Reason Joey Graziadei Almost Bailed On ‘Bachelor’ Offer
Joey Graziadei’s season of The Bachelor was extremely successful. It was a ratings hit and ended in an engagement. He’s still with his final rose winner, Kelsey Anderson. Joey is one of the most popular leads from the show. But his season almost didn’t happen. Keep reading to find out why he almost bailed.
Joey Graziadei Credits His Women For Successful Season
Joey Graziadei was a fan-favorite contestant from Charity Lawson’s season. Many viewers felt his heartbreak when she chose Dotun Olubeko and sent Joey home in the Bachelorette Season 20 finale. Due to his popularity, he was chosen as the next Bachelor lead.
His season kicked off in January 2024 to the highest ratings the show had seen in a long time. But if you ask him, he had nothing to do with it. Joey Graziadei was a guest recently on The Squeeze podcast hosted by Twilight actor Taylor Lautner and his wife, also named Taylor Lautner, though she goes by “Tay” to avoid confusion.
The podcast delved into Bachelor Season 28. Taylor Lautner, the actor, pointed out that Joey Graziadei was a huge draw for viewers. However, Joey gave all the credit to his contestants. He said that the women were the stars of the show because of their “amazing stories” they weren’t afraid to share.
His One Casting Request
Joey Graziadei also spoke about the casting process. He said his season had an advantage because the casting team already knew he was the lead. Sometimes, like with Jenn Tran’s Bachelorette season, they cast the men before the lead.
But for Joey’s season, the casting could be more specific to what he was looking for. What was he looking for in his future wife? He told the podcast hosts that he didn’t have a lot of demands. He really only had one: He wanted someone who was kind. Not just to him, but to the other contestants, as well.
He found that in Kelsey Anderson. Joey said he was told by producers after The Bachelor season ended that they had to edit out how strong his and Kelsey’s connection was so the season wasn’t spoiled for viewers at home.
Why He Almost Bailed On The Bachelor
Joey Graziadei was still reeling from Charity Lawson sending him home when ABC approached him to be the next Bachelor. He said on The Squeeze podcast that he had some apprehensions about being the lead.
Taylor Lautner pointed out that Joey Graziadei was one of the few contestants to come out of The Bachelorette with a perfect record. The actor noted that Joey didn’t have any “dings” against him like so many other contestants do.
Joey Graziadei agreed with that assessment and said that it put even more pressure on him. He admitted that the leads get the “most scrutiny.” But he was encouraged by his friends and family saying that the Joey they saw on-screen was the same Joey they knew in person.
Ultimately, he said that he was glad he did the show and it was worth the pressure and stress.
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