Bachelor Vet Ben Higgins Weighs In On Chris Harrison's Potential Franchise Return
It’s been five years since The Bachelor parted ways with host Chris Harrison in a nasty turn of events stemming from a racism scandal on Matt James’ season. Since then the dating franchise has continued — even expanded — with Jesse Palmer leading the charge, but for some fans and even former leads like Ben Higgins, there will apparently always be a shred of hope that Harrison will come back.
Ben Higgins was the star of The Bachelor Season 20 back in 2016, which he landed after appearing as a contestant on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season. That means his friendship with Chris Harrison dates back over a decade, so it’s really no surprise that Higgins had such a positive reaction when US Weekly asked if he’d like to see the OG host return to The Bachelor franchise. Higgins said:
Oh, 100 percent I’d support Chris coming back. I mean, Chris for my childhood — he’s gonna hate me for saying that — but for my childhood, and then my time, was the face of the show.
Many Bachelor Nation fans feel the same, after seeing Chris Harrison as the sole host of all Bachelor products from 2002 to 2021. For Ben Higgins, what makes Harrison so special comes down to the way the host interacted with him and the other cast members when he was in the throes of dating multiple women. Higgins continued:
Article continues belowI think what Chris did, and I’m not saying [current host] Jesse [Palmer] isn’t doing this because I don’t know Jesse well enough to say, but I knew Chris cared about me, and I knew at the background of everything in the production rooms, he was stopping things from happening if it was at the detriment of the contestants.
Chris Harrison has since opened up about the physical toll The Bachelor scandal took on him, saying he lost 20 pounds and couldn’t sleep or eat. Time appears to have healed some of those wounds, because as of last year Harrison said it feels “wonderful” to no longer be part of the ABC dating shows, and Ben Higgins admitted that getting him back would be no easy task:
I don’t know how that happens. That’s way above my pay grade. But if it happened, would I be excited? Do I think the fans would be excited? Yeah, I think they’d be thrilled.
I’m sure that’s true for many Bachelor Nation fans — but definitely not all of them. Not that it matters much anyway, because as the former Bachelor pointed out, Chris Harrison’s got a new gig in the works these days.
Chris Harrison announced in February that casting was underway for a new dating show for people looking for a “traditional marriage,” to air on Fox Nation. The Instagram announcement read:
A prominent streaming service is casting single men and women who want a traditional, marriage-minded partnership built on commitment and shared values. We’re looking for singles who believe in clear roles, long-term commitment and building a life together — and who are dating with real intention.
The series is expected to premiere in 2027 — and with no Bachelor products planned for the 2026 TV schedule since Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was pulled, it’s much more likely that we’ll see Chris Harrison going up against his former dating franchise than rejoining it. But Ben Higgins can always hope.
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