Seven Things I Learned about The Bachelor Winter Games from Chris Harrison #ABCTVEvent #BachelorWinterGames

Seven Things I Learned about The Bachelor Winter Games from Chris Harrison

I can’t remember the last time I watched an episode of The Bachelor. It’s such a popular show with fans all over the world. I usually catch up with through social media updates. If you’re a fan of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, you’re probably preparing for the premiere of The Bachelor Winter Games tomorrow – February 13th. During the #BlackPantherEvent we had the opportunity to sit down with Chris Harrison and chat about The Bachelor Winter Games. He came ready to dish and we got all kinds of juicy scoop. Don’t worry though I won’t spoil anything for fans looking forward to this new show.

If you haven’t seen all the contestants in slated for The Bachelor Winter Games, then I suggest you check them out before the start of the show tomorrow. This season brings together cast members from all around the world. During the first episode, we learned all about the American team. Yes Ben is back in The Bachelor house, so if you’re a fan, be sure to tune in to see how he does with love this go around.

What is The Bachelor Winter Games?

For close to two decades, “The Bachelor,” a pop culture phenomenon, has spawned international versions of the series. For the first time since its inception, 26 of the most eligible singles from around the world gather at the luxurious Vermont winter resort of The Hermitage Club.

Chris shared with us, how they came up with the idea of The Bachelor Winter Games, using participants from all around the world in this global celebration of love.

Honestly, we had this idea of our goal was OK.  Here’s what we’re gonna start with.  Let’s make this Global Celebration of Love.  OK, let’s define that and figure out what that means.  And so what we figured out was, The Bachelor is a phenomenon here obviously in the United States and it’s one of the biggest franchises in the history of TV, and it has been for almost 2 decades.  But it’s actually huge around the world and I’m not sure you guys know that but a lot of people don’t know that from all corners of the world from Japan, China, Finland, Sweden, from Russia, the UK, and Australia and New Zealand and Canada.

And so, we have all these franchises around the world.  And so we thought how do we kind of open the door to that?  And how do you kind of take advantage of this huge phenomenon, not just in the States but around the world so we thought, let’s bring out our Stars a la Bachelor’s Paradise.  But then let’s get Stars from around the world.  And so that’s what we did.  We kind of decided it would be this pseudo Olympic Village where we’re gonna get the biggest Stars from around the world join the biggest Stars from our Show, bring them together, let them live in one house, let the mayhem ensue.

Chris Believes The Bachelor Winter Games Is Some of His Best Work

No one likes to pick favorites, especially when it comes to things they create. However, we wanted to know which did Chris prefer working on The Bachelor/Bachelorette Franchise or did he enjoy working on The Bachelor Winter Games more.

I mean, I hate to say this out loud to people that are only gonna write this but Bachelor Winter Games may be some of my favorite television we have ever produced.  It’s that good.  And I don’t know if anyone’s gonna see it.  It’s on against the Olympics.  It’s on against some tough competition.  It’s only a 2 week run.  But it’s one of those things, I would love to have good ratings.  I’m not even necessarily caring at this point because it’s so damn good, it’s so good.  And you guy saw a little bit, a taste of it but it’s phenomenal how well it turned out and it was exciting.  It was fun for us to be just really producing on the fly, coming up with great ideas and you see this stuff work and the concept worked.

And so it was phenomenal and so I’m excited.  Hey look the Bachelor and Bachelorette always gonna be my baby.  It’s changed my life on many levels so that’ll always be my favourite but this was really fun and I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.

Chris Has A Method For Dealing With Folks On and Off Camera

As you can imagine, anyone who’s seen The Bachelor knows the show can be very emotional at times. In the one episode we screened, several of the ladies were crying on the first day in the house. We wanted to know how Chris deals with those people on and off camera, and how he centers his self back to reality.

