Jillian Harris Made Her TV Debut Long Before HGTV's Love It Or List It
On HGTV's "Love It or List It," an interior designer tries to convince a couple to renovate their current home and a realtor tries to convince them to sell and buy a new one. Jillian Harris used to be the interior designer on one of the show's spinoffs, "Love It or List It Vancouver," which premiered in 2013 and last aired in 2019. In a blog post, Harris explained how she stopped working on "Love It or List It Vancouver" after her second child was born. She wrote, "Being a TV host was incredible and I am so grateful for what that experience brought me, but I never felt in control of that particular job." She chose to focus on her businesses. Harris has a few different projects that she works on, such as a subscription box, a cookbook, online classes on digital marketing, and more.
Harris' foray into HGTV wasn't her first time on TV. Prior to also appearing in "Canada's Handyman Challenge" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," she was on one of TV's most popular dating shows. Harris was first a contestant on Season 13 of "The Bachelor" in 2009. In that season, the women contestants competed for the heart of Jason Mesnick. Although Harris didn't reign victorious, she stepped away from that experience with a new opportunity: she was the titular bachelorette on Season 5 of "The Bachelorette" in 2009.
Harris gave the inside scoop in a vlog
Jillian Harris has no resentment toward Jason Mesnick from "The Bachelor" Season 13, even though he didn't choose her. In a 2020 interview with Chris Harrison, she had nothing but kind things to say about Mesnick. They remained friends, and she even decorated the nursery for Mesnick's youngest child Riley. "Anyways, when Jason broke up with me at the end, I was so sure that I was going to be in it forever, and my heart — I just could not wrap my head around the fact that, 'What's next?'" Harris said. Initially vehement that she wouldn't do reality TV again, Harris agreed to "The Bachelorette" when asked and has made friends with other "Bachelor Nation" stars.
Harris answered questions about "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" in a YouTube vlog. "First of all, it's a TV show. It's a business," Harris said. Producers try to get the reactions they want from contestants. While contestants are individually sequestered in hotel rooms before filming begins, producers visit, say things to heighten emotions, and convince everyone they'll win.
The meddling didn't end there. While on "The Bachelorette," producers sometimes wouldn't let Harris eliminate who she wanted. She also described being heartbroken by her split from the contestant she chose, Ed Swiderski, after he cheated. Eventually, she moved on and found love with Justin Pasutto. Pasutto and Harris have been engaged since 2016 — and they got engaged again in 2020! They have two children, Leo and Annie.
Harris has voiced her opinions on other 'The Bachelor' seasons
Jillian Harris hasn't stayed quiet about other seasons of "The Bachelor" and its spinoffs. The Season 22 finale of "The Bachelor" was unhinged, when Arie Luyendyk Jr. broke up with his winner Becca Kufrin to pursue runner-up Lauren Burnham. Luyendyk and Burnham are now happily married, but Luyendyk's actions caused a stir. In a recap of that finale on her blog, Harris said the odds of heartbreak are high being on show. The producers' goal is good TV, but that didn't sink in for Harris until afterward. Harris also discussed the emotional toll that comes with it and said, " ... and the reality is, sometimes [the producers] help you, and sometimes they help the show."
In a 2019 "Where Are They Now?" segment on the "Bachelor Nation" YouTube channel, Harris talked about how life has been good for her since her time on the show. She has a successful career, mentioning "Love It or List It" and some of her business ventures (which helped make her one of the richest "The Bachelor" stars with a sky-high net worth of $3 million). Harris also has a family that she loves. She said, "Being on 'The Bachelorette' was life-changing, and I feel like life just happened exactly how it was supposed to. You know, happily ever after so far."