Joey Graziadei on Why He Likes Hosting the ‘DWTS’ Podcast and Handing Down the Reigning Champ Title

Joey Graziadei never ever understood that being called ABC’s 28th Bachelor would ever result in his special ties to Dancing With destiny

After making it to the last 2 of Charity Lawson’s season of The Bachelorette and getting engaged to his future husband on The Bachelor in 2024, Graziadei made the natural shift that a lot of from the franchise start post-season: he went on season 33 of Dancing With destiny.

The truth television star would go on to win stated season, ending up being the very first previous Bachelor to end up being a Dancing With destiny champ. Now, quick forward practically a year because his triumph, Graziadei is the host of the Dancing With destiny Authorities Podcast, a task that the informs The Hollywood Press Reporter was “the very best chance possible” for him after capturing the season 33 mirrorball..

” I understood by midway through [my DWTS] season that this was going to be a permanently reveal for me, something I was going to wish to belong of,” he discusses. “And anytime they would call and ask me to do something, I would wish to assist, since it simply offered me a lot that I believed the least I might do is offer something back.”

Listed below, Graziadei talks with THR about how he gets ready for the podcast (which tapes “right away” after the live taping) every week, his Halloween Night ideas, how he feels about quiting the title of ruling champ in and why he can’t state who he believes is going to win DWTS season 34.

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When you initially stated yes to the chance to complete on Dancing With destiny, did you ever see yourself ending up being a brand-new face of the franchise?

No, absolutely not whatsoever. When I initially stated yes to Dancing With destiny, my very first idea was, How the heck am I going to have the ability to dance on live television, and in fact have the ability to do it? When you initially do [DWTS], you do not truly comprehend how you’re going to do and simply delve into the procedure completely. However I understood by midway through that season in 2015 that this was going to be a permanently reveal for me, something I was going to wish to belong of. And anytime they would call and ask me to do something, I would wish to assist, since it simply offered me a lot that I believed the least I might do is offer something back. So when the chance occurred this season to be able to do the podcast, it simply seemed like the very best chance possible and something I truly wished to do.

You have actually stated in the past that you were going to attempt to go to all of the live tapings to get ready for the podcast. The number of have you been to up until now this season?

I need to exist weekly. I have actually made every episode. I’m generally there on Mondays and Tuesdays weekly. Mondays are essential to be at, since it’s an excellent way to get a feel for whatever that’s going on in the ballroom. It’s the very first time that all of the celebrities and pros are together through the entire week, so it’s a great catch up with everybody. Then I exist throughout the day on Tuesday, since I wish to be experienced and in fact understand what’s going on. I like having the perspective now of being a fan from afar and having the ability to truly simply enjoy it like everybody else does.

What is it like for you being back in the ballroom one year after your experience on the program? Is it odd to be back because environment however not contending?

I would state at first it felt odd to not be contending, since you exist, you understand how it works. Each and every single early morning [on show day] you generally arrive and you go right to the hair and makeup trailer, and you begin your day. Now I sort of get to have the ability to be from afar, and sort of simply be a sponge and take it all in. I yapped about that with [co-host and season 19 winner] Alfonso[Ribeiro] He resembles, “It’s odd. At first, it spends some time.” However I have actually simply been so grateful. Everybody [has] truly invited me with open arms, and I seem like I’m still a part of the household and still belong of the madness without in fact contending.

Right after the tapings, you shift into recording the podcast, fix?

Yeah, it resembles right away. We attempt to be able to talk to immediately to have real-time responses. We get finished with taping [each DWTS episode] at about 7 o’clock, so that’s when whoever our visitors are work their method over to where our trailer is, where we’re doing the podcast, and we leap right into it. It is various, since generally the turmoil is throughout the program, and after that as quickly as you’re done dancing, you resemble, Okay, I can unwind My frame of mind now is I’m focusing on every little information that’s occurring throughout the program. I’m attempting not to miss out on whatever. And after that my video game time sort of starts as quickly as the program is done, which is enjoyable. It’s a bit various.

What enters into your preparation procedure as you prepare to talk to each gotten rid of couple, since it is so fresh, and likewise you’re taping right after the program, so you do not understand who’s going to be gotten rid of?

I attempt to truly vibe off of that individual. If they are feeling more grateful, I wish to discuss how remarkable the experience was. If they’re dissatisfied, I desire them to be able to air out more why they’re dissatisfied, why they seemed like they had more to offer and why they want America provided the possibility. It’s simply among those things, we needed to do it on the program, anybody that got gotten rid of needs to go right to journalism line. It is difficult, since it’s the last thing you wish to discuss. However when you’re on the live program, you do not have sufficient time to truly take it all in and reveal just how much it indicated to you. I state whenever in the start of those interviews, “I simply wish to offer you the flooring. I desire you to have time to process this, however I likewise desire you to truly have time to discuss what you’re feeling today.” It’s a great deal of various sensations. You’re upset, you’re delighted, you’re grateful, you’re shocked. And I like providing the capability to reveal that more, since [at] completion of the program, it ends easily. They get a couple of words, and they cut to industrial.

