The Bachelor
Chris Harrison Stepping Away from The Bachelor Following Controversial Interview
Longtime Bachelor host Chris Harrison is stepping aside from the franchise “for a period of time” amidst a growing controversy over recent comments he made defending one of this season’s contestants against allegations of racism. Earlier this week, Harrison gave an interview to Extra during which he downplayed the past behavior of Rachael Kirkconnell. As Kirkconnell advanced further into this season of The Bachelor, a viral TikTok purported to reveal the contestant “liking” posts containing the Confederate flag and sharing QAnon conspiracy theories. Additionally, photos surfaced of her attending an “Old South” plantation-themed party in 2018 (via The Hollywood Reporter). Speaking to Extra correspondent Rachel Lindsay, who herself was the first-ever Black Bachelorette in 2017...
For the First Time in The Bachelor’s 25-Season Run, There’s a Black Bachelor
For the first time in its 25-season, 18-year run, ABC has cast a Black Bachelor. Matt James, a 28-year-old real estate broker, entrepreneur, and community organization founder, will search for love on the forthcoming season of The Bachelor, according to The Hollywood Reporter. James was previously set to be a contestant on Clare Crawley’s upcoming season of The Bachelorette before production was shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also known as the friend and roommate of former Bachelorette contestant Tyler Cameron. “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,” ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said in a statement announcing James’ casting. “This...
