Chris Harrison's The Bachelorette 9 Blogs & Interviews - Discussion

atem wrote:Don't you just love that Chris Harrison is always about Chris Harrison and his latest business venture?  He literally starts his stupid blog about it!

jcrbil wrote:

atem wrote:Don't you just love that Chris Harrison is always about Chris Harrison and his latest business venture?  He literally starts his stupid blog about it!

He knows we won't read it if it's at the end... of course, we might not read any of the blog with it at the beginning.

This week we landed in easily one of the greatest and most romantic cities in the world, Barcelona. The guys and Des actually stayed in a quaint little seaside town a short drive from Barcelona called Sitges. When I walked up to find the guys at the beginning of the episode, we were actually on the boardwalk in Sitges. Usually when we go to great cities like this I will spend some time telling you why it’s such an amazing location, but I think Barcelona speaks for itself, and it does so with an incredible Spanish accent. If you get the chance you must spend some time in this city.
Drew got the first one-on-one date this week and he and Des made the short drive to spend the day getting lost in Barcelona. We’ve seen a little bit of Drew but we’ve never seen him like we did on this date. Drew opened up to Des and revealed a lot about his personal life, especially the struggles with his dad. These conversations can sometimes get awkward but Des and Drew really seemed to get each other on a very deep, personal level. The date had a heavy start but it really took off from there. At dinner, Drew really seemed to step out of his comfort zone when he attempted to steal Des away to a private place so he could deliver what Des described as a very passionate kiss. It’s a little hard to steal Des away when we have all our cameras there working, but the sentiment is what’s important. Drew obviously got the rose and is definitely someone to be watched as we continue.
The group date this week, on a personal level, was one of the coolest dates we’ve ever had. If you don’t know, I love soccer as much, if not more than Juan Pablo does. While I was in town I was fortunate enough to take in some Barcelona games, so it was incredible that we got to take over their cross-town rivals’ stadium for our date. The Espanyol stadium and field was in perfect condition and I want to thank them for being so gracious in allowing us to take a few divots out of that pristine pitch. One of the most entertaining parts of the date was a former pro and now professional trainer named Carlos who put the guys through some drills before the game against the girls. As you saw at the end of the episode, he was awesome and had a great sense of humor. Juan Pablo was easily the best player for the guys, but Chris was the surprise star.
Of course the real drama on this date took place off the pitch when the guys finally confronted James about the things he said. Kasey did most the talking as he had actually heard James talking to Mikey in the van. But then James tried to “counter-accusate” these serious allegations. Yes, Kasey completely made up a word here, but I have to be honest I not only knew what he was talking about, I like it and plan to start using “counter-accusate” as well. James later sat and talked to Des and was very emotional and contrite, which is completely different than how he is with the guys. So the big question is, “Who do you guys believe?” I do have to credit James for one thing: I absolutely loved his entrance back at the suite. He calmly strolled in and instead of the confrontation we were expecting he simply said, “Gentlemen, goodnight,” and walks off to bed.
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I know Zak was worried his date might be marred a bit with all the James stuff from the night before, but he didn’t need to worry. His sunny disposition and charm quickly helped Des forget all about the James garbage and she was able to dive right in to the nude sketching. There are plenty of jokes that pop into my head about the nude sketching and although I find it hard to let them go, I will not indulge such adolescent punch lines. Instead I will rise to the occasion and show my great love for the arts. In all seriousness the date with Zak was a huge success. Their relationship seems very fun and easy. Des and Zak appear to be on the same page they make each other laugh and seem happy together.
The situation with James was far from over, though, and Des had to come back to finish the conversation she had postponed the night before. The only problem is when James talks to Des he seems sincere and sweet. It’s when he’s with the guys that he gets defensive and confrontational. It really is a bizarre situation and I look forward to sitting down with James and the guys to discuss this at the Men Tell All. Like you, I’m a little torn on this situation and I think it’s safe to say that Des is as well. Even though she let James go, I really don’t think she had clarity on him or how she felt about all of it.
Lost in all the James drama will be the fact that Juan Pablo and Kasey also went home this week. As you could see from the previews, the rest of this season is incredibly emotional, and it’s not going to be easy for Des. Next week we’ll be in Madeira, Portugal. Until then you can always find me via twitter and instagram @chrisbharrison.

