As we await Clare Crawley’s postponed season of “The Bachelorette,” the new leading man looking for love has been revealed: Matt James! Three years after Rachel Lindsay made history as ABC’s first black “Bachelorette,” Matt is doing the same as the first black “Bachelor.”
In a statement, ABC says they’re “privileged to have Matt” as their new lead. His history-making role comes after Bachelor Nation called for more diversity in the franchise. A petition has been making the rounds calling on ABC and executive producer Mike Fleiss to cast more people of color, racking up more than 92,000 signatures at press time.
- Chris Harrison has also spoken out about the news, promising “significant changes” to increase diversity in the franchise in a statement posted to Twitter.
If Matt sounds familiar, that’s because he was previously cast as one of Clare Crawley’s “Bachelorette” contestants. As her season remains on hold due to coronavirus, it’s unclear if he’ll still be one of her suitors. Matt’s season of “The Bachelor” is set to premiere in 2021.
