The Bachelor season 28’s Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson found each other during his season of the series, but his time on Dancing With The Stars is just another point of proof that he’s not really committed to their relationship. Though Joey and Kelsey’s relationship seemed to be sweet throughout his season of The Bachelor, there have been some major red flags about Joey since the beginning of his time on the franchise. Joey’s first appearances with the franchise, on The Bachelorette season 20 with Charity Lawson, showed him as an open-hearted, spontaneous guy who was hopeful he’d find love.
While Joey’s relationship with Charity was sweet to watch, it was clear that he wasn’t the right fit for The Bachelorette to everyone but him. When he was left brokenhearted after the season finale, where Charity chose to accept Dotun Olubeko’s proposal, it quickly became clear that he was being primed to become the next lead of the franchise. Joey was named the next Bachelor, and his season quickly began filming after the announcement was made to Bachelor Nation. Joey’s season was an interesting mix of drama and down-to-earth moments, but it was the general consensus his choice was clear.
Joey’s front-runners throughout the season included Kelsey, Daisy Kent, and Maria Georgas as he moved through the process of dating over 30 women to try and find his match. While it seemed like Daisy was getting the winners’ edit on the series, Maria and Kelsey both seemed like they were getting an underdog edit throughout the season that could’ve led to them winning Joey’s heart. When it came down to Kelsey and Daisy, viewers were split on who they thought would get Joey’s final rose, but it became clear that he was set on continuing his relationship with Kelsey.
After their engagement and gleeful public appearance on The Bachelor: After The Final Rose, Kelsey and Joey went on to start their sweet lives together, and the press began questioning them on their relationship at every turn. While there were some issues that had cropped up on The Bachelor, it appeared that everything was going wrong with the couple once the series ended. Joey and Kelsey didn’t appear to have any real solid plans about where they were going to live, what they were going to do, or when it was going to happen, which stressed Bachelor Nation.
After a few separate minor scandals that kept the couple in the press, struggling to explain themselves, it was clear that Kelsey and Joey may not have been on as stable ground as Bachelor Nation thought. Joey’s current stint on Dancing With The Stars, which most believed would push him and Kelsey apart entirely, has been another problem in a long line of issues for the couple since their engagement was announced. While both have issues, it appears that Joey’s inability to settle down has caused the couple to struggle through some major tension.
10Joey Went On DTWS & Is Partnering With A Beautiful Woman
He Was Advised To Stay Away From The Competition
Taking on Dancing With The Stars is a major commitment no matter what, but Joey's decision to compete on the series wasn't made lightly. Joey knew that going on DWTS would be difficult for him and his relationship, even though his connection with Kelsey started on a reality TV series. The Bachelor star was offered to go on the show early, as he alluded to it during the summer of 2024, but he didn't heed the warnings not to go on the series that were given by former Bachelor stars and viewers alike.
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Joey revealed that during the casting process, he asked DWTS to provide him with a partner who was in a healthy relationship in order to mitigate any outside noise about his relationship. While this makes sense and seems kind on the outside, it's an interesting demand from someone in the early days of their relationship. Other Bachelor stars have competed on the series in the past and haven't asked about their partners' relationship status, which made Joey's demands look even worse.
9Joey & Kelsey Don't Seem To Want To Get Married
They’re Holding Out On A Wedding
Joey and Kelsey have been engaged since the filming of The Bachelor season 28's finale, but in the ensuing months, the couple haven't seemed to move any closer to getting married the way that Bachelor Nation has hoped. While Joey and Kelsey have given updates about their relationship throughout the last few months, they haven't shared any concrete wedding plans with the world. Though many have asked about what their future is going to look like together, the couple have remained tight-lipped about nuptials.
While Joey and Kelsey may be looking to keep their wedding plans private, it appears a lot of the time that they simply aren't thinking about their wedding yet. Though this isn't necessarily a bad thing, the Bachelor couple have been holding out on viewers who have been ready to see them get married for months. Looking out for their overall happiness, Joey and Kelsey should be honest about why they're putting off their wedding.
8Joey May Be With Kelsey For Clout
Their Engagement Brings Him Press
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Joey Graziadei (@joeygraziadei)
Although Joey went on The Bachelorette seemingly to find the love of his life and transitioned into the role of The Bachelor for the same reasons, it's possible he's simply with Kelsey for the clout and attention it brings him. Performing week-to-week on Dancing With The Stars, Joey appears to be interested in staying in the public eye. While his relationship with Kelsey hasn't necessarily been the easiest, he's been doing what he can to keep the spotlight on him and his fiance throughout the months since their engagement.
Joey's need to be in the spotlight wouldn't work as well if he didn't have a fiance who he could post and create content with. Though he's appearing on a reality TV competition currently, Joey's personal brand would suffer if he and Kelsey broke up after their love story aired on national TV. It's possible he's simply staying with Kelsey for the clout their relationship provides.
7Money Problems May Tear The Couple Apart
Their Finances Have Been Raked Through The Mud
While Joey and Kelsey both seem to have lucrative careers working as influencers and Joey's reality TV appearance is bringing in another paycheck, they've both had financial issues in the past that have made things difficult. In recent months, Joey has been upfront about some issues that cropped up during his time as The Bachelor, when he wasn't around to pay his bills. Dealing with a knock on his credit report due to a missed payment, Joey shared that he was lucky to have tools to keep him on track moving forward.
