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Chelsea Settles: MTV's New Star Is Fabulous, Fashionable – and 324 Lbs.

By Dahvi Shira

08/18/2011 at 12:00 PM EDT

There's a new reality TV starlet coming to Tinseltown in pursuit of a career in the fashion industry. But this girl doesn't exactly fit the Lauren Conrad mold.

For starters, she weighs 324 lbs.

MTV tells PEOPLE that the network will debut a new series this fall that follows Chelsea Settles, 23 – whom they describe as "a new kind of MTV heroine" – as she ditches her small town roots for life in the City of Angels, all while struggling to lose weight.



Unlike Conrad, 25 – who seemed to effortlessly fit the mold of a Teen Vogue intern or a People's Revolution employee – Settles's attempt to get her foot in the fashion door will be more challenging.

Leaving behind a military boyfriend who isn't always supportive, and a mom struggling with severe diabetes in her hometown outside of Pittsburgh, Settles embarks on her dream journey while facing her biggest hurdle: her size.

The new reality star will have "an opportunity to expand her social life by confronting the social phobias that have been holding her back," MTV explains in a press release. "[She'll have a chance] to take control of her weight in an effort to get healthy."

Viewers will also get a glimpse at the typical stresses that come with relocating and weight loss, including having a roommate for the first time, finding a job, working with a trainer and experiencing the L.A. social scene.

The series, which premieres with a special hour-long episode on Oct. 11 (11:00 p.m ET), will show Settles realizing that "her new environment may not be everything she thought or hoped."

The Hills, this is not.