I love what I do.  I have been in television my entire Adult life, from Sportscasting to Home and Garden Shows, to Game Shows, and what have you.  Obviously, the Bachelor Franchise, and Miss America, and some other things and Who Wants To Be a Millionaire.  I love what I do, I love TV, I love creating it but I love.  I’m a student of the game and I look back at people that I really respected whether it was Sportscasters like Al Michaels or Bob Costas back in the day and even Game Show guys like Bob Barker and I always, and Regis Philbin who obviously was a Genius and I always liken myself to people that were just kind of themselves on TV.

And I think if you’ll get to know me, you’ll know that I guess I’m the same guy that’s on The Bachelor.  That’s how I live my life.  That’s how I host Shows and that’s how I treat the people on the Show.  And I treat them with love, respect, dignity until you cross me and then I’ll end you.  They’re like my Children.  And I tell my Children this in all sincerity, it’s like don’t confuse me for one of your friends.  I’m not your friend I’m your Father.

Everyone Gets A Medical Screening

Chris asked us what was one burning question we all wanted to know when we’re sitting at home what’s something you think about and wish you could ask. We all wanted to know, is everyone getting a medical checkup before going on the show and swapping spit with a total stranger.

They do. Well first of all, you can do whatever you want.  You don’t have to kiss anybody and you’re not under contract to touch or be touched.  But to your point, yes.  Everybody goes through very stringent tests of all kinds.  Believe it or not, mental health screenings as well as.

Chris Tries Not to Intervene or Stage The Show

Of course, we had to ask Chris how much of The Bachelor franchise is real or staged. We needed to know if they stop things while they are happening or intervene to change the outcome.

Two things.  One thing that I notice a lot.  And I look around and I’m always taking in a room.  I would have loved to have been in a room and watched you guys watch the Show because I always sit in our Control Room, and again I’m sitting with people that have done everything and have seen it all on TV.  And when I look around the room during say, a proposal or a break up or Yuki, whatever it is, and I see everybody just silent and staring at the screen.  And I’m like the concept works, it’s like this is good TV.

We’re creating great TV and that’s how you know and if everybody’s kind of chatting and not really paying attention to what’s going on, it’s not interesting.  It’s human nature to want to fix a situation.  If you and I or the 3 of us are talking and there is something emotional going on or something difficult or awkward or whatever, our human instinct is to step in to fix that and speak.  It’s hard and I think one of my gifts as a host and as I’ve learned over the years, one of the hardest things I do is not speak, and not jump in.

And that’s a hard thing to do especially on television because everyone has this need to fill dead space because dead space is awkward but sometimes, it’s really needed and because that person wants to speak or they want to emote some emotional whatever it is, and you need to allow that to happen and if you fix it, then they can just bury it or move on.  So it’s hard so the toughest things for me, those horribly awkward situations or somebody’s really breaking down is not to fix it.  And that’s an odd talent that many of us don’t have because it’s awkward, it’s tough.  It’s even tougher on the Host or whoever is doing the interviewing as it is on the person breaking down.

Ashley Really Does Cry – ALOT!

We had to ask Christ about Ashley Iaconetti, she is a crier and we had to know if that’s how she really is or was any of it just an act for the cameras.

That’s why I love Ashley.  What you see is what you get.  I’ve been around her on camera obviously now for years and off camera and I always love and respect people who just own who they are.  No matter what that is.  We’re all different shapes, sizes and whatever, backgrounds, and you bring, we all bring something different to the table.  And as long as you own that and you are who you are, I respect that like I get it.  And that’s Ashley like I’ll be talking to her at a concert.  She’ll be talking about whatever and suddenly, she’ll start crying.

By the way sometimes she’s laughing hysterically and it turns into crying.  And she’s happy and she cries and it’s her.

Chris Keeps Up With The Bachelor Family

With all the people from the different seasons, we wanted to know if Chris keeps up with any of the past cast members of the show. He shared a bit about The Bachelor Family and how they even keep up with each other.

