The Bachelor franchisehas been a part of viewers' lives since 2002. It has become a cassic, spawning spin-offs likeThe Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise,andThe Golden Bachelor.Besides having a strong lead, it is also important that the franchise host is someone who can have a good rapport with the contestants and be the confidant for them whenever they are feeling the pressures of the competition. For years, the main host ofThe Bachelorfranchise wasChris Harrison; he was with the show since it started and had become the face of the franchise for many years. Still, after 2021, hestepped aside after he made some remarksattempting to defend one of the contestants from a comment she had made in the past. After Harrison was let go, the question on everyone’s mind was, who would be the person to replace him in such an iconic role? It was a time of trial and error; after Harrison,Tayshia AdamsandKaitlyn Bristowetook over the role for two seasons ofThe Bachelorette.
It made sense when Kaitlyn and Tayshia took over because they had both been in the main role for prior seasons and could relate even more to the main contestants. Still, even though they hosted two seasons of the franchise, the network decided to move in a different direction for the newest season and brought inJesse Palmeras the main host of the franchise. It was a surprising choice, but he has experience, appearing inFood Networkshowsand hostingGood Morning America. Since he started hosting Season 19 ofThe Bachelorette,he has shown he has what it takes to be the franchise’s new face, and even beingThe Bachelorhimself in the earlier years of the show has helped him understand the contestants on a deeper level.
The Bachelorette
A single bachelorette dates multiple men over several weeks, narrowing them down to hopefully find her true love.
Jesse Palmer Is No Stranger to Bachelor Nation
Before getting the gig as host, Jesse Palmer was the bachelor for the show’s fifth season. When he was chosen as the bachelor, he was a 25-year-old professional football player looking for love and expecting to be married by the end of the process. His tenure may be long ago, but manyBachelorviewers will never forget howPalmer confused contestants' names andgave out the wrong rose during a rose ceremony. During the rose ceremony, he meant to give a rose to a contestant named Karen but instead gave it to Katie. After he hands out the rose, he immediately tells Chris Harrison, “That wasn’t the girl I wanted to give it to; I was staring at Karen, offering her the rose, and I said ‘Katie,’ and then in my peripheral vision, another woman started walking, that’s when I thought to myself, ‘Damn it, I screwed that up.”
Besides forgetting someone’s name, Jesse did something else notable as the bachelor: he ended the season with a girlfriend and not a fiancé. Jesse decided to stay true to himself and follow his gut instinct when choosing between finalistsJessica BowlinandTara Huckeby. Ultimately, he decided Bowlin was the winner, but thetwo did not get engaged. Jesse said he was not ready to propose to her, feeling they needed more time to grow and learn about each other. Even though the two continued their relationship, they broke things off a month after their finale aired, marking one ofthe shortest relationships inBachelorhistory. Thanks to these moments, though, Jesse prepared to host the franchise since he experienced it firsthand.
‘The Bachelorette’ Star Teases a “Shocking” Season Finale
“The season ended in a way that I didn’t see for myself."
Jesse Palmer Brought the Spark Back to the Franchise
When Jesse became the host ofThe Bachelor,it was hard at first to truly accept the franchise without Chris Harrison as the host. But he came with great chemistry and energy. When he stepped into the role as the host ofClayton Echard’sseason, he understood the many emotions that Clayton was feeling as the Bachelor. Harrison might have tried to relate beforehand, but with Jesse having experienced the process,he guides the contestants and even open their eyes to more possibilities in some instances.
Besides being a guide to the leads, he has shown he truly cares for them, as seen with Clayton,Gabby Windey,andRachel Recchia, whom he also helped during theirseasons ofThe Bachelorette. The former contestant is also a role model figure to the current contestants, something that shows how great he is for the franchise is how much charisma Jesse has demonstrated. He isnot afraid of showing his goofy side when necessary, and it is nice for viewers to get some comedic relief from the host when it comes to a franchise with many serious topics.
What truly cemented himself as a good replacement for Chris Harrison was his chemistry with leadJoey Graziadei, whose season brought many OGBachelorviewers back into the franchise thanks to his charisma and charm. Even Palmer admitted Joey’s attention asThe Bachelorwasequivalent to hanging out with aJonas Brother.It was obvious how comfortable Joey felt having someone like Jesse by his side throughout his journey, as he constantly advised him on what decisions he could make but was ultimately going to support him through it all. Thanks to Joey and Jesse Palmer,the spark missing from one of the most loved franchises is back, and viewers cannot wait to see how Jesse will helpBacheloretteJenn Tranthrough her journey.
The Bacheloretteairs Mondays on ABC in the U.S. and episodes are available the next day on Hulu.
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