Ahead of The Bachelorette‘s 17th season, premiering on June 7, Tayshia Adams revealed her surprise at being tapped along with Kaitlyn Bristowe to host the upcoming season.
Adams took over for Chris Harrison, who stepped down after coming under fire for defending contestant Rachael Kirkconnell‘s past actions that were deemed racist. She tells E! Online of the decision, “I was shocked.”
“It was a very unprecedented time,” Adams added.
Adams says the experience of hosting Katie Thurston‘s season of The Bachelorette was “something that was so fun” for both her and Bristowe.
“Kaitlyn and I just created this really fun dynamic duo that has never been done before with The Bachelorette,” Adams, 30, explains. “I feel like it really provided strength behind Katie, and confidence as well, because when you’re in that situation, sometimes you don’t know what to do. We were able to provide a little clarity and comfort for her.”
Adams also teased the upcoming season, saying, “Katie is a strong and confident woman who knows what she wants. She’s not afraid to do what she has to do, so it’s gonna be good.”
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