Rachael Kirkconnell is supporting her man Matt James.
On her official Instagram page, the 24-year-old posted a heartwarming message supporting James before his dancing debut on the season 30 premiere of “Dancing with the Stars” on Monday night.
“My man is officially trading in his skateboards sneaks for some dancing shoes!” Kirkconnel said, adding, “Can’t wait for you guys to see how hard this guy has been working and what they’ve come up with, you won’t want to miss it… I promise he’s come a long way ;-).”
“Love you the most @mattjames919, already so so proud of you ♡,” she ended the post.
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According to People, the star from Georgia was also cheering on James in the audience.
Before his performance, James discussed their romance in his intro package.
“I didn’t end up proposing to Rachael, but we are in a relationship and everything is going great,” he said, adding, “Bachelor Nation is a passionate group of viewers, I don’t want to let them down.”
For the show, James was paired with Lindsay Arnold, a pro dancer. They both earned a score of 24 for their first dance, the cha-cha.
As for his relationship with Kirkconnell, the 29-year-old revealed he was still pursuing a relationship with his final rose recipient in April. The pair broke up after racially insensitive photos of Kirkconnell in college surfaced.
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“I’ve seen Rachael a handful of times,” James told the outlet while discussing his partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods for May’s National Runners’ Month. “I’m not pursuing any relationships right now outside of that. I said I was going to focus on my relationship with her, and that means focusing on it.”
Kirkconnell has since apologized for the photos of her at an antebellum-themed party in college in 2018 and promised to “continue to learn how to be antiracist.”
In February, James responded to the photos, saying, “The reality is that I’m learning about these situations in real-time, and it has been devastating and heartbreaking, to put it bluntly.”
Former “Bachelor” host Chris Harrison stepped aside amid the controversy after defending Kirkconnell, saying, “I am an imperfect man, I made a mistake and I own that.”
Harrison has since left the show.
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