Joey Will Finally Meet Kelsey’s Dad During Bachelor Hometowns

While Joey Graziadei is set to meet four families during his Bachelor Hometowns on March 4, viewers at home have already learned quite a bit about one women’s parents. In Kelsey Anderson’s first one-on-one date, she shared that her parents met as officers in the United States Military. She had a “great love to look up to,” she said in her introduction video.

Sadly, Kelsey’s mom, Denise, passed away from breast cancer in 2018. Kelsey told Joey that before going on The Bachelor, she was reassured by the sight of butterflies in her hometown — which she took as a sign. As for Kelsey’s dad, Mark, he told his daughter that going on the show was something Denise would have done. “You’re your mother’s child. ... You’re so brave.”

Now, Joey will meet Kelsey’s dad in New Orleans. And while Mark has been supportive of Kelsey’s Bachelor journey, it’s clear that he’ll have some questions for Joey. As he expressed in the Hometowns promo, “This is a scary process. As a father, I’m of course concerned [for] Kelsey.”

Kelsey’s Dad “Stepped Up”

As she explained during her latest one-on-one, Kelsey got much closer to her dad following her mom’s diagnosis and passing, and today, he’s her “favorite guy.”

“I’m so thankful that he really stepped up,” Kelsey said, acknowledging how difficult that had to be while parenting five children. According to Kelsey’s Instagram, her dad was working on his doctorate as of 2020.

Of Kelsey’s siblings, she’s closest in personality to her little brother, Matthew “Mateo” Anderson, she told Joey. Matthew played football at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before transferring to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which Kelsey also attended. In an interview with the Lafayette Daily Advertiser, he credited being closer to loved ones as an important part of the decision.

Remembering Her Mom

Kelsey’s Instagram is filled with memories of Denise, and as several throwback photos prove, she seems to be her spitting image.

Their similarities extend beyond appearances. As Kelsey explained to Joey, her dad felt she was “exuding [her] mom’s energy” in joining the show. “You describe her as someone that was always thinking of others, and giving, and that’s the only thing I see when I talk to you and see you around,” Joey told her.

Family has been a prevailing theme in Joey and Kelsey’s one-on-ones, which could be a promising sign for how the New Orleans suitor will fare at Hometowns. Joey will finally be able to put names to faces for the most important people in Kelsey’s life.