The James drama finally came to a head on The Bachelorette Monday, leading to a big confrontation between the guys and, ultimately, his exit. After Drew's incredible one-on-one date with Desiree that earned him a rose, he decided to inform her about James' comments last week. Des later confronted James about everything, still kept him around after the group date, but then decided it was his time to go. Did Des make the right choice in cutting him? And should Drew have told Desiree about the drama in the first place? Plus: What record did the episode set? Host Chris Harrison explains all.

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Drew's one-on-one date was incredibly romantic. Were you surprised about how well it went?
Chris Harrison: I think people have found him attractive and interesting, but a bit of an enigma so we're finally revealing who he is and people are really going to fall for him. Until now, we were left to try to figure out if he was a superficial, perfect looking guy who's saying the right thing and now we see this guy has major depth and a lot of things going on, and it's all very impressive. Des was just blown away.

Was she shocked he got so physical?
Harrison: You could see her eyes get excited and think, "Oh, thank God." She really relished those moments of kissing and getting more physical and then when he really took her away and did the manly move of throwing her against the wall, she was like, "This is good."

Do you think Drew made the right move in telling Des about James after he got the rose?
Harrison: When he did it, if he was going to do it at all, was smart. I kind of thought that things went so well for him, why do it at all? But it's really hard to tell just how offended these guys are, and watching, it's hard to understand why. To the guys' defense, good for them for being so protective and being so into the process, but it's easy to think, "Really? Is it that big of a deal?"

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What do you think about the whole thing?
Harrison: When you hear the guys going off, you understand, like, "Yes, that wasn't cool." But when you hear James defending himself and talking to Des, you think he didn't do anything wrong. So you're not sure where the truth really lies and the more I look at it the more I think, "OK, did he say some of these things?" Probably. Would he have said it to Des? No. And he said it to Mikey, who was already checked out, bro-ing up and talking big, and I could see James either being serious or just trying to pacify Mikey, like, "Yeah, yeah, maybe I'll be The Bachelor." It's guy talk. Des was almost a little perturbed, like, "Why did you throw this on my plate?" I think the guys should've gone to James first and said, "Hey buddy, why did you say these things? We're a little offended." And if James had been more understanding, he could've said, "I was just talking crap with Mikey, not a big deal, I like Des a lot and I apologize." Then it would've been a moot point. Part of what made me believe James was how adamant he was and the emotion he got with Des. Is he that big of a salesman that he could bring up tears? I don't think he's that good of an actor.

The guys' confrontation was pretty heated!
Harrison: I was in the edit bay and I think there were a record number of bleeps. I saw the list that Standards and Practices gets and verbally read the list of everything that was said, and it was hysterical.

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Back to the group date, did you get to play soccer with everyone?
Harrison: I was there the whole day and I had two buddies I played soccer with in college, and we were on the field more than the guys were. There was so much drama we had to cut a lot out, but that guy Carlos, the professional, he reminded me of the yoga instructor from Couples Retreat. We had to cut him out because he was too sexy.

Zak's date was also great and I like him more and more each week.
Harrison: I said from Day 1 he's going to surprise you. He's a goofball in a very endearing way. I think they get along great together. I see a very different Des when she's around him. She smiles, and laughs and is carefree. She's happy around him. What an amazing turnaround.

She ultimately sent home James, Kasey and Juan Pablo. Did she make the right choices?
Harrison: It surprised me that three people were going home. We never show this, but the guys don't know how many are going home at each rose ceremony. They find out when they walk in the room and see how many roses are there. This time I was standing there when we started and you saw their eyes, like, "Half of us are going home." The number is really up to the Bachelor or Bachelorette. We need a certain number of people to carry on, but she could've cut more next week it's really up to her. Kasey was a guy she was never in that zone with. Juan Pablo was probably the only surprise because there was an attraction, but when you see the other relationships, they don't compare. And James just had to go. Whether he was sabotaged or not, it just wasn't going to work. Definitely wise choices.

