Matt James Bio | Wiki
Matt James is an American real estate broker, founder of ABC Food Tours, and Reality Tv Star from Raleigh, NC, United States. He is the star in the 25th season of the ABC dating and relationship reality television series, The Bachelor. Matt is the first African-American lead to be cast on the show in its entire history.
Matt first worked at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He later moved to New York where he has been working for CBRE, regarded as the largest real estate company in the world, as a research analyst.
Matt James Age
He was born on December 5, 1991, in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Matt is 29 years old.
Matt James Height | Weight
He is got the ideal height and build for his kind of role on The Bachelor. Matt stands at a height of 6 ft 5 in (Approx. 1.96 m). He weighs around 100kg (220 lbs).
Matt James Parents | Family
He was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, to his father Manny and mom, Patty James. Unfortunately, his parents split while Matt was still very young. He has regarded his father as an absentee father and even wished his mother a “happy father’s day” in 2020. Matt is bi-racial as his father is black and his mother is white. He was brought up by his single mother alongside his brother, John.
Matt James Wake Forest
Matt went to Sanderson High School graduating in 2010. He then proceeded to join Wake Forest University from where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics in 2015.
Matt James Football
Matt played football while in college at Wake Forest University. He was a member of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team as a wide receiver from 2011 to 2014.
Matt James NFL
After completing his studies at Wake Forest University, Matt was interested to play professional football in the NFL as a wide receiver. Consequently, he made trials for a couple of teams. First, Matt tried for the Carolina Panthers before doing further trials for the New Orleans Saints. Unfortunately, he did not make the teams leading him to give up his football dream.
Matt James Tyler
James and Tyler Cameron have been best friends for a long time. The two met back in college at Wake Forest University and became friends and teammates in the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team. Tyler was a contestant in the Bachelorette season 15 where he finished as runner-up.
Matt James Bachelorette Season
He was initially a contestant on the 16th season of The Bachelorette Starring Clare Crawley. However, after the Covid-19 pandemic hit the U.S. hard, the season was indefinitely postponed. It is during this period that Matt was announced as the next Bachelor for season 25 which premiered on January 4, 2021.
Matt James The Bachelor
The announcement came amid intensifying calls for there to be diversity in the casting. The franchise had long been criticized for its overwhelmingly white participants. Since 2002 when The Bachelor premiered, there had a white male lead cast.
With the May 2020 killing of George Floyd (a black man) by a white police officer (Derek Chauvin) pressure was mounting to have contestants of color in the franchise’s shows. Former contestants including Rachel Lindsay, who starred in Bachelorette season 13, harshly criticized the franchise for their lack of racial diversity. Ultimately, the sustained pressure seems to have borne fruit as Matt is the star of the ongoing Bachelor Season 25.
Some of the most notable Contestants in The Bachelor Season 25 include:
Chelsea Vaughn – model
Bri Springs – works for a high-profile social media company
Rachael Kirkconnell – graphic designer
Serena Pitt – publicist
Michelle Young – Elementary school teacher
Victoria Larson – entrepreneur
Sarah Trott – broadcast journalist
Matt James Ethnicity
He is American by nationality and belongs to black ethnicity. Matt was born to a black father and a white mother. He divulged this information while talking to Chris Harrison, The Bachelor show host, on Jan 4, 2021. Matt intimated that:
“My mom is white, my dad is black. It was hard for me because I didn’t want to do things to upset white people and then I didn’t want to do anything to upset black people.”
Matt James Religion
He is a christian by religion albeit non-practising. In his 2020 Father’s Day message to his mother, he quoted the bible.
“Happy Fathers Day Mom… A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”
Matt James ABC Food Tours
He is the founder of the non-profit organization, ABC Food Tours. The org. takes elementary school children on tours in restaurants to educate them about food and exercise around New York City. The children are chosen from low-socioeconomic communities. Speaking about what he aims to achieve with the tours, Matt said that:
“My favorite part of running ABC is working with kids! “They’re at an age where they’re super impressionable. No one is born racist or rude—these are all traits that are acquired through influence and experience. If you can positively influence these students at this age, you can potentially change the course of their lives. Also, I love seeing our students try new foods!”
Matt James Net Worth
He is the lead cast in the bachelor season 25. Matt’s estimated net worth is $250,000. This is expected to grow by leaps and bounds.