Joey Graziadei kicked off week six of his season of The Bachelor with a sobering confession. He said he was "really struggling" with his decision and feared he would end the season alone.
"I feel like I'm not perfect. I feel like I have a lot of issues," Joey told the camera. "You try to get over it, but it's hard. But I've always been my biggest critic and I'm afraid that someone won't accept me."
This heaviness comes up many times as the remaining 10 women explore Montreal, Canada.
what's the result? Spoilers ahead! While he eventually shed some of his jitters, he failed to make headway with several suitors. ICYMI, this is why Jess Edwards, Lexi Young, Katelyn DeBacker and Lea Cayanan are going home on The Bachelor.
Not everyone is keen on group dates
Joey kicked off the Feb. 19 show with a group date, which seemed to lift his spirits — albeit at the expense of some women. "I can say now that I might fall in love with some of these women," he said.
Joy and the women—except for Kelsey Toussaint and Maria Georgegas, who had some alone time—explored the city on foot, tested their broken French, and made some Canadian poutine together strip. Joey rated Jenn Tran's version a paltry 4/10, and he was really gagged when he tried it, but it wasn't bad enough to damage their connection. "When she spoke to me, it felt like we were the only ones there," he said in a confessional.
Although Jenn later got a rose on the group date, most of the women left the event feeling nervous and insecure. He spent part of the date evening allaying some of his worries.
During my conversation with Lexi, a potential problem arose. She asked him about his relationship timeline, and while Joey envisioned having kids years ago (engaged for a few years, then engaged for a few more after the relationship was confirmed), Lexi said that due to the lining of her uterus She has ectopia and hopes to start a family as soon as possible. She ended their conversation by saying she needed to "process" his answer.
Meanwhile, Jesse tells Joey that she's in love with him, but he doesn't reciprocate the feelings. "When you feel this way, you should be able to imagine it," he said. "I don't know why, I just couldn't get there." Eventually, he sent Jesse home early.
Kelsey T. Lovely Acrobatic One on One
During Joey and Kelsey T.'s date, they trained with members of Cirque du Soleil. Joy told the camera their connection was "strong," and it seemed to grow stronger through a series of drops of trust and twists and turns in the air.
It was a super sweet one-on-one, with Joey and Kelsey both laughing like little kids as they flew around the room. Although all the action made Joey feel sick, he recovered in time to enjoy a romantic dinner, where he got to know Kelsey better.
She told him she was looking toward her hometown and said her family situation was difficult. Despite being close to her father growing up, her father stopped speaking to her when she aligned herself ungodly with him. "It bothers me," she told Joy, adding that it affected her ability to trust others. "It's hard when someone is there for you in the beginning and then completely disappears," she said. "Like, how was it? How did you do it?"
Joy was moved by her story, explaining that it showed how "resilient" she was.
Maria's shopping spree
Mariah's one-on-one date was a typical bachelor shopping spree, starting with a limo ride and champagne. "We have fun, we laugh, we enjoy the day and we don't take things too seriously," Joey said of his relationship with Malia. "We just... when we're together."
In the limo, Mariah gets Joey to say "Je t'aime," or "I love you," in French —technically the first love interest of the season (even if Joey doesn't know it).
After Joey helped Mariah pick out a sparkly dress that would make her "feel like a princess," they took a helicopter ride over the city and ended the date with dinner. In his confessional, Joey shared that the outing helped him forget about his worries earlier in the week. "I can let go of my worries," he said. "I know I'm going to find my wife."
Lexi, Caitlin and Leah say goodbye
Throughout the episode, Lexi struggles with her and Joey's conflicting family schedules in the hotel. Eventually, she told him she needed to leave. "As someone who lives with infertility, I have to take this very seriously when it comes to dating because I know I'm in my 30s now," she told him, adding that she needed it all to "get there faster." speed" occurs.
Joey understood, but revealed in a confessional that quitting made him "scared" that other women might also leave early. "It doesn't feel good," he said.
No one else exited early (yet), but two women were sent home during the rose ceremony: Caitlin and Leah.
Caitlin regretted not having the chance to show her "whole personality" to Joey, and Leah expressed the same regret on the car ride home. "I think it's unfortunate that, you know, I didn't have the full opportunity to spend time with Joey and see what Joey and Leah were really like," she said. "But it's really his loss."
Heading to Jasper, Alberta, Canada!
