ABC reveals its new 'The Bachelor' star, ninth edition to air this fall

Capping a somewhat remarkable one year turnaround in which it went from almost being canceled to finding a spot on a packed 2006-2007 ABC schedule that will include fifteen new series, ABC has announced that the ninth edition of its long-running The Bachelor franchise will air this fall.


Scheduled to air Monday nights at 9PM ET/PT and filmed in Rome, Italy, The Bachelor's ninth edition will star Prince Lorenzo Borghese, whom ABC simply describes as "a handsome 33-year-old cosmetics entrepreneur."

However, despite ABC's "cosmetics entrepreneur" billing, a quick Google search reveals that Prince Lorenzo might actually be a publicity-seeking frog. While he is a member of the Roman noble family, Borghese's current business venture isn't in what one would normally consider to part of the cosmetics industry -- instead he operates GetRoyalTreatment.com, an Internet retailer of canine "bath and body" products.

Billing himself as following in his family's tradition of "offering their cosmetics to the world," Borghese created Royal Treatment, a "prestigious line of all-natural, human-grade, gentle and effective bath and body pet products." According to the website, Royal Treatment has one goal -- to offer "the world's finest products for your royal pet." Among the products produced by the company are "SoLongStinky Odor Neutralizer Gel" and "SoLongStinky Scented Sachet." Borghese, who also sells his Royal Treatment products via QVC, lists Belle, his own black labrador who "smelled like a dog," as the reason his started the product line.

Clearly, being a prince is no longer what it used to be.

Prince Lorenzo Borghese, the star of ABC's ninth The Bachelor edition (photo credit ABC/Eric Liebowitz)

Borghese is the grandson of cosmetics creator Princess Marcella Borghese. Born Marcella Fazi, she became part of the Roman noble family when she married Prince Paolo Borghese, the Duke of Bomarzo, in 1937. The family had used custom-made cosmetics, made mostly from fruits and other natural ingredients, for generations.

In 1956, Princess Marcella -- who had taken to making her own lipsticks that color-coordinated with her wardrobe -- traveled to the United States and teamed with Revlon to start Princess Marcella Borghese Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Revlon Inc. Revlon sold the company, which produces upscale skin and cosmetics products that are sold in some of the world's most exclusive department stores, to Saudi investors in 1991.

Princess Marcella died in 2002 at age 90. She is buried in the Borghese family chapel in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

Once The Bachelor's ninth edition finishes its fall run, Supernanny will take its place.