Author: Chris Harrison (1-10 of 88)

May 22 2012 02:02 AM ET

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelorette' episode 2

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There’s no question that the first night of every season is one of the most exciting nights of any Bachelor or Bachelorette’s life, but the next day is where the real journey begins. Anyone can make a great first impression if they really put their minds to it, but when you go on a date and have to really let someone see who you are, inside and out, that’s when real relationships begin to form.

I have to admit it feels a little strange to move into a whole new mansion. Little things feel different and while it takes some getting used to, it’s pretty exciting. For me, little things like calling all the guys into the outdoor courtyard was a challenge. You might have noticed I was screaming like a mad man to get the guys to come outside to join me. I didn’t notice until I watched the show back that I had to yell so loud. Guess it wasn’t a good idea to have all the doors closed but it was so hot that day, the house was locked up.

Right from the get-go, there was a lot of tension around the first date card. I think by now everyone knows that going on the first date of the season is a huge deal, though it can also be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, getting to jump right in and develop a connection with Emily is a great advantage. On the other hand, if you start to develop feelings really early, it can make each passing week in the house harder and harder as you watch a woman you have feelings for date other men. READ FULL STORY »

May 15 2012 02:01 AM ET

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelorette' season premiere

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It feels like it’s been a while, so I’m excited to say “Welcome to a new season of The Bachelorette.” As you will see in so many ways over the course of this season, this Bachelorette is unlike any you have ever seen before. This goes for both the season and the woman. First of all, we kicked things off in Charlotte, North Carolina, which of course is Emily’s hometown. At first I wasn’t sure I loved the idea of leaving the traditional ‘Bachelor Pad’ in Los Angeles. It’s become such a recognizable starting point and a big part of our show the last several years. But the moment we rolled into Charlotte I quickly realized it was the best way to start Emily’s season.

Emily is so unlike any other Bachelorette we’ve ever had so we really needed to think outside the box to make the show look and feel as special as she is. For me, the best part about shooting in Charlotte was the way we were received by the hometown crowd. The people of Charlotte welcomed us with open arms, and I can’t thank them enough for the hospitality. Not only did we shoot in Emily’s hometown, but for the first time ever, she actually got to live at home. This not only allowed her to keep being the fantastic mother she is to her daughter Ricki, but also allowed her to relax and enjoy a new kind of home-court advantage.  READ FULL STORY »

Mar 13 2012 02:05 AM ET

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor' finale and 'After the Final Rose'

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Ben has made his choice, and so this is the reality that we all have to deal with, or not deal with if that’s the way you’d like to go about it. Despite the public and private outcry against her the entire way, Ben got down on one knee and proposed to Courtney and she said yes. You all watched everything unfold in Zermatt, Switzerland. Ben said goodbye to Lindzi and hello to a life with Courtney. Before we jump into the final decision I want to talk a little bit about Lindzi. She quietly flew under the radar the entire season. She went about her business, never got caught up in the drama, and was always able to separate her life in the house with the other women and her relationship with Ben. This sounds simple and she made it look easy, but I can tell you, it’s not. As made evident by several of the women this season, it’s darn near impossible to not get caught up in the action one way or another. But Lindzi didn’t, and she didn’t ignore the other women. In fact, she was one of the most popular women in the house and she never wavered from what was really important: Ben. READ FULL STORY »

Mar 6 2012 01:05 AM ET

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor: The Women Tell All'

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I usually don’t worry about watching the Women Tell All episode before I write this blog, but this year I had to because to be honest, there were some segments I don’t quite remember. My son was nice enough to give me his cold so I started the day worried about losing my voice, but by the end of the show I was desperately trying not to pass out. I’d like to apologize to the ladies, the audience and the crew, as I had to hold up production for about forty-five minutes while I “regrouped.” By “regrouped” I mean lying down backstage on a couch with ice on my head, trying to remain conscious. What made this worse was the timing. I felt terrible all day, but it really hit me right when Courtney came out to join me. Honestly, I don’t remember much of what she said that first segment so I was glad to go back and watch that interview as well as the entire show. Turns out, I’m a pretty good interviewer in a semiconscious state. READ FULL STORY »

Feb 28 2012 01:05 AM ET

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor' episode 9

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This week we hopped on a jet plane and headed to Interlaken, Switzerland. A beautiful quaint town that during ski season is alive and bustling but in the off season, which is when we were there, it’s a quiet sleepy little town nestled in the Alps. In case you were wondering, the answer is yes: Ben did stare out the window of the plane the entire way over to Switzerland, listening to his inner monologue. I’ve sat next to him on many of these flights, and if you listen closely sometimes you can actually hear it. Once Ben finished listening to his own thoughts and wandering aimlessly around the country, it was time to start a huge week of exotic dates. The park where Ben and Nikki met and caught the chopper was right in front of our hotel. This was a bit of a landing zone as parachutists and gliders would launch off the mountains above and lazily float into town all day long. Instead of going over each date which all of you saw, I want to talk about what appears to be three very different relationships. READ FULL STORY »

Feb 21 2012 01:05 AM ET

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor' episode 8

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You can fake a lot of things but one thing you can never fake is your family. I can’t remember a more pivotal hometown episode. These hometown visits were definitely a game changer for Ben and these women.

