Who Will Replace Chris Harrison?
The highest-rated non-scripted show on television is at a crossroads. A major crossroads, we should emphasize. As you very likely know by now, Chris Harrison will not return ever again as host of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette or any spinoff; not after he agreed to a lucrative buyout last week. He's out, that much we can say for certain. As of this writing, Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe are serving as co-hosts of Katie Thurston's Bachelorette season, which only just got underway on June 7. ABC has not hinted in any way that this will be any kind of long-term solution, and most viewers are operating under the assumption that the former leads are only serving in this capacity for one season only. This summerr, David Spade and a bunch of other semi-random celebrities will be in charge of Bachelor in Paradise. We have no idea, however, who will host Michelle Young's upcoming run as The Bachelorette, which is scheduled for the fall. The former professional football player works as an analyst for Fox Sports 1, but he also stepped in for Harrison as host of Matt James' After the Final Rose special in March. He earned decent reviews and said at the time that he'd be interested in the full-time gig. Acho would also help solve the show's pressing diversity problem. She jumped in last year after Harrison took his son to college and missed an episode fo James' season. Not only does she remain a fan favorite from her time as The Bachelorette, but Fletcher is still engaged to her final rose selection, Jordan Rodgers. It would likely be nice for the network to hire someone that proves true love really can be attainable on the program. This one seems unlikely, although perhaps the actor will knock it way out of the park this August on Bachelor in Paradise. He's a long-time, unabashed fan of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and has hosted his own talk show in the past. Let's face it, too: We don't think Spade has any major movie studios pounding on his door these days. Okay, probably not. No alum has been more critical of all the ways in which the show has bungled the topic of race, which almost definitely means she's not a candidate -- especially since she no longer has a contract with ABC. However, if executives truly are committed to proving they want to air an all-inclusive, pro-diversity series... then Lindsay would be a bold choice. Some folks have tossed out the idea of Michael Strahan, who works for Good Morning America has has done a solid job of straddling the line of news and entertainment throughout his journalistm career. Strahan also sat alongside Kelly Ripa for several months, proving he has some hosting chops. A dark horse candidate may be Tanner Tolbert. The ex-Bachelorette suitor absolutely blasted the franchise a few days ago, comparing what it's become to a "train wreck." In doing so, however, he also made it evident that he cares about where things are going for the show, while not-so-subtly implying that he could be a person who can fix it. It's also worth considering that ABC may not name a permanent host. Announcing a new, temporary one each season would certainly be a way to keep the series relevant and/or to garner renewed interest every year. "Ive had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now Im excited to start a new chapter," Harrison wrote last Tuesday afternoon via Instagram, concluding:  "Im so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories weve made together. While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships Ive made will last a lifetime."