Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Chris Harrison is an American game show host and television personality, popularly known for hosting the ABC reality television dating show- The Bachelor- from 2002 to 2021.
He also hosted its spin-offs: The Bachelorette from 2003-2021, Bachelor Pad from 2010-2012, Bachelor in Paradise from 2014-2021, the first season of Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise in 2015, Bachelor Live in 2016, The Bachelor Winter Games in 2018, and The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart in 2022. Also, he served as co-executive producer of Bachelor in Paradise.
On February 13, 2021, Chris announced that he would be stepping aside from the show after being heavily criticized for defending Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s racist behavior.
He confirmed his exit in June 2021. He posted on Instagram, saying, “I’ve had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise, and now I’m excited to start a new chapter. I’m so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we’ve made together. While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime.”
Harrison also hosted the syndicated version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire from 2015 to 2019, for which he received Emmy nominations as Best Game Show Host in 2018 and 2019. He co-hosted ABC’s live coverage of “The Miss America Pageant” from 2011 to 2017.
Additionally, he hosted live television coverage of the final championship rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Emmys Red Carpet Live, and American Music Awards Red Carpet in November 2008.
Harrison is also an author. On May 19, 2015, he published his debut romance novel, The Perfect Letter. Other books he wrote are Happy Eva After, Survium, and Take a walk.
Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Christopher Bryan Harrison |
| Popular Name: | Chris Harrison |
| Gender: | Male |
| Birth Date: | July 26, 1971 |
| Age: | 52 years |
| Parents: | Mary Beth Harrison, Steve Harrison |
| Siblings: | Glenn Harrison |
| Birth Place: | Dallas, Texas |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | North American |
| Education: | Lake Highlands High School, Oklahoma City University |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Wife/Spouse: | Gwen Harrison(m. 1993; div. 2012) |
| Children: | Joshua Harrison, Taylor Harrison |
| Dating: | Lauren Zima |
| Net Worth: | $25 million |
| Source of Wealth: | Tv show host and personality |
| Height: | 5ft10 (1.78m) |
| Weight: | 85kg (187lbs) |
Early Life and Career Information
On July 26, 1971, Christopher Bryan Harrison was born in Dallas, Texas, to Steve Harrison, who worked at a clothing store, and Mary Beth, a real estate agent. He was immensely involved in sports like hunting, baseball, fishing, and soccer in his early years.
He attended Lake Highlands High School and graduated in 1989. He went ahead to Oklahoma City University on a soccer scholarship and graduated with a degree in mass communication in 1993. He joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity during his time at the university.
Chris hosted for the first time in Lake Highlands High School as the MC (Master of Ceremonies) of a talent show where he explored his comedy skills. He worked as a sports reporter for CBS affiliate KWTV from 1993 to 1999. During this time, he covered the tragic bombing of the city’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995.
He worked for the horse racing network TVG as an anchor, and in 1999, he hosted “Designers’ Challenge” on HGTV, “Mall Masters” on Game Show Network (GSN) in 2001, and “Hollywood 411” on the TV Guide Network, now known as Pop.
Harrison guest-starred as a music show host on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch in the episode “Ping, Ping a Song” in 2002, alongside hosting several other shows such as The View, Miss America Pageant, and Live with Kelly and Ryan. In 2011, Harrison co-hosted the game show “You Deserve It” on HGTV alongside Brooke Burns.
Harrison has also appeared in movies, talk shows, and television series. They include Date Movie, Bounce, Hot in Cleveland, Entertainment Tonight, The Practice, Single Parents, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Showtime (2002), starring alongside actors Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro.
Additionally, he lent his voice to “Charming,” an animated comedy movie, and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice, a 2011 animation film.
Chris Harrison’s Net Worth
Chris Harrison earned an $8 million salary since the debut of The Bachelor and its spin-offs. TV Guide reported in 2011 that Harrison made $60,000 per episode as the show’s host and received around $200,000 per Bachelor episode in 2021.
Having hosted the show for nearly two decades, the long-time host allegedly exited the show with an eight-figure payoff. According to Variety, the end price was around $9 million.
Considering his TV career, and his published books, it’s not surprising that Harrison has a staggering net worth of $25 million.
Lessons Learnt from the Life of Chris Harrison
Life is Dynamic in its Entirety, Adapt and Grow.
“Real life happens. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it doesn’t work.” ~Chris Harrison
Harrison married his high school sweetheart, Gwen, in 1993 and got divorced 19 years later. He said, “I still hold myself and my marriage very high. I look upon it with great honor, great pride, and great memories. I have no regrets.”
We are constantly growing, changing, and evolving. Things that once interested us might no longer elicit that effect much later. Our ideas and realities of life don’t always sync, and it is entirely okay to move on and explore new, better possibilities.
Take Baby Steps.
“You know, sometimes in life, it simply takes one little push to get you over the hill, and from there, it can be a beautiful ride.” ~Chris Harrison
Harrison started his career by hosting a school ceremony and going further to work as a sports reporter and game show host.
Harrison revealed in a 2017 interview with Variety that he never auditioned to host the Bachelor franchise. He added that he had a few meetings with the show’s executives, including creator Mike Fleiss, who hired him based on his personality. He ended up hosting the show for 19 years.
Sometimes, it requires a small step to attaining greater heights.
