ABC ‘The Bachelor’ spoilers indicates that Matt James will soon be looking for some love. The handsome and very single and soon to be reality television star has been announced as the next Bachelor and the first black lead in the series’ nearly two-decade history. The 28-year-old was supposed to be a contestant on Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette, but that season has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The network made the announcement following calls for The Bachelor to finally cast its first black lead and in the wake of all the Black Lives Matters protests that have been sweeping the nation for the past several weeks now.
ABC ‘The Bachelor’ Spoilers: The Show Names Its First Black Lead Matt James
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According to Entertainment Weekly, ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said in a statement, “Matt has been on our radar since February, when producers first approached him to join Bachelor Nation, as part of Clare’s season. When filming couldn’t move forward as planned, we were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed he would make a perfect Bachelor.”
Burke added, “We know we have a responsibility to make sure the love stories we’re seeing onscreen are representative of the world we live in and we are proudly in service to our audience. This is just the beginning and we will continue to take action with regard to diversity issues on this franchise. We feel so privileged to have Matt as our first Black Bachelor and we cannot wait to embark on this journey with him.” The move comes after both Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay and Bachelor Nation fans petitioned the network, calling on producers to cast their first black Bachelor for the upcoming season of the show. Before ABC announced their decision, there were over 50,000 signatures and counting on the petition.
ABC and Warner Bros. have been producing Bachelor content for 18 years. During that time they’ve cast 40 season leads [for ‘The Bachelor’ and ‘The Bachelorette’], yet only one Black lead,” the petition stated, referencing Lindsay of “The Bachelorette.” “This is unacceptable. As creators of one of the most popular and influential franchises on television, ABC and Warner Bros. have an opportunity and responsibility to feature Black, Indigenous, People of Color (“BIPOC”) relationships, families, and storylines. The franchise, and all those who represent it, should reflect and honor the racial diversity of our country–both in front of and behind the camera.”
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