Chris Harrison OF “BACHELOR IN PARADISE” ON ABC

While you were on the “Bachelor in Paradise” set for this season, what was your perception of the circumstances – involving alleged misconduct between two contestants – that caused production to be shut down for a while?

There were two worlds going on. There was the so-called “incident,” but then there was the show, and the people on the show really had little to no idea of what was going on behind the scenes. That was the disconnect, and that’s what I think fans aren’t fully comprehending. The show actually was going really well, and I’m interested to see (how it looks on the air), because it was polar opposites.

Do you think the “Bachelor in Paradise” controversy will have a lasting impact on the “Bachelor” franchise overall?

The answer is, I don’t know. That’s going to be the million-, and maybe billion-, dollar question when it’s all said and done. I don’t think it will affect it in that ratings will go down or go up because of it. I think, honestly, that the ratings will go up because of the situation.

Was it a relief to get back to taping “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” after making this round of “Bachelor in Paradise’?

I love (“Bachelor in Paradise”), but it was mentally and emotionally exhausting. None of this will ever really be shown, because we weren’t rolling behind the scenes, but it was really tough for the producers and the crew. Everything was being challenged and questioned, their integrity and their honesty. There were a lot of tears, and that had nothing to do with shooting the show, which was another animal. Needless to say, doing “Millionaire” has been a wonderful break.