Normally I wouldn't care about a desperate pitch by ABC to boost ratings for a show's premier, but this one is pretty good. Apparently, one of the finalists in the upcoming next season of The Bachelor was sleeping with the crew... I bet he picks her anyway after she gives him a tearful apology - and passes the test of fire, of course.

The season premiere of The Bachelor is still a few days away, but the 14th installment of the reality show has already gotten its first big scandal. A finalist vying for the heart of Texas pilot Jake Pavelka was reportedly caught in an affair with a crew member from the show, UsMagazine.com has learned.

ABC made the news public when it aired a brief promo about the unnamed female contestant late last week.

"She's been having this sexual affair with somebody else in the Bachelor house," one of the other women says in the clip.

This isn't the first time The Bachelor has faced scandal. As first reported by Us, The Bachelorette's Ed Swiderski allegedly cheated on Jillian Harris while filming and had two girlfriends at the time he proposed (he denied the allegations). In March, Bachelor star Jason Mesnick famously dumped ex-fiance Melissa Rycroft on national television for fellow finalist Molly Malaney.

The new season of The Bachelor, which was filmed last fall, premieres Monday with Pavelka -- who was rejected by Harris on the last season of The Bachelorette -- meeting his 25 potential mates.

This story is neat, but it needs to be pizzazed up ABC. How about the member of the crew is the show's director who is also the brother of the bachelor! *GASP* Now we're getting somewhere. Throw in an angry mistress, some mud wrestling and a tiger and, baby, I'm in.