Chris Harrison is returning to TV for the first time in almost five years to host a new “traditional marriage” dating show – and fans already have mixed feelings about it.
The former “Bachelor” host, 54, took to Instagram Wednesday to share a casting call for the upcoming and currently unnamed series.
“It’s time to help people find love again,” he wrote. “Now casting.”
The announcement itself featured a picture of the reality show host dressed up in a suit alongside the call for applicants seeking a “traditional marriage.”
“A prominent streaming service is casting single men and women (21+) who want a traditional, marriage-minded partnership built on commitment and shared values,” the post read.
“We’re looking for singles who believe in clear roles, long-term commitment and building a life together — and who are dating with real intention,” it added.
Harrison’s announcement, however, received mixed reactions from fans who rushed to the post’s comments section to share their thoughts about the already controversial new project.
“I’m sorry this is giving MAGA,” one person wrote, while another added, “Do your roles require subservient women only?”
“This looks like the back of a Christian self-help book,” commented a third, while a fourth shared, “This is really icky” and “I’m getting second hand embarrassment from this idea.”
But other fans celebrated the idea of a “traditional marriage” dating show and welcomed both the concept and Harrison’s return to TV.
“Is this real!? If so I am sooo ready!” wrote one excited viewer, while another commented, “So here for this!”
“Best in the business!” a third fan added regarding Harrison’s return, while others shared, “We’ve missed you!” and “He’s back!”
As for Harrison, he opened up about his new reality TV hosting role during a chat with TMZ shortly after the casting call was announced.
“I will be coming back to TV to do what means the most to me: helping people find love,” he told the outlet. “I want to do a show that is actually about finding that true love.”
Harrison continued, “I think that’s been lost, and I think we all want it back. Will there be drama along the way? Absolutely, but in the end it will always be about love.”
The former “Bachelor” host added that the response to his casting announcement “has been incredible” and the way fans are “talking, discussing, [and] debating love and relationships” is what “great reality TV is about.”
“As for what the show is all about … I’ll turn to one of my favorite lines here: you’ll find out, after the break,” he concluded.
Harrison’s rep did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.
The upcoming “traditional marriage” dating show marks one of Harrison’s biggest projects since his dramatic exit from the “Bachelor” franchise after nearly two decades in 2021.
He first came under fire that February for defending former “Bachelor” contestant Rachael Kirkconnell after several photos emerged of her attending an Antebellum-styled party three years earlier.
Then, during an “Extra” interview with former “Bachelorette” star Rachel Lindsay, Harrison expressed sympathy for Kirkconnell and suggested that the backlash against her wasn’t warranted since the photos in question were a few years old.
Harrison ultimately stepped down as host of the popular reality franchise before exiting for good a few months later.
“I’ve had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now I’m excited to start a new chapter,” he wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post in June 2021.
“I’m so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we’ve made together,” he added. “While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime.”
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