© 2026 ABC News

The 49-year-old host had left the show to drop his 18-year-old son Joshua off at Texas Christian University, but learned that by leaving the bubble -- he had to undergo a mandatory quarantine to protect the health and safety of the contestants.

View this post on Instagram

Just like that he’s gone. Thought dropping the big man off at college @texaschristianuniversity today was going to crush me but all I could feel is pride and excitement. Especially now, so grateful that they have this opportunity. Now go take on the world and have the time of your life my boy.

A post shared by Chris Harrison (@chrisbharrison) on Aug 11, 2020 at 2:15pm PDT

Other precautions that have since taken place involve the competition being filmed in one undisclosed location -- not the Bachelor mansion. Unlike seasons' past, the show will also not jet the Bachelorette and her potential love matches across the globe.

\"The Bachelorette\" returns this fall on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/chris-harrison-returns-bachelorette-promises-dramatic-season/story?id=72440607","legacySlug":"/culture/story/chris-harrison-returns-bachelorette-promises-dramatic-season-72440607","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"13:44","publishDate":"08-18-2020","updatedTime":"15:42","updatedDate":"08-18-2020","socialImage":{"alt":"Host of \"The Bachelor\" Chris Harrison attends ABC's Winter TCA 2020 Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 8, 2020.","credit":"Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/harrison-file-gty-ml-200818_1597757496677_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"8/18/2020 13:44:59 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":72440607,"headline":"Chris Harrison returns to 'The Bachelorette'","mediaAssetTitle":"BACHELORETTE CHRIS HARRISON UPDATE","description":"Harrison documented his grand return to the show.","duration":"6:20","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/03/200302_gma_spencer_west_812_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["71796111","71322106","69351461"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"July 15, 2020","headline":"These are the men who might be on the new season of 'The Bachelorette'","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/men-clare-crawleys-season-bachelorette-71796111","id":71796111,"image":{"alt":"These are the men who might be on the new season of 'The Bachelorette'","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/clare-crawley-abc-ml-200302_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Paul Hebert/ABC","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"June 18, 2020","headline":"Details emerge on how Clare Crawley's season of 'The Bachelorette' will be filmed","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/details-emerge-clare-crawleys-season-bachelorette-filmed-71322106","id":71322106,"image":{"alt":"Details emerge on how Clare Crawley's season of 'The Bachelorette' will be filmed","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/bachelorette-abc-ml-200302_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"ABC News","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"March 3, 2020","headline":"5 things to know about Clare Crawley, the new Bachelorette","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/things-clare-crawley-bachelorette-69351461","id":69351461,"image":{"alt":"5 things to know about Clare Crawley, the new Bachelorette","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/clare-crawley-file-gty-jef-200302_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Jesse Grant/Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Chris Harrison returns to 'The Bachelorette'","description":"Harrison documented his grand return to the show.","duration":"6:20","uploadDate":"08-18-2020","publication":"08-18-2020","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/03/200302_gma_spencer_west_812_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/03/200302_gma_spencer_west_812_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/chris-harrison-returns-bachelorette-promises-dramatic-season-72440607"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132628890","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132569874","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132567885","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132510121","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:culture:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"culture","title":"Chris Harrison returns to 'The Bachelorette'","pubTime":"09:44","pubDate":"08-18-2020","modTime":"11:42","modDate":"08-18-2020","taxonomyTags":"none","id":72440607,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Chris Harrison returns to 'The Bachelorette'","mediaAssetTitle":"BACHELORETTE CHRIS HARRISON UPDATE","videoId":72440607,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/culture/story/chris-harrison-returns-bachelorette-promises-dramatic-season-72440607"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/72440607","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/72440607","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};