I do. A lot of them. Whether intended or not, I run into a lot of them, like I was at a concert last Monday and ran into Kristina Schulman and just ran into Graham Bunn who’s a DJ here in town. But a lot of them are my friends whether even back in the day, it’s Trista and Ryan are dear friends of mine, and Andrew Firestone is one of my closest friends. Bob Guiney, and even now Ben Higgins and I talk all the time, Kaitlyn and JoJo.

Yeah, one of the weirdest things about this job is I’ve had 16 years of these people that have come into my life and that I’ve taken care of.  I’ve married some of them and watched them have babies and created these families with them and on the off-camera side, we’ve had deaths and divorces and love affairs and marriages.  We’ve kind of done it all and that’s not even the Television Show.  And so yeah, we’re kind of a traveling band of Gypsies in this family that’s kind of stuck together, which is pretty special.  It’s neat.  I have some really good friends because of this Show.

About Bachelor Winter Games Premiere Week

Bachelor Winter Games: Episode 101 (2/13) & Episode 102 (2/15) SERIES PREMIERE

The Premiere Episode Highlights an Appearance From Bachelor Nation Alumni Trista and Ryan Sutter and a Performance by Country Singer/Songwriter Ruthie Collins

“Episode 101” – Baby, it’s cold outside when 25 bachelors and bachelorettes from around the world meet in the streets of Manchester, Vermont, for a grand celebration of unity and love on the premiere of the new highly anticipated four-episode series, “The Bachelor Winter Games,” beginning TUESDAY, FEB. 13 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EST), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand.

“Episode 102” – In the next episode that airs THURSDAY, FEB. 15 (8:00–10:00 p.m. EST), romantic connections are well underway as the participants arrive at an ice rink for their second winter games challenge – speed skating.

As previously announced, below is cast for “The Bachelor Winter Games”:

USA Men
Ben, 29, “The Bachelor” Season 20
Dean, 26, “The Bachelorette” Season 13 (Rachel Lindsay)
Eric, 29, “The Bachelorette” Season 13 (Rachel Lindsay)
Jamey, 33, “The Bachelorette” Season 13 (Rachel Lindsay)
Josiah, 29, “The Bachelorette” Season 13 (Rachel Lindsay)
Luke, 33, “The Bachelorette” Season 12 (JoJo Fletcher)
Michael, 37, “The Bachelorette” Season 9 (Desiree Hartsock Siegfried)

USA Women
Ashley I., 29, “The Bachelor” Season 19 (Chris Soules)
Clare, 36, “The Bachelor” Season 18 (Juan Pablo Galavis)
Lesley, 30, “The Bachelor” Season 17 (Sean Lowe)
Bibiana, 30, “The Bachelor, Season 22 (Arie Luyendyk Jr.)
Lauren G., 27, “The Bachelor, Season 22 (Arie Luyendyk Jr.)

International Men
Benoit, 31, “The Bachelorette” Season 1 – Canada
Christian, 34, “The Bachelorette” Season 1 – Switzerland and Germany
Courtney, 31, “The Bachelorette” Season 2 – Australia
Jordan, 34, “The Bachelor” Season 2 – New Zealand
Kevin, 33, “The Bachelorette” Season 1 – Canada

International Women
Ally, 24, “The Bachelor” Season 3 – New Zealand
Jenny, 34, “The Bachelor” Season 1 – Finland
Laura, 29, “The Bachelor” Season 1 – United Kingdom
Lily, 21, “The Bachelor” Season 3 – New Zealand
Nastassia, 26, “The Bachelor” Season 3 – Sweden
Rebecca, 26, “The Bachelor” Season 3 – Sweden
Tiffany, 31, “The Bachelor” Season 4 – Australia
Yuki, 21, “The Bachelor” Season 1 – Japan
Zoe, 25, “The Bachelor” Season 1 – China

Tune In Information:

Be sure to tune in for the premiere week of The Bachelor Winter Games.  Episode 101 on Tuesday, February 13th at (8:00-10:00 p.m. EST) & Episode 102 Thursday, February 15th at (8:00-10:00 p.m. EST).