‘I think that most people are going on there to find somebody’

Matt James discovered love on The Bachelor and, regardless of the franchise’s shaky monitor document, thinks others go into the present with related intentions.

As Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos prepares handy out roses on Sept. 18, Grant Ellis begins taking pictures The Bachelor and The Bachelorette’s Jenn Tran rebounds from that messy ending, Yahoo Leisure talked to James about his former life as a actuality TV heartthrob and what he’s keen about in the present day.

“I believe that most individuals are occurring there to search out any individual,” mentioned James, the primary Black Bachelor and the star of Season 25, whereas selling his partnership with RXBAR.

“For me, having my roommate, Tyler Cameron, go on the present earlier than me and suggest to any individual was unimaginable,” he mentioned of Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette. “It didn’t seem to be one thing that the Tyler I knew would do. So I believe that whenever you go right into a state of affairs like that, you may need expectations, however they’re going to alter whenever you get there and it turns into actual for you.”

James, who discovered love with Rachael Kirkconnell on the present, added, “So I’m excited for everybody to go on the market, as a result of I believe that they do not know what they’re in retailer for.”

With Ellis taking the torch — and being solely the second Black Bachelor lead — James mentioned he’s right here to assist him.

“The previous Bachelors are like this brotherhood, so anytime anyone reaches out with any kind of query … anyone who’s been part of the franchise is all the time open to having these conversations,” mentioned James, who sought the counsel of Sean Lowe, Ben Higgins and Wells Adams earlier than he taped in 2020. “As a result of finally we’re all in search of the identical factor: We’re all trying to discover love. Happily, quite a lot of us discovered that. So I’m excited to see him discover that — and I’m hoping that he does.”

For James, being the Bachelor was only one very extremely publicized interval in his journey.

“I look again on it as only a chapter in my life,” mentioned the New York-based entrepreneur. “That was a vital chapter — as a result of I met my loving, good, lovely girlfriend. I’m simply as excited concerning the subsequent chapters as I used to be about that one.”

Proper now, James is targeted on coaching for his third New York Metropolis Marathon. Viewers of each The Bachelor and Season 30 of Dancing With the Stars in all probability bear in mind his dedication to health.

“I’m a health freak, and I’ve to train day-after-day,” he mentioned. On The Bachelor, “they introduced in a Peloton for me at my home. Each morning I’d get my cardio in. We [shot] at Nemacolin, which is gorgeous, so I’d have wonderful operating trails by means of the woods of Pennsylvania.”

James later appeared on DWTS and, whereas he was in nice form, the dancing exercises have been next-level.

“I don’t assume that folks perceive how rigorous these coaching periods are with the professional dancers,” he mentioned. “They’re all in phenomenal form, and also you’re like: How are they so ripped? How are they so lean? Then you definitely undergo a follow, you’re like, Oh my gosh. Lindsay Arnold, who was my associate, was kicking my butt day-after-day.”

Whereas he was eradicated throughout week 4, James mentioned of the expertise, “It was probably the most pleasing issues that I’ve accomplished to this point. A enjoyable strategy to expertise health is doing one thing like dancing.”

Coaching for a marathon is extra grueling than enjoyable. James mentioned the RXBARs preserve him fueled throughout his lengthy runs, and he finds the model’s “no BS” mantra motivating.

“Each single day, I by no means need to go on the market. I hate coaching. I like operating, however I hate it on the identical time,” he mentioned. “I really feel like quite a lot of occasions all through my runs, I’m having to reiterate to myself that I can do that.”

What else will get him to lace up when he’s not within the temper for an 18-mile coaching session? Seeing different folks going for it — it doesn’t matter what they’re up in opposition to. This summer season, he witnessed quite a lot of that attending the Olympics and Paralympics with Kirkconnell and mother Patty James.

“The factor that motivates me goes to issues just like the Olympics and seeing individuals who have devoted their lives to one thing,” he mentioned. “Going to the Paralympics and seeing individuals who have more durable occasions competing and it hasn’t deterred their journey.”

James continued, “Simply seeing different folks is what motivates me — like somebody who’s operating a marathon for the primary time on the market, struggling, going superslow, operating 20 miles. I am like: Man, in the event that they’re out right here doing it, what am I complaining about? So everybody else with out realizing it motivates me. It’s only a blessing to have the ability to do it.”