Stealing the hearts of women (and men — we’re talking about you, Derek Hough) all across America, Bachelor Joey Graziadei is soooo much more than meets the eye, giving us a deeper glimpse into his past as a part of the Dancing With the Stars season 33 cast.
For those who are unfamiliar with Joey, the tennis coach was a contestant on season 20 of The Bachelorette, vying for the heart of former Dancing With the Stars finalist Charity Lawson, but to no avail. Finishing as the runner-up, Joey got his second shot at finding true love as the lead of season 28 of The Bachelor shortly afterwards, where he popped the question to his now-fiancée, Kelsey Anderson, come finale night.
Now, Joey has slipped on some dancing shoes and is trying his luck at the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy (alongside his professional dance partner, Jenna Johnson) on Dancing With the Stars season 33, and it is safe to say he has been successful so far. Who knew that the Bachelor could boogie?
Yesterday (Oct. 8) for “Hair Metal Night,” Joey and Jenna performed a Tango to “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by Scorpions, earning a score of 36 out of 40 and topping the leaderboard. Before that, the pair earned a 21 out of 30 for their Cha-Cha to “Dancin’ in the Country” by Tyler Hubbard during the Dancing With the Stars premiere, a 22 out of 30 for their Rumba to “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper during “Oscars Night,” and a 34 out of 40 for their Jive to “Shout” by The Isley Brothers during “Soul Train Night.”
Coinciding with these dances has been a lot of oh-so intriguing information about Joey’s past. For example, prior to their Cha-Cha to “Dancin’ in the Country,” the Pennsylvania native shared a personal anecdote about moving to Nashville, Tennessee after college, something that a majority of Bachelor Nation did not know about the man we watched for three months on The Bachelor. Not to mention the three months he spent on The Bachelorette as well…
Additionally, Joey shared that he was a powderpuff cheerleader in high school before his Jive to “Shout,” as well as a drummer in high school before his Tango to “Rock You Like a Hurricane.” Is there anything he can’t do?
Naturally, fans of both the Bachelor franchise and Dancing With the Stars have gotten a kick out of Joey’s seemingly endless side quests, taking to social media (specifically X) to poke fun at the Dancing With the Stars frontrunner:
It is unclear what other stories Joey will tell throughout his journey in the ballroom, but chances are there are dozens and dozens to come. “The Salsa is actually the perfect dance, ’cause I used to work at a Mexican restaurant when I was in high school,” one X user predicted about his forthcoming dance routine, and we could not help but chuckle.
Nevertheless, will Joey and Jenna continue to climb the leaderboard — all while sharing personal anecdotes along the way — eventually taking home the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy? The only way to know for sure is to tune into brand-new episodes of Dancing With the Stars each and every Tuesday via either ABC or Disney Plus.
Spoiler alert: Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik and his professional dance partner, Rylee Arnold, may give him a run for his money.