Joey Graziadei Shares Why ‘The Bachelor’ Was Right for Him — and How He’ll Be Different
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The Bachelor is serving love in Season 28 with leading man/tennis pro Joey Graziadei. His journey to find love after his breakup with Charity Lawson begins on Monday, January 22, on ABC, and the reality star tells TV Insider that he was more than ready to take on the role of franchise lead when the opportunity came to him.
When he got notice that ABC was interested in making him the star of Season 28, Graziadei thought to himself, “How could I pass up on this? Because I would always look back and wonder what could have been.” This same mindset inspired his decision to apply for Charity’s season of The Bachelorette.
“I really talked about that a lot with my sister,” he says. “She said, you could possibly watch it one day, and if you’re watching and it’s not you, and you see someone get out of that limo and you’re like, that could have possibly been my wife, I would never forgive myself. So it’s always been the mindset. I’ve always done it through my entire life. If there’s opportunities that come along, they’re there for a reason, and you learn from all of them regardless. So why not take a leap of faith?”
The time following his exit from The Bachelorette was one of deep reflection. “I was just focused on getting back to my normal life,” he shares, “kind of getting ready for what it was going to be like to see myself on TV. I was back in Hawaii trying to get back to normalcy, is how I always word it. And through that time, I was able to continue to work on myself, realize what I learned, be grateful for the experience, move on from my relationship with Charity. And by the time the conversation started and I was interviewing for the Bachelor role, I was in a place where I felt ready.”
Graziadei will be a different kind of Bachelor star, it seems, because he has no doubts about his readiness to find his life partner.
“I got back to the same mindset I had throughout the show, which was [that] I do feel the most ready in my life to find my person. And if this opportunity comes along, I know I’ll say yes because of what we said,” he explains. “I know it’s something that I would regret if I said no to it, and it’d be amazing to be in a position where I can actually find my person. So when that question came, it was easy for me to say yes. I did put a lot of time into [the decision]. I always try to be prepped for those situations. I never want to be surprised by them. I never expected anything, but I was ready for it if it came my way.”
And that it did. Graziadei loves the franchise, sharing with us what he thinks makes it work after so many years.
“There’s a lot to be said about the people they bring on the show,” he says. “I think that’s a big part of it. They find really great people from different walks of life that just, I don’t know; it seems to work. The format is great TV. You’re putting people in tough situations. It’s challenging, but it’s just one of those things that I feel like it is held up because the people have been great, and the format has consistently held up through its time.”
As for what to expect in the January 22 premiere, Lea’s card given to her by Jesse Palmer in the After the Final Rose ceremony last year will deliver a big plot twist, as promised. Watch for what happens when she can finally open the card in the mansion in Episode 1.
The Bachelor, Season 28 Premieres, Monday, January 22, 8/7c, ABC
