Alum of The Bachelorette and Bachelor In Paradise Mike Johnson doesn’t feel bad about not being chosen as the new Bachelor. It was announced yesterday that Matt James, a newcomer to the franchise, will lead the next season. He will be the first Black man to ever lead The Bachelor.
Johnson was a fan favorite on Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette. Although he made it to the top five, Brown let him go when she realized she didn’t have strong feelings for him. The air force veteran’s huge smile and romantic sensibilities won the hearts of fans across the country. There was much speculation about Johnson possibly being the first Black Bachelor, but ultimately producers chose Peter Weber to head the season. After Rachel Lindsay, the franchise’s first and only Black Bachelorette, put pressure on the show to cast more people of color, Johnson was in fans heads as a possible lead for the new season. Other popular candidates were Eric Bigger and Dustin Kendrick, also both alumni of The Bachelorette. Matt James, friend of Tyler Cameron who was also on Hannah Brown’s season, was a surprise selection.
Johnson opened up about how he saw the selection of the new Bachelor on his Instagram. In an IGTV video posted this morning, Johnson explained that he was very happy about the announcement of James as the Bachelor. He said in the video, “Don’t feel bad for me at all. I am just so elated. I have so many things coming down the pipeline,” before teasing his book release later this year. Johnson specifically gave a huge shoutout to fans of The Bachelor, saying, “They listened to you guys. You marched, and sent all these emails I’m sure, and tagged Chris, and tagged Mike Fleiss, and tagged everybody that be, and they listened to you guys.” During the protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death, many former Bachelor contestants and stars supported Black Lives Matter and called for the show to diversify their cast. Rachel Lindsay in particular gave several interviews and spoke publicly about her embarrassment that the show is so white-washed.
Johnson definitely considers the selection of James a victory. The upcoming season will be it’s 25th, and the lack of diversity has always been apparent. Johnson and James are friends, and he says in the video that he texted James earlier that day to congratulate him. “Don’t say nothing bad about my homie,” he said, “Matt’s going to do a great job.”
He continued by shouting out Clare Crawley, the next Bachelorette, and concluded by summing up his feelings. “Just know that they listened to us. We got a Black lead, and that’s amazing,” he said. We’ll certainly be hearing more from Johnson with his book being released soon, not to mention his near celebrity status. His fling with Demi Lovato last year brought him to many people’s attention; whatever the new year brings for this bachelor, it’s bound to be newsworthy.
Source: Mike Johnson
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