Joey Graziadei talks winning ‘DWTS’ season 33

The “Dancing with the Stars” season 33 finalists are reflecting on their experience in the ballroom.
Winner Joey Graziadei and fellow celebrity competitors Danny Amendola, Chandler Kinney, Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik stopped by “Good Morning America” on Wednesday alongside their pro partners, just hours after the finale.
Graziadei, the first “Bachelor” to win the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, who won alongside partner Jenna Johnson, said “it’s still setting in.”
“We put in so much work … everyone did, but it meant the world to obviously get this, and, you know, end it with an exclamation point,” Graziadei added.
Graziadei said now that his “Bachelor” and “DWTS” experiences have come to a close, he’s “going to take a break from reality TV for a little bit.”
“They’re both amazing [shows]. I obviously got an amazing fiancee and now have a Mirrorball, so it was a great year for me,” he said, referencing fiancee Kelsey Anderson.
Johnson said that they “got along right from the start.”
“He just is such a hard worker,” she said about her partner. “I think he had that Cinderella story of having no dance experience and really taking on each week and becoming a dancer. So, I really had the time of my life this season with Joey.”
“That was insane to see Val hand off the trophy to us,” Johnson said. “It’s just such a special moment.”
Here’s what the rest of the finalists said about their time on “DWTS” season 33.
Super Bowl champ Amendola said he got support from his pro football friends throughout the season and joked that “they’re a little jealous I’m a better dancer than them now.”
He also called his “Barbie”-inspired freestyle “really fun.”
Amendola’s pro partner, Witney Carson, said, “Danny was the best partner in just letting me create and just being down for anything, so I just really appreciate that. We had a blast.”
Amendola said he and Carson — who went viral this season for one of their moves — added “as many tricks and lifts” in their routines as possible.
“Let’s be honest, I’m not a great dancer,” he said. “I’m hard on myself.”
The footballer praised the “DWTS” pros for “all their passion and all their expertise,” adding, “It’s great to see. I’ll never be that good, and I appreciate what they do.”
Kinney said making it to the finale alongside her pro partner Brandon Armstrong “meant everything” to them.
After being asked what it meant to become the first Black couple to make it to the finale, Kinney shared, “We really wanted to acknowledge the moment. It is a big moment in the ballroom in ‘Dancing with the Stars’ history.”
The actress added, “We just wanted to dedicate the dance to everyone that’s come before us to even allow us to be in this space, and celebrate. It’s a moment to be celebrated and I think we did just that, so we’re really proud of that.”
Armstrong opened up about recreating his and Kinney’s dances from throughout the season with his wife Brylee at home.
“She’s been the best this season,” he gushed. “I’m not the biggest on social media — I don’t really have that bone in my body — but she kinda forced me to [post] all season.”
Maher said her time on the show, dancing alongside pro partner Alan Bersten, proves “that you can be so much more than people put you in the box as.”
“I’m an amazing athlete, I’m a very strong athlete, but I also felt like through this, I can show that I’m a very beautiful dancer and elegant dancer, and I can also be smart in whatever else I want to be,” the Olympic rugby player said.
Maher also spoke about how “Dancing with the Stars” impacted her.
“I think it has changed my life for the better,” she shared. “I think being partnered with Alan has changed my life for the better. It has definitely exploded into something much bigger than I expected.”
Olympian gymnast Nedoroscik said he “couldn’t even imagine” that he would be part of an experience “this special.”
The Olympic medalist also reflected on his gymnastics teammates making a special appearance during his freestyle dance in the finale.
“It was just amazing — being there with my teammates, having them be a part of that routine, my final dance, it was just a very special moment, and I was very happy about it.”
Nedoroscik partner’s Rylee Arnold praised her sister, Mirrorball champ Lindsay Arnold, for always being supportive of her.
“She helped me throughout this whole season. I seriously couldn’t have done it without her,” she said. “She has given me such guidance, and she’s just such a role model for me, so it’s so special to have somebody like Lindsay to guide me through everything.”
Check out a full recap of the season 33 finale of “Dancing with the Stars” here.