I can’t recall ever seeing such a strong front-runner like Kacie falling so far so fast after a hometown date. I’ll give you my thoughts on her at the end, but first let’s talk about the women who will be moving on to exotic dates in Switzerland. The first stop was Lindzi’s house. This was as good as a hometown date could be. The moment Ben sees Lindzi, life is just easy. It’s how all good relationships should be: effortless. That’s not to say relationships don’t take a ton of work and effort, but especially in the beginning they should seem and feel effortless. When I watched Ben interact in this environment, it felt like he was home and they were already family. I do have to give Lindzi a bit of a hard time here. I was surprised at how little Lindzi knew about her parents’ past: It was funny to watch her be pleasantly surprised by finding out where her parents dated and were married. The fact that Lindzi’s parents got married in the same exact building where Ben and Lindzi shared their first dance was one of the more serendipitous moments of the season so far. Other than that, Lindzi’s hometown date was flawless. READ FULL STORY »

Feb 14 2012 01:05 AM ET

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor' episode 7

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I would like to start out by apologizing to the country of Belize for the insane amount of “Belize” puns that were used and abused in this week’s episode. You better Belize things are getting serious on this show right now. (Sorry, just had to slip one more in.) I want to answer a couple of burning questions that many of our viewers had over the last couple weeks. First of all, the baseball game in Puerto Rico ended in a tie at the end of regulation. There might have been a mistake in showing an incorrect scoreboard as we went in to extra innings, but I was there and can attest that the game was tied and legitimately went into extra innings. The game was also sanctioned by and followed all the rules of Major League Baseball. The next topic I need to cover is Casey’s shoes. As many of you noticed, she walked up to Ben’s room and then out of the hotel without her shoes on. Her shoes and luggage were mailed to her and she should be receiving those items in six to ten business days. With those great mysteries cleared up, let’s move on to this week’s episode.  READ FULL STORY »

Feb 7 2012 01:05 AM ET

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor,' episode 6

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It’s funny that when I watch these episodes now I do so with a completely different perspective than I used to. I now watch the show with the thought of how I will write this blog each week. After watching this week’s episode, all I could think is, How can I possibly fit one hundred pounds of goodness into a ten-pound sack? This week landed us in the exotic Central American town of Panama City, Panama. I don’t think Courtney had been to Panama in recent weeks so we were excited to take her somewhere new.

You might have noticed Ben helped fill my position at the beginning of the show, welcoming the women and setting up the first date. Ben has secretly been dreaming of taking my job for many years, and this was his first move. The truth is I was back home shooting my game show You Deserve It and came into Panama a couple of days late. Gotta give Ben props though, as he filled in quite well. I was hoping he would get a haircut before trying to fill the host position, but that was just a dream.  READ FULL STORY »

Jan 31 2012 01:05 AM ET

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor' episode 5

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Let the exotic travels begin. We left Park City, Utah, and until the hometown dates that’s the last we’ll see of the continental United States. Our first tropical destination was a very small island off the coast of Puerto Rico called Vieques. We stayed at the very modern W hotel that sits right on its beautiful beaches.

When the girls arrived they came ashore via boat. You couldn’t really tell, but the surf was pretty big that day and the captain had a difficult time getting the boat on the beach so the ladies could get out. They finally got the boat as close as they could and the women had to jump for it. Just as they were getting out, a big wave hit the boat turning it sideways and the women scrambled for safety. Thankfully, none of them got hurt and we all laughed it off. Telling the women that all of them were getting dates this week really took the pressure off — you could feel a huge weight lifted off their shoulders, and everybody relaxed.  READ FULL STORY »

Jan 24 2012 01:05 AM ET

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor' episode 4

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This week’s road trip took us to the home of Michelle Money and Bentley: Park City, Utah. We stayed at the Canyons resort, which has a beautiful Waldorf Astoria hotel and spa. If you get the opportunity, it’s well worth checking out this property, and Park City itself is incredible, especially the time of year we were there. As you could see, the trees had just changed and the scenery was breathtaking.

Rachel received the first one-on-one date, and although it got off to an upbeat start in a chopper, it was a rough ride in many ways. Between the altitude and the helicopter Rachel wasn’t feeling great and the date was a bit awkward at first. Thankfully, she recovered. The lake they went to was deep into the woods, and at night Rachel got a little freaked out at just how dark it was. It’s the stuff scary movies are made of. We didn’t really show this, but Rachel is an absolute disaster when it comes to making s’mores. She got chocolate all over herself and everything else for that matter. In the end Rachel rallied and let her guard down just enough to get a rose, but she’ll have to do more to hang with the women who are out to win it with Ben. READ FULL STORY »

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