Rachel Lindsay is the only woman of color to ever lead The Bachelorette — and says the franchise won’t survive if it doesn’t embrace diversity.
The issue is one that has come up several times in the past, and the debate around it doesn’t just include people of color, but also contestants of different shapes, sizes and ages.
Now, Lindsay has spoken out about what she feels need to be done to bring the franchise up to the modern age.
Rachel Lindsay wants to change The Bachelor’s diversity issue
When she was recently asked what she would change about the show, she quickly responded, “diversity.”
She made the statement to the Associated Press in an interview published after the Women Tell All special, where she also made an appearance.
What changes would Rachel Lindsay make for #TheBachelorette and #TheBachelor? She says she easily knows what they would be, and that she’s “not gonna be quiet” about them. The former “Bachelorette” is unsure how much longer the franchise can continue in its current state. pic.twitter.com/Zlvar6MEOp
— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) March 2, 2020
Rachel explains that she feels all the contestants look the same, and she wants to see people of color, people of different sizes, and people of varying ages — not just the young contestants in their early 20s.
During the interview, Rachel also talks about Demi Burnett’s same-sex relationship and how it took a woman from outside the franchise to make that happen.
Lindsay later makes reference to Hannah B’s engagement and points out how Jed Wyatt came on to the show to promote his music career. She then takes a dig at Colton Underwood’s season, as Cassie Randolph didn’t want to get engaged — but then ended up walking away with Colton as a couple.
The two continue to date with no engagement on the horizon.
Lindsay believes that the show has to change in order to survive.
Rachel Lindsay also addressed online hate during Women Tell All
Rachel made an appearance during the Women Tell All special on Monday night, where she addressed yet another big issue.
She talked about the online hate that some of the contestants experience when they are on the show. To prove her point, she shared screenshots of some of the message, where people had written to contestants that they needed to “kill” themselves and that they weren’t “important”.
Even though it has been a few years since Lindsay was on the show, it sounds like she still cares for the franchise — and wants to speak out about her experiences in hopes of advocating for big changes that will see it succeed into the future.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.