Jesse Palmer first took a stab at hosting The Bachelor during Season 26, led by Clayton Echard. Shortly after, Jesse was invited to return and host The Bachelorette Season 20, led by Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia. Bachelor Nation fans were not surprised when Jesse was selected yet again to host Bachelor In Paradise Season 8. It basically confirmed him as Chris Harrison‘s official replacement.
Chris stepped down from the role which he held for 19 years, after he defended a racially offensive post from The Bachelor Season 25 contestant, Rachael Kirkconnell. Former Bachelorette leads Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams stepped in to host The Bachelorette Seasons 17 and 18. However, they were not asked to return. Furthermore, Wells Adams briefly served as the host of Bachelor In Paradise Season 7, along with several other celebrity guest hosts.
Since Jesse has been chosen to host all three spin-offs, it is clear that the franchise sees a lot of potential in his hosting abilities. Jesse has already proven himself to be a much better Bachelor host than Chris, in numerous different ways.
Jesse Can Relate To The Leads More
A key factor that makes Jesse an excellent host is his close relationship to the franchise, since he was the lead of The Bachelor Season 5. While Jesse’s relationship from his season did not last, he can still relate to the leads when it comes to many things. Chris, on the other hand, was never the lead of the show, and was not as personable with the leads as Jesse.
During his first season hosting, Jesse never failed to be there for Clayton, who had a difficult time navigating the process. Jesse even took the time to sit down with Clayton and his family in Iceland, to discuss everything that was going on in his journey. Furthermore, Jesse was also a strong supporter for Gabby and Rachel. He helped them to navigate the first season ever with two leads.
Jesse Is Ready To Have Serious Conversations
Jesse has also proven himself to be a great and well rounded host by not hesitating to have serious conversations, such as discussions about race. After racially insensitive comments made by The Bachelor Season 27 contestant Greer Blitzer resurfaced on social media, Jesse did not hesitate to address the situation.
The former Bachelor was more than willing to have a conversation with Greer on the matter at the Women Tell All, where she apologized. Jesse acknowledged that the franchise had previously done a poor job addressing such important topics. He expressed that he would like to change that. Chris, on the other hand, stepped down from his role after failing to address these topics as gracefully as Jesse.
Jesse Is Just More Fun
While Chris was adored by many fans for years, you can’t deny he was a bit dull at times. This was part of his charm—Chris was always there but never made too much noise. However, a franchise like The Bachelor needs a host who is a bit more extroverted and fun, since they are an important part of every season. This is why Jesse is so refreshing. It’s clear he has a ton of fun with his new job.
Jesse has been particularly entertaining on Charity Lawson‘s season of The Bachelorette. On this season, he has been airing out his goofy side. After Charity’s group of men traveled to an area of Washington that has reported the most Bigfoot sightings, Jesse took it upon himself to dress up as Bigfoot and run around the woods for laughs.
Furthermore, Jesse poked harmless fun at controversial contestant Brayden Bowers all season, which many fans were happy to see. For instance, Jesse roasted Brayden’s unusual fashion choices including scarves and dangle earrings—but all in good fun of course!
While Jesse has certainly received some criticism, it cannot be said that he has been a poor host. Many Bachelor Nation fans were attached to Chris and did not want to see him leave. However, it was just time for someone new. Jesse has done a great job hosting the few seasons that he already has, and will hopefully continue to do so in the future!
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT JESSE PALMER? HOW DO YOU THINK HE’S DOING AS THE BACHELOR HOST?