NEW YORK -- Ben Higgins is heading into his fantasy suite dates on Monday, and we already know that he tells TWO of the remaining three women that he loves them. The host of "The Bachelor", Chris Harrison, spoke to reporters in a conference call Friday to talk about the big upcoming fantasy dates and how Ben's admission to the women is unprecedented for the show.
"I was a little bit shocked about how it all transpired. He has done such a good job of compartmentalizing, it sounds weird, but you have to live in the moment and live in that relationship. Maybe he's done too good of a job. He felt that emotion for two women," Harrison said. Caila, Lauren, and Jojo remain, and so far, we don't know which two are the ones that he has "fallen" for.
As for whether Ben got the go-ahead to profess his love for the women on camera, Harrison says, nope, he did not. "It was a caught on camera moment full of feeling and emotion. If he had asked my opinion, I would tell him it would create problems down the road," Harrison said.
There is a lot of speculation that Ben's final decision might not be that final and that he might pull a "Mesnick". That's the term "Bachelor Nation" uses for when the "Bachelor" might change his mind after selecting his final woman and going back with the runner up instead, just like Jason Mesnick did on his season. He broke up with Melissa Rycroft on the "After the Final Rose" special and asked Molly Malaney, now Molly Mesnick, to give him another chance. She did and they now are married and have a daughter together. Harrison did say, "He pulls a Mesnick". What on earth could that mean?
If you were wondering why we haven't been seeing Chris Harrison quite as much this season, you're not alone. In fact, he doesn't even know why! Harrison said that he filmed quite a few scenes with Ben, especially in the Bahamas where they had a pivotal conversation, but it never aired. He says that he has a great rapport with Ben and that "We shot a ton of good stuff." He says that ultimately it's up to executive producer Martin Hilton, and we'd have to ask him why. Harrison did not seem thrilled about being left on the cutting room floor, that's for sure.
Heading into the Oscars, keep in mind that some very famous people are "Bachelor" fans. Harrison said that Clint Eastwood told him, "I watch your show from time to time." Harrison joked that he didn't know if he wanted the toughest guy in the world to be watching "The Bachelor."
Back to "Bachelor" Ben, we have three weeks left of watching! There is the fantasy suite dates, "The Women Tell All", and then of course the big finale.