Matt James cast as first black ‘Bachelor’

Amid a plea for diversity, Matt James has been cast as the first black "Bachelor" on the long running reality dating show.

James, 28, a popular contestant on a scuttled season of "The Bachelorette" was cast as the lead for the 25th season of "The Bachelor," ABC said Friday.

"My first reaction was, ‘Does this mean I don’t get to meet Clare (Crawley)?,’ because I was looking forward to meeting her," James told "Good Morning America." "I had set aside all this time and we’d gone out to California and been called back for quarantine. I’m super excited for her and her season but I’m looking forward to meeting her eventually."

James, a real estate broker from North Carolina, played wide receiver at Wake Forest and briefly in the NFL.

James gained popularity as a contestant on season 16 of “The Bachelorette.” He is also friends with Tyler Cameron, a “Bachelorette” contestant, and together they run ABC Food Tours, a non profit, CNN reported.

“Matt has been on our radar since February, when producers first approached him to join Bachelor Nation, as part of (Clare Crawley’s) season,” ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke said in a statement. “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.”

A Change.org petition supported by more than 85,000 people and some former cast members asked for more diversity in the dating franchise that includes both “The Bachelor” and its spinoff “The Bachelorette,” CNN reported.

Out of 40 leads, the only previous black lead cast member was Rachel Lindsay in season 13 of “The Bachelorette,” CNN reported. Lindsay is married to the winner of her season and recognizes the show’s lack of diversity.

“I was hoping when I came on to be a trailblazer for that and to increase diversity in the audience that watches it,” she told The New York Times. "But in the last three years there really haven’t been changes made.”

James posted a photo with Cameron on social media Friday.

“Lots of excitement and energy,” James wrote. “Workout #1 in the books - blessed & honored.”

Cox Media Group