Ex-‘Bachelor’ Host Chris Harrison Sets New Dating Series on Fox Nation About ‘Traditional Marriage’
Nearly five years after his controversial exit as the host of the “Bachelor” franchise, Chris Harrison is making his return to reality TV.
Fox Nation has greenlit a new dating series for people seeking a “traditional marriage” with Harrison as host and an expected premiere in 2027. Before Fox Nation’s involvement was known, Harrison posted a casting call for the project on Instagram, saying the show was looking for single men and women age 21 and older “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 official logline for the series reads, “Several women will embark on a relationship journey designed for individuals seeking lasting commitment. Blending romance, real-world compatibility tests and emotionally charged eliminations, the series reimagines modern dating through the lens of shared values, authenticity and the goal of marriage.”
Harrison isn’t the only “Bachelor” alum working on the currently untitled series. Other previous “Bachelor” producers on board include Louis Caris as executive producer, Elan Gale as consulting producer, Linday Liles as casting director and Michael Shea as director. Executive producers also include Harrison’s wife, Lauren Zima, plus Lionsgate Alternative Television executives Nicholas Caprio and Tom Huffman.
Harrison hosted “The Bachelor” and all of its spinoffs beginning in 2002, when the iconic reality dating series premiered. In 2021, he left the franchise after making racially insensitive comments while defending former contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who was receiving online backlash over photos circulating online of her attending an antebellum plantation-themed party as a college student. Variety reported at the time that, after Harrison took a temporary hiatus from hosting when the controversy began, his team became outraged with the dragging-out process” surrounding his return “and was unhappy with the network and studio not publicly supporting Harrison.”
Fox Nation has greenlit a new dating series for people seeking a “traditional marriage” with Harrison as host and an expected premiere in 2027. Before Fox Nation’s involvement was known, Harrison posted a casting call for the project on Instagram, saying the show was looking for single men and women age 21 and older “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 official logline for the series reads, “Several women will embark on a relationship journey designed for individuals seeking lasting commitment. Blending romance, real-world compatibility tests and emotionally charged eliminations, the series reimagines modern dating through the lens of shared values, authenticity and the goal of marriage.”
Harrison isn’t the only “Bachelor” alum working on the currently untitled series. Other previous “Bachelor” producers on board include Louis Caris as executive producer, Elan Gale as consulting producer, Linday Liles as casting director and Michael Shea as director. Executive producers also include Harrison’s wife, Lauren Zima, plus Lionsgate Alternative Television executives Nicholas Caprio and Tom Huffman.
Harrison hosted “The Bachelor” and all of its spinoffs beginning in 2002, when the iconic reality dating series premiered. In 2021, he left the franchise after making racially insensitive comments while defending former contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who was receiving online backlash over photos circulating online of her attending an antebellum plantation-themed party as a college student. Variety reported at the time that, after Harrison took a temporary hiatus from hosting when the controversy began, his team became outraged with the dragging-out process” surrounding his return “and was unhappy with the network and studio not publicly supporting Harrison.”