After The Bachelor host Chris Harrison announced his temporary departure from the show, fans have been wondering who will fill his role.
Now, it’s been revealed that ex-NFL player Emmanuel Acho will be hosting The Bachelor: After the Final Rose special, which is set to air on March 15.
“It’s official,” the former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker wrote on Instagram on Saturday. “I’ve accepted the Rose and am honored to be hosting the @bachelorabc After the Final Rose this year. It’s been a pivotal season, and this episode will hopefully be one of the most storied shows in TV history. Empathy is needed and change is coming. Share the news! I’ll see y’all then!”
Acho shared a bit more about his background as an author and about his education. “I’m the author of 2020 NYT best seller, ‘Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.’ A book that answers all the racial questions you’ve been too afraid to ask. Go read it.” He continued, “Lastly, I love being a bridge for reconciliation. Our world is disconnected & divided, my goal is to unify.”
He also discussed his forthcoming role in a statement to E! News. “It’s both an honor and privilege to be hosting After the Final Rose,” he said. “This is an incredibly pivotal episode on one of the most storied shows in television history.”
In mid-February, Harrison said he would be “stepping aside” from The Bachelor franchise following the controversy around his defense of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell in an interview with Rachel Lindsay.
“This historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions,” Harrison wrote on IG. “To that end, I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special.”
