‘The Bachelor’ Sets Season 25 Premiere for Its First Black Lead, Matt James
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Bachelor Nation won’t have to wait long after the calendar turns to 2021 to see the upcoming “momentous” Season 25 of The Bachelor.
ABC has set the premiere date for Matt James’ journey to love for Monday, January 4, at 8/7c. The franchise’s first Black Bachelor was originally cast for Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette (which has now become Tayshia Adams’ after the first lead fell hard for Dale), but that changed when filming was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed he would make a perfect Bachelor,” Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment said in a statement at the time of his casting announcement. “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.
The 28-year-old real-estate broker, entrepreneur, and community organization founder is described as “the total package,” with “strong family values, a great career,” and someone who “has used his growing platform for good.”
The Bachelor Season 24 (with Peter Weber) was Monday’s No. 1 broadcast program among Adults 18-49 and TV’s No.1 show among Women 18-34.
(ABC/Billy Kidd)
The Bachelor, Season 25 Premiere, Monday, January 4, 8/7c, ABC
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