Season 6
For first time ever, the sixth edition of The Bachelor opens with a "Lady's Choice Ceremony" in which the 25 bachelorettes appearing on the program get to choose between one of two 40-year-old men to star as the program's bachelor.
During the initial "Lady's Choice Ceremony" the 25 bachelorettes, who range in age between 26 to 39, will have to choose between two very accomplished but completely different Bachelor candidates: Jay Overbye and Byron Velvick.
Bachelor candidate #1 is Jay Overbye, a 40-year-old New Jersey native who has never been married and sells residential real estate. Jay grew up in Massachusetts and went to College of Wooster in Ohio, graduating with a degree in communications.
His career took him from the public relations staff of the Cleveland Indians to working in advertising for both Young & Rubicam and PC Magazine to co-founding starting his own computer networking business in 1993.
After selling the company in 2002, he traveled the world and "did some modeling" before returning to New York City.
Jay is very close to his family and is "truly looking to fall madly in love." Having never been married, he is said to be "at a place in his life" where he is ready to take that step and start a family.
Jay applied for The Bachelor after discussing it with his family and friends and was found at a New York casting call. A big history buff, he loves to play golf and go boating, as well as travel internationally when not working.
The other Bachelor candidate, Byron Velvick, is a 40-year-old professional bass fisherman. A California native, Byron graduated of the University of California at Irvine with a degree in English, but realising he was always interested in fishing, opted to become a professional fisherman.
A two-time U.S. Open champion (1991, 1996) on the professional fishing circuit, Byron is a true outdoorsman who also enjoys biking and hiking.
Previously married once and divorced, Byron "enjoys being married more than being single." Not wanting to admit to having ever seen The Bachelor before, Byron claims he applied for the program at the recommendation of friends.
A "self-described hopeless romantic," he is excited and ready to find his soul mate, get married and start a family but warns women that he does already have one true love in his life - his dog Sabrina, who's a mix of Shar Pei and Ridgeback.
When the season begins, the women are be aware of the twist and will have no idea that they will get the chance to select their Bachelor.
On the men's side, Jay and Byron will be aware that they are competing for each woman's Lady's Choice rose, but will not have met before the series begins.
Additionally, while all the women will continue participating in the program regardless of which man emerges victorious at the Lady's Choice Ceremony, the remaining bachelor will not be aware of how each woman voted before having to narrow the bachelorette group to 15 during the program's first traditional Rose Ceremony.
After the first Rose Ceremony ends there'll be once last initial twist with, for the first time ever, the selected Bachelor joining the women in their move to the Ladies' Villa, where he'll also reside for the duration of the series.