March 15, 2021 • bachelor insider
Here's Your First Look at Tonight's 'Shocking' 'After the Final Rose' Special
Are you ready, Bachelor Nation? The conclusion of Matt James’ journey as the Season 25 Bachelor ends tonight — followed by the highly anticipated “After the Final Rose” special, hosted by Emmanuel Acho.
As seen in a new preview for the three-hour finale, Matt seems unsure about the life-changing decision in front of him: handing his final rose to Michelle Young or Rachael Kirkconnell.
“I don’t know if I’m ready to be engaged,” the handsome lead admits.
Then, in a portion teasing “After the Final Rose,” Emmanuel promises a “shocking” announcement is on its way. “Get ready for a curveball, Bachelor Nation,” he says.
Last week, during an appearance on “Good Morning America,” Emmanuel shared his goal as host of the Season 25 finale special.
“My mission for ‘After the Final Rose’ is very, very, very simple: allow my white brothers and sisters who have watched the show and fell in love with that story to understand that Matt’s love story and his journey of love is different than other journeys of love, particularly because of his complexion and his skin color,” he said of Matt’s historic turn as the franchise’s first Black male lead, explaining why the topic of race will take center stage.
“I really just want to bring forth reconciliation racially as we continue to watch the love story play out,” the “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man” author added.
Emmanuel will preside over the one-hour special, stepping in for host Chris Harrison, who is currently on hiatus from the franchise.
The former NFL player will sit down with Matt and his final two women — Rachael and Michelle — to discuss the season in depth, as well as cover current events happening within Bachelor Nation. Emmanuel’s conversations will touch on Rachael Kirkconnell’s past racist social media activity and Chris’ defense of the finalist during a February “Extra” interview with Season 13 Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay.
(Both Rachael Kirkconnell and Chris have shared apologies via Instagram, which you can read here.)
“This is the most uncomfortable conversation in the history of the ‘Bachelor’ franchise,” Emmanuel said on “GMA.” “Because it’s not just about relationships, but now it’s about race. We’re intertwining race with relationships on one of the greatest unscripted shows in the history of television.”
Emmanuel — who has a master’s degree in sports psychology from the University of Texas — hosts the popular YouTube show “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man,” a counterpart to his bestselling book. His groundbreaking online series to drive meaningful dialogue around racial ignorance and insensitivity launched in June 2020 with more than 80 million views to date. The multihyphenate also serves as a Fox Sports analyst and co-hosts FS1’s “Speak for Yourself.”
Check out the sneak peek below — and see how Matt’s love story unfolds when “The Bachelor” airs tonight on ABC at 8 p.m. ET, immediately followed by “The Bachelor: After the Final Rose” at 10 p.m. ET.
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