Spoilers ahead for the December 1 episode of The Bachelorette Season 16 on ABC.
This unconventional season of The Bachelorette just became even more unconventional thanks to Chris Harrison stepping away from hosting duties. Harrison has helmed the Bachelor Nation series ranging from the very first season of The Bachelor in 2002 all the way to The Bachelor: Listen To Your Heart and The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons Ever! in 2020. The good news is that Bachelor and Bachelorette veteran JoJo Fletcher is stepping in for Harrison to keep Tayshia Adams' season going strong, and he's not gone for good. So, how did JoJo do as Harrison's temporary replacement?
JoJo didn't actually have all that much to do in her first episode as temporary Bachelorette host, all things considered. At first, it seemed like she might have been following in the footsteps of Becca Kufrin and dropping by the resort for some advice and shenanigans with Tayshia, as she initially didn't do much more than hand off some champagne to Tayshia, lend an ear, and then say hi to the guys to set them up for some date action.
That said, JoJo Fletcher stepped up to the plate ahead of the cocktail party when she dropped by the guys' place to drop a bombshell on Bennett Jordan and Noah Erb. Tayshia had been bothered by the drama they were bringing to the entire group, and neither of the guys seemed to know that starting drama is not the way to get ahead in Bachelor Nation. Bennett and Noah didn't cop to any serious issues with each other when JoJo dropped by, but JoJo let them know that Tayshia was planning on sending one of them home, depending on their two-on-one conversation.
Was JoJo a key part of the episode? Maybe not, but all things considered, I liked JoJo Fletcher as Chris Harrison's replacement. It was nice to see Tayshia have another woman to talk to, especially one who has not only gone through the Bachelor and Bachelorette ordeals, but also come out on top and achieved a happily-ever-after, even though the pandemic forced a delay in her wedding to Jordan Rodgers. She was comfortable on camera and knew when to lay down the law rather than laugh along.
Considering that JoJo Fletcher could be around for a while, I'm pretty relieved that I liked her as Chris Harrison's replacement. She stepped in for Harrison when he decided to take a quick break from production to take his son (who had regular cameos on The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons Ever as his dad's at-home cameraman) to college, and that turned into an even longer break when Harrison learned that he'd have to go through another full 14-day quarantine before returning to set. We'll have to wait and see how JoJo continues to do as host with Harrison out.
Be sure to vote in our poll below about how JoJo Fletcher did as Chris Harrison's temporary replacement on The Bachelorette! You can catch new episodes of The Bachelorette on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. For some viewing options in the new year, check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule.
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