Chris Harrison has given out his final rose! Okay, actually he probably left the roses out of it, but the former Bachelor franchise host did put a ring on it, as he announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend, Lauren Zima. In a scene worthy of being filmed by ABC camera crews, Harrison got down on one knee as the couple celebrated a romantic weekend in Napa Valley's wine country.
The stunning ring that Chris Harrison gave to the Entertainment Tonight correspondent was designed by McClave Jewelers, US Weekly reports, and is estimated to be three or four carats and cost upwards of $100,000. No word on if Neil Lane feels slighted by Harrison's choice to go with a different jeweler than The Bachelor franchise’s mainstay. Harrison shared the good news with his Instagram followers, saying he and his partner's next chapter starts now:
The couple, who began dating three years ago, looked happy as can be in their gorgeous engagement photos, as the couple drank wine and admired the sparkler. The freshly engaged Lauren Zima shared the same photos on her own Instagram page with a sweet message to her new fiancé while they celebrated on their romantic weekend getaway:
We tell each other this all the time, and we said it again in an unforgettably beautiful moment this weekend: I didn’t know love could be like this. You are the most incredible partner. Thank you for loving me, championing me and asking me to marry you. Here’s to the next amazing chapter, and all the rest.
While many members of the ABC franchise offered their congratulations to the longtime host, former Bachelor Sean Lowe joked in the comments of Chris Harrison's post that his friend should have had to endure one of the same rituals The Bachelor and The Bachelorette put their leads through most seasons:
Congrats buddy! I feel like you should’ve dumped someone right before proposing to Lauren, but your way works too!
I guess one good thing about not being in the Bachelor world anymore is you don’t have to worry about your ex crashing your engagement or a film crew documenting your big fights. Not that Chris Harrison ever had to endure such drama himself on the show.
The TV personality served as host of the ABC show — and multiple spinoffs — from its conception in 2002 until the end of Season 25, which featured Matt James. The eventual “winner” of the season, Rachael Kirkconnell, became embroiled in a race controversy after photos resurfaced of her attending an antebellum-themed fraternity party. Harrison’s defense of Kirkconnell in an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsey received strong public backlash that ultimately ended in the network firing the face of the franchise.
After a bevy of guest hosts on Bachelor in Paradise and Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe serving as hosts on two seasons of The Bachelorette, ABC announced that former Bachelor Jesse Palmer will take over hosting duties when The Bachelor resumes for Season 26 in January. The Season 26 lead hasn’t been officially announced yet — in what will prove to be either the worst-kept-secret in franchise history or the best bait-and-switch in television — but the next star has been confirmed by multiple media outlets to be a specific one of Michelle Young’s suitors on the current Bachelorette season.
Congratulations to the happy couple Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima! And if you want to watch more budding romance, tune in to The Bachelorette, airing at 8 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC. Be sure to check out our 2021 Fall TV Schedule for upcoming premiere dates.
