The "Bachelor" franchise made history with the announcement of its first black male lead. The ABC dating show announced on Friday that Matt James, 28, will be the star of the show's upcoming 25th season.The decision comes amid an overwhelming amount of backlash the franchise has received from its former contestants in recent weeks for its yearslong lack of diversity.
A number of former "Bachelor" franchise stars took to social media to congratulate James. "Congrats to Matt James. I am happy to see that a black man was cast after 18 years and 40 seasons.