Ex ‘Bachelor’ host Chris Harrison to return to TV as host of new ‘dramatic’ dating show

Originally appeared on E! Online

Chris Harrison is back in the TV game.

The former “Bachelor Nation” host shared that he is returning to anchor two TV shows for Dr. Phil‘s Merit Street Media.

In fact, one of the shows will bring Harrison back to his reality dating show days—though the 52-year-old insisted the concept would be a lot different than “Bachelor,” “Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise.”

“It has dating elements in it, but this is so different and so novel,” Harrison told Entertainment Tonight in an interview published March 6. “It is flipping the script in a way that I think people are gonna become addicted to it in a week. It is unbelievable.”

Further hinting at what fans can expect, Harrison added that the series will be “bigger and broader.”

“For years and years I said, ‘[The Bachelor] is the most dramatic show ever,'” he continued. “We want to create a show where those words actually ring true, so this dating show will be the most dramatic ever—that you can be sure of.”

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As for his other new gig? Harrison and his wife, Lauren Zima, will co-host a morning show, with their relationship playing “a big part” in the series.

“What matters the most to both of us has always been our audience, so we want to be able to connect with them,” Harrison explained. “What’s more relatable than talking about our relationship and what’s going on in our own lives?”

And while TV personality exited Bachelor Nation in 2021 while on temporary leave over controversial comments he made in defense of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, which he later admittered were “excusing historical racism.”

Following the controversy, Harrison said he thought “long and hard about” whether he was ready to return to TV. However, he couldn’t be more thrilled to join Dr. Phil’s media conglomerate.

“Call it divine intervention, karma, kismet, whatever it is,” Harrison said, “the fact that Dr. Phil created this network in my own backyard here in Dallas, it means the world to me to, not only be returning to television, but to be doing it here in a hometown crowd.”