Over the years, The Bachelor franchise has given many unforgettable personalities, but Joey Graziadei, the lead of Season 28, brought something fresh to the show. The genuine approach that Graziadei had towards love and the interesting details of his life made him popular among viewers.
Fans have seen Graziadei on The Bachelor, but this Pennsylvania native has much more to offer. Below, we bring you 10 lesser-known things about Joey Graziadei that even the hardcore Bachelor Nation followers might find surprising.
Joey Graziadei has Italian roots
Joey Graziadei was born and raised in Royersford, Pennsylvania. He graduated from West Chester University. However, his father, Nick Graziadei, and his mother, Cathy Pagliaro, both have Italian backgrounds.
Later, Graziadei made a career decision to become the Head Tennis Pro at Makai. For Graziadei, Hawaii has been a permanent home, and he surely enjoys the lifestyle there. His social media consists of pictures of his time in Hawaii, surfing at Kauai, and watching the sunset at Hanalei Pavilion Beach Park.
Joey Graziadei is very close to his family despite his parents’ split up
Despite Graziadei’s parents’ decision to divorce early in his childhood, the importance of family stays solid throughout his life. In the show The Bachelorette, he talked about his family dynamics and shared that his parents ensured that they supported their children after the separation through co-parenting. During a Bachelor Happy Hour episode, he shared,
My family is just an extremely loving family. And both my parents were amazing co-parents, so the fact that that didn’t work out doesn’t take away from romance for me.
“My dad is one of my favorite people in this world and I talk to him about everything,” he further added. From this perspective, it shows how positive family relationships, even after having their own imperfections, influenced Graziadei’s perspective about love and relationships.
Joey Graziadei’s father is gay
Graziadei became the highlight during The Bachelorette premiere when he shared that his father came out as gay. He said that his father accepted being gay during his kindergarten year, which came as a major dramatic change in the definition of love for him and made him “more loving and accepting.”
Graziadei revealed on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast that he had long conversations with his father before revealing his identity to the world. Graziadei said,
I had a conversation with my dad before going on the show, and I wanted to make sure he was okay with me sharing his story. It’s something that’s affected me, but it’s really his life.
Graziadei also shared that his father coming out was not something as spontaneous as it might sound, and this careful consideration of the sensitivity of the issue confirms the closeness between the father and the son.
Joey Graziadei has two siblings
Joey Graziadei has two sisters, Eleanor (Ellie) and Carly. Carly, the firstborn sibling of the Graziadei family, graduated from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and is currently working at an assisted living facility in Audubon, Pennsylvania, as a resident relations coordinator.
When signing up for his season of The Bachelor, Graziadei was residing with Carly and her husband Zach in Philadelphia at the beginning of 2024, as he said on the Chicks in the Office podcast. Ellie, his younger sister, not as outgoing as the other two, graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University in the year 2019.
Joey Graziadei is a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan
Graziadei has no direct connection to Wisconsin, but he is a die-hard fan of the Green Bay Packers, as his mother is a fan of the football team. On Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe podcast, he revealed that his mother has family members from Wisconsin. Graziadei shared,
If my mom has instilled anything in me, it’s for the love of the Packers. It’s the only team it actually kills me if they lose.
This is not just casual support. Graziadei is fully dedicated to the team and has once worn three jeans at once to a game because of frozen weather, saying it was “so terrible” yet “so fun.” Although he supports his own hometown Philadelphia Eagles, his love for the Packers overpowers when both teams face off against each other.
Joey Graziadei had a tennis career
The Collegeville High School in Pennsylvania saw the initial signs of Graziadei’s love for tennis. According to the West Chester University Athletics Department, it is documented that the 5’11”, 170 lbs athlete took up his college athletic career where he joined Division II Men’s Tennis and continued his degree in Communication and Media Studies.
This being the case, Graziadei had to set up life in Hawaii after finishing college in order to pursue his passion as a profession. His LinkedIn profile reflects his career journey from head tennis professional at Princeville Makai Golf Club to the Kukui’ula Development Club as a lifestyle and experience ambassador.
Joey Graziadei plays other sports as well
Apart from tennis, Graziadei’s athletic preferences show his love for other sports as well. His love for outdoor activities is well known among his fans as he tries to squeeze all the fun and adventure of being in Hawaii, and this includes surfing, hiking, and exploring beautiful places on the island.
Golf is another favorite sport of The Bachelor star. In June 2023, he had a very special day at Princeville Makai Golf Club as he shared on his Instagram, “First hole in one. First time breaking par. All on the golf course that I learned how to play and my favorite hole in Hawaii.” It is a testament to his effort to explore various sports apart from tennis.
Joey Graziadei has Gilbert Syndrome
In 2024, Joey Graziadei clarified the yellowish tinge visible in his eyes due to Gilbert syndrome. This is a benign liver disorder that was diagnosed during high school, which causes occasional jaundice in his eyes because of a weakened ability to process bilirubin.
Graziadei revealed how he came to learn about his condition on Instagram. He mentioned,
I have to go all the way back to when I was in high school. I was sick for about a week and a half, and my mom thought it would be a good idea to go to the doctor.
They found out that there was nothing necessarily wrong, like hepatitis. But they diagnosed me with something called Gilbert syndrome.
Graziadei takes care of his health by staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, and having methods of dealing with stress in order to keep fit.
Joey Graziadei loves country music
On his official The Bachelorette bio on ABC’s website, Graziadei’s love for country music is quite apparent. This musical preference has become a mutual one with his now fiancée, Kelsey Anderson, as both were seen enjoying the 2024 CMA Fest/Bachelor activation.
The couple also talked during the Red Carpet interview at the event, and both of them quite enthusiastically discussed the festival. Graziadei shared his familiarity with Nashville’s biggest weekend, saying, “This is a big deal for the city, I know it’s one of their biggest weekends,” (via ABC7 San Francisco). Some of the artists, loved by the couple, are Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, and Jordan Davis.
Joey Graziadei was nervous before getting engaged to Kelsey Anderson
When Graziadei was a contestant for Charity Lawson on The Bachelorette season, he had to go through rejection when he was the runner-up, and after that, he was quite vocal about his anxiety around rejection. In The Bachelor season 28, he revealed, “With Charity, I tried to get down on one knee, and I was stopped. So my biggest fear is the one walking out.”
Before meeting Kelsey Anderson in The Bachelor, Graziadei shared that he wants “someone that’s just themselves that I can truthfully be a partner with.” After Daisy’s self-elimination, he finally proposed to Ms. Anderson, and she happily said yes, and the couple has been engaged for some time now.
For Joey Graziadei, life has changed drastically from his youth in Pennsylvania to joining the Bachelor Nation and finding love. Honesty about personal struggles, relationships with parents, and the search for love has made him one of the most down-to-earth bachelors ever.
The Bachelor is available to stream on Hulu.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
