"The Bachelorette" host Chris Harrison has explained the show's decision to air footage of the cast learning of eliminated contestant Eric Hill's death and how it will affect the rest of Andi Dorfman's season.

In an interview with TV Guide, Harrison said the loss of Hill, who died in a paragliding accident after being eliminated from the show, was "raw and deepest" at the time Monday's episode was filmed.

According to Harrison, Dorfman makes it through the rest of the season.

"It affects her the rest of the way, but it eases up as time goes by," he said. "We will play it less and less now because it's less impactful and we don't want to draw it out because then you are [exploiting] it."

Harrison said the decision to air the footage was a tough one to make, but one he and the rest of the cast supported. He thought the final result did not "milk it" or "sensationalize it."

"To have acted like Eric didn't exist and this tragic event didn't happen would have been incredibly disrespectful," Harrison said. "If you watched the show knowing this was when he passed away and we didn't say a word about it and went into the rose ceremony and acted happy-go-lucky, to me it would've been in poor taste."

The host shared that Dorfman had additional things to contemplate after the tragic news, such as dealing with three men who would "marry her right away."

"I don't think she anticipated everyone being this [in love] and having three good choices left," the reality dating show host said. "She has a tough choice to make, and her heart is going one way and her head another. So it gets really confusing from here on out. "

"The Bachelorette" airs on ABC on Mondays at 8/7c.
---

Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar

Related