Jillian Harris Becomes New Bachelorette After Escaping Bachelor Ending

ABC is used to riding Dancing with the Stars to reality TV success, with The Bachelor and Bachelorette placing second and third. But The Bachelor leapt back into the reality show headlines with its controversial ending, and controversy over how exactly it happened. Now The Bachelorette will try to capitalize on The Bachelor's new fame, with a Bachelorette that just narrowly avoided being part of the recent soap opera.

Jillian Harris, who was eliminated right before the mess that was The Bachelor's ending, will be chosen as the new Bachelorette for the spinoff's fifth season. Jillian Harris was one of those who made it to the final Rose Ceremony of The Bachelor before being eliminated.

But Jillian Harris may have it much better than the final two girls who did it make it. Currently, finalists Molly Malaney and Melissa Rycroft are the mere props to the major controversy of what the heck Bachelor Jason Mesnick was thinking in The Bachelor finale.

After Jillian Harris left, the Bachelor finale went into reality television infamy, as Mesnick selected Rycroft at the end - then dumped her for Malaney by the time the reunion special aired on Monday night.

The second part of the reunion special aired last night, which introduced Harris as the Bachelorette. But that was overshadowed by the still lingering buzz over Mesnick and his questionable mind set.

Currently, The Bachelor has press again, but not all of it is good. Questions are being raised over whether the circumstances of this ending, and the whole season, were scripted from the very beginning. That would also call into question whether Harris's near-miss was scripted as well.

But ABC is going all the way to the bank, as the network has enough reality show buzz to kill time until Dancing with the Stars comes back. Jillian Harris will get to continue that buzz as the Bachelorette, with production starting soon.

Right after the big Dancing with the Stars ending on May 18, Harris will premiere as The Bachelorette. Harris is completing her ride from interior designer in Canada, to reality show footnote, to full on reality show star.

Host Chris Harrison claimed that Jillian Harris "captured America's heart" Perhaps America is more stable with its choices for the heart than certain other people that Harris knows.

Sources

Reality TV World- "ABC reveals Jill Harris as 'The Bachelorette,' series to debut May 18" www.realitytvworld.com/news/abc-reveals-jill-harris-as-the-bachelorette-series-debut-may-18-8550.php

Newsday- "The Bachelor:' Still a Horse's Arse" weblogs.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/blog/2009/03/the_bachelor_still_a_horses_ar.html