tweeted: “Look out #BachelorNation @KellyRipa is coming after you and your ‘disgusting’ Monday night habit.”
The creator of the show, Fleiss, 55, shared a similar tweet. “Easy, @KellyRipa … #TheBachelor franchise pays your salary!” he wrote.
However, it seems Ripa isn’t batting an eye at the responses from her comments. “People at ABC are laughing at [Harrison and Fleiss] for their attempted clapbacks at Kelly. They should have quit while they were still living in the past,” a source tells Us Weekly amid the controversy. “Ryan and Kelly’s show is one of the most lucrative shows on TV. It’s in syndication! The ad revenue, the demo. So to say that the Bachelor is paying Kelly’s paycheck? Just LOL.”
