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With The Bachelor’s Chris Harrison Out, One of These Soap Stars Should Be Stepping In as Host
Tuesday, June 15th, 2021
Having a daytimer take over the soapy reality show would make perfect sense.
In a twist that promos for The Bachelor would no doubt dub “the most shocking exit ever,” Chris Harrison has left the popular franchise after a nearly 20-year run as its host. Following troubling comments which Harrison himself described on Instagram as “defending historical racism,” reportedly contentious backstage negotiations and what our sister site Deadline called a “mid-range eight-figure payoff,” he has officially handed out his last rose.
But the show, as they say, must go on, leaving Bachelor Nation to wonder who’ll step into Harrison’s loafers to preside over the rose ceremonies, dry the man tears and help suss out who’s there for the right reasons.
More: Is it time for The Bachelor franchise to end?
While the franchise has long sold itself as being about the search for romance, many viewers come for the drama which can often rival anything found on the soaps. So why not have an actual soap star — current or former — serve as the master of (rose) ceremonies?
Who?
So glad you asked! Because as you might imagine, we have a couple suggestions in mind. The first person we thought of, naturally, was Cameron Mathison. Since first capturing our attention as All My Children‘s Ryan, he’s gone on to do everything from hosting to Hallmark movies, his affable nature and disarming charm making him a natural for a role which requires dealing with more personalities than had One Life to Live‘s Viki and Jessica combined!
Plus, a Bachelor gig would provide great synergy for ABC, given that he’ll soon be stepping into a new role on the network’s lone soap, General Hospital.
More: Who will Cameron Mathison play on General Hospital?
Another former daytimer we could totally see holding court at the Bachelor mansion? The Young and the Restless‘ ex-Malcolm, Shemar Moore. Sure, ladies showing up to find love with the Bachelor du jour might find it hard to resist throwing themselves at the onetime Soul Train host and current S.W.A.T. star, but we think he’d be a natural.
The recently-begun season of The Bachelorette has two former title holders — Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe — serving as co-hosts. Were ABC to decide that a woman should be the permanent hostess moving forward, Chrishell Stause would be a phenomenal choice. All My Children‘s Amanda (who was most recently Days of Our Lives‘ Jordan) not only knows a thing or two about the search for love but could offer words of wisdom regarding how to handle heartbreak, having dealt with her share of that with ex-husband Justin Hartley.
Heck, should the show decide it wants a more modern mansion, the Selling Sunset star could help them find one!
More: Chrishell Stause and Justin Hartley’s relationship timeline
What do you think, Bachelor Nation… could you see one of these soap stars handing out roses and drying tears? Or maybe you have someone else in mind. Either way, hit the comments section with your thoughts, then visit the photo gallery below in which we shine a spotlight on some of daytime’s most handsome men. They may not all be bachelors, but we’d accept a rose from every single one of them!
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Image: John Paschal/JPI (4)
1/68
<p>There are some people whose bad side you don’t want to get on. But <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Eric doesn’t <em>have</em> a bad side — we’ve checked all of them.</p>
Image: Robby Klein/Getty Images
2/68
<p>With a mug as magnificent as his is, it’s no wonder the <em>Young & Restless</em> leading man — Tucker in Genoa City — has a driver’s-license photo that could be hung in the Louvre.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
3/68
<p>If we loved him with a mullet as <em>One Life to Live</em>’s Patrick, of course we were also gonna love him as <em>Port Charles</em>’ Ian, <em>All My Children</em>’s Zach and <em>The Bold and the Beautiful </em>dressmaker Ridge.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
4/68
<p>Part of the reason we adore the actor who plays <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Nick is the cheekbones that are as chiseled as his abs. But on top of that… there’s his irresistible sense of humor.</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
5/68
<p>C’mon, look at that picture — when <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Brady invites you to a slumber party, you RSVP yes. Eagerly.</p>
Image: Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images
6/68
<p>It was indeed an <em>Emergency!</em> when the primetime mainstay joined <em>Loving</em> in the late ’80s as Alex. There was no close-up close <em>enough</em> to satisfy viewers hungry for more, more, more.</p>
Image: Gilles Toucas/CBS (3)
7/68
<p>“You talkin’ to <em>me</em>?” Um, no. More like gawking, enthusiastically, as the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> Emmy winner reveals that Liam looks dapper during every step of his putting-on-a-jacket process.</p>
Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
8/68
<p>Whether he’s been playing <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Roman, the Pawn, a priest or just good ol’ John, he’s always been able to catch our eye with no more than the arch of a brow.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
9/68
