Rachel Lindsay suggests new 'Bachelor' host after Chris Harrison's racism controversy

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Rachel Lindsay has revealed the person she wants to take over hosting duties for the "Bachelor" franchise.

The former "Bachelorette" lead told People magazine she wants sports analyst Emmanuel Acho to helm the series. 

Lindsay said both she and her husband, Bryan Abasolo, have had multiple conversations about Acho taking over. 

"For 'After the Final Rose,' Bryan and I both talked about this — we think Emmanuel Acho would be fantastic," Lindsay told the outlet. "[He's] very outspoken about racial injustice, for social justice, and has pretty much been the person who said, 'I can have these uncomfortable conversations, and people trust it.' Who better to lead it? [He's] someone who's not involved with the franchise, no ties, no bias — I think it'd be great."

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Acho, 30, started a YouTube series, "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man," during the racial unrest that occurred in the summer months following the death of George Floyd. 

Abasolo added, "I echo those sentiments. I think Emmanuel Acho would be the perfect person to have those uncomfortable conversations with the contestants, with Matt at the end of the day, and I think it would really be a positive step forward."

Former NFL player Emmanuel Acho is now a sports analyst and host.  (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Longtime host Chris Harrison has stepped away from the series for an undetermined amount of time after a controversial interview with Lindsay on Extra during which he attempted to defend current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's "Old South" photo scandal.

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After backlash for dismissing racist behavior, Harrison apologized to fans and said he wouldn't continue hosting and would use his time to better educate himself about not perpetuating racism.

Kirkconnell has also apologized and recognized that her past actions were racist and offensive to people of color. 

Rachael Kirkconnell on a date with 'Bachelor' lead Matt James. She has since apologized for attending an Antebellum-themed party in 2018 held at a plantation.  (ABC/Craig Sjodin)

Matt James, who is the current "Bachelor" lead and first Black man in the role, also released a statement reacting to the controversy. He called the photos of Kirkconnell "incredibly disappointing." 

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"The reality is that I'm learning about these situations in real time, and it has been devastating and heartbreaking to put it bluntly," James, 29, said. "Chris' failure to receive and understand the emotional labor that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining that the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand intimately, was troubling and painful to watch."

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"My greatest prayer is that this is an inflection point that results in real and institutional change for the better," he concluded. 

Fox News' Nate Day contributed to this report.