Madison man vies for heart of 'Bachelorette' starts tonight

Are you a Bachelorette addict? Well, the first step on the road to recovery is admitting you have a problem — and bookmarking. Emily “Tragic Single Mom” Maynard kicks off her husband-seeking “journey” tonight, and we here at Rose Lovers Central have so much coverage planned, it’s almost embarrassing. Here’s a quick rundown of everything you can expect:

“I’ve got more than a theory. You know why?” opines his boss, Advertising Director Roland Weeks.

“I’ve been online. I’ve read the blogs. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s top 5,” Weeks said of Pope, who is among a pack of 25 suitors vying for bachelorette and North Carolina resident Emily Maynard’s love.

Watch The Bachelorette with author Jennifer Weiner — every week! Yes, the best-selling novelist (In Her Shoes, Little Earthquakes, Then Came You) and confessed Bachelor/Bachelorette junkie will be joining EW readers in the ViEWer room to live blog Emily’s “journey” all season. Log on tonight at 9:30 p.m. (EST) right here as Weiner leads a wine-fueled discussion about Emily, her suitors, and all of the rose-seeking shenanigans.

Said ad rep Glenda Gilmer: “He’s like a little brother. It’s like you want to keep him out of trouble.”

But is he a player?

“From the stories I’ve heard, I’d say so,” observes ad rep Marcus Burger. “I’ve talked to his friends from MSU. He’s not shy.”

Chris Harrison’s back as EW.com’s exclusive Bachelorette blogger! Everyone’s favorite reality TV host (at least, everyone I know) and blogger extraordinaire will be back to share his behind-the-scenes insights and wry personal take on every episode. Got burning Bachelorette questions? Ask them in the comments — he’ll answer them in his blog and in Entertainment Weekly.

Need more? Read my weekly recaps! No, seriously, please do. Otherwise, my 10-year love/hate relationship with this godforsaken reality TV franchise has been in vain.

“He’s a Southern charmer. He’s really camera friendly.”

Pope, a 30-year-old Madison resident employed almost three years as an ad rep at the newspaper, will have the attention of thousands of metro-area residents tonight when The Bachelorette premiers at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.