Last week, ABC shocked everyone when the network named Matt James the first Black Bachelor. Since the contestant was supposed to appear on The Bachelorette, rumors immediately started swirling about whether this means Clare Crawley’s postponed season will be cancelled indefinitely.
According to Chris Harrison, The Bachelorette is still moving forward as originally planned. Although ABC was forced to postpone production due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 48-year-old host confirmed that James has no impact on the future of Crawley’s season.
It all started when Harrison shared a photo of James on his personal Instagram account and wrote, “Congrats Matt James! #TheBachelor family is thrilled to start this journey with our new Bachelor! We can and we will do better to portray diverse love stories that reflect the world around us. This is just the beginning.”
A fan asked about The Bachelorette in a comment, writing, “Is Clare’s season cancelled?” To which Harrison immediately responded, “Absolutely not! Clare’s love story is next.”
We’re relieved by the clarification, since we hadn’t heard anything about Crawley’s impending season. While ABC had already cast season 16 of The Bachelorette, Harrison previously revealed that it’ll probably need to be redone, since that group of men will have moved on by the time production resumes.
So, does this mean The Bachelor and The Bachelorette will air simultaneously? Asking for a friend…