Long-time fans of “The Bachelor” franchise are surely well aware of the fact that Chris Harrison acted as the host of the popular reality TV shows for almost two decades. While he joined the franchise when it premiered in 2002 and exited in 2021, he’s now enjoying life after the show.
“It feels wonderful, and thanks for asking that, because I wasn’t sure it would,” he said while talking to People before a fundraising gala for Experience Camps.
According to People, Experience Camps is “a national nonprofit that provides free grief support to children who have lost a parent or sibling… (Harrison hosted the event alongside his wife, former Entertainment Tonight host and producer, Lauren Zima, 37, on Oct. 23.)”
Chris Says His New Life ‘Has Been a Wonderful Break & Relief’
Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesWhile talking about his life after “The Bachelor” franchise, Chris explained how it’s relieved the pressure he faced as the host of the various shows.
“You know, when you do something every single day for two decades, and it’s so popular around the world, there is a pressure to that, and there’s a spotlight and a microscope that you don’t even realize you’re under until you kinda get off that merry-go-round,” Chris told People.
“And it was this kind of angst when I first got off, because I mean, ‘Oh, well, I gotta get back on. I gotta go back to work,’ or…,” he continued.
Presley Ann/Getty ImagesHe added, “And then I kind of took a deep breath and you dropped your shoulders, and I think, you know, obviously falling in love definitely helped, moving to Austin definitely helped kind of relieve that and realize, ‘Wow, there’s a whole other world out here to dive into.’ And so it has been a wonderful break and relief.”
Chris Says ‘Austin is the New Hollywood’
In the past, leaving Hollywood might also mean leaving your career in the entertainment industry behind. However, according to Chris, that’s no longer true.
Buying a home in Texas — where Chris is originally from — in 2020 and eventually making the big move there, he explained to People, “I mean, what I love most about the new chapter is the fact that Austin is the new Hollywood which means the opportunities are a plenty here.”
“There is so much tech, music, food, entertainment, theater,” he continued. “It’s all happening here. And it reminds me of what Hollywood was built on, which is anything and everything is possible if everybody will just come in with an honest, open heart and mind and just wanna do some fun work together.”
He also noted, “We’ve met so many incredible people from all around the world, from all different industries that just want to collaborate and do great things. And it’s so exciting to be a part of. The energy is truly palpable in this city right now, and it’s just fun to jump in and go with the flow.”
Chris also talked about what’s next for him, referring to his wife, Lauren, while saying, “Honestly, for the first time in a long time, that fire has been reignited with this amazing woman to dive back in and do some creative work. And there is a next chapter coming up very soon for both of us that is …We’re going to be very excited to talk about.”
No mention of the fact that he made a racist comment and had to leave the show? It would be meaningful if he acknowledged that and told us that he did work to understand what he did, and that it helped him change.
Unfortunately he made racial comment but so did many other actors and they got black ballad for maybe 2years like me Roseann to much ambition