Lance Bass, Tituss Burgess and more announced as 'Bachelor in Paradise' guest hosts
This summer's "Bachelor in Paradise" is getting a major dose of star power after Chris Harrison's departure from "The Bachelor" franchise.
ABC News has confirmed that a slew of celebrities, including NSYNC singer Lance Bass, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" star Tituss Burgess, rapper Lil Jon and comedian David Spade will take over hosting duties for season 7 of the popular spin-off, which features fan favorites from both "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" returning for a second -- or third -- shot at love.
This will be the first season of "Bachelor in Paradise" since 2019. There was no 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Matt James' season of "The Bachelor" ran earlier this year and Katie Thurston's season of "The Bachelorette" is currently airing. While there are no Bachelors on deck at the moment, Michelle Young has been named Bachelorette for an upcoming season.
In February, Harrison came under fire during the most recent season of "The Bachelor" -- which featured James as the first Black "Bachelor" star -- when he defended contestant Rachael Kirkconnell after racially insensitive social media posts came to light.
The longtime host later apologized and announced that he was "stepping aside" from hosting the "Bachelor" franchise "for a period of time."
In March, Harrison told "Good Morning America" that he stood "against all forms of racism" and he was "committed to progress" and doing the work to learn from the "mistake."
While he appeared on the previously recorded "Women Tell All" episode from James' season, Harrison was replaced by Emmanuel Acho for the "After the Final Rose" special.
It was also announced that former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe would host Thurston's "Bachelorette" season, which premiered this week. There's no word yet if they'll reprise their roles for Young's "Bachelorette" season.
On Tuesday, Harrison announced he would officially exit "The Bachelor" franchise after 19 years.
"I've had a truly incredible run as host of 'The Bachelor' franchise and now I'm excited to start a new chapter," he wrote on Instagram. "I'm so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we've made together. While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I've made will last a lifetime."
Harrison has been the sole host of "The Bachelor" franchise, including "The Bachelorette," "Bachelor in Paradise" and other spin-offs.
"Bachelor in Paradise" season 7 will premiere on ABC on Monday, Aug. 16.
