The Bachelor Season 2 : Aaron Buerge Returns

ABC's ''The Bachelor'' and ''The Bachelorette'' have been ratings successes, but in terms of setting up lasting couples, they're 0 for 2. Last week, second-season swain Aaron Buerge announced that he and fiancée Helene Eksterowicz had ended their brief engagement over New Year's, for reasons that the estranged twosome will explain on a Feb. 20 ABC special. Now, Amanda Marsh, who successfully wooed Alex Michel in the first season, has confirmed the long-brewing rumors that they have also split. We're not sure what this means for Trista Rehn's pick on the ''Bachelorette'' finale next week, but we'd suggest to him that he might want to wait before registering for gifts.

Aaron Buerge of the hit ABC show, "The Bachelor," picked Helene in the season finale of show.Before making a decision, Aaron took Helene and Brooke home to meet his parents in Springfield, Mo. Helene Eksterowicz, 27, is a school psychologist for an elementary school. Brooke Smith, 22, is a college student.

It was hard to determine which bachelorette his parents, grandmother, brother and sister-in-law liked. They all seemed to want whomever would make Aaron happy.In fact, his grandmother said she could see either one as his wife, but it was up to him.Aaron had the exact same plans for both ladies when they arrived at his hometown, so that was not an indicator either. They went flying, then boating, toured his bachelor pad and his new restaurant, and then sat at his parents' home to talk.The first bachelor, Alex, did not propose. Alex and Amanda have since split.

In the end, the battle between the blond bombshell and the brunette beauty came down to age. Aaron admitted that he really noticed the difference when he took Brooke home. He said he realized that she was young, and she may not know yet what she wants in life.Even though Brooke put on a her "game face" after Aaron turned her down, she cried in the car, saying, "I wanted to tell him, 'You've made the biggest mistake of your life.' "Aaron's choice, however, may have been obvious all along. In the second episode of this season, Aaron pleaded with Helene not to leave the show, even going so far as to give her his personal cell phone number in case she wanted to call him after the show was over.