'The Bachelor' host Chris Harrison: Here on out is going to be really dramatic, there will be ugly cries

The Bachelor's eighteenth season is winding down with hometown and overnight dates coming up and only four women left in the running to win Juan Pablo Galavis' heart. 

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Juan Pablo has kept around Nikki Ferrell, the beautiful blonde who's criticized by her fellow bachelorettes for being "negative" and "mean;" Clare Crawley, who's captured the Bachelor's attention but has been made fun of for being possessive and exaggerative; Andi Dorfman, the "dark horse" who's experienced many ups and downs; and Renee Oteri, the kind-hearted single mother with an eight-year-old son at home.

During a Wednesday conference call with reporters, The Bachelor host Chris Harrison teased what's to come next week and talked to Reality TV World about Juan Pablo's motives, his personality and desires, and how he's been as the Bachelor. To read what he had to say, click here. Below is another portion of Chris' interview. Click here for more.

Can you tease more about what happens in the hometown dates?  I mean, are they all an issue or just one or two?  Obviously we saw that Clare is going to have a problem with her sister or something and Andi has an issue with her dad.  Are they all sort of contentious or do some of them actually go well?

Chris Harrison: No, they aren't contentious.  No, they aren't all contentious but there are, you know, contentious parts of at least a couple of them for sure.  And so, it's just something, obviously, he has to deal with going in.  Again, there's a cultural difference and it always happens, you know, it's not just with Juan Pablo that these women come in and they have lived through this experience. 


And then these families are like, "Well, we don't know this guy and you are suddenly in love with him and you suddenly are ready to give up your life."  And they're just not so quick to give up their blessing.  And it's not just a Juan Pablo thing.  It happens quite a bit.  But then by the end of the date, or the end of the episode, you know, you'll see if they indeed kind of fall for him and give their blessing.

Also, the Chelsie Webster thing.  He seemed so upset about eliminating her that it made me think, "Why did you get rid of her then?"  Do you think it was still the best decision for him, that she was the least suited to him of the remaining women?

Chris Harrison: Was it the right choice to let her go? You know, I think a lot of it was not just being upset about Chelsie in particular as much as the whole thing.  It's just, you know, it's hard.  He's an emotional guy and it's hard for him, and I don't think he had that connection with Chelsie.  It wasn't, you know, when you compare Renee, Clare, Nikki and Andi, like you know, Chelsie's relationship didn't compare.

They were good friends almost.  And it was great having her around; It was fun.  But it's -- even though you know it's right, it's still never easy and it's still never fun to say goodbye to somebody.  And he just takes it really personal when he has to let these people go. 

He also knows that Chelsie was really popular in the house, and so you're kind of kicking these girls' friend off.  And it's just a tough situation.  So, you know, he gets emotional and he wears his heart on his sleeve, and you see that.  You kind of saw him pull the half [Jason Mesnick], as we like to say, with the railing.


I realize it's a little early to be talking about the next Bachelorette, but there have been sort of rumblings online about people saying that Sharleen Joynt would be great for the role.  What do you think?

Chris Harrison: Yes, it's funny.  Each week, you know, you get people telling -- as soon as someone gets voted off, I think it's natural because we know that typically we'll bring somebody in from this season.  And so people start rooting for or people are already rooting for people on the show, like, Andi and Nikki and Clare, or, "Don't do it for Clare," or, "Don't do it for Sharleen."

It's funny that they just immediately start either cheering or jeering for these people, which is fun.  It's -- I mean, we listen to it and we take them into account.  And, you know, as producers, we want the fans of the show to essentially tell us who they want.

That's how Juan Pablo became the Bachelor, really -- was the overwhelming response to a guy who was barely seen on The Bachelorette.  And, you know, he jumped off the page and became our Bachelor. 

So we definitely take it into account and listen to it.  And Sharleen would be interesting.  She's a smart girl and, you know, I don't know if this ordeal and this process is right for her though because she has a tough time with it.


You've mentioned how you're a single dad who has been in the dating world.  Would you ever consider being the Bachelor yourself?

Chris Harrison: I've gotten that question a ton.  And, obviously, so -- I mean, it makes sense.  I'm single now and I host The Bachelor.  But, that's my job.  It's what I do.  I'm a TV host and I love TV and I love hosting The Bachelor and I've done it for 12 years.  To turn around and be on the show doesn't make much sense for me because I love hosting it and it's a profession. 

