Chris Harrison to make TV comeback as host and creator of a new reality dating ... trends now
Chris Harrison is set to make his TV comeback as the host and creator of a new reality dating series, three years after permanently leaving The Bachelor franchise.
Following his controversial exit from ABC's hit show and its spinoffs, which he hosted from 2001 to 2021, the 52-year-old television presenter has signed a deal with Phil McGraw's new cable broadcasting network Merit Street Media.
While details of the new reality dating series are being kept tightly under wraps, Dr. Phil teased to Entertainment Tonight that it will be 'so different.'
'It has dating elements in it, but this is so different and so novel. It is flipping the script in a way that I think people are gonna become addicted to it in a week,' the television personality, 73, said. 'It is unbelievable.'
Chris Harrison is set to make his TV comeback as the host and creator of a new reality dating series, three years after permanently leaving The Bachelor franchise (seen in 2020)
Additionally, Harrison and his wife, Lauren Zima, who he wed last year in Napa Valley, California, will co-host a morning talk show, expected to debut in the fall or winter on the network.
The outlet confirmed it will film at Merit Street Media's studios, located in Dallas, Texas, where he is from and the duo reside.
'Call it divine intervention, karma, kismet, whatever it is, 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,' Harrison added.
Harrison and Dr. Phil first began working together after the father-of-two stepped up to do 'some very penetrating field work having to do with some of these romance scams, these catfish type things.'
'He's so good on camera,' Dr. Phil added. 'When he walked out for the first time, the audience went insane.'
While creating the new dating show, the author recalled telling Harrison: 'If you want to do a relationship show, you can, but think bigger and broader. This is a blank slate.'
'People got to know and love me for two decades hosting The Bachelor, so, yes, we are going to be creating a reality dating show,' Harrison said. 'For years and years I said, 'This is the most dramatic show ever.' 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.'
As for getting to work with his wife on a morning show, Harrison gushed: 'Not only do I get to return to television, I get to do it with the woman I love.'
Following his abrupt and controversial exit from ABC's hit show and spinoffs, which he hosted from 2001 to 2021, the 52-year-old television presenter has signed a deal with Phil McGraw's new cable broadcasting network Merit Street Media (Dr. Phil pictured last month)
Additionally, Harrison and his wife, Lauren Zima, who he wed last year in Napa Valley, California, will co-host a morning talk show, expected to debut in the fall or winter; seen in June 2022
Meanwhile, Zima is looking forward to having a platform for them to be 'silly and to play.'
'I also think the morning show is gonna be a place to be silly and to play,' she told readers. 'We want to give people a light, fun, entertaining moment in their mornings in a time
