Everything You Need to Know About the Next Bachelor

Matt James is the 28-year-old Bachelor that’s like no other before him. This past year’s The Bachelor and Bachelorette seasons have truly lived up to Chris Harrison’s famous words, “This season is the most dramatic season in Bachelor history.” And we must say, ABC really is changing up The Bachelor franchise game. From switching Bachelorettes mid-season to making Matt James the first bachelor that was not previously a contestant on The Bachelorette, there truly is no telling what season 25 has in store for Bachelor nation!

North Carolina native Matt James is from Raleigh and attended Wake Forest University to earn his degree in economics. While at Wake Forest, Matt played wide receiver for the football team, and he briefly played professionally afterward.

While playing football at Wake Forest, Matt met the unforgettable Tyler Cameron from Hannah B’s season of The Bachelorette. The two founded ABC Food Tours, a program that gives underprivileged youth in New York City a chance to try new restaurants and learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. Their program has impacted the lives of over 50,000 kids in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

After Tyler Cameron came into fame while on The Bachelorette, the two frequently posted about their ABC Food Tours adventures, and Tyler and Matt’s following grew overnight. The two continue to display their friendship on social media and even shared their adventures quarantining together back in March.

Fans of The Bachelor franchise fell in love with Matt through Tyler. ABC producers approached him about joining the franchise earlier this year. However, he was initially cast as a contestant on Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette. With the COVID-19 outbreak, filming for Clare’s season was postponed, and producers fell in love with Matt and dubbed him with Bachelor potential.

Matt is rumored to be looking for a future wife that is “selfless, honest, caring, and compassionate.”

“I’m hoping that when that limo pulls up, there’s a lot of diversity and I see every type of woman coming out of that limo,” says Matt.

Hopefully, The Bachelor’s producers will begin casting more diverse women in terms of race and size, not only for Matt’s season but all seasons to come. While we love The Bachelor franchise, they are not without fault. We hope that they will continue to make diversity a critical component of their show by casting diverse contestants, Bachelors, and Bachelorettes in the future.

Don’t forget to catch Matt James’ season’s premiere on Monday, January 4. Also, don’t forget to tag us @theedgemag on Instagram as you watch the first episode. We’ll be watching too!