History has been made, ladies and gentlemen.
Following an outpouring of criticism and pressure directed at ABC, producers at last made the decision in June 2020 to cast an African-American as the lead of The Bachelor.
Are you ready for your close-up, Matt James?!?
With viewers buzzing over this selection and with the Black Lives Matter movement reveling in this (admittedly very small) victory, it's time to get to know Matt James.
Just who the Season 25 star?
Find out below!
1. It's Official!
"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," a statement by ABC read upon making this announcement. "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.”
2. Protests Really Do Work
In the days leading up to this casting, thousands of viewers and also a bunch of Bachelor Nation alums signed a petition and urged ABC to finally cast a person of color in this role.
3. So.. Who IS Matt James?
He was originally cast as a suitor on Clare Crawley's upcoming season of The Bachelorette. He made headlines back in April 2020 after Crawley seemingly called him out for being on the show for the "wrong reasons," only to fire back that he's only active on the Cameo app in order to raise money for coronavirus relief.
4. He's Best Friends with Tyler Cameron
James even spent a chunk of his COVID-19 quarantine alongside Cameron in Florida, where he also hung out a lot with Hannah Brown.
5. How Did He Meet Cameron?
These two hunks met while attending Wake Forest University and moved in together in New York City in October of 2019.
6. The Guy Can Dance!
We present this TikTok -- with Tyler and then Hannah! - as evidence.