Joey Graziadei’s Growing Fame: Is Kelsey Struggling with Feeling in His Shadow?

Since appearing as The Bachelor, Joey Graziadei's star has been steadily on the rise, and I worry Kelsey Anderson may feel like she's being left behind. It's a love story for the ages. 28-year-old Joey Graziadei's television debut ended in heartbreak. He was one of Charity Lawson's final two men during her season of The Bachelorette. He fell hard for Charity, who turned around and gave her final rose to Dotun Olubeko instead. Getting his heart ripped out on national television was devastating for Joey, but he wasn't down for long.

They say that when one door closes, another opens, and that's what happened when Joey was cast as The Bachelor. Joey was introduced to 32 single women who had traveled to the Bachelor mansion from all over the United States. Among them was 25-year-old Kelsey Anderson, a junior project manager from New Orleans, Louisiana. After a season of hot dates and cold eliminations, Joey gave Kelsey his final rose. Since getting engaged during the final rose ceremony, Joey's star has been on the rise, and I think it may mean trouble for his relationship with Kelsey.

Joey's Moving On From The Bachelor Franchise

He's Dancing With The Stars

Soon after appearing as the lead of The Bachelor season 28, Joey joined the cast of Dancing With The Stars season 33. The dance competition series doesn't give out a grand prize, but it does pay a decent salary, so it's currently Joey's job. Kelsey has been by his side the whole time, even moving to Los Angeles to be with him while he works on the show. I think it's great Kelsey wants to support Joey, but at some point, she may start to feel like she's living for Joey.

Joey has excelled on the show, along with his professional partner, Jenna Johnson. Though it's probably been good for his career, it could have been hard for Kelsey to see him branch out without her. For her part, she's been striking out on her own career trajectory as a model and lifestyle influencer. Though things are going well for Kelsey too, if Joey's star continues to rise, I could see the couple branch out in entirely different directions.

Joey's Putting Off His Wedding With Kelsey

A Long Engagement

The Bachelor season 28 wrapped production in November 2023, which is when Joey and Kelsey got engaged. That means it's been a full year since the couple's engagement, but Joey and Kelsey still haven't set a wedding date. The couple have addressed the delay repeatedly, citing scheduling difficulties. I understand why they'd want to take their time since they haven't known each other that long, but I could see how the delay could be problematic.

Before appearing on The Bachelor season 28, Joey lived in Hawaii, and Kelsey lived in Louisiana. At this point, they hadn't decided on a place to live, even entertaining the possibility of moving to New York. When they first left The Bachelor 28, they moved into Kelsey's place, which she shared with multiple female roommates. These days, the couple lives in Los Angeles together while Joey films Dancing With The Stars. If Joey gets another TV show offer, he may dictate their lives for the foreseeable future, and I can see Kelsey wanting more of a say.

Joey Might Want To Fly Solo

They Already Have Major Issues

Couples grow apart all the time, and I can see something similar happening to Joey and Kelsey. Since leaving The Bachelor season 28 as an engaged couple, they've had their ups and downs. Though they appear very much in love, I worry they're branching out in different directions. If Joey's star continues to rise, Kelsey may feel left behind. And, as every astronomer knows, when a star grows too big and too bright, sometimes it explodes in a supernova, and hopefully that's not how The Bachelor couple's engagement ends.