While he still claims the star of the next season of The Bachelorette hasn't been determined yet, Chris Harrison acknowledges The Bachelor bachelorette Ashley Hebert is a favorite for the role.
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"Ashley H, as far as fans go, is a big front-runner," the host told TV Guide on Tuesday.
Harrison also suggested that fellow bachelorette Ashley Spivey -- who he had previously mentioned as a possibility for The Bachelorette role -- is no longer being considered for the position.
"Everyone has sympathy for Ashley S, but from what I can tell from the fans, they're not clamoring for her... She's one of those girls you just want to hug and tell her it's going to be OK and you hope she will get that self-esteem. That's the only thing she's lacking is the self-esteem a beautiful girl like her should have," Harrison explained about the 26-year-old nanny from New York, NY.
Harrison had originally denied rumors that the show had already selected Hebert, a 26-year-old dentist from Philadelphia, PA, as its next Bachelorette in an interview with TV Guide last week.
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"There will be a Bachelorette announcement very soon... It might be announced on After the Final Rose, but I can promise you as of [February 27] I was with the creator of the show, Mike Fleiss, and when I left him in the wee hours of the morning we did not have a Bachelorette picked. We don't make a decision right away because we really leave a lot up to our fans and viewers," Harrison said last week.
"Immediately after Ashley S's exit, everyone was clamoring for her, but maybe that will die down, so let's wait and see. Ashley H can easily be our Bachelorette and she's a contender, but it has not been decided. We're constantly going back and forth and the front-runners change 10 times. We play the show out and honestly I can see a show with Ashley S, Ashley H -- I can see a show now with [Michelle Money]."
While not formally announced by ABC yet, The Bachelorette's seventh season is expected to premiere in late May and begin production later this month.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski