We may not be getting anything from The Bachelor franchise on the 2026 TV schedule, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see some of our favorite alumni on our screens. Joey Graziadei, who had an “unprecedented” ending to Season 28 of the dating show, will make his acting debut in a holiday rom-com later this year, and with many familiar faces celebrating the big news, I’d have to agree with the reaction from Graziadei’s bride-to-be Kelsey Anderson.
Roku announced Joey Graziadei will star opposite Jamie Chung in The Holiday Spark this Christmas. According to the movie’s logline, the Dancing with the Stars champ plays Dean, a perpetually single firefighter who enlists the help of a children’s book illustrator (Chung) to plan an epic holiday party for his firehouse. You can’t blame Kelsey Anderson for being fired up about the news, as she commented on his Instagram page:
Christmas came early 😍😍😍
I’d definitely have to agree with this assessment, but possibly for different reasons. Kelsey Anderson is undoubtedly excited to see doors in the entertainment industry opening for Joey Graziadei — not to mention she gets to see her fiancé dressed up like a firefighter.
Bachelor Nation fans will certainly enjoy seeing the former rose-distributor in uniform as well, but this news also feels like an early Christmas gift for a fandom that’s had a pretty rough year.
Kelsey Anderson wasn’t the only Bachelor veteran to weigh in on Joey Graziadei’s upcoming movie. Other comments included:
- Kathy Swarts: Congrats Joey👏
- Hakeem Moulton: I’m sat!
- Tyler Cameron: Going to crush!
- Tanner Courtad: CANT WAIT 🍿
- Kaity Biggar: So cool!!! Congrats Joey 👏!!!
- Ben Higgins: Bet you made it look easy!
- Zach Shallcross: That’s so awesome!! 🔥 congrats!!
Some fans made humorous comments about Kelsey Anderson having to watch her man kiss other women again — as was the case on The Bachelor — but hopefully she won’t feel as negatively about it as Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar’s husbands.
In addition to those responses, the Dancing with the Stars crew came through with well-wishes for the Season 33 winner's role in The Holiday Spark, writing:
- Ilona Maher: Pumped for you!!
- Alfonso Ribeiro: Congrats brother.
- Stephen Nedoroscik: Woahhh congrats!!
- Daniella Karagach: LFG JOOOEYYYYY
Joey Graziadei seemed as pumped as the rest of us about the upcoming movie, saying in a statement:
Acting in my first feature film has been a dream come true and such an exciting next chapter for me. The Holiday Spark is filled with so much heart, and I feel incredibly lucky that this is the project I get to make my debut with. Working alongside Jamie and our talented cast and crew was an amazing experience. I learned so much. I can’t wait for audiences to fall in love with this story and kick off the holiday season with us.
There’s something funny about the fact that we watched Joey Graziadei fall in love in real life on The Bachelor, and now we’re going to see him act out a love story (albeit a very different one) on The Holiday Spark. Either way, I’m taking this news as an early Christmas present.
