The Bachelor kicked off Season 23 last night, and there was a lot going on. Still, The Bachelor paid tribute to the man who has been there from the beginning -- Chris Harrison. Check out the awesome tribute to The Bachelor's long-time host below:
What a sweet montage! The Bachelor not only captured some of the most dramatic moments of Chris Harrison's hosting career, it also caught some of the funniest. That blooper with the lantern was a nice touch.
As the tribute points out, The Bachelor started in 2002. That is close to 16 years of Bachelor magic. As you can see from the clip, Chris Harrison has worked indefatigably to keep excitement around the reality show going, and it is obviously working. Fans are still tuning in to see the drama of potential romance unravel before their eyes.
Like peanut butter and jelly or cookies and milk, Chris Harrison and The Bachelor is just one of the combos that remain inextricably linked in the minds of the public. Hence why it was so wise of ABC's long-running reality series to pay tribute to the show's everlasting host.
Chris Harrison's job is not easy. He has had to watch some pretty jaw-dropping moments while playing the consummate host, and not everyone could have handled it. From contestants with fake Australian accents to the breakup seen around the world, Harrison has seen a lot. That is why, after all of these years, Chris Harrison remains The Bachelor's host.
Fans were so impressed by the walk down memory lane that some expressed a desire to see Chris Harrison as the next "Bachelor." As tempting as that sounds, it would mean losing Harrison as the host of The Bachelor franchise, and imagining anyone else in the role is pretty hard.
Really, he could not do both. So, fans would have to decide if having him as The Bachelor would be worth losing him as the show's host. It is a tough call, but thanks to the now-vast Bachelor franchise, he could still host The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, giving fans their fix of Harrison in both roles.
Back to the tribute, though. It is amazing that whoever put together the montage managed to condense 23 seasons into the little over three-minute clip. The drama is in full-tilt, too. The moment featured from Season 14 at the 46-second mark is one of the biggest. It is the only time in the tribute that Chris Harrison's voice seems to break.
Speaking of emotions, how sweet was it to see the footage of Chris Harrison surprising fans at a Bachelor viewing party? The moment at the 2:09 mark is an incredibly heartwarming one, and it proves what many already knew: Bachelor Nation loves Chris Harrison.
Watch Chris Harrison host Season 23 of The Bachelor when new episodes air Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. The reality series is among many shows returning new during the midseason, so be sure to keep up with all your favorites.
