July 7 (UPI) — Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 will return to ABC on Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. EDT, the network has announced.
“Drop everything. It’s back,” the offfical Bachelor in Paradise Twitter account said on Wednesday alongside the premiere date and a promotional poster featuring bathing suits being left behind on the beach.
Bachelor in Paradise is returning after Season 7 was delayed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chris Harrison, who normally serves as the host across ABC’s stable of Bachelor shows, permanently exited the franchise in June and will not be coming back for Bachelor in Paradise Season 7.
Harrison’s exit comes after he received backlash for defending Bachelor Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.
Photos of Kirkconnell attending an antebellum plantation-themed party and other racially insensitive posts had surfaced online. Harrison initially stepped away from the reality franchise in February and apologized for the comments.
Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 will instead feature a group of guest hosts, including David Spade, Lance Bass, Lil Jon and Tituss Burgess.