The Bachelor franchise just announced that Matt James of its next season, the first Black man to do so in 24 previous seasons of the show airing on ABC.The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have long been criticized for its lack of diversity.
Rachel Lindsay has been the only Black lead on either of the shows and has been outspoken about the need for change. That pressure heated up this week with a backed by fans and many of the shows' former stars.James is no stranger to Bachelor Nation, either.
He's BFFs with Tyler Cameron and was initially cast as one of the suitors for Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette. Filming of that season was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, but that didn't mean the drama stopped.