Identity of ABC 'Bachelor' Byron Velvick's final selection leaked?

Has the identity of The Bachelor Byron Velvick's final selection -- and whether or not the couple gets engaged -- been leaked?


Based on last night's selection of his final two suitors, it appears that the frequently derided National Enquirer celebrity gossip magazine has successfully spoiled the ending of the current season of the once popular but now slumping (and buzz-hungry) ABC reality dating series. Then again, given that the network successfully avoided any insider information leaks during the first five editions of The Bachelor, perhaps the Enquirer's apparent scoop is just an intentional attempt to generate some much-needed publicity for the long-running but waning reality series.

WARNING: The following story contains possible show spoiler information. If you don't want to know about the show's possible outcome, please stop reading now.

Unlike spoilers on the identity of Bachelor 2 Aaron Buerge's final selection or more recently The Apprentice 2's final twosome, the source of this spoiler isn't related to online gambling websites but instead the word of an apparent loudmouthed show insider -- the type of source that had proven unreliable in the past (or at least had when they were those of E! Online's gossip columnist Kristen), but so far, has given every indication of being accurate with regard to The Bachelor 6.

After having correctly reported back in August that, despite ABC's attempt to keep the decision a mystery, Byron would be selected over fellow finalist Jay Overbye to be this season's bachelor, The Enquirer reported last week (when there were still four women left competing) that the 40-year-old professional bass fisherman would select Mary Delgado, a 36-year-old real estate agent from Tampa, FL, and Tanya Michel, a 31-year-old teacher from teacher from Plano, TX, to be his two Bachelor 6 finalists. While so-called spoiler reports of upcoming reality TV happenings that ultimately prove to be false are unfortunately not uncommon among gossip columnists (and therefore why we've grown somewhat leery of reporting on them), The Enquirer's report appears to have gone a long way toward proving itself accurate when Byron eliminated Cyndi, a 37-year-old charity director from Hermosa Beach, CA, from the competition during last night's broadcast -- leaving Tanya and previous "Bachelor Bob" reject Mary as the program's only two remaining bachelorettes.


Not content with simply revealing The Bachelor's final two women, The Enquirer insider also told the paper that Byron ultimately selected Mary when the program was filmed earlier this summer. After reportedly selecting her, as the first bachelor obligated to either propose to the woman that he selected or walk away and never see her again, Byron got down on his knee and proposed to the somewhat guarded former NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleader who was still smarting from having her heart broken by Bachelor 4's Bob Guiney.

According to the Enquirer's source, Byron's decision surprised even the show's producers, who, desperate to break the reality franchise's pitiful 0-for-5 relationship record, cast an older group of bachelors and bachelorettes this season. "The producers felt that Mary resonated with the viewing audience, and wanted to bring her back for a second try," the insider told The Enquirer. "They never dreamed she would win!"

"They're in love. It's a big surprise twist," added the source. "Byron flipped for Mary. Now the story is that they're in love and will end up as the first married couple from The Bachelor."

But according to the same Enquirer source, Mary and Byron's supposed happiness did not come without controversy. At least some of the program's other bachelorettes continue to harbor resentment over the producers decision to add former Bachelor 4 bachelorette Mary and Bachelor 2 bachelorette Heather to the show's competition after Byron had already narrowed the group to ten.

"They've been griping that the show was rigged against them, and they have a point," said the insider. ""They were brought on with the original 25, told that these were the girls they would be competing against, and then, at the last minute, they lost out to an experienced former contestant. They complained that if Mary was coming back, she should have been there from the beginning."


And the insider claimed to have one more scoop for The Enquirer -- that the seventh edition of The Bachelor (expected to air in Spring 2005, following January's debut of the Jen Schefft-led third edition of The Bachelorette) will apparently steal a page from the premise of the ABC Family channel's Bachelor-inspired I Want To Marry Ryan Banks original movie and feature a celebrity as its bachelor. "They've used a sports figure--New York Giants quarterback Jesse Palmer--but never a more high-profile personality," the insider told the weekly. "The network is hoping this will add to the popularity of the show."