Matt James Reveals If He's Dating Again After Rachael Kirkconnell Split

The Bachelor star Matt James has revealed if he's dating again following his split with Season 25 winner Rachael Kirkconnell. The morning after the big finale and the shocking After The Final Rose special aired on March 15, 2021, Matt appeared on Good Morning America to reveal if he's ready to get back into the dating game after he ended the show together with Rachael, but never actually proposed to her.

During the episode, Matt confirmed to longtime host Chris Harrison's replacement Emmanuel Acho that he'd made the decision to break off his relationship with Rachael following racist photos of her surfacing online — some of which showed her at an antebellum-themed party in 2018 — for which she publicly apologized in February 2021. He explained they had discussed how hurtful Rachael's actions were, but said he knew he had to end things because "there's a lot of work that needs to be done" and he needed to "allow her to put in that work" by herself, per People. Towards the end of the episode, Matt made it clear they probably won't ever be getting back together. He told her, "That's something you gotta do on your own," and said, "That's why we can't be in a relationship." While it's unlikely Matt will be getting back together with Rachael, is he dating anyone else? Keep reading to find out what he's saying about looking for love again.

Matt James opened up about his controversial The Bachelor ending during his March 16, 2021 appearance on Good Morning America while speaking to Michael Strahan. He doubled down on his revelation he's not dating Rachael Kirkconnell, but also made it clear he wasn't ready to start seeing anyone else. "I think there's a lot of work that needs to be done before I can think about being in a relationship with anybody," Matt admitted. "I need time to process everything that's going on. I want to respect Rachael and what she's gotta do, as well." Despite their fractured relationship, Matt also had some kind words for his winner. He called Rachael "a good person" and added, "Everything she outlined in her apology and statement, I'm looking forward to seeing her do. I know she's capable of it."

And while his to his turn as the Bachelor no doubt had a disappointing end, Matt admitted he's happy his stint has encouraged important conversations about race, even if it meant he ended up single. "The conversations that have come from everything that has taken place are more important than anything I could have left with," he said. "If that means that I leave under the circumstances that I left with, then so be it."