The Bachelor may be a television show, but the reality of its universe grows every single day and becomes even more delightfully twisted. By now we've all heard the rumors that Chris Harrison is dating former contestant Andi Dorfman. (Bustle reached out to both stars for comment but has not yet heard back.) So, that may have you wondering, has the Bachelor host dated any former contestants before?
Honestly, Bachelor Nation seems so incestuous (meaning that contestants from all seasons and all incarnations seem to meet up with each other and date around) that I don't see why he wouldn't have. At The Bachelor and Bachelorette mixers that I imagine happen the off season he could have met someone. You know, the game nights where they all play Clue and Settlers of Catan (in my dreams, right?).
Harrison has met more eligible women in his line of work than a fictional Disney prince — even if he's not getting the one-on-one time with them as host. However, rumors like this with Andi aren't really a common occurrence. Harrison was rumored to be dating Sean Lowe contestant Selma Alameri in 2013, but other than that, it doesn't seem like he has connected with any of his talent in that way.
That said, Harrison got divorced in 2012, so it wouldn't be too out of the question for him to meet someone at work next. In 2014, he told YourTango in an interview that he was not against dating former contestants. "I'll never say never to anything — you get in trouble when you do that — but definitely while the show is going on, whether it's Bachelor or it's Bachelorette, I never really look at it as an opportunity," he said. Basically, he is a professional and keeps that duty to match these women on ABC first and foremost. "I hope people understand that I believe in what the show's about, and I believe in what it does," he continued in the same interview. "And I also believe in what I do, and I really love my job. And so, I hate to say that it's clinical that I approach it as a job. I approach these people as friends, to a certain degree, but ... it really is work."
So, if the rumors are true that Harrison and Dorfman are seeing one another, than this is probably something special. I know nothing is confirmed at this point, but it truly is a nice thought that the pair may be more than friends!
