*ABC has released the first official photo of Matt James, who will make history with the January 4, 2021 premiere of “The Bachelor” as its first Black man in the driver’s seat.
The new promo poster from the upcoming 25th season shows the 28-year-old real-estate broker in a blue suit with the tagline, “A Matt Made in Heaven.” He’s shown coyly loosening his tie while raising an eyebrow.
James, originally seen in Clare Crawley’s cast for “The Bachelorette,” played football at Wake Forest University before a brief stint as a wide receiver in the NFL. (He missed making the Carolina Panthers and then was cut twice by the New Orleans Saints.)
James, who was active in the Black Lives Matter protests against systemic racism, was announced as the newest Bachelor back in June, weeks after the police killing of George Floyd sparked a worldwide reckoning on race. James’ season began filming in September and was due to wrap around Thanksgiving at a resort in Pennsylvania. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the location was completely rented out, and the entire cast and crew underwent a two-week quarantine after arriving.
The first teaser of his season was released last month. Watch below:
Below, Access has a look at some of the women who may compete for James’ heart:
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