Chris Harrison left the Bachelor Nation franchise four years ago. It wasn’t on the best of terms. He was initially suspended for the comments he made during an interview with Rachel Lindsay regarding Rachael Kirkconnell. Fans of the popular dating show were shocked when he announced in June 2021 that he wasn’t returning after all. In a new interview, the former host opened up about the ‘relief’ he felt to leave.
What Happened To His Podcast, Talk Shows
ABC struggled to find the right host after Chris Harrison’s surprise departure. Former stars Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams were brought in to host Seasons 17 and 18 of The Bachelorette. A rotating cast of celebrities, including David Spade and Lance Bass, hosted Bachelor In Paradise that summer.
In September 2021, ABC announced it had found a permanent host. Jesse Palmer took over hosting Bachelor Nation shows. He previously appeared on The Bachelor as the lead for Season 5. The mom of the next Bachelorette, Taylor Frankie Paul, isn’t happy with the host and wants Chris Harrison back.
After leaving Bachelor Nation, Chris Harrison signed on to Dr. Phil’s new network with Merit Street Media to host a podcast, talk shows, and a possible dating show. But the company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. The former Bachelor host recently shared his thoughts on possibly returning to ABC.
Chris Harrison Opens Up About ‘Relief’ Of Leaving Bachelor Nation
Chris Harrison bought a house in Austin, Texas, where he now lives with his wife, former Entertainment Tonight reporter Lauren Zima. The couple married in 2023. Several Bachelor Nation stars attended the wedding.
PEOPLE magazine recently caught up with Chris Harrison at a charity event for Experience Camps, which offers grief support to children who have lost a parent or sibling. The former Bachelor host opened up about his life now compared to when he was living in Hollywood.
“What I love most about the new chapter is the fact that Austin is the new Hollywood which means the opportunities are a plenty here,” he said about his new city. He revealed that leaving the ABC show was actually a huge relief.
“When you do something every single day for two decades, and it’s so popular around the world, there is a pressure to that,” he admitted.
“Obviously falling in love definitely helped, moving to Austin definitely helped kind of relieve that and realize, ‘Wow, there’s a whole other world out here to dive into.’ And so it has been a wonderful break and relief,” Chris Harrison shared about letting go of that pressure.
He said that his fire for creative work has been “reignited” by his wife. “There is a next chapter coming up very soon for both of us that is …We’re going to be very excited to talk about,” the popular host teased.
However, he stopped short of giving any details. “TBD,” he said about his next move. Let us know in the comments how you would feel about Chris Harrison returning to Bachelor Nation.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger