Matt James was originally cast on Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette.
However, after Clare’s season was delayed due to COVID-19 and ABC received criticism for always casting a lack of diversity in casting, the network changed course.
Months before they would usually announce the next Bachelor, ABC surprised everyone and announced that Matt would become the next Bachelor to find love.
Fans are thrilled with the decision. Not only is Matt the first African American lead on The Bachelor, but he’s also a close friend of Tyler Cameron.
Matt James will watch Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette
Matt won’t be competing for Clare’s heart on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, but having his own season is certainly an upgrade.
However, Matt has said that he plans on diving right into Clare’s season once it airs. He shared his plans on an Instagram photo shared by ET’s Lauren Zima.
“I’m tuned in!” he wrote. “She is gonna be great.”
Even though Matt was excited about the possibility of finding love with Clare, he’s now all about supporting her and perhaps learning from her season before he begins his own.
Matt James will become The Bachelor this fall
The news that Matt would be the next Bachelor broke on Friday, June 12. Usually, the Bachelor role isn’t announced until much later in the summer, but fans got the announcement for the 2021 season much earlier.
The reveal of the new Bachelor usually comes after Bachelor In Paradise wraps up in September. However, with COVID-19 and the increased fan demand to cast an African American for the lead, ABC decided to move ahead with Matt as the lead for the 2021 season.
His season is expected to film this fall, but it’s uncertain how production will unfold. Producers are hoping for a normal season with domestic and international travel, but it’s possible he will have to film at a resort like Clare is.
Several fans have suggested that Hannah Brown should compete on Matt’s season because they have a strong friendship. However, Matt would probably send her home out of respect for his best friend, Tyler Cameron. As fans recall, Tyler and Hannah almost got engaged on The Bachelorette.
Although she chose Jed Wyatt in the end, Hannah pursued Tyler after the finale and recently quarantined with him at his home in Florida.
The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.