Ex Bachelor host Chris Harrison opens up about leaving LA for Texas after scandal

Chris Harrison has no regrets about leaving Hollywood.The longtime “Bachelor” host, who exited the franchise in 2021 after defending a former contestant’s controversial behavior, opened up about his new life in Austin, Texas, during a chat with People published Monday.“It feels wonderful, and thanks for asking that, because I wasn’t sure it would,” Harrison, 54, began.“You know, when you do something every single day for two decades, and it’s so popular around the world, there is pressure to that, and there’s a spotlight and a microscope that you don’t even realize you’re under until you kinda get off that merry-go-round,” he added.Harrison hosted “The Bachelor” from its debut in 2002 until his sudden departure nearly 20 years later.

He served as the face of the franchise before his exit, including for its many spinoffs like “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise.”But while it was initially hard for Harrison to make the transition away from Los Angeles, the former host acknowledged that he has since found his footing thanks to his wife, Lauren Zima, 37, and their new home.“It was this kind of angst when I first got off, because I mean, ‘Oh, well, I gotta get back on.I gotta go back to work,'” he explained.

“Then I kind of took a deep breath, and you dropped your shoulders, and I think falling in love definitely helped, moving to Austin definitely helped kind of relieve that and realize, ‘Wow, there’s a whole other world out here to dive into.’”“So it has been a wonderful break and relief,” he added.Harrison and Zima, a former “Entertainment Tonight” host and producer, moved from LA to Austin in 2020, per People.The couple later tied the knot in November 2023 and haven’t looked back since.“I mean, what I love most about the new chapter is the fact that Austin is the new Hollywood, which means the opportunities are plenty here,” the former host said. “There is so much tech, music, food, e...