Chris Harrison is returning to the world of reality TV with a conservative dating show focused on “traditional marriage.”
Five years after his controversial exit from The Bachelor franchise, Harrison announced the launch of a brand new reality show called Traditional Love with a casting call on his Instagram Wednesday.
“It’s time to help people find love again,” Harrison, 54, captioned the graphic, which called for single men and women over the age of 21 “who want a traditional, marriage-minded partnership built on commitment and shared values.”
The post says: “We’re looking for singles who believe in clear roles, long-term commitment, and building a life together — and who are dating with real intention.”
No network or streamer has been officially attached to the project so far. However, back in 2024, Harrison signed a deal with Dr. Phil McGraw’s streaming network Merit Street Media that included a dating show and a morning show. Merit Street Media did not immediately return The Independent’s request for comment.
Harrison’s casting call was shared in a joint post with Emmy-nominated casting director Lindsay Liles, who works on The Golden Bachelor. The post also tagged Harrison’s wife, Lauren Zima.
The website linked to the casting call directs users to an application that asks questions including: “What do you think modern dating gets wrong?” and “What would your ideal marriage look like? (For example: a provider husband and a stay-at-home wife; the wife managing the home/finances/childcare; faith-based leadership in the home.)”
Traditional Love will mark Harrison’s first time hosting a show since he was fired from The Bachelor in 2021 for defending contestant Rachael Kirkconnell after photos of her attending a plantation-themed party resurfaced.
During an interview with Rachel Lindsay, The Bachelorette’s first Black Bachelorette, Harrison urged Lindsay and the “woke police” to forgive Kirkconnell, saying that the behavior was more acceptable in 2018 than it was in 2021.
“I’m not defending Rachael, I just know 50 million people who did that in 2018,” Harrison said at the time. “That was a type of party that a lot of people went to.”
Harrison was indefinitely suspended following the incident, and later quietly left the franchise after reaching an eight-figure settlement deal with ABC.
With the disgraced host’s return looming, the reactions in the comments of his Instagram post have been largely divided.
“I’m sorry this is giving MAGA,” the top comment reads. Another Instagram user added, “Traditional marriage????? Why are we reverting back to 1920?”
Another wrote, “Soooo the Bachelor for MAGA. Got it.”
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