Joey Graziadei revealed that he and his fiancée, Kelsey Anderson, faced challenges in their relationship during his time competing on Dancing With the Stars season 33.
“It was difficult at times. I think she probably was open about that with you guys, too,” Graziadei, 29, shared on the Wednesday, January 8, episode of The Squeeze podcast, referring to Anderson’s earlier appearance on the show.
“It was never a walk in the park, and it’s literally just because of timing. I would have loved—especially in this important beginning time in our relationship—I would have loved to have been able to put so much more time into it than I physically could have.”
Graziadei likened the intensity of his time on DWTS, which he described as “the coolest experience I’ve ever had,” to his former career as a tennis instructor.
“The way I always described it for her, and tried to explain it for myself too, is it felt like when I was teaching tennis as much as I possibly could.
When you’re on court for 40 hours a week and you’re on the entire time,” he said. “You’re talking to people, you’re giving every single version of yourself. When you go home, the last thing you want to do is be ‘on’ again.”
He clarified that being “on” wasn’t necessary in his relationship, but he felt the need to ensure Anderson received the attention and presence she deserved.
“I have to be giving her attention, I have to be making sure that I’m there fully,” Graziadei added.
To manage the balance, Graziadei shared that he developed a routine. “I would take 5-10 minutes when I got home to forget what was in my head with dancing,” he explained.
“Then I’d want to hear all about [Kelsey’s] day. But if I came in the door and I wasn’t fully excited, I needed to explain why. Like, I was still doing a two-step in my head. I didn’t even know where I was at the time.
Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson
That was the hardest part initially. You know, everyone’s outside opinion at the beginning—there’s a lot of stuff you can’t control.”
During Graziadei’s competition alongside his dance partner, Jenna Johnson, for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy in the fall of 2024, Anderson, 26, addressed fans’ comments about her strength in watching the duo’s performances.
“We are all good in the hood,” Anderson assured fans at the time, emphasizing that Graziadei gave her the “security” and “reassurance” she needed in their relationship.
On The Squeeze, Graziadei expressed his gratitude for Anderson’s understanding nature, calling her “so amazing and so understanding.” Ultimately, Graziadei said the experience on DWTS not only enriched his life but also strengthened his relationship.
“It made our relationship stronger at the end of the day, which is one of the things I’m most grateful for from the experience,” he said.
Now that the couple is focused on their future, Graziadei is eager to start planning their wedding. (He proposed to Anderson during The Bachelor season 28 finale, which aired in March 2024.)
“We want to start figuring out some things, planning for the wedding, getting all that kind of cleaned up, and getting excited about what’s going to be there for us,” Graziadei shared.
“But I’m excited about the dumbest little things, too. Like, we’re finally cooking in our own kitchen together.
We’re finally being able to set up a couch and the TV to have our own movie nights. And we can have parties with people coming over and host. Like, we have not been able to do that yet.”
He continued, “So those are some of the mini things I’m excited for, and my goal is just to be open and available to put as much time as I can into that.”
