Chris Harrison Assures ‘Bachelor’ Fans He's Not Going Anywhere After Tribute Video Panic (Exclusive)
Chris Harrison isn't going anywhere!
Fans were worried we might be bidding farewell to The Bachelor's host with the most after he received a very special -- and very sweet -- tribute on Monday night's live, three-hour premiere of the show. However, as Harrison told ET's Lauren Zima during a Skype interview on Tuesday, he's going to stick around a bit.
"I thought two things: A, I’m either fatally ill or B, I’m being replaced or fired as the host of The Bachelor," he joked. "It was like some weird lifetime achievement award that I didn’t realize was happening."
"Rest assured Bachelor Nation, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying in my spot as host of The Bachelor. I love what I do. If you couldn’t tell by my smile and emotion last night, I love what I do," he continued. "I love this show. I love this franchise. It’s my baby, so I’m not going anywhere for the foreseeable future."
Harrison is not promising he's got another 50 years of hosting in him, however, despite Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss' Monday night tweet. "I am happy to announce that @chrisbharrison is not retiring and that he has just signed a new 50-year contract!" Fleiss wrote. "The guy just doesn’t age! #TheBachelor."
"No, at some point, I’ll probably hand it off to my daughter, Taylor, and I will just get on my Rascal and just go off into the sunset somewhere. 50 years is a lot to ask," he confessed. "I’m going to give everything I have, Bachelor Nation, but I can’t guarantee 50 years."
And if Harrison and his daughter aren't available, his mom just might get the gig. Mary Beth Harrison is a certified star after appearing with former Bachelorettes Kaitlyn Bristowe and JoJo Fletcher at one of the premiere's viewing parties in Dallas, Texas, on Monday.
"I got done with the show and the first person I call was, of course, my mom, and she didn’t take my call! She passed on my call because she was still in the bar... with Kaitlyn and JoJo," Harrison shared. "She was taking pictures, taking selfies. She is now a huge star. Word is she now has an agent. She’s moving to L.A. This is gonna be out of control."
At the end of the day, it was Mary Beth who made Harrison's 23rd Bachelor premiere truly special. "As you know, I’m not the most revealing person. I live a pretty private life, and to have that kind of exposed and to have my mom there, it meant a lot," he gushed.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Join ET's Bachelor Nation Facebook group here.
RELATED CONTENT:
'Bachelor' Alum Blake Horstmann Says Colton Underwood Is 'Smitten' With Final Pick (Exclusive)
Chris Harrison Says Some Women Saw 'Bachelor' Colton's Virginity as a 'Trophy
Related Articles:
Solve the daily Crossword
