Filming for the upcoming season of The Bachelorette is still underway, but another change has been made mid-production. Just weeks after it was confirmed that Clare Crawley left and was replaced by Tayshia Adams, ABC’s former leading lady, JoJo Fletcher, has temporarily taken over as host for Chris Harrison, according to Us Weekly .
The switch reportedly happened because Chris, the show’s original host, was placed under a mandatory 14-day coronavirus quarantine. Fortunately, he is not sick.
Instead, Chris reportedly has to stay off the Palm Springs, California, set for two weeks because he recently traveled from California to Texas to help his son, Joshua, move into his dormitory at Texas Christian University.
Earlier this week, Chris posted a photo on Instagram after he finished moving his son into his dorm room at TCU. The proud father, who recently turned 49, wrote that he was filled with “pride and excitement” and was “grateful” Joshua had the opportunity to attend the school.
It’s not clear when filming will wrap, but Us Weekly reported that Chris will be back on set to film the “last few” episodes. Considering he just started quarantining this week, it’s possible that production will finish up in early September.
The coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult to produce the reality show this season. It put a stop to the worldwide travel that has happened on previous seasons, and quarantine rules were imposed on the contestants when they arrived at the filming location in Palm Springs.
JoJo, who got engaged to sports commentator Jordan Rogers when the finale was filmed in 2016, is no stranger to making coronavirus-related changes on the fly.
In addition to stepping into Chris’ role during his quarantine, the 29-year-old Texas native shared a wedding update on Instagram on the day they intended to tie the knot. She told her followers they had decided to postpone their June 13 wedding “given the circumstances of 2020.”
JoJo will undoubtedly do a good job in her new role on The Bachelorette . In addition to her time as the lead in 2016, and her appearance on Ben Higgins’ season of The Bachelor , she has plenty of television experience under her belt.
She judged a kissing contest on Bachelor Winter Games in 2018 and joined her husband-to-be as judges on the music-themed spinoff, Listen to Your Heart, last April. The couple also hosted the reality series Cash Pad on CNBC and Paramount Network’s Battle of the Fittest Couples.
