Everything You Need to Know About the New Bachelor, Matt James
Matt James is the next lead of The Bachelor. If you’re scratching your head wondering, “Who?” then you clearly don’t spend all of your free time stalking admiring Tyler Cameron’s Instagram feed. I admire your self control.
Here’s everything you need to know about Matt James
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He has never previously appeared in the Bachelor franchise
Matt, a 28 year-old real estate broker from New York City, has made regular peripheral appearances throughout Bachelor Nation as both Tyler Cameron’s super hot roommate and a founding member of the notoriously irresponsibly, but undeniably fun, Quarantine Crew. Just a few months ago, Matt was announced as part of the cast looking for love with Clare Crawley on her upcoming season of The Bachelorette. However, this announcement means (to the best of my useless Bachelor knowledge) that he will be the first lead who hasn’t appeared on a previous season since 2008. You know, Season 12 when bachelor Matt Grant ended up with Lorenzo Lamas’ daughter.
He is making Bachelor history
Matt is the first Black man cast in the lead role on The Bachelor. In fact, in a history that spans 18 years and 24 seasons; he’s the first male lead to be a person of color, full stop. While Rachel Lindsay paved the way with her season of The Bachelorette (the only BIPOC lead in 40 seasons), it elicited a horribly racist response on social media and was riddled with irresponsible production choices. It’s about time we have a Black man as the romantic lead on a very popular mainstream television show; however, it’s also not enough to just cast him. You can check out the Bachelor Diversity Campaign to sign a petition and learn about other actions the franchise and Bachelor Nation need to take. Matt James’s casting is a good positive step forward, but in Bachelor terms, it’s not the end of the journey.
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He runs a non-profit for kids
If you peruse Matt’s Instagram page, and we both know you will, you’ll see a plethora of pictures of him with adorable smiling kids. No, this is not just Tinder bait, although based on the state of my ovaries when I see them, it doesn’t hurt. In reality, Matt started and runs a non-profit called ABC Food Tours. ABC Food Tours educates underserved kids about healthy food and wellness while exposing them to new experiences in their own city. He was inspired by his childhood with a financially struggling single mother in Raleigh, North Carolina and his community service requirements as a wide receiver at Wake Forest University. I’m beginning to think he’s actually perfect.
He’s stupid hot
Speaking of being perfect, Matt James is 6 foot 5 inches of pure, glorious, athletic muscle. In addition to being an NCAA Division I athlete, he’s a runner, snowboarder, plays basketball, rides a longboard, golfs, wakeboards, surfs and everything else I wouldn’t want to spend my weekends participating in. He’s a christian, fitness model and has perfectly straight teeth. He even has an endorsement deal with LuluLemon so you know he’s going to give good, if not thoughtless, Christmas gifts. It’s like they made him in a Bachelor factory for such a time as this.
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Matt James’s season of The Bachelor air is scheduled to air in January 2021 so it’s not too late to apply for his cast and let all of us live vicariously through your bad life choices.
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