SEASON PREMIERE

FAN FAVORITE DeANNA PAPPAS GETS A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE, AS THE FOURTH EDITION OF ABC'S ROMANCE REALITY SERIES "THE BACHELORETTE" PREMIERES MONDAY, MAY 19, ON ABC

This Season's Highlights Include a Backstage Visit to "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Bachelors' Dream Date to Dodger Stadium to Meet Tommy Lasorda and a Private Concert by Natasha Bedingfield

Jenni Croft, Brad Womack's Other Finalist, Returns to Help DeAnna Give a Rose on the Premiere

Millions of viewers watched DeAnna Pappas, 26, suffer through a painful, last-minute rejection by Brad Womack on the last season of "The Bachelor" -- earning her the sympathy of women everywhere. Now DeAnna will have the last laugh as the tables are turned and she gets to choose from among 25 bachelors in her own bid for true love. DeAnna's back � and this time it's all up to her -- as the fourth edition of the female version of ABC's popular romance reality series premieres, MONDAY, MAY 19 (9:02-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Editor's note: Beginning Monday, June 2, the program moves to its regular two-hour run time from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ET.

The brunette, brown-eyed real estate agent from Newnan, Georgia originally became a fan favorite when she was the final woman remaining on "The Bachelor" last November. Womack provided a huge shocker when he didn't select any woman � the first time in "Bachelor" history. Then DeAnna returned the favor, steadfastly confronting Brad on the "After the Final Rose" show, but when he kept to his decision, she was determined to move on.

Unfortunately, DeAnna is no stranger to heartache. Her mother died of cancer when she was only 12 years old, which only made her stronger and more independent. A native of Campbellsville, Kentucky, she definitely wants to get married and play an active part in her children's lives. After coming so close on "The Bachelor," she truly believes that she knows the type of man she has been searching for and that she will find him among the 25 lucky guys on "The Bachelorette."

In this season's premiere, "Episode 401," 25 eligible men come from all over the country to try and win DeAnna's heart, including a professional football player, professional snowboarder and professional basketball player, as well as successful lawyers, teachers and businessmen, each more handsome than the next and all with standout personalities. DeAnna is stunning in a sexy gold dress, and the guys can't take their eyes off of her. She has three "first impression" rose boutonnieres to give out and wastes no time, as one man's quiet charm captures her attention immediately emerging from the limo. Once inside her villa, the battle is on, as men present her with gifts, one asks her to dance and yet another bachelor -- who is a chef -- tries to make an impression by whipping up a special crab cocktail which he presents to DeAnna, much to the dismay of the other men.

Special guest Jenni Croft, who was the runner-up last November and also had her heart broken by Brad, returns to help DeAnna give out the second "first impression" rose. Now happily engaged herself, Jenni understands exactly the kind of man DeAnna is looking for, so while DeAnna continues to meet the men on her own, Jenni grills the guys in rapid-fire succession on the patio. Jenni and DeAnna consult with each other, and then the Bachelorette offers a rose to the second lucky man.

With the last "first impression" rose up for grabs, the competition really heats up. One bachelor shows off a first-rate karate move, kicking a lemon of another bachelor's head. Another man shows DeAnna his six-pack abs, as another lays on the southern charm. Finally, one of the guys, not to be outdone, jumps in the pool fully clothed, only to emerge in a tiny bathing suit with DeAnna's name embroidered across the rear. The pressure mounts as the evening goes on and the Bachelorette hands the third rose to a lucky suitor.

But by the end of the evening, DeAnna, having the time of her life and confident that her future husband is among this group of men, must eliminate ten of the 25 bachelors the first night, leaving 15 to compete for her affections and, in the end, her heart.

A list of bachelors will be released shortly.

For the first time ever, three different trios of lucky bachelors get to live in the mansion with DeAnna, while the rest of the men must live together in an unspectacular bunkhouse down the hill.

DeAnna's hunt for Mr. Right will take place during some of the most romantic and adventurous dates ever, and she has exciting surprises in store for her bachelors. She takes some of them to visit talk show host Ellen DeGeneres on the set of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," where Ellen puts them through a fun test and helps DeAnna with her decision on who should get a rose. DeAnna takes the winner of a singing contest to a private concert by pop chartbuster Natasha Bedingfield, and seven lucky guys get to go on a dream date to Dodger Stadium, where they play ball and meet Hall of Fame manager Tom Lasorda. Six guys get their ultimate fantasy date with DeAnna by racing stock cars for some private time with the Bachelorette. The final six men travel to Palm Springs for a glamorous date, and one lucky bachelor has a dinner date in Frank Sinatra's house. There's also a group date ho-down on a dude ranch, complete with line dancing, a mechanical bull and a campfire. This season will test the men's perseverance in pursuing their romantic objective, along with fun, exciting and exotic dates that will elicit real and raw passions.

As in the past, men will continue to be eliminated each week, but if at any point along the way a bachelor should decide that he's no longer interested in the Bachelorette, he can reject her invitation to continue dating. Two lucky men will meet her family, and she will visit the final four bachelors' hometowns for a slice of their lives in an effort to determine the man with whom she is most compatible. At the end of the journey, the Bachelorette may quite possibly have found true love. But the big question is: After all of this, will he pop the question, and will she say yes?

Hosted by Chris Harrison, "The Bachelorette" is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss, Martin Hilton and David Bohnert are the executive producers. "The Bachelorette" is broadcast with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. A TV parental guideline will be posted closer to airdate.

This episode of "The Bachelorette" will be available on ABC.com the day after airing on the network for users to watch online.