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelorette' episode 7

by Chris Harrison on Jul 9, 2013 at 1:04AM

This week we found our way back to the country of Portugal. The last time we came to Portugal was with Ali and we stayed in the city of Lisbon on the mainland. This visit took us well off the coast, to the small island of Madeira. It’s actually a lot closer to Morocco in Africa than it is to Portugal. Madeira is a small island known for its gardens and amazing hikes.

The week began with Des getting to visit with some friends from last season: Jackie, Lesley, and Catherine. Catherine had a smile on her face, but believe me she was exhausted. Due to some travel complications, she barely made it into town at the last moment and her luggage never actually made it at all. Then she had to hop on a flight the very next day to get back to the States for an event with Sean. Even through that, she was thrilled to get to catch up with her old friends and dish about the five remaining guys. Des also enjoyed the visit with the girls and it put her in a great place going into her dates.

Brooks got the first one-on-one this week. I find these two very interesting. They seem happy together, but they also seem very cautious. It’s almost as if they spend time trying to figure out how to define their relationship or figure out how the other person is feeling. For example, they came up with “adjectives” to describe where they are between like and love. Now the fact that they actually came up with verbs, and not adjectives, is something I know mortified every English teacher in the world, but that’s not the point. The point is while their outward appearance is happy and free, their words still seem cautious. Des later admitted to me that she isn’t “running” toward love, she’s actually at the “finish line.” She’s in love with Brooks and she feels he’s in love with her as well, although he hasn’t expressed that to her verbally.

Chris got the second one-on-one this week and as good as Brooks’ date was, Chris’ was just as emotional, if not more. When these two are together they just seem right. It’s unbelievably easy and nothing seems forced between them. Chris really seems to make Des happy and he became the first this season to tell Des he loves her. He did it in a poem, but it still very much counts and Des knows exactly how he feels about her. Later, during our deliberation, Des admitted she’s also fallen for Chris and that she could easily see a future with him. I’m glad she’s kept an open mind and is still able to separate each man and each date at this point.


Michael was definitely put behind the eight ball this week. After two incredible dates with Brooks and Chris, the guy just didn’t stand a chance. Maybe if he’d gone first things might have been different, but after being with two men she definitely sees a future, with her feelings and relationship with Michael just didn’t measure up. You could really see it in Des’ body language and hear it in her voice. Michael opened up all he could and he can leave knowing he really gave it his all. He really expressed his emotions to Des, but it just didn’t click for her. Des narrowed it down to five great guys, but when you look at her other four relationships they are just much further along and much deeper than her relationship with Michael. Looking back, I’m not totally sure that the two-on-one where he went after Ben didn’t doom their relationship. After that date you got the sense that Des wasn’t feeling it.

The final two-on-one date was really a foregone conclusion. Unless one of these guys went completely nuts on her she likely knew that both of them would be getting a rose this week. The only true decision would be who would get the rose on the date and who would have to wait for the rose ceremony. Zak brings out a very happy and playful side in Des. When she’s around him she always has a smile on her face. Drew also makes Des happy, but it seems to be in a deeper emotional way. When I see them together they look like a couple that’s been together for years. They seem to get each other on a very deep level. Drew went a little further than Zak and professed his love to her and he ended up getting the rose, but again, at this point, she already knew Zak would get one as well.

The deliberation and rose ceremony this week took place in the courtyard of our hotel. The deliberation was down on a patio right off the ocean. Des was more open and honest in this deliberation than she’s been all season. She admitted she’s already in love with Brooks and Chris and that Drew and Zak were close behind. Heading into hometowns she’s definitely in a good place but also realizes she has her hands full, as time is running out. This next week with be incredibly pivotal because at this point, Des really needs to see that these men want to be there for her for the long haul and that they are just as committed to these relationships as she is. Hometowns are always my favorite because you can’t fake family. It always provides for an interesting and entertaining episode. I’ll see you next week back in the States as we narrow it down to the final three men! In the meantime you can always find me via twitter and facebook @chrisbharrison.

Welcome to the hometown dates for Des and the boys. This was a very interesting and pivotal episode in many ways, and with all that was going on there were some things you may not even understand until you see the dramatic two-episode finale of this season. Des was looking forward to these hometown dates and was really hoping she would get answers from these guys and their families as to who is really ready to settle down and begin a new life together with her.

