Is Rachel Lindsay the New Bachelorette? ABC Has Reportedly Cast Its First Black Lead!

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It looks like ABC is finally adding some diversity to its Bachelor franchise!

Rachel Lindsay, a Texas attorney, and current contestant on Nick Viall's The Bachelor, will be announced as the next Bachelorette on Monday's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a Bachelor source confirms to ET.

After 33 combined seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette since 2002, this would mark the first time an African American would be looking for love on the franchise.


MORE: ABC Boss Addresses Lack of Diversity on 'The Bachelor': 'I Would Like to See Some Changes'

The news, first reported by Reality Steve, comes after The Bachelor/Bachelorette executive producer Mike Fleissteased on Twitter that a "historic announcement" would be made on Kimmel's show.

Last August, ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey addressed reporters at the Television Critics Association's Summer Press Tour and gave assurances that changes may be coming in regard to how the “bachelor” and “bachelorette” are picked in the first place, in an effort to more accurately reflect the country today.

"I would very much like to see some changes there," Dungey, the first black woman to lead a major broadcast network, said of the franchise’s diversity issue.


RELATED: Did 'The Bachelor' Just Reveal Rachel Lindsay to Be One of Nick Viall’s Final Three Women?!

ABC

"One of the biggest changes that we need to do is we need to increase the pool of diverse candidates in the beginning, because part of what ends up happening as we go along is there aren’t as many candidates to ultimately end up in the role of the next Bachelor or Bachelorette," she added. "That is something we want to put some energy and effort towards."

As of this week, Lindsay is still a candidate vying for Viall's heart on this season of The Bachelor, and based on the season preview promo, it appears that the 31-year-old beauty is one of the finale three women left standing.

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.