Fall TV Blog

Jillian Harris, 29, was a Bachelor front-runner from the first night, but ultimately Jason Mesnick decided they weren’t meant to be more than friends after a steamy soak in a New Zealand spa. The Canadian restaurant designer talked to reporters from her home in Vancouver about the moment she fell in love, her infamous hot dog theory, the possibility of appearing on The Bachelorette and who she hopes will get the final rose. – Carrie Bell

Fans of the show were surprised when Jason did not give you a rose. Were you?
I was surprised. It is a unique situation. No matter how hard you’re falling for somebody, you always wonder if it is for real and if he’s the one. You have questions in your mind and heart, but when he let me go, I was sincerely disappointed and surprised.

You said on the show that you had fallen in love with Jason. In hindsight, is that true?
On a scale of one to ten, would he be a ten for what I’m looking for? Maybe not. But of all the men I have dated in my life, he possessed the most qualities that I was looking for. I still love him but I don’t think I am in love with him anymore. It’s like any other breakup. You have to heal yourself. You have to get over it and move on and hope the best for the person. (more…)

Stephanie Hogan, 34, was the last single mom standing on The Bachelor and after spending a week in the Seattle hometown of Jason Mesnick, she was sent home to Huntsville, Ala., and her 4-year-old daughter Sophia. The medical marketing rep talked on the phone with reporters about her friendly connection with Jason, his emotional goodbye, possible playdates for Sophia and Jason’s son Ty and whether she’d do The Bachelorette. – Carrie Bell

As a widow, a single mom and someone who didn’t watch The Bachelorette, you were a unique contestant in the show’s history. How did you end up on the show?
My sister and her friends watched The Bachelorette and thought Jason would be a match for me. He seemed a lot like my ex-husband. So, I wrote him a detailed letter … but thought it might be too stalker-ish to send it directly to him, so I sent a letter and a classy four-leaf clover paperweight to his father … I talked to his dad on the phone for 30 minutes and said, ‘If you feel like we would be a match because you know him the best, just Fed Ex this to him and tell him to give this girl a shot.’ Next thing I knew … my phone rang and it was the producers asking me to audition for the show.

Did you see your elimination coming?
I had my reservations because I felt like we connected on emotional levels and through our children and mentally. He saw the way I mother Sophia and I think he was attracted to that. But we were more friends. When he walked in the room, did he absolutely overwhelm me and do I think I did that for him? No. You have to have that. (more…)

The new season of The Bachelor hasn’t even begun filming yet, but its star already has plenty of experience with rose ceremonies.

ABC has announced that Jason Mesnick — who proposed to DeAnna Pappas on last season’s Bachelorette, only to be rejected — will become the new Bachelor.

This time, the divorced estate planner, 32, will be the one calling the shots in his quest for love.

The single dad (son Ty is 3) already has plenty of admirers. “I’ve gotten thousands of comments from fans,” Mesnick recently told PEOPLE, adding that he’s set up an e-mail account for his female fan mail. “The generosity and the kindness is unbelievable. Every one is so sweet and nice. All the comments are pure love.”

Pappas, for her part, is engaged to Bachelorette winner Jesse Csincsak — and the two are happily planning a May wedding. – Kate Stroup

Craig Sjodin/ABC