Joey Graziadei

Fans immediately fell in love with Joey Graziadei last year when he appeared on The Bachelorette and were thrilled when he was announced as the lead for The Bachelor season 28. To be blunt, it hasn’t been easy to be a fan of The Bachelor so there was some hesitation over what his season would bring. Fortunately, Graziadei was literally the best thing that has happened to this franchise in years! Graziadei reminded audiences that good guys do still exist and gave us a season that cemented his status as one of, if not the, greatest Bachelor in the history of the show. He was mindful of his contestants’ feelings and incredibly protective of the women of his season, shutting down drama and defending them against online trolls while also stepping in when production put the women in uncomfortable positions. He wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable and express his emotions, which allowed for a safe space for the women of his season to do the same. There were no messy breakups, he handled fantasy suites with the utmost respect and was mindful of only telling one woman he loved her, which was the woman he ultimately left the show happily engaged to. It’s going to be hard to top Graziadei’s season of the show, but words can’t express the impact he’s had on Bachelor Nation.

As fans look back 10 years from now, they’ll hopefully have been treated to several amazing new seasons of The Bachelor with leads that followed in Joey Graziadei’s footsteps in bringing fans a Bachelor who not only was incredibly charming and clearly enjoyed the process, but was also respectful of the women of his season, supporting them throughout the journey by actively listening, shutting down unnecessary drama and showing up for them every day.

Over the years, there have been many Bachelor Nation alums competing on Dancing with the Stars but Joey Graziadei made history this year by becoming the first Bachelor lead to not only make it to the finale but to win the entire competition! Getting to watch Graziadei come into his own as a dancer over the course of the season was such a fun ride and we loved seeing Graziadei giving every single dance 110 percent and fully embracing each dance’s character. Graziadei was one of the best contestants the show has seen in years and we’re so thrilled his journey ended with him getting to raise the Mirrorball Trophy!