Hannah Brown is all in on watching Joey Graziadei give out his final rose, but she’s even more eager to know who ABC will pick for the next Bachelorette.
“I was trying to talk to the producers,” the season 15 Bachelorette exclusively told Us Weekly in a recent interview to promote her partnership with McAlister’s Deli. “People are, obviously, really gravitating toward Daisy [Kent] and Maria [Georgas], but [they are] totally different choices. Maria would be definitely interesting as a Bachelorette. I think she would be really awesome and entertaining, but also a firecracker and not the typical [lead], which I think is great. I don’t feel like I fully fit the typical Bachelorette at the time.”
Hannah, now 29, had finished in Colton Underwood‘s top 7 on season 23 of The Bachelor. The franchise has historically chosen the next lead from the top 3.
“But then Daisy, I feel, is so sweet and just kind and I think she has a really cool story of adversity and being able to show up as her authentic self and what she’s going through,” Hannah continued, referring to Daisy’s health journey, including her battle with Lyme disease that led to requiring a cochlear implant. “So I could see either one of them being great Bachelorettes.”
Hannah rounded out Joey’s top 4 as possibilities, noting his strong connections with her Bachelorette picks and fellow finalists Rachel Nance and Kelsey Anderson.
“But also I love Rachel. I think she’s great as well. She just seems fun and she’s different and I like her,” she said, adding that Joey has a “cool dynamic” with Rachel. “But then as far as who I feel like Joey’s really vibing with, I feel like Maria brings something out of him that’s really interesting and fun and I like that, [but] I don’t know if I see them fully together. I feel like she’s that really awesome girlfriend that you have the best memories with and the best time. But I see him settling down more with somebody like a Daisy or a Kelsey A. I feel like he really, really likes her. I have no spoilers! I don’t really know, I like ’em all!”
Hannah is also a fan of leading man Joey, who she thinks is “adorable,” “innocent,” “sweet” and doing a great job of navigating all of the tough conversations with his contestants.
“I’m obsessed with Joey in this season,” she said. “I think I am [like] every woman in America. I just think he’s the cutest thing ever.”
The Dancing With the Stars champ cited a recent episode in which Joey admitted he was struggling with the idea of being perfect as a standout moment.
“I loved when he got really vulnerable about how I was having a really hard time. I remembered myself in that situation and having that breakdown moment of, ‘It is so hard.’ … He’s trying to be perfect and has all the things to say, and it’s like having, I mean, essentially having trauma dumping every single day and you’re wanting to be strong for that, but then also how do you show up and how do you make sure that these people actually know who you are?” she said. “It’s a really hard thing to balance and that he was able to show that part of him — I just loved it and it just felt like well done to the producers and editors. I love that moment.”
While Hannah will have to tune in to see who Joey picks, she’s got plenty on her plate in the meantime. As she gears up to release her first novel, Mistakes We Never Made, she’s partnered up with McAlister’s Deli for National Reading Month. Guests can enjoy “Choose 2” combinations inspired by Brown’s favorite book genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy and Romance.
“We have a few different ‘Choose 2’ items in this limited edition book club menu,” Brown told Us. “My personal favorite is the adventure items, which is a jalapeño turkey crunch sandwich. I love the bold flavors. I like there to be a lot of different things going on at one time, and that is definitely the sandwich. Then a classic — I don’t think I could go to McAlister’s and not get one of their baked potatoes — the Spud Max also has a lot of bold flavors, and just the warmth of both of those things is comfy and cozy and great to partner with to add with a good book.”
McAlister’s Rewards Members are invited to tell us about their reading rituals and enter for the chance to win $500 to host their next Book Club event at McAlister’s Deli.