Jen [Affleck] was gotten rid of Tuesday night. What was the temperature level when you spoke to her, and what did you think of her removal?

At this moment, you can’t inform who’s going home. There are individuals that [have] been possibly at the bottom regularly. However the appeal of the program is you do not understand what’s happening with the votes from week to week, and anything can alter with a particular dance. I was unfortunate to see Jen and Jan [Ravnik] go. I liked seeing them dance. I believe she truly was grateful. I do not understand if she saw it coming or what the sensation was for her, however she was shocked, however simply truly pleased that she got the experience. I believe she had a clear message that she was attempting to communicate, that she wished to be there for all the moms out there, to reveal them that you might do anything, to be able to do all this postpartum. I believe there was likewise this relief that she was delighted to return to her infants and to be able to lastly being in this motherhood minute that she didn’t truly get the possibility to do since she went directly to the program[after giving birth to her third child] And I praise Jen and Jan for it being his very first season, and for her to be assaulting it with him.

Another psychological part of the night was Elaine [Hendrix] and Alan[Bersten] She suffered an injury, and you spoke to Alan right after the episode. What were his sensations about the state of where she is right now?

I have an excellent relationship with Alan. I believe that individuals sort of saw [Tuesday] night the kind of individual he is, and just how much it harmed him to see that take place to Elaine. I do not believe anybody desired her journey to end like that. That would be a difficult method to see them go, so I’m extremely pleased they got the possibility to proceed. Alan truly enters into precisely what occurred [on the podcast], how he felt because minute. I believe the coolest thing is that [Alan talked] about what their strategy is today, and how they’re going to assault preparing for next week where they have not just a specific dance, however likewise a group dance. It’s going to be an extremely challenging week for them. However I’m a company follower, if anybody can do it, Elaine can. It was truly great to speak to Alan because minute [about] how he was feeling, since it’s an unusual thing. It does not take place a lot on the program.

Recalling up until now with the podcast, do you have a preferred visitor who has been on?

Among my preferred things that we have actually done is speaking to the departments that do not truly get as much shine as they should. Like, speaking to the phase supervisors, the casting manufacturer, the executive manufacturer. Today we spoke with hair and makeup. There’s a lot of individuals that make that program run and make it so unique, that you sort of get to see it when you concern a live program, however the only method you truly get to experience it, comprehend it, is if you’re a star or a pro on the program. They exist through the entire competitors, and there’s a lot of departments to interview. I hope we get the possibility to speak to more in the future, since I believe it’s so unique to be able to speak to those departments that should have all the love that they in some cases do not get. Due to the fact that when they’re doing their task well, you do not even understand that they exist.

Exists somebody from a particular department that you wish to have on the podcast?

Anybody from the music department. A great deal of individuals do not even understand that they are in fact singing live which it’s not simply a recording. When we dance throughout the week, we will experiment the real tune, and after that we get the cut that the music department puts in at the end of the week. So there’s a shift with that, since it’s constantly a bit various, however it’s constantly wonderful and unique, since it’s special and it’s something they produced. Whether it’s Ray [Chew] or anybody from the music department, I hope we get a possibility to get them in.

It seems like even from your season in 2015, Dancing With destiny is continuing to grow and grow. Who do you believe is to be credited with this enormous success that the program is seeing?

I believe it’s a light being shined on something that needs to be shined on. There are a lot of individuals I can credit from last season to just how much Ilona [Maher] had being available in, and Steven [Nedoroscik], from the Olympics. However I believe there was a buzz last season where individuals began to tune in, and there’s something with the program, since you’re recording these minute, 30 [second] dances that can go viral online, it’s so simple to scroll and enjoy it. And I believe there’s something that occurred with our season, whether it was on TikTok or Instagram, that it began to end up being viral. And individuals resembled, Well, everybody’s discussing it, I need to go see this! And after that you get the capability to have somebody you’re rooting for, somebody you’re choosing. It’s a program that brings a lot love and light and enjoyment. I believe individuals begin seeing, and they end up being simply gravitated towards it, and it’s something that they anticipate weekly.

In a couple of weeks, we will have a brand-new winner of Dancing With destiny, ending your year as the ruling winner. What is the best lesson or takeaway you’ve discovered in this previous year because you won?

