‘The Bachelor’: Joey Graziadei, Fan-Favorite ‘Bachelorette’ Runner-Up, Is Season 28 Lead

Now that The Bachelorette Season 20 is over, 71-year-old sweetheart Gerry Turner is set to lead The Golden Bachelor, and the new series has a shared September premiere date with Bachelor in Paradise, only one question remains: Who’s the next star of The Bachelor?

Following the recent “Men Tell All” special, The Bachelorette lead Charity Lawson deemed two men outside of her top three worthy of the leading man label: Tanner Courtad and John Buresh.

“Obviously, we saw an emotional goodbye with Tanner,” Charity told Bustle. “We didn’t really get to see a whole lot of him, but he is great. And then obviously John is just great. Great personality. He wishes everyone the best, and I want the best for him. So those are my two picks.”

Clearly, she couldn’t spoil the finale, but with fan-favorite contestants Aaron Bryant, Joey Graziadei, and Dotun Olubekoin as her final three, the Bachelor potential would also be strong with Charity’s runner-ups. So who did ABC secure as The Bachelor Season 28’s leading man?

During The Bachelorette‘s three-hour finale/”After The Final Rose” event on Monday, August 21, host Jesse Palmer announced beloved contestant Joey Graziadei as the new Bachelor lead!

Per ABC, the pro tennis teacher from Collegeville, Pennsylvania “is looking for a life partner who is outgoing, caring, and shares his love for adventure and exploring the outdoors. He loves hiking, surfing, and ending his days watching the sunset but knows he has much more love to give, and the only thing missing is someone with whom to share his life.” As a reminder, Joey’s Bachelorette bio fun facts revealed he’s a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan, an avid stargazer, and loves golf and country music.

After Charity said an emotional farewell to the Graziadei in Fiji, the 28-year-old tearfully said, “I thought I was getting down on one knee. I thought it was happening. I was certain. I had zero doubt. I wanted to leave here with Charity. It’s all I wanted… I want love. Bad. I just would ask the universe when? When is it gonna happen for me?”

Well, Joey! It might happen sooner than you think! Jesse Palmer introduced the new lead to one of the women he’ll be dating during the Bachelorette finale event.

So Which Audience Member Is Joining Joey On The Bachelor?

After Jesse jokingly made every audience member interested in joining Joey on The Bachelor stand up, he announced that a previously introduced girl named Leia would be cast on Season 28. The Hawaii native joined Joey on stage where he offered her some encouragement.

“I’m honestly really excited…I think you carried yourself with such grace,” she told him. When asked about his first impressions of her, Joey said, “Obviously beautiful. But just the fact that you can be here with so much poise says a lot…I’m excited!”

In yet another twist, Jesse gave her a mysterious envelope that she was instructed not to open until she stepped foot into the mansion. “It’s not a date card. However, it is absolutely going to help you on your journey,” he said. “And it will absolutely change everything.”

If you’re eager to learn more about the next Bachelor lead you can read our Bachelorette recaps to recap Joey’s journey and follow him on Instagram at @joeygraziadei.

Though we’re not sure when The Bachelor Season 28 is premiering yet, we do know The Golden Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise are set to premiere Thursdays this fall. So be sure to mark your calendars!