5 'Bachelor' Stars Who Could Replace Chris Harrison as Host

There have been a few major shakeups in the Bachelor universe this year, mainly that longtime host Chris Harrison temporarily stepped down from his franchise position. The Bachelorette is set to start filming this month, and there's still no word on if Harrison will return, or be replaced by someone new. Luckily, there are a few former Bachelor contestants who would fill the role perfectly, in our opinion.

Harrison isn't necessarily gone from the franchise forever. However, due to ongoing race conversations surrounding the franchise—and Harrison's defense of Rachael Kirkconnell for attending an "Old South" themed sorority party in 2018—it seems unlikely Harrison will take the role back so quickly.

It's confirmed Harrison won't appear on Matt James' After The Final Rose segment, which will air on March 15. Emmanuel Acho, author of Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man will step in. As Reality Steve pointed out in a Tuesday column, though, it seems unlikely Acho, who works full-time as a Fox Sports analyst, would take on the full-time role. So, in the case he doesn't, here are five Bachelor stars from past seasons who would show up with a fresh take.

Rachel Lindsay

The most obvious choice would be Lindsay, the Extra co-host who Harrison was speaking to at the time of his controversial comments. Lindsay has been the leading voice for change on all Bachelor related things, often pointing out injustices in the lifestyles, comments and behaviors of Bachelor contestants.

Even before Harrison stepped down, fans were begging for Lindsay to take over hosting the series.

There's a good chance she'd say no, though. She's admitted to having a "love-hate" relationship with the franchise, even noting she may cut ties officially when her contract with ABC expires. "I'm contractually bound in some ways," Lindsay told USA Today in February. "But when it's up, I am too. I can't do it anymore."

As much as we'd love to see Lindsay in charge, the comment makes her potential hosting feel like a long shot.

Matt James

The current Bachelor may be the most relevant person to host the series, as he's experienced its most-recent downfall first hand. Not only did James date Kirkconnell (and he may even end up with her, as she's still on the series), but he was open about the "heartbreaking" turn of events when her past and Harrison's comments surfaced.

James didn't defend either party. Instead, he asked to see a new direction in The Bachelor's future. "As Black people and allies immediately knew and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much larger issue that The Bachelor franchise has fallen short on addressing adequately for years."

The Bachelor's statement ended: "My greatest prayer is that this is an inflection point that results in real and institutional change for the better."

After seeing it all first-hand, both on and off-screen, James may have the perfect experience and voice to narrate a new direction.

Tayshia Adams

The most-recent Bachelorette could take over, too. Adams is a longtime fan-favorite after she first appeared on Colton Underwood's season of The Bachelor. She looks to bring an air of kindness and entertainment to the series, which definitely may need a change in tone—equality-wise and beyond.

Adams was the second Black Bachelorette, but she was one of the first leads to host open conversations about serious life issues like depression, addiction and racism, which painted her season as one of the most-honest in Bachelorette history.

The lead claimed Harrison's decision to step away was "the right move," and expressed how his comments hurt her. "I think after reading his apology there's a few things that stuck out to me, it hit my heart a little bit more to know he actually meant what he was saying," she said on her Bachelor podcast Click Bait.

There's no official word on if Adams would consider joining forces with ABC for future seasons, but fans would likely be overjoyed to see more of her on-screen.

JoJo Fletcher

Former Bachelorette Fletcher already stepped in for Harrison once. When Adams was searching for love, Harrison took a leave of absence to take his son to college. While he was gone, Fletcher hosted The Bachelorette and fans weren't opposed. She added a new dynamic to the show, complete with girl talks with Adams about her journey—proof of shared experience that could continue to enrich the series going forward.

Fletcher hasn't commented on Harrison's decision to step down, but before her role as temporary host aired, she talked to the requirements of the position. "When you're given the role and the job of filling in for Chris, and he's the greatest of all time and he's so phenomenal at his job and those one-liners and delivering those things, I was so stressed about not living up to his expectations," she told Lindsay and Becca Kufrin on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast.

She continued, "He trusted me to do this. The amazing thing was that I wasn't coming in there trying to be Chris. I was coming in just to help him out."

Mike Johnson

Another Bachelor fan favorite, Mike Johnson, could fill Harrison's shoes. Johnson dated Hannah Brown on Season 15 of The Bachelorette, and he's remained an outspoken voice for equality on the series since.

Many wanted to see Johnson as the first Black Bachelor—instead, he was passed over for Peter Weber on Season 24…and it became one of the most-complained-about seasons by Bachelor viewers.

In addition to his well-received past on the show, Johnson has been vocal about Harrison's controversies. "Let me speak direct—should the individual be removed from The Bachelor franchise? I think it's time for that," Johnson told Lindsay on Extra. "Should that individual be removed completely? No, because I think that individual has such a beautiful platform, it's such a beautiful privilege that we have to use it for good."

ABC is running out of time to name someone new or reinstate Harrison before The Bachelorette is expected to begin filming in New Mexico in March. When it will announce the logistics, including the host and Bachelorette of Season 17, is still unknown.