<p>Here, <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Devon offers up an expression that says, “Yes, by all means, appreciate my sexiness, then move along. You don’t want a line forming.” Agreed, sir.</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
10/68
<p>We hope he won’t hold it against us that, even all these years later, the hero for whom we’re holding out remains <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Bo. Cool? Cool.</p>
Image: ABC
11/68
<p>We hate to imagine how many obscene phone calls a fella gets when he’s walking around looking as much like a <em>Men’s Fitness</em> cover as the hottie who plays Dex on <em>General Hospital</em>. And no, not <em>all</em> of those calls are from us.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
12/68
<p>Sure, he may look coy here — “Who, <em>me</em>? Sexy?” — but let’s be real, <em>Guiding Light </em>bad boy Jonathan knew he was hot stuff if he thought he could get away with that shirt. Which he did, BTW.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
13/68
<p>Even back when he was Fen on <em>Young & Restless</em>, the scene stealer who plays <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Sonny had a hold on our hearts. And also, apparently, this inflatable one.</p>
Image: CBS
14/68
<p>When we heard that <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> was recasting Zende, we were like, “Good luck finding an actor as stunning as Rome Flynn.” Turned out they didn’t need luck at all. #nailedit</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
15/68
<p>Surprisingly, this shot of <em>As the World Turns</em>’ Holden is not the cover of the novel <em>Catcher in the Rye</em>. Still nice, though, eh?</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (3)
16/68
<p>No shirt? No problem. Thankfully, the heartthrob who keeps fans pumped about <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Xander is fine with a less-is-more approach to wardrobe.</p>
Image: Dramatic Creations/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
17/68
<p>Whether he was playing <em>All My Children</em>’s Jesse, <em>The City</em>’s Jacob or <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Sarge, one thing the Emmy winner always was… was easy on the eyes.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
18/68
<p>We still can’t fathom why Stitch isn’t on <em>The Young and the Restless</em> — he was a heat-seeking missile who wasn’t related to <em>anybody</em>. In other words, #priceless.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
19/68
<p>This was him before <em>This Is Us</em>, but a tasty slice of eye candy stirring precisely the emotions that gave <em>Passions</em> its title as the aptly-named Fox.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
20/68
<p>Though it’s been decades since <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Lauren entered hubby Paul in a centerfold contest — which he won, natch — he’s still a “staple” of fans’ fantasies.</p>
Image: George De Sota/JPI
21/68
<p>Honestly, we don’t recall what put <em>One Life to Live</em>’s Ford in the hospital. But an even bigger mystery is how on earth he isn’t <em>surrounded</em> by nurses offering to kiss it and make it better.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
22/68
<p>This may actually have been the only way his characters — Nikolas on <em>General Hospital</em> and Stefan on <em>Days of Our Lives</em> — could prove they had nothing up their sleeves: by eschewing sleeves altogether!</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI (2)
23/68
<p>Whether the <em>Young & Restless</em> star is sporting angel’s wings or devil’s horns as Adam, he never fails to leave us in dire need of making confession. “Forgive us, Father, for we have dreamt!”</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
24/68
<p>We only <em>thought</em> we understood the meaning of the word caliente before this <em>One Life to Live</em> heartthrob took over the role of Cristian.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
25/68
<p>The Emmy winner who in 2022 reprised his <em>Days of Our Lives</em> role of Harris has never been a slouch in the looks department. But a slouch in the getting-comfy-on-the-couch department? As you can see, that’s a different story.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
26/68
<p>He looks like he’s thinking hard here. But we didn’t have to think at all to include <em>Guiding Light</em>’s Josh in this photo gallery.</p>
Image: CBS
27/68
<p>Decades later, when the soap vet passed through <em>Young & Restless</em> as Ashland, he looked… Shades of Dorian Grey! As handsome as ever!</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
28/68
<p>Long before he was saving the world with paper clips on <em>MacGyver</em>, he was giving <em>General Hospital</em> fans palpitations as Jeff.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
29/68
<p>Now and forever, this is how we’ll remember <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Neil: as being so handsome, he could only have been heaven-sent.</p>
Image: Barry King/JPI
30/68
<p>Why the actor who played Brandon on <em>Days of Our Lives</em> is on this list, we can’t imagine. Nope. No idea. Oh, wait — there <em>is</em> that photo…</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
31/68
<p>Even after he stopped playing Patrick on <em>General Hospital</em> and started playing Billy on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>, blushing faces and rapid heartbeats were common reactions to his performances.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
32/68
