'Bachelor' Star Calls Off Winner's Engagement and Goes With Runner-Up

In this image released by ABC, Jason Mesnick is shown in a promotional photo for the upcoming ABC series "The Bachelor," premiering Monday, Jan. 5, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Mesnick, a single dad, will star in his own bid for true love, choosing from among 25 bachelorettes. (AP Photo/ABC, Craig Sjodin) ** NO SALES **

NEW YORK – "The Bachelor" had a change of heart, leaving his fiancee in a lurch and viewers up in arms.

Jason Mesnick, a 32-year-old single dad, proposed to Melissa Rycroft in Monday night's season finale of the ABC reality dating show. But in the subsequent "After the Final Rose" special, taped six weeks after Mesnick's proposal, he told Rycroft he was dumping her because he still had feelings for the runner-up, Molly Malaney.

Hurt and angry, Rycroft said: "Don't call me and don't talk to me. Leave me alone."

Mesnick said he hated himself for what he was doing. Rycroft gave her ring back and walked off stage.

Then Malaney came out and she agreed to give Mesnick another shot at love.