I believe what the program offered me many of all and what I have actually drawn from it was this level of self-confidence that if you put your energy and effort into anything, you truly can achieve it. Featuring no dance background and having the ability to do something as challenging as [DWTS] is among my proudest achievements. And I credit Jenna[Johnson] It’s offered me this wish to do more with television in the hosting area, since I delighted in dealing with the group. I delighted in seeing the program be produced weekly. It’s offered me a lot. It’s truly moved my life in the much better. And it goes all over, from Jenna, through anybody on the production group that puts that reveal together. There’s a great deal of individuals that have actually made it so unique, and I’m delighted to see the brand-new winner. I’m prepared to hand it off, since this season’s been amazing, and I can’t wait to see who winds up winning and getting that title.

Something special about your win was you were the very first Bachelor to ever win Dancing With destiny Do you bring this title as being the very first Bachelor to win the program with pride?

I bring it with pride completely. It was something that was discussed from the start on my[season] They stated, “Hey, so you understand, there’s been Bachelorettes that have actually won, and there’s been all other individuals from [the] Bachelor franchise [who] have actually achieved success, however a Bachelor had not even made it to the ending, not to mention win.” Jenna put that objective out there on the first day, which terrified the crap out of me. She resembles, “We’re gon na make it to the ending this year. We must attempt to experience the entire program.” And I believe it was midway through the competitors, she informed me off cam, “We’re not simply gon na attempt to go to the ending. I believe we have a possibility to win this thing.” The factor I was on the program was since of The Bachelor, so I’m extremely grateful that I’m the very first guy to be able to do that. And ideally I lead the roadway down the future, that there’ll be other guys that can come off of that program and have the exact same success I did.

Taylor Frankie Paul was called the brand-new Bachelorette. What do you think of Taylor being called the next Bachelorette and how do you believe she’s going to do?

I’m truly delighted for her, I believe she’s gon na do excellent. I believe there’s a difficult part about that world, where there’s a charm to not understanding how to be on television, however there’s likewise a trouble if you have not been around electronic cameras before. So the greatest thing I’m eagerly anticipating see is most likely the level of convenience that she’s going to have immediately. Despite the fact that it’s a totally various environment and environment, I believe it’s excellent that she is going to be comfy around the electronic cameras, and I believe it is essential to consider that level of convenience to individuals that are going on the program that have actually never ever been on previously. I want her absolutely nothing however the very best, since that program has actually offered me whatever. It’s offered me my remarkable future husband Kelsey [Anderson,] it’s opened up the capability for me to do remarkable things like Dancing With destiny and and attempt to do more on a platform that I would like to do more on. I hope she discovers an individual she’s trying to find, and I hope that she gets whatever she desires out of this experience.

You discussed you want to do more with the Dancing With destiny franchise. What does that appear like to you? Would you be open to possibly hosting one day, or returning if they did a winners season?

What I’m confident for is that they keep having me return, having the capability to do this podcast and see that grow, and you never ever understand what other chances occur with this program. I believe that the appeal of it today is it’s growing and it’s progressing. [The DWTS podcast] was something that came together since late, best before the season, and the reality that I got the possibility to do this and they thought about me, I’m very grateful and fired up to ideally keep growing this side of it. However yeah, whenever they call my name, Deena [Katz], the casting manufacturer, Conrad [Green], the executive manufacturer, they understand I like it. I wish to belong of it. And if there’s any other chance that occurs that makes good sense, I’m going to be addressing the call.

What kind of podcast episode can we anticipate with the ending? I expect that episode will be packed with skill.

We’re still finding out precisely how we wish to form that episode, however you accomplished. I imply, it’s the ending, right? So you need to have a great deal of various things that enter play. I believe we have an excellent concept that individuals will like, and it’ll be interesting to see. I believe there’s going to be a lot to display for that finale episode. Individuals are simply gon na need to tune in.

Which style night has been your preferred up until now of season 34?

I’m a huge sucker for Devotion[Night] I believe they’re the most unique nights.

Which style night from season 34 would you have liked to take part in that you didn’t carry out in season 33?

I got ta opt for Wicked Night. I’m a Wicked fan. I like that film and musical. Once Again, Robert [Irwin] was the very best Fiyero ever, however you inform me if I got a possibility to do “Dancing Through Life,” I would have liked that chance. That was a truly enjoyable night, and I believe a great deal of the pros were so fired up about it too. There was energy in the ballroom that night.

Who is going to win season 34 of Dancing With destiny?

I like that you’re attempting to get that out of me, however I’m not considering that up yet. I believe this season is too close today to survey and to think. In some cases I seem like you can inform quite early, however there are individuals that are enhancing, individuals that are remaining at the top. There are individuals that are quiet killers that I can see in these next couple of weeks that are going to be very essential. So, yeah, I’m still TBD. I’m not considering that one away. I have actually got an idea on somebody, however I’m holding that a person in.

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The Dancing With destiny Authorities Podcast airs Thursdays on Disney+ and Hulu. New episodes of DWTS release air and stream at the same time on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesdays.