Rachel Lindsay reportedly turned down hosting The Bachelor’s After the Final Rose special

For Bachelor Nation, the show must go on, but no one’s really sure who will be hosting just yet.

After Chris Harrison stepped down from The Bachelor franchise, questions and rumors quickly arose about who would be the right replacement. And timing is of the essence. The After the Final Rose special for The Bachelor season 25 is right around the corner, leaving many to wonder if it will be happening at all. But don’t fret, friends.

As of this moment, it looks like season 25’s highly-anticipated

ATFR

special is definitely still happening. Currently, the hunt for the perfect host continues. According to

TMZ

, Rachel Lindsay, the first Black

Bachelorette

lead, was approached to host it. However, she reportedly declined.

Who is hosting After the Final Rose?

As noted by TMZ, while the 35-year-old attorney might’ve said no to filling Chris Harrison’s shoes, she’s been making some public suggestions about who she thinks would be a good fit, including FS1 sports analyst Emmanuel Acho. Much like Rachel Lindsay, Acho doesn’t shy away from serious discussions, especially conversations about race. With that said, TMZ reports that Acho hasn’t been approached about the possibility of hosting. But he still could be.

The current Bachelor frontrunner, Rachael Kirkconnell, faces major controversy over a photo that came out showing her at an Antebellum party in 2018 and multiple accusations of racist behavior. With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine certain discussion points could be ignored during ATFR, especially if she does actually win the final rose from Matt James, the first black Bachelor lead.

And though Rachel Lindsay apparently turned down the ATFR hosting gig, she continues to be a powerful voice for those who identify as BIPOC, especially for those people involved with Bachelor Nation. Let’s hope whoever ends up replacing Chris Harrison, temporarily or long-term, will be the best fit for the job in every way with just as strong of a voice.

According to TMZ, it might wind up being someone completely unaffiliated with the franchise but still linked to ABC. And hopefully, like many fans continue to beg for, the network chooses a BIPOC celebrity to be the new host of The Bachelor.

When we find out who is stepping up as Bachelor Nation’s host during the franchise’s most controversial and important period, we’ll be the first to let you know.