Our new lead is shutting off his phone and switching on his journey to find love.
Matt James' journey to find love has officially begun. The 28-year-old revealed on Tuesday that it was time to surrender his phone to Bachelor production, as filming started on the ABC dating show. The season is reportedly filming at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania.
"See y’all in 2 months ❤️✌🏽," James wrote on Twitter.
The new Bachelor also bid farewell to his best bud, Tyler Cameron, on his Instagram Story. "What a crazy 6 months, I love you brother, wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you an your mama... (Oh & I'll be back, with a plus one)," he shared alongside a photo of the two.
James was originally announced as a contestant on Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette, though when the cycle was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, producers decided to cast James as the next Bachelor.
The ABC Food Tours founder told ET during his photoshoot for The Bachelorette that Cameron's mom, Andrea, had nominated him for the show. Andrea died earlier this year from a brain aneurysm. At the time of the interview in March, James had just arrived in Los Angeles after attending her funeral.
"She would be happy to know that I followed through with it," he shared. "She had nominated me and I think she saw everything that it did for Tyler and the way that he had changed as a man, and me being his roommate and being one of her sons, I think that she wanted something like that for myself."
"So, I wanted to see it [through] for her," he added.
James has spent the last six months quarantining with Cameron in Florida. The contractor and model was by James' side when he was announced as the first Black Bachelor in June.
"Matt's built for this, he's a great person. His heart will really show and shine, and it will be interesting to see where his heart leads him," Cameron told Chris Harrison during an appearance on The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons -- Ever! on June 29.
James later joined the interview, sharing that he's received overwhelming support since his casting was announced.
"I've heard from a lot of my Black friends that aren't Bachelor Nation faithful that are excited about me and honored by the position I'm in," James said, adding they're thrilled he has "this opportunity to just represent what it's going to look like to have diverse relationships and tell those love stories." "I couldn't be more excited about that," he shared.
"My phone's been off the hook. The most interesting text that I got was probably from my third grade teacher, and I hadn't heard from her since I missed my book report," he joked. "So, there's people coming from all over the place to share their excitement. And it's been nice."
James' season of The Bachelor is set to debut in 2021. Crawley's season of The Bachelorette, which filmed in Palm Springs, will premiere Oct. 13 on ABC. See more on Crawley's cycle -- and how Tayshia Adams stepped in as lead -- in the video below.
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