Feb. 28 (UPI) — Former NFL player, television personality, and author Emmanuel Acho has confirmed he will host ABC’s upcoming The Bachelor: After the Final Rose special.
“IT’S OFFICIAL: I’ve accepted the Rose & am honored to be hosting the @bachelorabc. After the Final Rose this year. It’s been a pivotal season & this episode will be one of the most storied shows in its history. Empathy is needed and change is coming. See y’all then!” Acho, 30, tweeted Saturday.
The show is to air on the network March 15.
The Bachelor and The Bachelorette host Chris Harrison, 49, announced earlier this month that he is “stepping aside for a period of time” from the franchise.
Harrison made the move after receiving criticism for defending current Bachelor contestant Rachel Kirkconnell when she was blasted online for — then apologized for — old, social-media posts perceived as culturally insensitive.
Season 25 of the dating competition stars Matt James, the show’s first black bachelor.
In an interview with Extra host Rachel Lindsay — who became the first black Bachelorette in 2017 — Harrison asked for “a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion” from the “woke police” for Kirkconnell.
He later apologized after a backlash accused him of perpetuating racism.