The Bachelor: ATFR’s Emmanuel Acho Is More Than A Guest Host

After coming under fire for defending a contestant who attended an antebellum-themed party from the so-called “woke police,” Bachelor host Chris Harrison is stepping back from the franchise for an undetermined amount of time. Though he’ll still appear in some pre-recorded parts of Matt James' Bachelor season finale, he won’t partake in the post-finale Bachelor: After the Final Rose event, which is more than fine. Emmanuel Acho, the 30-year-old author and sports analyst tapped to host the special instead, might be better equipped than anyone else to navigate the end of such a monumental, controversial, and often disappointing season. 

Just ask former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, who suggested Acho for the role days before he was announced as the ATFR host. “[He’s] very outspoken about racial injustice, for social justice, and has pretty much been the person who said, ‘I can have these uncomfortable conversations, and people trust it,’” Lindsay told People. “Who better to lead it? [He’s] someone who’s not involved with the franchise, no ties, no bias — I think it’d be great.” Lindsay’s husband, Bryan Abasolo, seconded her thoughts, calling Acho “the perfect person to have these uncomfortable conversations with the contestants, with Matt.”

Acho is an expert at these “uncomfortable conversations” — literally. Last summer, he created a YouTube channel called “Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man,” which currently has nearly 500,000 subscribers. Some of his most popular videos, featuring celebrity guests like Chip and Joanna Gaines, Matthew McConaghey, and Chelsea Handler, have millions of views. (Lindsay and Abasolo appeared in a July episode about interracial relationships.) The aim of his channel, Acho writes, is to provide a safe space for white people to ask and discuss “the questions they’ve always had but have been too nervous to ask.”

In November, he published a bestselling book titled after the YouTube series. His forthcoming children’s book, Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Boy, will be out in May.

But Acho isn't only an author —he's an experienced TV host. Born and raised in Texas, he went on to become an NFL linebacker in 2011. He retired in 2015, but stayed involved in the world of football: He began working in sports media, and in 2018, Acho became ESPN’s youngest national football analyst. He made Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in 2019, and today, he co-hosts a show for Fox Sports.

In an Extra interview with Lindsay, Acho said that he was proud to facilitate “conversations that I don’t think have ever been seen or ever been had” on television. “I never thought that my book on racial reconciliation would lead me to one of the most storied shows and one of the most pivotal and volatile moments of this franchise, and that I would be the man for this moment."