‘The Vow’s Chris Harrison & Lauren Zima on How the Dating Series Differs From ‘The Bachelor’

Chris Harrison — former host of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette — is taking another shot at reinventing the reality dating genre. We sat down with Chris and his wife and co-producer, entertainment reporter Lauren Zima, to talk about their new show.

“Simply put,” Harrison says, “The Vow is the most authentic, real dating show that I think has ever been created. Everything is with the intention of faith-based people being able to come on this show and actually look for love.”

“We really wanted to ask the question,” Zima explains, “in this modern world where dating apps and swipe culture and ghosting and honestly social media and fame have changed the dating game so much, could we still find a deeply genuine love story?”

Over six episodes, Harrison will counsel Jace Cates, a 30-year-old home loan officer from Oregon, toward marriage with one of 10 women seeking a “traditional” relationship based on shared Christian faith, though their interpretations of that idea differ.

“With this generation being told that family doesn’t matter, faith doesn’t matter, don’t worry about having kids, all those things, can you still find meaningful love?” Harrison asks. “And when you add faith as a cornerstone of that, what does that mean? I think if you ask Jace, he’s going to say one thing; and if you ask these 10 women, they’re going to have a spectrum of answers.”

But beyond the cast’s faith, how exactly is The Vow different from other dating competitions? How is the game played? Our mistake, Harrison says, is framing it as a contest,

“Thanks for walking right into our favorite line,” he jokes. “Love is not won; it’s chosen.”

“That’s our very intentional tagline for The Vow,” Zima adds. “No winners here. Just people finding love.”

So what does a reality dating show look like without competition? There are still curated dates and challenges testing compatibility, communication, and shared values. But there are no elimination ceremonies, no roses, and no scheduled departures. Instead, breakups are possible whenever Jace decides that someone isn’t the one—or vice versa.

That unpredictable timetable will definitely keep audiences guessing. And an appearance by married Bachelor alums Sean and Catherine Lowe will certainly appeal to fans of the genre as well. But without the conventional framing devices, and with a more religious cast — including some women who are celibate — will The Vow bring the drama?

“We didn’t know how much people would kiss or hook up,” Zima teases. “What surprised me was that none of that physical stuff affected how incredibly high the stakes and the drama were.”

“We got drama in spades,” Harrison agrees. “When you come to matters of the heart and when everything is real, then the emotion is really real.”

It wasn’t just Jace and his potential partners who had big feelings on set. For Harrison, working on The Vow alongside his wife was “one of the great gifts I’ve had in the, gosh, 30, 40 years that I’ve been in this business. Every day we pinch ourselves that we get to do this.”

“It’s been such a gift,” Zima says. “I felt like a kid waking up on Christmas morning every day, getting to go to work with him and see him shine. To see him be on camera hosting and helping people find love again brought tears to my eyes.”

The return to TV was a cathartic one for the longtime host. Harrison likens the end of his time on The Bachelor to coming to terms with a divorce. “I’m like, ‘I’m not getting married again!’ Maybe a little jaded, a little angry and resentful. And, you know, that’s why you’ve got to hit the pause button sometimes and kind of reset your life.”

That reset included reconnecting with his kids and marrying Zima. “I was excited and open to finding love. I think the only reason we’re sitting here [gesturing to his wife beside him] is that I was able to take time to do that.”

Having found love again himself, Harrison was ready to reconnect with audiences and once again help others find a relationship of their own.

“The fire was back,” Harrison says. “Timing is everything in life: relationships, love, etc. And it’s the same way professionally. I think the timing couldn’t be better for a show like this. I think there is an insatiable appetite, and there is a hole in the world that needs to be filled with a great love story and a great love show.

Chris Harrison’s The Vow, Season Premiere, Wednesday, November 11, Fox Nation