‘After Paradise’: The Mystery of the Missing Host
It’s the most dramatic absence … ever. When ABC announced in April that it was bringing back its Bachelor in Paradise aftershow, the cleverly titled After Paradise, loyal members of Bachelor Nation assumed that their beloved, butter knife-wielding host Chris Harrison would once again be the host. (Indeed, the network’s press release at the time said, “After Paradise features host Chris Harrison discussing and dissecting the most recent episodes of Bachelor in Paradise.”)
When After Paradise premiered on Aug. 9, however, fans found former Bachelor Sean Lowe sitting in Harrison’s seat, alongside co-host Michelle Collins. Fans were sad and a little confused.
I miss @chrisbharrison. #afterparadise
— Jade Tolbert (@jadelizroper) August 17, 2016
We are very happy to see @SeanLowe09 and @michcoll on our TVs, but where the HECK is Chris Harrison? #BachelorInParadise #AfterParadise
— Bachelor Burn Book (@bachelorburnbk) August 10, 2016
So what’s the explanation for Chris not hosting #AfterParadise? Wasn’t discussed outright which seems sketchy AF (typical for the franchise)
— Pamela Nielsen (@Pamnielsen) August 10, 2016
Sorry not my call! RT @JMoBrock: If #AfterParadise is beneath you @chrisbharrison it is beneath me too! Where R U???
— Chris Harrison (@chrisbharrison) August 17, 2016
Very sorry but trust me, wasn’t my call RT @debivino1961: @chrisbharrison @Deelaney31 why are you not on the after show this year???
— Chris Harrison (@chrisbharrison) August 17, 2016
“I didn’t walk away from The Bachelor or Bachelor Nation,” Harrison told the Hollywood Reporter, adding that his gig hosting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which tapes in Las Vegas, was not the issue. OK — so if Harrison wanted to host After Paradise, and fans wanted him to host After Paradise, why isn’t he hosting After Paradise? When contacted by Yahoo TV, Harrison politely declined to elaborate further and referred all additional questions to Bachelor franchise impresario Mike Fleiss.
Related: ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Recap: Fresh Meat, Surprise Heartbreak
While Mr. Fleiss did not respond to a direct request for comment, a source familiar with the situation said it was Fleiss who made the last-minute decision to remove Harrison as After Paradise host, after going back and forth on it for several weeks. The change left the network and studio with little time to pull together a new lineup for the aftershow, which may be why fans only found out about it on the Aug. 9 premiere. (ABC and Warner Bros., the studio that produces After Paradise, declined to comment.)
Harrison’s absence seems to have hurt the ratings for the aftershow: Last summer After Paradise averaged 3.5 million viewers weekly, while the first two episodes this summer have averaged only 2.4 million. Perhaps Bachelor Nation has spoken — or perhaps four hours a week is just too much Paradise for even the most hardcore fan. What do you say, rose lovers? Take the poll below!
Bachelor in Paradise airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC. After Paradise airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.
Related: Your Burning Questions About the ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Hotel Answered
