It looks like nice guys no longer finish last. Jake Pavelka is officially the next love searcher on ABC's
The Bachelor, as confirmed by
Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron during Tuesday's deliberation episode. Hearing what might as well be Hollywood's worst kept secret, however, was somewhat anticlimactic considering various entertainment websites have already hinted on that possibility, not to mention the
revelation of alleged Bachelor contestant Brittney Gammel that Pavelka will be the one handing out roses for the show's 14th season.
Pavelka, a commercial pilot from Dallas, Texas, will be looking for love among 25 women on
The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love. Seriously, could this show be any cheesier? Shooting will begin in November and while no official premiere date has been set yet the new season will most likely air Mondays, as usual, in January 2010.
Fans of
The Bachelor-Bachelorette franchise know Pavelka as one of the contestant who competed for Jillian Harris last season of
The Bachelorette. He was considered a fan favorite early in the season though he failed to capture Harris' heart. He also made a controversial return on the show after being eliminated in episode 6 to warn Harris that contestant Wes Hayden had a girlfriend and was a big fat liar, and then took some heat from the other guys on the show for breaking the "man code." Shortly after, people found Pavelka guilty of "pulling a Mesnick" (leaning over a hotel rail and crying just like what Jason Mesnick did on
The Bachelor 13) after telling Harris about Wes' secret.
Many people immediately caught on the idea that ABC is prepping Pavelka to be the next Bachelor and this speculation was fueled even more during
The Bachelorette: Men Tell All special where Pavelka said "it would be an honor" to be the next Bachelor.
Let's hope Jake Pavelka has what it takes to make good TV.
-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist(Image courtesy of ABC)