Matt James found love on The Bachelor and, despite the franchise’s shaky track record, thinks others go into the show with similar intentions.
As Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos prepares to hand out roses on Sept. 18, Grant Ellis starts shooting The Bachelor and The Bachelorette’s Jenn Tran rebounds from that messy ending, Yahoo Entertainment talked to James about his former life as a reality TV heartthrob and what he’s passionate about today.
“I think that most people are going on there to find somebody,” said James, the first Black Bachelor and the star of Season 25, while promoting his partnership with RXBAR.
“For me, having my roommate, Tyler Cameron, go on the show before me and propose to somebody was unimaginable,” 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 that when you go into a situation like that, you might have expectations, but they’re going to change when you get there and it becomes real for you.”
James, who found love with Rachael Kirkconnell on the show, added, “So I’m excited for everyone to go out there, because I think that they have no idea what they’re in store for.”
With Ellis taking the torch — and being only the second Black Bachelor lead — James said he’s here to support him.
“The former Bachelors are like this brotherhood, so anytime anybody reaches out with any type of question … anybody who’s been a part of the franchise is always open to having those conversations,” said James, who sought the counsel of Sean Lowe, Ben Higgins and Wells Adams before he taped in 2020. “Because ultimately we’re all looking for the same thing: We’re all looking to find love. Fortunately, a lot of us found that. So I’m excited to see him find that — and I’m hoping that he does.”
For James, being the Bachelor was just one very highly publicized period in his journey.
“I look back on it as just a chapter in my life,” said the New York-based entrepreneur. “That was a very 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.”
Right now, James is focused on training for his third New York City Marathon. Viewers of both The Bachelor and Season 30 of Dancing With the Stars probably remember his commitment to fitness.
“I’m a fitness freak, and I have to exercise every day,” he said. On The Bachelor, “they brought in a Peloton for me at my house. Every morning I’d get my cardio in. We [shot] at Nemacolin, which is beautiful, so I’d have amazing running trails through the woods of Pennsylvania.”
James later appeared on DWTS and, while he was in great shape, the dancing workouts were next-level.
“I don’t think that people understand how rigorous these training sessions are with the pro dancers,” he said. “They’re all in phenomenal shape, and you’re like: How are they so ripped? How are they so lean? Then you go through a practice, you’re like, Oh my gosh. Lindsay Arnold, who was my partner, was kicking my butt every day.”
While he was eliminated during week four, James said of the experience, “It was one of the most enjoyable things that I’ve done to date. A fun way to experience fitness is doing something like dancing.”
Training for a marathon is more grueling than fun. James said the RXBARs keep him fueled during his long runs, and he finds the brand’s “no BS” mantra motivating.
“Every single day, I never want to go out there. I hate training. I love running, but I hate it at the same time,” he said. “I feel like a lot of times throughout my runs, I’m having to reiterate to myself that I can do this.”
What else gets him to lace up when he’s not in the mood for an 18-mile training session? Seeing other people going for it — no matter what they’re up against. This summer, he witnessed a lot of that attending the Olympics and Paralympics with Kirkconnell and mom Patty James.
“The thing that 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 tougher times competing and it hasn’t deterred their journey.”
James continued, “Just seeing other people is what motivates me — like someone who’s running a marathon for the first time out there, struggling, going superslow, running 20 miles. I’m like: Man, if they’re out here doing it, what am I complaining about? So everyone else without knowing it motivates me. It’s just a blessing to be able to do it.”
