TV Watch

Bachelorette‘s Reject Becomes New Bachelor

08/21/2008 at 12:00 AM EDT

The new season of The Bachelor hasn't even begun filming yet, but its star already has plenty of experience with rose ceremonies.

ABC has announced that Jason Mesnick -- who proposed to DeAnna Pappas on last season's Bachelorette, only to be rejected -- will become the new Bachelor.

This time, the divorced estate planner, 32, will be the one calling the shots in his quest for love.



The single dad (son Ty is 3) already has plenty of admirers. "I've gotten thousands of comments from fans," Mesnick recently told PEOPLE, adding that he's set up an e-mail account for his female fan mail. "The generosity and the kindness is unbelievable. Every one is so sweet and nice. All the comments are pure love."

Pappas, for her part, is engaged to Bachelorette winner Jesse Csincsak -- and the two are happily planning a May wedding. -- Kate Stroup

Craig Sjodin/ABC