New Bachelor Joey Says, ‘I’m Never Going to Try to Compare Myself to Gerry’

ABC

New The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei has the unenviable task of making fans love a young guy again after senior star Gerry Turner’s The Golden Bachelor set ratings records.

Gerry, 72, revived the franchise last fall as he picked financial services professional Theresa Nist, 70, to be his forever partner.

The two topped off their successful showmance by getting married live on camera on ABC’s The Golden Wedding special on Jan. 4.

Now Joey, 28, has to follow that juggernaut in a back-to-basics Season 28 of the original show.

The hunky tennis pro from Pennsylvania who has also lived in Hawaii got his heart broken as Charity Lawson’s runner-up on The Bachelorette Season 20 last year. She chose Dotun Olubeko instead.

But fan favorite Joey was soon named the next Bachelor.

Before the show’s Monday, Jan. 22 premiere, Joey spoke to Parade about measuring up to Gerry, what he’s looking for in a woman, what fans can expect from the contestants, including a bizarre sister act, and how he approached fantasy suites.

How would Joey sum up his entire Bachelor season?

The tennis teacher told Parade via a Zoom 1:1, “It was fun. It was a great experience. I’m just very excited that this thing is finally getting going and I’m just ready for it to all come out. I’m feeling very lucky, very grateful.”

What was it like meeting the women on night one?

Joey said of the parade of ladies out of the limos, “I was definitely blown away by the entrances. Mine was easygoing [and] calm because that’s more me and I was very blown away how much these women stepped out of their comfort zone, did some fun things with tennis puns [and] showed their personalities off.”

What surprised Joey most about his group of gals?

“I think I learned through the process—and even right away on night one, was just, they all have had a lot of different experiences, they came from all over the nation (and Canada) in general, they had great stories. I knew pretty early on that I had an interesting group of women that had a lot to share,” he said.

How did Joey feel having two sisters as competitors?

It’s already been revealed that beauties Lauren and Allison, who are sisters, will vie for Joey’s heart. “It definitely wasn’t something I expected coming in,” Joey admitted to Parade. “I think the best part about it, from my side, is that they seem very okay with it. How they handled that on night one, how they talked me through it, they gave me confidence, and I think what I was most thinking of was what they were feeling and to make sure I wasn’t pitting not only women against each other but sisters against each other. That’s something I never would want to do but I mean, they were okay with it, and I just had to roll with it.”

How did Joey respond to his contestant named Daisy with hearing loss?

“I think she’s one of those examples of what I said, just an amazing story,” Joey noted. “She definitely had a really tough hand dealt to her with Lyme Disease and how it affected her hearing and I just think that how she’s handled that and her energy as a person rings true. I think people are really going to enjoy learning about her story.”

Who is one of the women fans will see Joey get intrigued by in the first episode?

The Bachelor told Parade of a brunette who has worked as an actress, “Maria is like a spark plug. She’s got a lot of energy. She’s her own person and she wears it proudly. I think that’s a great thing. I think that’s something that can be very attractive in someone. Right from the get go, I could tell that Maria was going to be doing her own thing and it was exciting to get to know her.”

What was Joey’s first rose ceremony like?

“It’s tough,” he laughed. “I mean, that first feeling of walking in and seeing those eyes [of the competitors]. Whenever they all say my name in unison, I have to stop for a second. It’s a lot, but again, it’s probably the worst part of the experience. Every time stepping into that rose ceremony, you’re going to be hurting people through this process. But each time, you just gotta go in with your head held high and be confident in the decisions that you’re making.”

How hard was it to follow the success of The Golden Bachelor with Gerry?

“I’m never going to try to compare myself to Gerry,” Joey told Parade. “He’s obviously one of a kind. That whole show [The Golden Bachelor] did such a great job of capturing true stories and this idea of hope and never giving up on trying to find love. I think a lot of people resonated with that. It was beautiful to watch. For me, what I’m hoping people will get from this season, too, is my intentions, the fact that I’m not here to do anything other than find my person and they hopefully will get that same genuine feeling and that true love story. That’s what I want people to be buying into. I think that’s most important and you’ve got to go back to that every time in the show. That’s got to be the base of it.”

What does Joey think of the last young Bachelor, Zach Shallcross, getting slammed as boring?

The new Bachelor defended Season 27’s star, who got engaged to show pick Kaity Biggar, stating, “All I can say is I’ve been lucky enough to get to know Zach and he’s an amazing guy. In general, he’s become a friend and someone I’ve enjoyed talking to about this whole experience. I think when you get put in this position you get scrutinized. You’re under a microscope and people are going to have their opinions and I don’t know. People might think I’m boring in some ways, too, but I think what Zach did was really focus on finding his person and I think that’s what’s most important.”

How does Joey keep from being boring?

“What I’ve tried to do my entire life is be open to new experiences, whether that’s traveling, right after I graduated college, going to Europe and trying to check out all these different spots and learn about different walks of life, whether it’s living in Hawaii for a time, going to Nashville, too,” Joey said about his life so far. “I’m a yes man, almost to a fault some times. I really enjoy trying new things and trying to challenge myself and I think it’s given me a lot of experience for someone at the age of 28. I don’t know if people find that exciting. I think a lot of it has to do with your demeanor and how you carry yourself. I’m confident in who I am and what I’ve done and I’m just really happy and ready to be in this position and I hope people feel the same way.”

What does Joey look for in a woman?

“I’m really just looking for a partner first, someone who works with me through everything in life,” he said. “But I want someone kind, compassionate, loving, thinks about others before they think about themselves. Just someone to ‘do’ life with at the end of the day.”

What can fans expect from his fantasy suites?

The curly-haired Collegeville, Pennsylvania native opined, “I think with fantasy suites what’s most important is that’s a very private time that you’re supposed to keep with the people that you’re in [them with]. I was as respectful and understanding as I could be at the time and I respect each and every one of those women to have that be something that’s kind of [just] between us.”

What did Joey learn from his experience with Charity on The Bachelorette?

“I think what’s most important is that I remembered how difficult it was,” Joey said of his first reality TV go-round. “I remembered how nervous I was on night one. It took me some time to feel comfortable with the cameras, to feel like I was actually being myself. I think it’s really important in this position to remember that early on, that if there’s not a spark or connection [with certain contestants], it might just have to do with them not feeling comfortable.” Joey focused on, “being open, trying my best to get to know everyone that I could.”

Does Joey find love on The Bachelor?

“I can definitely tell you that I’m happy,” Joey smiled. “That’s probably the most that I can tell you, but I’m definitely happy.”