Joey Graziadei said he is done with reality television during a panel at the first-ever “Dancing with the Stars” convention last weekend. The “Bachelor” alum said he has enjoyed exploring acting and new projects after his time on television. Instead, he plans to pivot into acting and has plans to team up with ‘DWTS’ co-star Val Chmerkovskiy.
Graziadei is Moving on to Scripted Work
Graziadei appeared alongside other “Dancing with the Stars” veterans on a panel at DWTS Con. Though he is looking forward to the future, he said he plans to move away from reality television and into scripted acting work. “I’ve had my stint on reality TV. I think I need to take a break on that one,” Graziadei said. “I do have a movie coming out later this year. Watch it at your own risk,” he joked.
He certainly has a leg up after appearing on television in the past, however, having appeared as himself on the seventh season of “9-1-1.”
“I started to shift over into scripted [work]. It was really fun to get into acting, so I’m curious to see where that road goes,” he said.
DWTS is ‘Hard to Follow’
As he spoke of his aspirations to move his career into acting, Graziadei admitted that “Dancing with the Stars” is a hard opportunity to follow. “Honestly, I mean–‘Dancing with the Stars,’ it’s really hard to follow that show up. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he continued.
“We’re actually shooting something together next weekend, right? For an ABC show. He’s got a little acting,” Val Chmerkovskiy revealed.
“We are. Stay tuned on that one,” Graziadei assured the audience.
It is possible that Graziadei will return to “9-1-1” joined by Chmerkovskiy with this reveal, as the show moved to ABC after FOX did not renew it for a seventh season. If so, it would make for a full-circle moment for Graziadei as he pivots back into acting work.
Opening Up About the Stress of Reality TV
Graziadei has previously opened up about the stress of appearing on national television, on top of the stress of dating in front of a national audience. Speaking to Hello! Magazine in March 2024 before his finale on “The Bachelor,” he said it was very “taxing” to be the leading man.
“It’s so much time,” he said. “You forget that when you’re the contestant, you get breaks. You go on only date a week.” Graziadei refers here to his time competing on “The Bachelorette” compared to his experience on its sister show.
However, he did share that “The Bachelor” has its own perks as well, making for a different experience entirely. “It is nice to build your own story, and all the women are so amazing, so I was very lucky in my season for sure.”
Graziadei is engaged to Kelsey Anderson, whom he met while filming “The Bachelor.” The two were engaged first during their season’s finale in 2024, but Graziadei proposed a second time in May 2026 so the couple could make it their own. They plan to be married in the spring of 2027 after pushing their wedding back a year to ensure they could enjoy the process rather than stress over it.
