If anyone knows relationship reality shows, it's Chris Harrison, who has hosted The Bachelor and all its spinoffs since 2002. In case you're curious, that's 19 seasons of The Bachelor, 10 seasons of The Bachelorette, three seasons of Bachelor Pad, and one season of Bachelor in Paradise. Harrison said a lot has changed since those early days when there were no rules. "I used to go to the guys' house and we'd play poker and hang out and drink beer all night," he said.
When asked which one is easier, The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, Harrison said:
"The Bachelor is much easier. It's an easier show to do. The Bachelorette as a premise, we never intended to do that. It's a much tougher show to do. Guys are much tougher to produce and try and create that kind of romance and that escapism that people love . . ."
"Express their emotions?" Trista chimed in. And on that most infamous of episodes every season — the fantasy suite date — Harrison remarked:
"One of the great social dilemmas — and I love this every season — is the fantasy suite card. People always say, 'Why do you do that? Why do you force [it]?' And I say, 'Because that is the point.' You are forcing them to now have that conversation. We're not telling you to go have sex in a box. We're just telling you, do what you will. And, you know, that is, to me that is a great dilemma."
