Chris Harrison Says 'Bachelorette' Contestant Luke P. Is the Show's Most Prominent Villain Ever (Exclusive)
If you think we're in uncharted territory withBachelorettecontestant Luke P. -- you're not alone.
During a phone interview with ET's Lauren Zima on Friday, Bachelor franchise host Chris Harrison called the controversial contestant the series' most "prominent" villain ever.
"We've never had a season where a villain -- if you want to call Luke that -- has such a prominent role, where they really dominate the landscape and storyline for so long," he shared, revealing that part of that has to do with Bachelorette Hannah Brown's response to the drama. "Hannah likes Luke P., and the more he gets beat on and she gets beat on, the more defensive and angry she gets."
"When she walks in [to the room with guys] in Scotland, she felt like the mom of these children who are just bickering. She feels like they're not diving into her, and it's really driving her nuts," Harrison explained.
Monday's episode of The Bachelorette will continue where things left off -- with Brown telling Luke P. that she couldn't give him a rose on their one-on-one date. It will also feature a special sit-down with Harrison, during which Brown airs her frustrations with the past and reveals her concerns for the future. It's no surprise that a lot of those concerns have to do with Luke P., whom Harrison said just "really rubs everybody the wrong way."
"Does that make him good or bad? I don't know. But the guys just can't stand him," he continued. "This is oil and water... but there's something there driving these guys crazy, because they know Hannah likes him and is defending him, and they think he's fake and phony and it drives them nuts that they can't make Hannah see that."
"Maybe it's a little immaturity and lack of perspective by some of these young men to realize the more you try and make it about Luke P., the more it becomes about Luke P.," Harrison theorized. "These guys, whether they knew it or not, were the ones really driving the bus towards Luke P."
The Gainesville, Georgia native has spoken out in defense of himself on social media, writing on Instagram that he's recognizing some of his flaws while watching his portrayal on The Bachelorette. As for what he has to work on, Harrison bluntly stated that Luke P.'s "people skills probably could use some work!" "I don't think he does the best job of expressing himself. He comes across either with a condescending or aggressive tone with the guys," the host shared.
During his chat with ET, Harrison also seemed to reveal that Brown's heated line from the trailer -- "I have had sex and Jesus still loves me" -- was directed at Luke P.
"Sometimes we shy away from it because religion, it’s a little bit like sex, where it's taboo to discuss in the open. I think it needs to be brought in the open more sometimes, and, in this case, it's interesting how they have very similar values, but very differing opinions on how to apply them to life," he said.
See more on Brown's season in the video below.
The Bacheorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Join ET's Bachelor Nation Facebook group here.
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