Matt James, 28, made headlines for becoming the very first Black lead on The Bachelor on June 12. But thanks to his best friend, Bachelorette alum Tyler Cameron, Matt also caught fans’ attentions for filming his very first Bachelor-related television interview sans pants! While Good Morning America viewers saw Matt conduct his virtual interview in a suave blazer and dress shirt, Tyler filmed what he saw: his BFF sitting in front of a ring light in his boxers. If you ask us, this just makes us even more excited for Matt to take the spotlight on ABC.
There was no indication of Matt’s pantsless state during the interview, though. He instead addressed serious questions, like if he thought there’ll be “lasting change” within The Bachelor after his casting. “Well, I think it is a step in the right direction. When Rachel [Lindsay] speaks, we listen. She has a very important voice,” Matt answered, after Rachel called out the franchise for being “white-washed” a week prior.
It’s no surprise that Tyler was on hand to record this milestone moment for Matt, since they truly put the “best” in friends. Just take a peep at their Instagram pages, which are filled with snapshots of one another. The most recent BFF photo was on Tyler’s page, under which he congratulated Matt for his lead role: “Congrats to my brother @mattjames919 on being named the Bachelor. This is all a testament of who you are as a person. Now the world gets to see the person you are and the heart you have. You can change the world. Proud of you and so excited for you. Not excited that somebody will be taking my spot as your snuggle buddy [crying emoji] .PS peep the drool [drool emoji].”
Matt and Tyler actually go way back — they started as football teammates on Wake Forest University’s team, and are now roommates in New York City. Matt and Tyler even protested together for the Black Lives Matter movement, which Matt shared a photo of on June 7. Matt held a sign that echoed George Floyd’s dying words, “I Can’t Breathe,” while Tyler’s sign read, “Enough is Enough…Black Lives Matter.”
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Under the photo, Matt made it known that he’s tired of dealing with questions like “It’s cool, his mom is white” and “Nah he’s good, he’s an athlete.. ” to be “treated fairly” (Matt is biracial). Hopefully Matt’s time on The Bachelor, in addition to more changes within the system that Rachel revealed producers want to work on, will ultimately contribute to a society that eliminates such microaggressions.