‘BACHELOR’ WINNER REVEALED

Spoiler alert: If you don’t want to find out who wins the heart of the latest lover boy on TV’s “The Bachelor,” STOP reading now!

Because The ENQUIRER can reveal that “Bachelor” Byron Velvick has something about Mary–Mary Delgado, that is, the 36-year-old real estate agent from Tampa, Fla.

CHALLENGER

Tanya Michel, the teacher from Plano, Texas, gave her a big challenge but comes in second. And in a romantic final rose ceremony, the 40-year-old bass fisherman from Boulder City, Nev., will get down on bended knee and propose marriage to Mary.

“Delgado comes back and she WINS!” gushed a show insider. “They’re in love. It’s a big surprise twist!”

What propelled Mary–the oldest bachelorette ever to appear on “The Bachelor”–to the top spot was her familiarity with the hit ABC reality show.

In 2003, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleader vied for the hand of “Bachelor” Bob Guiney during the show’s fourth season. She made it to the final three before being sent home brokenhearted. This time, Mary is the last woman standing.

“The producers felt that Mary resonated with the viewing audience, and wanted to bring her back for a second try,” the insider told The ENQUIRER. “They never dreamed she would win!”

But the other bachelorettes were unhappy when the show sprang Mary on them as a surprise.

“They’ve been griping that the show was rigged against them, and they have a point,” said the insider.

COMPLAINTS

“They were brought on with the original 25, told that these were the girls they would be competing against, and then, at the last minute, they lost out to an experienced former contestant. They complained that if Mary was coming back, she should have been there from the beginning.

“But they were going up against love, or at least, infatuation. Byron flipped for Mary. Now the story is that they’re in love and will end up as the first married couple from ‘The Bachelor.'”

Meanwhile, producers are already looking ahead to the next season of the show–and have decided that signing a celebrity as the new “Bachelor” will rev up ratings.

“They’ve used a sports figure–New York Giants quarterback Jesse Palmer–but never a more high-profile personality,” the insider added.

“The network is hoping this will add to the popularity of the show.”

–PETER DAVIDSON and MICHAEL GLYNN