JoJo Fletcher will be temporarily taking over as host of Season 16 of “The Bachelorette” for Chris Harrison, who has to undergo a two-week quarantine after dropping his son off at college in Texas.
Harrison was told he can’t go back into La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, California where the season is being filmed until he has quarantined for 14 days, according to reports from Variety and Us Weekly
Reps for ABC and Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment Thursday. The studio and network do not typically comment on casting rumors while the show is in production.
“The moment he got back, Chris was told he could not set foot back on the set until he went through another 14-day quarantine,” a source close to production told Us. “The show’s contestants and crew all had to quarantine on the property for 14 days prior to the camera’s rolling. But it didn’t dawn on Chris he’d have to do it all over again if he simply left to take his kid to college.”
Fletcher will take over for those 14 days, the source said, adding that Harrison is expected to be back in time for the last few episodes of the season.
Harrison’s son, Joshua, is attending Texas Christian University. The proud dad posted about dropping him off in an Instagram post Tuesday.
“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,” he wrote. “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 former “Bachelorette” herself, Fletcher competed on the 20th season of “The Bachelor” with Ben Higgins and later went on to become the 12th “Bachelorette.”