LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- Jen Schefft, the winner of season three of "The Bachelor," has been named the next star of "The Bachelorette."

ABC announced today the series will return for its third installment in January 2005.

Here's the official press release:

IT'S OFFICIAL, SO "START SPREADING THE NEWS..."

FAN FAVORITE JEN SCHEFFT "TAKES MANHATTAN" AND SIGNS UP FOR LOVE IN THE ABC TELEVISION NETWORK'S "THE BACHELORETTE" FOR THE 2004-05 SEASON

Reality TV star and fan favorite Jen Schefft gets a second chance at love in the third installment of "The Bachelorette," when the show returns to the ABC lineup in January 2005. This season "The Bachelorette" says goodbye to the beaches of Southern California and hello to the streets of the Big Apple, as New York becomes the exciting new location for the hit series. With brand new possibilities for sophisticated romantic dates, New York City is destined to give Jen - and viewers - the most provocative "Bachelorette" experience yet.

Schefft, a 28-year-old from Chicago, was originally introduced to television audiences during the third installment of "The Bachelor," in which Andrew Firestone proposed to her. Although her relationship with Firestone was serious and ultimately ended in heartbreak, Schefft remains a hopeless romantic and is optimistic about finding her husband on "The Bachelorette."

In a first for the series, Schefft will actually help select the men who will vie for her heart. As for the qualities of her ideal mate, Jen says: "This show found Trista the man of her dreams and now it's my hope to find the one man with whom I can spend the rest of my life. My husband needs to be someone who is down-to-earth yet ambitious. I want us to be able to connect on all levels."

Now that Jen is available, men will be lining up to meet her, finding that, like Trista, she has a magnetic appeal. Schefft will be kicking off her quest in New York on Friday, August 13, at the Pacific Grill from 4:00-8:00 p.m. The search will also sweep the nation with stops in Chicago, San Diego, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Miami, among other cities. Interested and eligible men can learn more about these casting events and the application process by logging on to abc.com (keyword: "bachelorette") or by calling (866) 739-3150.

As in the previous "Bachelorette" series, Jen will be introduced to a group of handsome, intelligent men who share her desire to find true love. During the course of the series, she will take in the incredible sites of New York City and travel to exotic locations, all while getting to know these men. She will introduce them to her family and friends, and meet some of theirs as well. Should Jen find her guy at end of the courtship, will she propose to him? And if she does, will he say yes?

"The Bachelorette" with Trista Rehn (2003), which resulted in her marriage to Ryan Sutter, and Meredith Philips (2004), who is currently engaged to Ian McKee, were both solid performers for ABC during each of the past two seasons. Each edition ranked as ABC's second-highest-rated entertainment series in its respective season in the key Adults 18-49 demographic, behind only "The Bachelor."

Chris Harrison, host of "The Bachelor" and HGTV's popular primetime series, "Designers' Challenge," guides this romantic journey. Harrison knows Jen well, given their association during the previous show. Undoubtedly she will confide in him and possibly get advice as her dating life progresses. Having found true love with a college sweetheart who is now his wife and advising the previous bachelor and bachelorettes, Harrison is in a unique position to offer perspective during this process.

"The Bachelorette" is produced by Next Entertainment in association with Telepictures Productions. Mike Fleiss ("High School Reunion") is executive producer. Lisa Levenson, Scott Jeffress and Jason Carbone are co-executive producers.