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Chris Harrison Loves Fan Outcry Over Two Bachelorette Casting

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Bring it on, haters! The Bachelorette premieres its 11th season with two Bachelorettes — Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson — May 18, and host Chris Harrison understands why fans are fuming over the casting. However, he tells HuffPost Live he has three words in response: Get over it.

Related: PHOTOS: Meet Britt and Kaitlyn's bachelors

“I love that some people are upset about it, because we’ve hit a chord with the people who are upset. It’s probably an issue you have with yourself or with other women,” the longtime host of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette told HuffPost Live Monday in an interview ahead of the May 18 premiere.

Related: PHOTOS: Bachelor Us Weekly Covers

Rather than feud with one another in an effort to come out on top, Bristowe and Nilsson banded together to navigate the first night. “Britt and Kaitlyn empowered each other. They took control of the situation and made the best of what could have been a bad situation,” Harrison said. “I think they did themselves and women proud.”

Related: PHOTOS: The Bachelor couples after the final rose

After Monday’s premiere episode, Harrison confirms that only one of the women will remain to search for love as the Bachelorette, and that she’ll be voted on by her potential suitors.

Chris Harrison with bachelorettes
Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson are both competing to appear as this season’s Bachelorette.

“The two bachelorette thing is very short-lived. Halfway through the first night, the guys will vote and you’ll see who the bachelorette will be. Very quickly, you’ll forget there were ever two bachelorettes,” said Harrison, who reminded fans that a similar tactic was employed in 2004 with dueling Bachelors, Byron Velvick and Jay Overbye. But don’t expect the guys to have an easy decision choosing their leading lady. “It’s pretty 50-50 of who the guys are there for, and it was a very interesting dynamic,” Harrison told HuffPost Live.

Related: PHOTOS: Biggest Bachelor splits

Bristowe and Nilsson — two of Chris Soules‘ jilted exes — previously admitted that they didn’t know about the voting twist until the very first night at the Bachelor mansion. “It was all a surprise. We basically just knew there were going to be two of us, and that’s it. We didn’t know much more than that. So, it was actually kind of nice being in the dark because then those fears didn’t really have a chance to like creep up,” Nilsson told reporters in a pre-show conference call. We didn’t really have a lot of time to be afraid of anything . . . [before] the guys started getting out of the limo.”

The Bachelorette premieres Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Have a question you’d like to ask a celebrity? Check out who will be appearing on HuffPost Live and submit your question to be asked live on-air!

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