What Is Chris Harrison's Net Worth and Salary?
Chris Harrison is an American television host who has a net worth of $20 million. Chris Harrison is probably best known for hosting ABC's "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" reality series. Chris hosted "The Bachelor" from 2002 to 2021 and "The Bachelorette" from 2003 to 2021. He also hosted several spinoffs, including "Bachelor in Paradise." Chris announced he was stepping down from the franchise in February 2021. His departure came after he faced criticism for defending a contestant on "The Bachelorette" who was accused of racism for attending an antebellum-themed fraternity formal.
"The Bachelor" Salary
At the peak of his time hosting the various incarnations of the show, Chris Harrison's salary was $4 million.
Early Life
Christopher Bryan Harrison was born on July 26, 1971, in Dallas, Texas. He attended Lake Highlands High School and graduated in 1989. Afterward, he attended Oklahoma City University on a soccer scholarship. There, he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Chris graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications.
Early Career
Beginning in 1993, Harrison worked at the CBS affiliate KWTV in Oklahoma City as a sports reporter. He got the job after he was drafted through his university's athletic association, thanks to his credentials as a college athlete on the soccer team. He stayed in this role until 1999. Then, Chris moved to Los Angeles, California, where he briefly worked for the horse racing channel TVG Network and hosted the show "Designers' Challenge" on HGTV in 1999. He continued to develop his hosting career, serving as the host of the short-lived GSN game show "Mall Masters" (filmed at the Mall of America in Minnesota) in 2001.
"The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette"
In 2002, Chris began hosting the romance/reality series "The Bachelor" on ABC.
The "Bachelor" franchise became a huge hit and has aired 28 different seasons as of March 2024, 25 of them with Harrison as the host. The show has become a cultural phenomenon, with each season trending on social media and generating large ratings. It has also spawned several successful spin-offs, including "The Bachelorette," which began airing in 2003. Other "Bachelor" spin-offs that Harrison has hosted include "Bachelor Pad" (2010-2012), "Bachelor in Paradise" (2014-2019), "Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise" (2015), "Bachelor Winter Games" (2018), and "The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart" (2020).
As we mentioned earlier in this article, Chris stepped down from the franchise in February 2021 in the wake of a racism controversy. Just before he stepped down, photos surfaced showing "Bachelorette" winner Rachel Kirkconnell attending an antebellum-themed fraternity party years earlier. Rachel quickly apologized, and Chris attempted to defend her in an interview with the TV show "Extra." His remarks on "Extra" were not well received, and the fury grew so loud that he ultimately decided to depart the show.
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Other Work
In addition to his "The Bachelor" hosting duties, Chris Harrison also served as the host of the syndicated version of the game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" from 2015 to 2019. He became the host of "TV Guide" Network's entertainment news series "Hollywood 411" in 2008. Chris hosted the American Music Awards pre-show live on ABC in 2008 alongside co-hosts Carrie Ann Inaba and Nicole Scherzinger. He teamed up with Inaba again in 2009 to host the "TV Guide" Network's live red-carpet coverage of the 2009 Emmy Awards. Additionally, he served as the host of ABC's live coverage of the Miss American Pageant for nine years.
Outside of his hosting duties, Harrison has also ventured into the world of acting. In 2002, in one of his earliest acting roles, he guest-starred on the popular show "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" in the episode "Ping, Ping a Song." He has also played a reporter in several feature films and television series, including "The Practice," "Bounce" and the 2002 film "Showtime," starring Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy.
Other Projects
In addition to his on-screen projects, Harrison is a published author. His debut novel, "The Perfect Letter," was published by Dey Street Books in February 2016.
Personal Life
Chris married his college sweetheart, Gwendolyn Jones, in 1994. They have two children, Joshua (b. 2002) and Taylor (b. 2004), together. After 18 years of marriage, they announced that they were ending their relationship in May 2012. In 2018, it was confirmed that Harrison was dating reporter and journalist Lauren Zima. They married in November 2023.
In his spare time, Chris still plays soccer, the sport that earned him a college scholarship, and he also enjoys playing golf. He is an investor in the Steam Theory Brewing Co., a brewery in Dallas.
Real Estate
In the summer of 2020, Chris and Lauren moved to Austin, Texas. In late 2020, it was rumored that Harrison was building a mansion in his native Dallas, Texas.
