Bachelor Joey Graziadei Says He Doesn’t 'Need to Look for Advice' from Ben Higgins and Arie Luyendyk Jr.
"I appreciate the love and support, but I really am excited to do it my own way," new Bachelor Joey Graziadei said of finding love on the ABC dating show
Joey Graziadei is ready to stand on his own two feet as he begins his journey as the next Bachelor.
The 28-year-old tennis pro revealed that he has turned down advice from former Bachelor leads Ben Higgins and Arie Luyendyk Jr. ahead of his search for love.
"I was lucky enough that Ben Higgins sent me a DM, Arie did as well," he told Entertainment Tonight. "A lot of guys just kind of wanted to at least send some support, saying they'd love seeing me last season and they wanted to make sure if I needed anything whatsoever, they would be there to help."
Related: Everything to Know About 'The Bachelor' Star Joey Graziadei
Graziadei admitted that it’s “nice” to hear from alums of the ABC dating series but he has given the same response “every time." He recalled telling the former Bachelors, "I appreciate the love and support, but I really am excited to do it my own way. I don't think I really need to look for advice from anyone. I think I've just got to look within. I'm here for a reason and I'm gonna do my best to show that."
The lead for The Bachelor season 28 knows what he is looking for when it comes to finding a wife on the dating show.
"I think it might be those intangibles I can't explain," he explained. "I definitely want someone who's outgoing, fun, can make me laugh, can really be willing to take on life together... It's gonna be a vibe thing.”
He added: “I think there's gonna be a lot of amazing women that bring a lot of different things to the table, so for me it's just gonna be trying to pay attention to what fits, what feels right."
Related: 'The Bachelor': Joey Graziadei Named as Next Leading Man for Season 28
Graziadei, who was the runner-up on Charity Lawson's season of The Bachelorette, admitted that he is hoping to follow in her footsteps.
He called Lawson “amazing,” adding, “I think the big thing for me is she fully gave into this and you could tell that she was really committed to find her person. That gave a level of comfort to all the other guys. I'm going to try to do the same, to really make sure they understand that I'm here fully committed. I believe in this process. I'm going to be invested. If I can give that same level of confidence to them, I know they'll have that instilled in themselves as well."
"Anything I can do on my side to give that level of comfort is all I'm trying to focus on, because I just want them to feel like they can be themselves and try to ignore all the outside factors that come with it," he continued. "We don't want to have to worry about them getting to that point where they feel like they can finally be themselves. I want them to be [themselves] right away."
Related: Charity Lawson Weighs In on Joey Becoming the Next Bachelor: 'Rooting for Him' (Exclusive)
Graziadei is hoping his approach will lead to the same happiness that Lawson and fiancé Dotun Olubeko found on the series, sharing, "I think they are going to be a very successful couple at the end of the day, and do everything they need to do to make sure they're gonna be living happily ever after. I want the same thing. That's the goal. That's why we're here. That's why we're doing it."
Lawson and Olubeko previously told PEOPLE that they will be cheering for Graziadei.
“We truly wish him nothing but the best,” she said in August. “We saw how much of a lover boy Joey is and how much he wants his person. I do believe that he is going to have no problem finding that. He is an incredible person. We're both rooting for him and rooting for his success.”
Olubeko got to know Graziadei throughout filming of The Bachelorette and called his fellow finalist “an awesome guy” because of his character.
“He's very intentional,” Dotun said of Graziadei. “And I think that's going to lend very well to the show. We're both excited to watch that journey.”
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A premiere date for The Bachelor has not yet been announced. In the meantime,The Golden Bachelor premieres Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, followed by season 9 of Bachelor in Paradise at 9 p.m. ET.
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