#Will Chris Harrison return for Michelle Young’s season?

Tonight’s premiere of The Bachelorette with Katie Thurston will be without Chris Harrison altogether. So what does that mean for some of the seasons beyond it? That is where things start to get a little more mysterious.

For the time being, here is some of what we can tell you. Last week, it was reported that a rotating panel of celebrities would be taking on the hosting gig for Bachelor in Paradise. Meanwhile, a recent report from Us Weekly suggests that Harrison may not be back for Michelle Young’s season when it starts filming later this summer. (That season will premiere on ABC this fall.)

While you wait for Katie’s season, why not also watch our review of Matt James’ finale below? Be sure to ALSO subscribe to Matt & Jess on YouTube! We’ll be your non-stop source of coverage throughout this season and we don’t want you to miss any update.

If Chris does end up sitting out that season, then a good bit of attention then shifts over to what’s happening with The Bachelor in the new year. If the host is not present for that, there’s a good chance he may not return at all. You could view the Paradise rotating gig as a chance for the franchise to look for a new host if they chose to go in that direction; or, they could choose to bring back past contestants in a way similar to what they are doing for Katie’s season.

The truth here is that Chris, other than being a longtime “face of the franchise,” actually does not do that much on a per-episode basis. He turns up, announces dates, and then he’s there with the lead at the rose ceremony. There are ways to move the show forward without him, if that is what ABC and production ultimately decides. (Remember, Chris’ exit is due to him downplaying a racist incident from the past featuring former contestant Rachael on Matt James’ season.)

Related – Check out another preview for tonight’s new episode of The Bachelorette

Do you think that Chris Harrison will ever return to The Bachelor or The Bachelorette?

Be sure to share right away in the comments! After you do just that, remember to stick around for other coverage of Katie’s season from start to finish. (Photo: ABC.)

This article was written by Jess Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.