Still, even with a few issues that have gained traction, there are likely other financial issues between the pair that haven't come to light. Joey and Kelsey both seem to be responsible, but the stress of money issues can impact even the strongest couple. It's possible their mutual financial problems could cause them to split.
6Kelsey Had To Deny Jealousy Issues
She’s Been Public About Denying Jealousy
Throughout his time on Dancing With The Stars, Joey has been working with his beautiful dance partner Jenna Johnson in a close capacity. While Joey clearly asked for someone married and unavailable to make it clear that he wasn't interested in a romantic connection with his partner, the press has still pushed for drama between Joey and Kelsey, using Jenna as a disruptor. There have been rumors that Kelsey was jealous of the physical connection Jenna and Joey have been sharing.
While there were rumors swirling about Jenna and Joey, Kelsey was quick to take to her TikTok where she felt the need to address the rumors head-on. Sharing that she wasn't jealous at all of the way Jenna touched Joey, she explained that the way she met Joey was through him dating several other women, so jealousy isn't really in her nature. While she's rebuffed the rumors, it seems likely she may still be jealous.
5They Had Difficult Moments On The Bachelor Season 28
Their Journey Wasn’t The Easiest
Although Joey and Kelsey's drama seems different off-screen, their time on The Bachelor wasn't without drama. Throughout The Bachelor season 28, there were bigger disruptors than Kelsey trying to take Joey's attention away. Most of the women knew that Joey and Kelsey's connection was strong, and a lot of the time they spent together was in a one-on-one capacity, so the outside noise was a bit more difficult to reach the pair.
Even so, Joey and Kelsey faced a fair bit of drama during their time together on the show. From dealing with some very serious conversations about their lives at home to trying to unpack their feelings for each other without stepping on any of the other contestants' toes, the pair had some really tough chats throughout the season. While Kelsey struggled to know whether Joey's feelings for her were real, their on-screen drama tended to be far more grounded in reality than others, which could prove to be an issue in the future.
4Joey & Kelsey Already Had Couples' Counseling
Their Relationship Is Still So New
While couples counseling isn't necessarily a sign that the end is near, Kelsey and Joey discussed their time in counseling quickly after their appearance on The Bachelor came to a close. Both Kelsey and Joey shared that they wanted to be certain that their relationship would develop in a healthy way, and revealed that counseling left them both prepared to communicate in a healthier way. While this is great for their relationship, being in counseling after just a few months together is shocking.
Joey and Kelsey's decision to start counseling after just a few months together may have been best for them, but it doesn't bode well for their relationship in the future. If the couple wasn't able to make their relationship work during the honeymoon phase, it's possible it may never truly work for them. Joey and Kelsey's decision to try and help their relationship early may hurt them in the long run.
3Joey's Ego Seems To Be Out Of Control
He Needs Near-Constant Attention
Joey's role on The Bachelorette as well as The Bachelor was more of a loverboy, as he was looking for someone who could hype him up and be his biggest fan. While he was hopeful he'd be able to do the same in return for his partner, it was clear that he wanted someone who would fan the flames beneath his ego. Joey's behavior throughout both series made it clear he loves the attention reality TV brings him, and his stint on DWTS has made that doubly clear.
While Kelsey is funny online, she does seem to be somewhat more subdued than Joey in her day-to-day life. Though fans of The Bachelor have applauded Joey for his emotional maturity, it appears that he has a far bigger ego than most seemed to understand during the season. Now that he's on DWTS, Joey's personality is becoming clear, and it may not be the best for Kelsey moving forward.
2Gemini Joey May Get Restless In A Long-Term Relationship
Their Split Could Be Written In The Stars
While Joey and Kelsey themselves may not put much into their zodiac signs, Joey's Gemini sun sign may cause problems for him and Kelsey moving forward. Though Gemini men can often be misunderstood, the two-faced nature of the sign is something rooted in its core. Geminis have a love for change as one of the most mutable signs of the zodiac, and Joey's nature makes it clear that he's a tried and true Gemini.
Kelsey, a fiery Aries who may be good with a Gemini man in the long term, may be looking for more stability than Joey can provide in the long term. While both seem to want to be together now, Joey's behavior in the future could be difficult to predict. If he becomes restless and needs to change to grow, Kelsey may not be interested in sticking around.
1Joey May Push Kelsey To Live A Party Lifestyle
This Could Backfire
While Joey appeared to be more of a nomad during his time on The Bachelor, he appears to be more of a partier than he's ever been before after his Bachelor fame came to pass. In the months since his time as The Bachelor and before his DWTS stint began, Joey and Kelsey seemed to always be at an event or doing something social. With a wild nature at heart, it's possible that Joey's ideal lifestyle may not fit well with Kelsey.
Though Joey and Kelsey likely talked about what they want their lives to look like during their time on The Bachelor and afterward, it's clear that Joey's more prone to having a busy social life than it seemed on the show. Kelsey may be interested in this as well, but it's possible Joey's party boy lifestyle could push her away. Joey and Kelsey may not be built for a life together after The Bachelor.