‘That was what Charity gave me’: Joey Graziadei reveals how his journey on ‘The Bachelorette’ prepared him for ‘The Bachelor’

Fans of The Bachelor franchise could not get enough of Joey Graziadei throughout season 20 of The Bachelorette — stealing the hearts of viewers all across America with his loyalty, thoughtfulness, and compassion for others — but because of this, watching his breakup with Charity Lawson was one of the most gut-wrenching moments in Bachelor Nation history.

Seemingly crushed by their split, fans of The Bachelor franchise were stunned when Joey Graziadei agreed to be the lead of season 28 of The Bachelor, given that the turnaround time between the two shows was rather speedy. Nonetheless, Joey seems to be completely over his feelings for The Bachelorette herself — with the tennis professional finding his perfect match (no pun intended) on The Bachelor, according to Reality Steve — but what does his relationship with Charity look like now?

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE prior to the premiere of season 28, the Pennsylvania native reflected on his journey on The Bachelorette fondly, explaining how his relationship with Charity prepared him for his role as The Bachelor. How sweet is that?

Keep scrolling to see for yourself…

According to The Bachelor himself, one of his biggest takeaways from his relationship with Charity Lawson — and something that he implemented as the lead of season 28 of The Bachelor — was vulnerability, admitting that “opening up more is a great thing.”

“One of the things I learned was that opening up more is a great thing. I was able to be vulnerable. I was able to share things that I maybe held for a while, and I think that that was what Charity gave me. She created that space and I try to do the same thing on my season. As much as possible, I try to make the women feel comfortable, feel like I was there to listen if they’re willing to share, just try to create that space to let them tell their own stories.”

Because of this, Joey believes that there will be “a lot of beautiful stories that people will resonate with” throughout season 28, and needless to say, we simply cannot wait to watch.

Out of the cast for season 28 of The Bachelor, who will steal the heart of the handsome Joey Graziadei in the end? To watch their love story from the very beginning, tune into ABC tonight to catch the premiere, or stream it the following day via Hulu. It is sure to be nothing short of spectacular!