<p>No matter how villainous his characters — lookin’ at you, Todd on <em>One Life to Live</em> and early Franco on <em>General Hospital</em> — the Emmy winner makes us, however recuctantly, love them.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
33/68
<p>We wish him well on his new life. And we hope he doesn’t mind how tightly we cling to our memories of his stint as<em> Days of Our Lives</em>’ EJ.</p>
Image: Courtesy of the Everett Collection
34/68
<p>As if. “Baby, come back” had to be something he never had to say when he was fixing a woman with this gaze that he patented as Ridge on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful.</em></p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
35/68
<p>We know him now as<em> The Young and the Restless</em>’ Smilin’ Jack. But he was lighting up rooms — and TV screens — even before that, as <em>All My Children</em>’s Dr. Feel-Good, Cliff.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
36/68
<p>What restraint. The Emmy winner had to know he’d make the first-round draft picks even without altogether unleashing the dimples that have made him catnip to fans of <em>General Hospital</em> mobster Sonny.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
37/68
<p>How many times do we have to tell<em> The Young and the Restless</em>’ Kyle that if his clothes are constraining him — in any way! — it’s fine by us if he just… loses them.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
38/68
<p>If ever there was a look that took us back to the intensity of the romance between<em> As the World Turns</em>’ Luke and Noah, it was this one. Although hey, we’re open to other suggestions…</p>
Image: Gary Null/NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
39/68
<p>Had <em>Days of Our Lives</em> realized when it cast this future soap-hopper as Tanner that he’d only become more striking with age, the <em>General Hospital</em> star (as Finn) would still be a Salem resident today.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
40/68
<p>Given that laser focus, we can only assume that what <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> Emmy winner was looking at as Rick was… a mirror?</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
41/68
<p>With cheekbones that could cut glass and a gaze that could shatter diamonds, Ted King — whom we first met as Danny on <em>Loving</em> — was always destined to make the camera love him. As well as anyone who got a gander at him <em>on</em> camera.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
42/68
<p><em>All My Children</em> fans are keenly aware that one doesn’t get a nickname like Tad the Cad if he’s a Quasimodo.</p>
Image: ABC
43/68
<p>Now Martin on <em>General Hospital</em>, the Emmy winner has matured into the slyest of silver foxes.</p>
Image: Don Diamont gallery yr brad jp
44/68
<p>Call him Brad on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>. Call him Bill on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em>. But if you have a say in the matter, you’re gonna call him.</p>
Image: Arthur Cohen/NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
45/68
<p><em>Another World</em> was exactly where Jake’s portrayer never failed to send us.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
46/68
<p>Even without the neckties, <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Ben was always a lady killer in our estimation. And don’t even get us started on clothing-averse Alex…</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
47/68
<p>Once the soap-hopper caught our attention as <em>All My Children</em>’s Michael — and tightened his grip as Storm on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> and Julian on <em>General Hospital</em> — he never let go.</p>
Image: JPI
48/68
<p>He played Malcolm on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>. Also, he looked like this. Pretty much still does. Any questions?</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
49/68
<p>When he was playing Greg on <em>All My Children</em>, he was the boy next door… that we all wished we lived next door <em>to</em>!</p>
Image: Robert Milazzo/CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
50/68
<p>It made sense that <em>Guiding Light</em> cast this alum of <em>Loving</em> (as Casey) as junior mafioso Danny — with a mug as stunning as his, he was always destined to attract a… ahem… mob.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
51/68
<p>Forget Ol’ Blue Eyes. <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Chad is the New Blue Eyes — and the only one we need.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
52/68
<p>Yeah, looking at that picture, we’re as bewildered as you are about how Carter’s portrayer ever wound up on the wrong side of a love triangle on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful.</em></p>
Image: CBS
53/68
<p>The ill-fated<em> Young & Restless</em> detective was precisely the reason that lines are uttered like — and we give all due credit here to <em>Dick Tracy</em>’s Breathless Mahoney — “Aren’t you gonna frisk me?”</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
54/68
<p>OK, we get it. Even the “What, this old face?” look chosen by the original Zende on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> to express his surprise at making this list is hot. That’s just the way his looks go: hot, hotter, hottest.</p>
Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
55/68
<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> may have killed and recast Roman, but the one thing that the show has never managed to do is dull the intensity of our crush on his original portrayer.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
56/68
