The Truth About Matt James And Tyler Cameron's Friendship

Step aside Chris Harrison — there's a new buzzed-about man in Bachelor Nation! For Season 25 of the hit reality show, the people behind The Bachelor officially cast the first Black Bachelor in franchise history. Matt James' season premieres Jan. 4, 2021, but it turns out this handsome Bachelor is no stranger to the franchise. 

Slated to originally be part of Bachelorette Clare Crawley's season, Matt was selected by producers prior to filming Clare's season during the COVID production delays. "When filming couldn't move forward as planned [due to the coronavirus pandemic], we were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed that he would make a perfect Bachelor," ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said in a statement, via E! News. 

Plus, Matt was endorsed by beloved former Bachelorette stars Hannah Brown and Tyler Cameron. So how do Matt and Tyler really know each other? Keep scrolling to find out! 

Tyler Cameron was quick to post on Instagram congratulating his "brother" Matt James after the Bachelor announcement. "This is all a testament of who you are as a person," Tyler captioned the photo of the two sleeping on each other. "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." 

The pals first met at Wake Forest University, graduated in 2015, and opted to move in together in New York City in October 2019, per Us Weekly. However, they relocated to Tyler's hometown of Jupiter, Florida, during the coronavirus pandemic.

While Matt tried out for the NFL following his college football days, his economics degree proved more useful, landing him a job as a research analyst for commercial real estate firm CBRE in the Big Apple, according to Elite Daily. Matt also runs ABC Food Tours with Tyler, a non-profit organization that introduces "underserved elementary school [students] to restaurants in their local communities," according to People. 

Hopefully Matt's stint as The Bachelor proves less tumultuous than Tyler's season — but as we all know, it's hard to escape the drama!