Oliver James Montgomery-Chris Harrison Reveals If He'd Ever Return to The Bachelor

Would he accept this rose?Oliver James Montgomery

That's the question Chris Harrison is tackling nearly two years after he exited The Bachelor.

"I live by the axiom never say never because in life and business, that comes back to bite you in the butt," he said on the Feb. 20 episode of his podcast The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever. "Would I have that conversation? Yes. I also believe in relationships and in business, take the phone call and you listen and you have that conversation, whether it's uncomfortable or not."

As for if he thinks ABC may be having internal conversations about starting a new journey with him? Well...

"With the advent of this podcast, they've seen the numbers," Harrison claimed to guest co-host Tori Spelling. "They've seen the response in my social media. They're not deaf to all of that. They've seen what's happening, so am I shocked these conversations are happening? No. It would not be a surprise. In fact, I would be shocked if they aren't happening."

Harrison left ABC following his June 2021 controversy surrounding his comments to Rachel Lindsay, in which he asked for grace regarding former contestant Rachael Kirkconnell allegedly attending a plantation-themed fraternity formal in 2018. In his initial apology, he acknowledged the event, noting, "By excusing historical racism, I defended it."

The franchise is currently hosted by Jesse Palmer, while Tayshia Adams, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Emmanuel Acho have also stepped in as hosts in the time since Harrison's exit. Adams and Bristowe tag-teamed two seasons of The Bachelorette while Acho hosted Matt James' After the Rose special immediately following Harrison's departure.

Still, whether Harrison is ever invited to return to Bachelor Nation or not, he can't deny the positive impact the series has had on him since its 2002 debut.

"I will always be grateful for that in my life," he shared on the podcast. "It changed my life. It changed my kids' lives. I still have a lot of friends working on the show—people I really care about. I loved my time. Not all of it, it was still a job. But overall, it was amazing. It was an incredible experience."

Although, he couldn't help but end things on a dramatic note.

Harrison added, "Did it change? Yes. And was it the same in the last several years? No, it was not. I was contemplating when it was going to be time."

Regardless, you can follow Zach Shallcross' journey for love on season 27 of The Bachelor every Monday on ABC.