Emily Maynard has four bachelors left to choose from before the Final Rose Ceremony of ABC's The Bachelorette Season 8. The man who Maynard supposedly wants as her final pick might not even be in the running, however.

New rumors circulating about Maynard claim that the beautiful single mother has her heart set on Bachelorette host, Chris Harrison.

Star magazine reports that the 26-year-old Southern belle and Harrison are madly in love, and that it's gone on for a lot longer than most people realize, according to RadarOnline.com.

Chris always openly told staffers that Emily was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on, an insider told the tabloid.

Even former contestants believe that the flame of romance is flickering between Maynard and Harrison.

From the beginning, I always said there was no way Emily was really going to end up with one of the guys because she really wanted to be with Chris, and it was obvious he wanted to be with her too, Vienna Girardi, winner of The Bachelor Season 14, told Star. I vacationed with Chris and his family in St. Lucia and know him well. He was never with his wife. He's such a flirt.

Harrison announced on May 3 that he and his wife, Gwen, were divorcing after 18 years of marriage, according to Us Weekly.

Having just announced my divorce to the world ... having two kids and trying to start a new life, I'm thinking I wouldn't exactly be a great candidate to be the bachelor right now or probably any time soon, Harrison told reporters, while promoting Maynard's season of The Bachelorette.

Now having felt heartbreak, I know what these people have gone through and what they're searching for, added Harrison, who has two children with his estranged wife. Everybody wants love; everybody wants companionship and that's what makes this show so simple but so genius.

Knowing what it is like on both sides of the camera, a role for Harrison on an upcoming season of The Bachelor could prove to be primetime gold.

I guarantee Emily and Chris will end up together in the end, Girardi told Star. If she gets engaged to another man, the show will probably spin it as a love triangle.

WetPaint, a source of Bachelor and Bachelorette news, advised readers to take all of that [Emily Maynard and Chris Harrison rumors] with a lifetime supply of salt.

What is for certain is that Maynard and Harrison are close friends.

I had so much fun with @chrisbharrison tonight at @DancingABC! Maynard tweeted on May 22.

Harrison retweeted Maynard's post, adding, Great night with my friend.