Thirty-two incredible women were on the hunt for love with Matt James when the exciting, landmark 25th edition of The Bachelor premiered on MONDAY, JAN. 4 (8:00-10:01 p.m. EDT), on ABC.
At the end of night one, 24 lucky bachelorettes remained to toast the Bachelor and join him on the romantic adventure of a lifetime!
Matt James, the charismatic and engaging star of ABC’s hit romance reality series The Bachelor, will hand out the roses for its momentous 25th season. After meeting Matt as a prospective suitor for The Bachelorette, Bachelor Nation swooned when they learned he would take on the role as the lead of his own love story.
As the first Black Bachelor, Matt is the total package with strong family values and a great career, who has used his growing platform for good. His emerging legion of fans can’t wait to follow the 29-year-old real estate broker, entrepreneur and community organization founder on his journey to find love during this historic season.
The North Carolina native went to Wake Forest University, where he majored in economics and played wide receiver for the football team. He went on to play professional football before moving to New York City, where he now resides.
His love of food and passion for giving back led to his creation of an organization that is designed to find creative ways to engage kids from underserved communities in New York City, encouraging physical and mental wellness while also giving them opportunities for new experiences throughout the city.
Said Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment: “Matt has been on our radar since February, when producers first approached him to join Bachelor Nation, as part of Clare’s season. When filming couldn’t move forward as planned, we were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed he would make a perfect Bachelor. 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. This is just the beginning, and we will continue to take action with regard to diversity issues on this franchise. We feel so privileged to have Matt as our first Black Bachelor and we cannot wait to embark on this journey with him.”
Although Matt hasn’t been in love before, he feels he is ready now to welcome it into his life—no matter what challenges he will face—as he starts his search for his happily ever after on The Bachelor in January.
The 32 women who will vie for Matt’s heart are the following:
Abigail, 25, a client financial manager from Beaverton, Ore.
Alana, 26, a photographer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alicia, 24, a professional ballerina from New York City, N.Y.
Amber, 30, a nursing student from Costa Mesa, Calif.
Anna, 24, a copywriter from Chicago, Ill.
Bri, 24, a communications manager from San Francisco, Calif.
Carolyn, 30, a journalist from Los Angeles, Calif.
Casandra, 25, a social worker from Newport Beach, Calif.
Chelsea, 28, a runway model from Brooklyn, N.Y.
Corrinne, 22, a marketing manager from Pomfret, Conn.
Emani, 25, a realtor from Albuquerque, N.M.
Illeana, 25, a health food developer from New York City, N.Y.
Jessenia, 27, a social media marketer from San Antonio, Texas
Kaili, 26, a hostess from Chicago, Ill.
Katie, 29, a bank marketing manager from Renton, Wash.
Khaylah, 28, a healthcare advocate from Durham, N.C.
Kimberly, 28, an airline recruiter from Seattle, Wash.
ALSO READ: ‘Captain Marvel’ kicks off superhero weekend on TNT
Kit, 21, a fashion entrepreneur from New York City, N.Y.
Kristin, 27, an attorney from Jersey City, N.J.
Lauren, 29, a corporate attorney from Miami, Fla.
Magi, 32, a pharmacist from Adwa, Ethiopia
Mari, 24, a marketing director from Odenton, Md.
Marylynn, 28, an event coordinator from Studio City, Calif.
MJ, 23, a hairstylist from Hudson, Ohio
Pieper, 23, a graduate student from Happy Valley, Ore.
Rachael, 24, a graphic designer from Cumming, Ga.
Saneh, 25, an IT consultant from Denver, Colo.
Sarah, 24, a broadcast journalist from San Diego, Calif.
Serena C., 24, a flight attendant from San Francisco, Calif.
Serena P., 22, a publicist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sydney, 28, a marketing specialist from Nashville, Tenn.
Victoria, 27, a queen from Los Angeles, Calif.
According to Deadline, the 25th season as expected, topped the ratings heap in broadcast primetime. The ABC reality competition delivered a 1.2 in the adults 18-49 demographic while 5 million viewers tuned in to watch a group of women make a memorable — and sometimes desperate — first impression on James.
The Bachelor lead into the debut of the Craig Ferguson-hosted trivia game show The Hustler (0.5, 1.99M). The duo gave ABC the overall win in the demo in Nielsen Live+Same Day fast nationals.
Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.
Hosted by Chris Harrison, The Bachelor is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Unscripted Television. Mike Fleiss, Martin Hilton, Nicole Woods, Bennett Graebner, Peter Gust, Tim Warner, Louis Caric and Peter Geist are the executive producers.
SOURCE: ABC
