The New and Never Seen Before Bachelor

Photo courtesy of The Bachelor

Photo courtesy of The Bachelor

Madison Pettengill

Last June, ABC announced that a man named Matt James was going to be the first black bachelor on the 25th season of the show The Bachelor. The show is about a man finding love and his future wife in a group of about 30 women. This new season sparked a lot of interest for bachelor nation fans since Matt James had never been a contestant on the show before being named the new Bachelor. In the past, only people who had previously been on the show could take the part of the leading man or woman. 

 

According to the Marie Claire website, James was originally supposed to be a contestant on Claire Crawley’s previous season. However, ABC knew instantly that “James would be a perfect fit for their leading man”. 

 

Fans of the show tend to be asking, “Well where did Matt James come from?” The answer to that is he is very close with previous contestant Tyler Cameron and previous bachelorette Hannah Brown. They all became very close friends during quarantine, and bachelor nation fans fell in love with him through TikToks that the friends would make together. 

 

This season of The Bachelor is definitely not like any other season before. Just like Crawley’s season, this was not filmed in the well-known bachelor mansion. ABC announced that this season was filmed in the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort which is located in Farmington, Pennsylvania. Fans describe this setting as “cozy with beautiful fall foliage,” according to an article by Life&Style. Sadly, due to COVID-19, dates will not take place anywhere other than Pennsylvania.  

 

Overall, America has fallen in love with Matt James. He is a kind and genuine 28 year old man who has devoted his life to hard work and charity. After his NFL career did not work out, he moved to New York where he works for a real estate firm and founded ABC Food Tours. This foundation makes sure unprivileged NYC children get food within their area. James tells ABC, “Our goal is to implement an experiential learning platform for students in NYC living in underserved communities that will educate, motivate, and inspire them to overcome life’s obstacles…”. 

 

Jenna Aziz, a follower of the show, said, “It is evident to see that this man has a big heart and is ready to share his love and passion with a woman who could potentially be his wife forever.”