Emmanuel Acho to guest-host The Bachelor: After the Final Rose after Rachel Lindsay endorsement

People

The former NFL linebacker and New York Times bestselling author, who went viral last year with his Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man web series, will take over for Chris Harrison, who is temporarily stepping aside from The Bachelor franchise after a racism controversy. "IT’S OFFICIAL: I’ve accepted the Rose and am honored to be hosting the @bachelorabc After the Final Rose this year," Acho wrote on Instagram. "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!" Lindsay, who says she turned down the guest-host job, pitched Acho as a "fantastic" choice as guest-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.' 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," she said.