After ABC announced a new season of The Bachelor is coming in 2027, Ben Higgins couldn’t help but picture a world where Chris Harrison would return to the beloved reality TV dating show.
“Oh, 100 percent I’d support Chris coming back,” Higgins, 37, exclusively shared with Us Weekly while attending the Jennie Garth and iHeartPodcasts’ “I Choose Me” live summit on Saturday, April 25. “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.”
Although it’s been nearly 10 years since Higgins appeared on season 20 of The Bachelor, where Harrison, 54, served as the host, the reality star still has fond memories of filming the show with a guy who turned into a lifelong friend.
“I 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,” Higgins shared. “I’m a big fan of Chris. I’ve never hid from that, but Chris has another show now. I think it would be really hard to see the reunion between Chris and The Bachelor again.”
Less than five years after his dramatic exit from Bachelor Nation, Harrison announced in February that he has plans to host a brand-new dating series.
“A prominent streaming service is casting single men and women who want a traditional, marriage-minded partnership built on commitment and shared values,” his post read at the time. “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.”
While Higgins acknowledged that his friend has a full plate, he didn’t see any harm in envisioning a day when Harrison would have some participation with Bachelor Nation again.
“I don’t know how that happens. That’s way above my pay grade,” he explained. “But if it happened, would I be excited? Do I think the fans would be excited? Yeah, I think they’d be thrilled.”
For now, Higgins is simply happy to hear that The Bachelor isn’t canceled.
On April 22, news broke that the long-running dating show and Bachelor in Paradise are returning to ABC. While no casting decisions have been made, Higgins predicts producers will want to make a splash.
“I think when it comes back, I think the smart move would be to make a splash,” the host of iHeartRadio’s “Almost Famous” podcast shared. “I know Robert Irwin’s been talked about. I can’t think of anybody off the top of my head, but what I want to see is somebody who’s doing it really because they want to create a love story. I think that’s the way the show is going to be successful.”
Higgins continued, “I think it’s why people are going to watch again. I think it’s going to separate itself from the shows that are out there right now that are all about the drama and the hookups and those things. I think The Bachelor can live in a space where it is that innocent, family friendly television that gets the world to react.”
Watch Higgins participate in the “I Choose Me” livestream replay available online with access beginning Wednesday, April 29.
