Exclusive | Bibles and babes: Ex-‘Bachelor’ host Chris Harrison brings God —  and a virgin — into the TV dating game

He’s not afraid to cross anyone the wrong way.

In “Chris Harrison’s The Vow,” there are crosses adorning the wall in the interview room, and its leading man attends Bible study and prays with the women vying for his heart immediately upon meeting them.

The ex-“Bachelor” host told The Post that he isn’t worried about any backlash from putting religion at the forefront of his new dating show.

“No, and maybe that’s naive on my part as a producer and as a host,” Harrison said.

“But what we were excited about was this cultural movement … with more young people going to church than their parents for the first time in our country, searching for something, this connection … all we’re doing as producers is listening,” he continued. “Like it or not, we’re going to embrace that.”

Although the “Bachelor” franchise didn’t ban religious conversations, Harrison said “it was just something that was shied away from and not encouraged or discouraged.”

Harrison, who hosted the ABC franchise from its 2002 debut, left in 2021 in the wake of the cancel-culture controversy that erupted when he defended Season 25 winner Rachael Kirkconnell after pictures resurfaced of her at an antebellum-themed college party.

The reality star said he looks at his “conscious uncoupling” with the franchise as “a blessing,” since it led him to hosting the Fox Nation series, which he calls “the most authentic, intentional dating show ever.”

“Not to say it wasn’t tumultuous and gut-wrenching and tough for me and my family, but at the same time, sometimes you need … that thing that will cause that catastrophic breakup so you can go your own way,” Harrison, 55, said.

After the teaser for the series — which premiered on Nov. 11 — was released, Warner Bros., the owner of the “Bachelor” franchise, sent a cease-and-desist letter, objecting to his use of roses in the promo.

“That was a little personal, obviously … I’ve been gone for five years. There’s been a lot of other dating shows that they haven’t worried about. I take it as flattery that they’re worried about me and they’re worried about our show, and I would be too considering the press and the response that it’s gotten,” Harrison said.

The series’ leading man, Jace Cates, a 30-year-old loan officer from Canby, Ore., is the “diamond in the rough” Harrison was looking for to fill the coveted role.

“Finding him was a little bit of manna from heaven. He really is gold. He is that good,” he gushed.

The women on the show had “very little” information about Cates prior to meeting him.

“I wanted them to be curious and inquisitive and excited … That excitement and that naivete and innocence of finding love, isn’t that what it’s about?” said Harrison, who is also executive producing the series alongside his wife, Lauren Zima, a former senior producer and host of “Entertainment Tonight.”

Unlike “The Bachelor,” which at times has featured more than 30 women competing in one season, “The Vow” only has 10.

“If you have 30, people are leaving and you don’t even know who they are. I don’t know their names,” said Harrison.

“We wanted all 10 of them to feel like they get to tell their story. You get to be seen on this show, you get to be heard.”

The contestants, who include a virgin, churchgoers and women who want to be stay-at-home moms and traditional wives, have deep conversations about crucial topics such as raising children and faith.

“You’re gonna hear and see conversations on ‘The Vow’ you’re not used to hearing and seeing on reality TV,” Harrison said.

“If you’re going to make the most important decision of your life — who you’re gonna spend the rest of your life with — maybe you should dig a little deeper. Seems obvious, but nobody does that. We’re going to.”

“The Vow” also nixed elimination ceremonies, so Cates can send a woman home at any moment — and the girls can self-eliminate whenever they want as well.

“If you would like to break up … you need to have a conversation,” Harrison said. “We’re not gonna tell you, ‘It’s 10 o’clock. Time to break up.’

“Because that’s not authentic, is it? … And by the way, it’s what a gentleman should do.”