Pilot Jake Will Be Next "Bachelor"

ABC's "The Bachelor" continues with its trend of selecting previously dumped contestants as their new stars.

Jake Pavelka was sent home by the most recent "Bachelorette," Jillian Harris, one episode before the hometown dates. Now, the hunky Dallas pilot returns, but this time he will be the one in control as the newest "Bachelor."

Fans were eager to see Pavelka back after he proved to be irresistibly charming by returning to the show after he had been eliminated for the sole purpose of alerting Harris about another contestant's lies.

"Jake -- who already knew Jillian would not take him back – freely shared and showed his emotions, and that's when the requests for Jake to be the next Bachelor started to poor in," ABC said in a statement.

Women already love him, but what kind of women will win Pavelka's attention?

"I'm going to look deep into the heart for the character," he told US. "The four most important things to me are similar qualities – someone who is romantic, passionate, compassionate and protective … and will laugh at my jokes!"

The season, which is flight themed in its title, "The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love," will start production soon and air in January of 2010.