Joey Graziadei does not waste any time in announcing himself as the new Bachelor for season 28.
The 28-year-old singleton was hunting for love on the most recent season of the Bachelorette and made it to the heartbreaking finale until Charity Lawson proposed to Dotun Olubeko on Monday night’s programme.
The incident certainly hasn’t deterred the tennis pro, who is eager to look for love again in front of the cameras.
‘It’s sinking in very slowly but I’m trying my best just to stay present, enjoy it, but this is crazy,’ he said of the opportunity.
‘I mean, I’ll be the first person to say this is wild. I never expected this at all, didn’t know this is what my life is turning at this moment. So yeah, crazy stuff, but I’m excited.’
He told host Jesse Palmer that he was ready to open his heart again following Charity’s rejection.
‘I’m more ready than I was in that moment,’ Joey continued. ‘For me, it was just, you have to take some time to get a little bit more closure. Watching Dotun and Charity’s connection was enough for me.’
Lifting the lid on who he’s hoping to settle down with when the series premieres next year, he added: ‘Someone that’s just themselves that I can truthfully be a partner with. I want someone that challenges me.
‘I want someone that I can challenge. I just want someone to do life with. I just want someone that’s going to be my person.’
Joey’s forthcoming quest for ‘the one’ was revealed at the conclusion of an emotional climax in which Charity ultimately got engaged to Dotun.
In a chat with People Magazine, the Bachelorette star shared how much she struggled to say goodbye to the finalist after making her decision.
‘The emotions just overcame me, rightfully so. Throughout this whole journey for me, saying goodbye to anyone was not an easy thing to do, but especially at that point when you have formed some connection, that was difficult for me,’ she said.
‘I don’t want to be the person that has to contribute to someone else’s pain, but it was necessary.’
‘We truly wish him nothing but the best,’ Charity added of Joey’s next steps. ‘We saw how much of a lover boy Joey is and how much he wants his person. I do believe that he is going to have no problem finding that.
‘He is an incredible person. We’re both rooting for him and rooting for his success.’
