Matt James found love on The Bachelor and believes that despite the franchise’s shaky reputation, others are approaching the series with similar intentions.
As Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos prepares to hand out roses on September 18, Grant Ellis begins filming The Bachelor And The BacheloretteAs Jenn Tran recovers from that messy ending, Yahoo Entertainment spoke with James about his early life as a reality TV star and what he’s passionate about now.
“I think most people go there to find someone,” James, the first Black Bachelor and star of season 25, said while promoting his partnership with RxBar.
“For me, it was unthinkable that my roommate, Tyler Cameron, would come on the show before me and propose to someone,” he said of Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette. “It didn’t seem like something that the Tyler I knew would do. So I think when you’re put in that situation, you have expectations, but they change when you’re there and it becomes a reality for you.”
James, who found love with Rachael Kirkconnell on the show, added: “So I’m excited for everyone to get out there because I think they have no idea what’s in store for them.”
Now that Ellis is taking over the torch and is only the second lead in the Black Bachelor film, James says he’s here to support him.
“The former Bachelors are like a brotherhood, so whenever anyone reaches out with any question … everyone who’s been a part of the franchise is always open to having those conversations,” said James, who enlisted the advice of Sean Lowe, Ben Higgins and Wells Adams before joining the cast in 2020. “Because at the end of the day, we’re all looking for the same thing: We’re all looking for love. And thankfully, a lot of us have found it. So I’m excited to see him find it — and I hope he does.”
For James, his Bachelor days were just one of the most talked about periods in his journey.
“I look back on it as a chapter in my life,” the New York entrepreneur said. “That was a really important chapter — because I met my loving, smart, beautiful girlfriend. I’m just as excited about the next chapters as I was about that one.”
James is currently focused on training for his third New York City Marathon. Viewers of both The Bachelor and Season 30 of Dancing with the stars you probably remember his dedication to fitness.
“I am a fitness freak and I have to exercise every day,” he said. The Bachelor“They brought me a Peloton to my house. Every morning I did my cardio. We [shot] at Nemacolin, which is beautiful, so I would have great running trails through the woods of Pennsylvania.”
James later appeared on DWTS and although he was in great shape, the dance workouts were next level.
“I don’t think people understand how rigorous these training sessions are with the professional dancers,” he said. “They’re all in phenomenal shape and you think, How are they so muscular? How are they so skinny? Then you go through a drill, and you’re like, Oh my God. Lindsay Arnold, who was my partner, was kicking my ass every day.”
Although he was eliminated in week four, James said of the experience: “It was one of the most fun things I’ve done so far. A fun way to experience fitness is to do something like dancing.”
Training for a marathon is more grueling than fun. James said the RxBars fuel him during his long runs, and he finds the brand’s “no BS” mantra motivating.
“Every day I don’t want to go outside. I hate training. I love running, but I hate it at the same time,” he said. “I feel like I have to keep telling myself during my runs that I can do this.”
What else gets him lacing up when he’s not up for an 18-mile training session? Seeing other people go for it — no matter what they’re up against. He saw a lot of that this summer when he visited the Olympics and Paralympics with Kirkconnell and mom Patty James.
“What motivates me is going to things like the Olympics and seeing people who have dedicated their lives to something,” he said. “Going to the Paralympics and seeing people who have a harder time competing and it hasn’t deterred their journey.”
James continued: “Just seeing other people motivate me — like someone running a marathon for the first time, struggling, going super slow, running 20 miles. I’m like, Man, if they do that here, what am I complaining about? So everybody without knowing it motivates me. It’s just a blessing to be able to do it.”
