ABC has formally announced that former The Bachelorette fifth-season suitor Jake Pavelka will serve as The Bachelor's next star when the fourteenth season of the reality dating series premieres in January.
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Dubbed The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love, the show's upcoming installment will follow the 31-year-old commercial pilot from Dallas, TX as he whittles down 25 bachelorettes in an attempt to find love.
After The Bachelor host Chris Harrison teased last month on his Twitter account that Pavelka was "obviously" one of the candidates to serve as the show's next star, Brittney Gammel -- a 25-year-old Learjet pilot from Franklin, TN who claimed she would be one of his bachelorettes -- subsequently told her local ABC affiliate that he would be the star.
Pavelka was rejected by The Bachelorette fifth-season star Jillian Harris right before the hometown dates, however he returned to the show in an attempt warn her about fellow suitor Wes Hayden, claiming he had a girlfriend back home.
Hayden subsequently denied the accusations when confronted by Harris and Pavelka, and he reiterated his denial following his ouster.
ABC is billing Pavelka as "a fan favorite for his reputation as an honest guy with an open heart" who "freely shared and showed his emotions, and that's when the requests for Jake to be the next Bachelor started to pour in."
"Jake's fairytale-like experience falling for Jillian made him confident that he can find the love of his life on The Bachelor. Now, it's his time. Jake knows himself well enough to know that he's not made to live alone," said ABC in announcing Pavelka.
"He just needs to find the right woman -- his best friend and soul mate -- and that's whom he'll marry. Searching for a woman who is intelligent, confident, energetic and spontaneous, he admits that he can't wait for fatherhood."
Pavelka grew up in Denton, TX and began taking flying lessons at 12-years-old. He subsequently attended the University of North Texas and Embry Engineering University for Aerospace Science and became an airline captain flight instructor at the age of 23.
When he's not working, Pavelka "has fun flying acrobatic planes, taking dance lessons and woodworking at the home he owns near Dallas," according to ABC.
He has a younger brother and older brother -- both of whom are married -- as well as two nieces.
Gammel also previously stated The Bachelor will begin filming next month.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
