The Wales international, without a club after Toulon released him last month, will star in The Bachelor as 25 glamorous women compete to be the woman of his dreams.
Among those taking part in the Channel 5 series are a number of models, a web developer and twins who switched from athletics to property development.
Last year Henson split from singer Charlotte Church - with whom he has two children.
He has previously featured in the line-up for Strictly Come Dancing and on ITV1 adventure series 71 Degrees North.
Contestants will be whittled down through a variety of group dates and one-to-one meetings as Henson chooses the ideal partner.
The hopefuls will all be living together in a villa in Southern Europe with Henson living nearby in a bachelor pad.
Channel 5 said viewers should "expect flirting, bitching and heartfelt emotion as the contestants do whatever it takes to impress Gavin".
Henson said: "I'm so excited to have been cast as The Bachelor as I really feel the time is right for me to find a girl to hopefully spend the rest of my life with.
"I've always been dedicated to my rugby and continue to train hard but as the season draws to an end I can focus on meeting the right girl.
"It can be hard in my situation to meet women and The Bachelor will give me the unique opportunity to go on some incredible dates and spend quality time getting to know amazing women from all over the UK."
C5's director of programmes Jeff Ford said: "Gavin Henson is the perfect bachelor and is hoping to find his ideal partner. I'm sure the viewers will enjoy this high-energy and exciting journey as we follow Gavin in his quest to find true love."
A Welsh Rugby Union spokesman said Henson's next training stint with Wales will begin on June 30, running into July ahead of warm-up fixtures against England in August.
He explained that players have tailored programmes to fit around other commitments and holidays.
"The squad are currently committed to personalised training programmes in and around prescribed holiday periods, meaning some are already on site at WRU headquarters and others have been given regimes to follow away from camp depending on their personal requirements, like Gavin, or are resting or undergoing rehab.
"Gavin is fulfilling a work commitment which was in place before he was selected for national squad duty and doing so in the full knowledge of the Wales management team. He has already undergone periods of extra conditioning work and is maintaining constant contact with the WRU's head of strength and conditioning Adam Beard."
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