And I love that people come on the show and I believe in it obviously, because I've sat up and not only been to these but officiated a wedding from people that have been on the show.  So I believe in it and I believe the people.  But for me, it's my job, and I created and I've worked hard on it behind the scenes and I still do it and make it work. 

And so, to all of a sudden be the person, it honestly just wouldn't make much sense.  And I don't think it would be very good because I would be more worried.  You know, when I talk about Juan Pablo and [Sean Lowe] and what makes a good Bachelor, it's someone who will give up to this process and really let themselves go. 

I can tell you I wouldn't.  Because I would be producing television, worried about, you know -- is this good camera, is this?  It would just be a mess because I would be more worried about directing and producing than I would trying to date.


If Juan Pablo's season doesn't end in a proposal or a marriage, is that considered a failure?

Chris Harrison: No, it's the show, and it's life.  And I love that.  I love that our show doesn't always end with a proposal or marriage or anything.  I mean, it could be a complete disastrous meltdown and we're going to show that.  I mean, the odd and scary thing about producing this show is it's not a game show.

At the end of Idol, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, whatever it is, it's a game show.  There's winners and there's losers, and you know, there's money or there's a prize.  Our show is really, at the end, left up to hopefully two people and then a choice.

And as producers, we have no say and no choice as to how our show ends.  And it's scary as hell, because in television, the last thing you want to do is not have control.  But at the end of our show, you have no control and you've got to let it go.  And so, we're going to show you the good, the bad, the ugly.

But that's what our fans demand and that's why our show has been on for 12 years and it'll probably be on another hundred years.  Because it's not predicated on the fact that all of a sudden there's a proposal and a priest pops up and, "Hey, there's a wedding and everything's perfect. That's the way life goes."  Because it's not.


You know, everybody's not cut out to end up with the perfect fairytale and we're going to show, no matter what happens, you're going to see it.  And I love that.  I love that about our show.  It's scary, believe me, it's scary. 

Because we sit in the control room just like, you know, you sit at home on the couch and we're watching.  And we think there might be a proposal, but you don't know if Sean's going to get down on one knee and you don't know if [Catherine Giudici] is going to say yes. 

I mean, you really don't know.  You have a good idea but you really don't know.  And so, we're sitting in there crying or high-fiving and yelling just like you are at home. 

That's when I look around and I say, "If the people that are as jaded as they can be in this business -- and we've done this since day one -- are crying and high-fiving and hugging, then to people at home, this is a good show, like this is phenomenal TV because I still care each and every time and I'm glued to it when it's happening in real life."

Are there more ugly TV moments to come this season?

Chris Harrison:  There's some ugly cries ahead.  I think one thing I would say, if you're ever coming on the show, like, work on your crying.  You don't want to be an ugly crier.  I don't know how you can be an attractive crier, but I would work on that.  It's like, I would watch movies.  How do you, like, look cute and sob?


But, you know, there are some emotional moments.  I think the people that are left are, you know, into this.  They're 100 percent into this and they've kind of given in to this process and are really going for it.  And so, there's a lot of emotions on the line at this point.

The fun -- you know, like, Chelsie's really the last one that will say goodbye where, you know, he got a little emotional but it wasn't really about Chelsie as it was about the whole process of having to say goodbye. 

But from here on out, it gets very personal because families are involved, love and emotion and feelings.  And life is really on the line now.  So, you know, from here on out it's huge.  And it's, you know, I hate to use the word "dramatic," but it is.

Lucy Aragon was like a total odd-ball on the show.  How do you think she'd be as a contestant on Bachelor Pad?

Chris Harrison: Oh, Lucy.  She'd be awesome.  I love Lucy.  I loved her spirit.  I loved having her around the house.  I mean, yes, she wasn't right for Juan Pablo but, if we do a Bachelor Pad or whatever, I would have Lucy on anything. 

I know some people were taken by her and what you see was not fake.  And that's what I love.  I mean, whoever you are, embrace it and own it.  And that woman knows who she is and, man, does she own it.  And I love that.  I love that about her and I love having her around.  She was a good spirit to have around the house.


To read what Chris Harrison had to say to Reality TV World specifically, click here. Above is another portion of his interview. Click here for more.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski