Joey Graziadei Says He Got ‘Too Skinny Fast’ On DWTS Season 33

Dancing with the stars had both an emotional and physical impact on the Season 33 winner Joey Graziadei.

Before taking home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy with Jenna Johnsonthe former Bachelor, 29, opened up about the weight he lost during his time on the ABC competition series. “I definitely lost weight quickly,” he shared during an interview with “Lightweights Podcast with Joe Vulpis” last month.

Graziadei explained that certain dance styles “transformed” him, especially jive. “We lost so much weight this week because we were just kicking and doing so much,” he said. “It’s the same in samba. You have to move so much in these dances that I like – (my fiancee Kelsey Anderson‘s) the one who tells you, she’s like, “You look pretty skinny.” I’m definitely trimming, but I’m losing a lot of weight and my 32 pants suddenly need a 30, I feel like I have to zip it up so tight.’

In the later weeks of the competition, however, dance styles such as Argentine tango and contemporary helped Graziadei put on some muscle. “We do a lot of lifts. … I’m actually holding Jenna back and I have to do a lot of reps,” he shared. “And I feel like the only thing I can compare it to is I’ve just been working out, like an upper body workout, every time we do those lifts because there’s a lot of legs and upper body, that you need to do to be strong during this.

Graziadei went on to state that “the transformation of your body through dance is wild,” and it’s something he hopes to continue exploring. “If I could do this every day I would because I would never be out of shape and that’s amazing,” he said.

Graziadei dominated the competition in season 33 of DWTSoften landing at the top of the chart with Johnson, 30, and he made history during the show on Tuesday, Nov. 26, season finale becoming the first former Bachelor to win the show.

“I don’t even know how I felt. Honestly, I passed out,” Graziadei said Us Weekly after the victory. “I remember that (trophy) was heavier than I thought it would be and that was it. This is where we are now. And now here we are.”

Johnson, for his part, said us she felt “so much pure love and joy” when her husband presented her with the trophy, Val Chmerkovskiy. “He’s been my number one supporter through it all,” she gushed. “He’s been mum and dad to us at the moment as I’ve been preparing for this final. So I’m just so grateful to him. (The couple, who married in 2019, share 22-month-old son Rome.)

Graziadei celebrated Johnson and his time DWTS in a cordial Instagram tribute on Saturday, November 30, writing: “Jenna, from the bottom of my heart I want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for crafting experience of a lifetime. Thank you for making me better than I thought I could be. Thank you for believing in me and making me feel like a place in a room full of extremely talented people. I mean it when I say you changed my life for the better.

In addition to thanking her family, friends and Anderson, 26, Graziadei ended her post with a special shout out to her fans. “This would never be possible without the support and love from all of you every week,” he wrote along with a montage of DWTS clips of rehearsals and performances. “Thank you for believing in me, voting for me and bringing so much joy to my life. I love you all ❤️.”