‘The Bachelor’: Matt James Says the Show Left Out His Opening Up About Race and His Family
Matt James is opening up about his experiences as the star of The Bachelor Season 25. And looking back, the 30-year-old revealed the show cut some of his most vulnerable moments, including the times he spoke about his family and race.
Matt James was the first Black male lead on ‘The Bachelor’
Until season 25, The Bachelor hadn’t had a Black male lead. So Matt James’ casting was a historic moment for the franchise.
The former football player grew up in North Carolina with a Black Nigerian father and white Italian mother. In a 2021 chat with Variety published before The Bachelor aired, James explained he identifies as a Black man. And he revealed he had meaningful conversations about race while filming his season.
“It’s going to be talked about,” James said. “Just in general, there’s no education without conversation. You can’t expect people to know how to maneuver or where you’re coming from or to understand you if you don’t talk about those types of things.
“So, we had some of those conversations,” he added. “And they were positive because we made them positive. I’m excited to share that with people.”
But Matt James says ‘The Bachelor’ cut some of his discussions about race and family
James expected that his candid conversations about family and race would be included when The Bachelor aired. But when the season ended, he noticed they had been cut.
“I had already said it, like, I was preparing [to see it] on TV, and when I didn’t see it, I’m, like, ‘Dang,’” the reality star said on Us Weekly’s Here for the Right Reasons podcast. “I guess it was too raw for what they were looking for, which is unfortunate because … you’re vulnerable and you’re open about those things.”
Speaking about the few moments the show did air, James revealed some of the positive feedback he received. “The little bits that they shared that I was very vulnerable, hella people resonated with that,” he noted. “They’re like, ‘Yo, I felt that.’ I’m like, ‘It’s not that hard of a formula — how about y’all double down on the realness?’”
He thinks ‘The Bachelor’ should get more ‘real’
Over the seasons, The Bachelor producers have been called out for editing the show in a way that would make for good TV. And though the ABC show has been successful, James suggested some viewers are turning away because it’s starting to feel inauthentic.
“People aren’t dumb anymore,” he told Us Weekly. “Maybe back in the day, you could get away with like, ‘Oh my, this is crazy.’ [But] there’s been too many books come out. There’s been too many whistleblowers. Like, we’re past that.
“Come on now, let’s be real,” James continued. “That’s why you’re seeing people go watch these other shows because, like, they’re not tiptoeing around. How about you double down, Bachelor or Bachelorette, on the realness, and you’re straight. It’s frustrating because you’ve got so much good stuff there, and you’re fumbling the bag.”