Des started in Dallas with Zak and his family. It was very cute watching Zak and Des serve the kids snow cones, but Zak needs to understand rule number one when wearing a penguin suit: You never break character! As you could clearly see, Zak has a very normal, loving family and they are very protective of him. They could clearly see Zak was in deep and had fallen head over heels in love with Des. This is always one of my favorite episodes, but one of the aspects I love watching the most are the intimate one-on-one talks the Bachelors or Bachelorettes have with their parents. Zak’s talk with his Mom was so telling of the guy he is and where he came from. We’ve seen Zak sing some songs this season, but this week we got to learn that the apple didn’t fall far from the guitar in this family. Zak’s siblings did their best Partridge Family impersonation and serenaded Des. To say she looked slightly uncomfortable would be a gross understatement, but the truth is she found it very endearing. The sister was actually pretty good but the brother was like a little pitchy dog. On an incredibly serious note, Zak very strongly professed his love and devotion to Des and there’s no question he was ready to propose to her and his family would be just fine with that.

Drew was up next in what may be the most emotional; touching hometowns we’ve ever shown. Drew is clearly in love with Des and he finally said that to Des this week. It was this love and trust that allowed Drew to feel comfortable enough to introduce Des to his mentally handicapped sister, Melissa. Des handled this touching moment with class and grace and it was a positive experience for everybody involved. Des seemed very relaxed and comfortable with all of the families. It felt like she was really in her element at these homes, sitting down with the people that could possibly become her future in-laws. Like Zak’s talk with his mom, Drew’s talk with his dad was incredible to watch. They can see that Des has captured Drew’s heart and it was special to hear his dad encourage Drew to go for it and bring Des into their family.

Last week Des admitted she has fallen in love with both Brooks and Chris, and their two hometowns were last. The moment Des sees Chris you can just see her relax and start smiling. I think I speak for everybody when I say we were all very happy to see Chris didn’t open his date with a poem. Instead, Chris ripped a page from Roberto’s hometown with Ali and took Des to the baseball field where he learned to play. When Des went to his house she quickly learned that all important things seem to take place with this family on a chiropractic table. Des got a quick adjustment before talking a little love with Chris’s dad, but that was nothing compared to Chris’ procedure. While talking to his dad about the future of his life Chris got a little nose adjustment. Whatever they did seemed to work because his nose looked straight and in the middle of his face where I guess it should be. It also seemed to have the desired emotional effect because Chris’ dad gave his son his blessing to propose to Des if he so wishes. Chris reconfirmed his love for Des and with that she entered Brooks’ hometown a perfect three for three in the love department.

Brooks is the only one up to this point who hasn’t professed his love verbally to Des. And while this hometown date was pretty good, Brooks still isn’t ready to take that leap and use the “L” word. One thing I noticed on Brooks’ hometown date is the different dynamic. On the other hometowns Des knew the guys love her and she’s really just meeting these families and trying to see if she could see a life with them. While Des was doing some of that with Brooks it really seemed like he was the one using the time to see if he was ready to take the big leap with Des. He really seems to be leaning on his family members looking for answers. It seemed by the end he got those answers. Like the other families, Brooks’ family loved Des and could very much see her apart of their son’s life.

Once the hometowns were over it was back to Los Angeles for the rose ceremony — but first the long awaited meeting with Des’ brother, Nate. It was interesting to hear the two pretty much haven’t talked and haven’t seen each other since the confrontation with Sean. The body language between Des and her brother was a little awkward and contentious. In the end Des explained she didn’t want Nate to interfere this time and he seemed to give his blessing to Des.

At the rose ceremony Des said goodbye to Zak. At this point I knew it was going to be tough because even if it’s the right thing to do it’s still not easy to say goodbye to anyone. Des was really impressed with Zak and knows he’s a great catch, but he’s just not for her. You just can’t compare the feelings she has at this point for Drew, Brooks, and Chris to those she feels for Zak. It was tough to watch Zak in the limo as you could clearly see he was blindsided by this breakup and was very much in love with Des.

Next week, as you saw in the previews, is the Men Tell All reunion show. We have much to discuss with all the guys, including what’s about to happen in the special two-episode finale! I’ll see you next week from the hot seat, until then I’ll see you on Twitter and Facebook @chrisbharrison.