The Bachelorette's newly-engaged couple, Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko, have weighed in on ABC's decision to make Charity's runner-up, Joey Graziadei, the next The Bachelor star.
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Charity chose Dotun as her winner at the end of The Bachelorette's twentieth season, which aired on Monday night, and the couple got engaged.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
But before accepting a marriage proposal from the 30-year-old integrative medicine specialist, Charity had to break Joey's heart in Fiji and send him home.
Joey left The Bachelorette in tears, wondering when he was ever going to find his true love, but then the franchise's host, Jesse Palmer, announced Joey as The Bachelor star for Season 28 in 2024.
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"We truly wish him nothing but the best," Charity told People.
"We saw how much of a lover boy Joey is and how much he wants his person. I do believe that he is going to have no problem finding that. He is an incredible person. We're both rooting for him and rooting for his success."
And Dotun, who became friends with Joey during filming, called Joey "an awesome guy" with strong character and values.
"He's very intentional," Dotun noted of the tennis pro from Hawaii. "And I think that's going to lend very well to the show. We're both excited to watch that journey."
Looking back on that final day of filming in Fiji, Charity admitted dumping Joey in second place -- right as he was about to get down on one knee -- "was not easy."
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Charity shared with the magazine, "Saying goodbye was really hard for me."
"The emotions just overcame me, rightfully so," the child and family therapist from Georgia continued.
"Throughout this whole journey for me, saying goodbye to anyone was not an easy thing to do, but especially at that point when you have formed some connection, that was difficult for me. I don't want to be the person that has to contribute to someone else's pain, but it was necessary."
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Charity said that after taking "some time to collect myself" after breaking Joey's heart, she was excited to see Dotun and hear what he had to say about their future together.
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"It's a crazy place to be in, feeling two extremes," Charity recalled of the Final Rose Ceremony.
"Once I saw Dotun, I was just at peace and I was so excited. I was ready to say yes to forever with him."
Before The Bachelorette's Season 20 finale aired -- when Dotun, Joey and Aaron Bryant were all still in the running for Charity's heart -- Charity told Entertainment Weekly that her pick for the next Bachelor was John Buresh, a 27-year-old data scientist from New York.
"Hands down, my vote is for John B.," Charity told EW.
"He's very charismatic, but in a very wholesome way. It's not like, let me lead with my charm and then do some crazy sh-t later. He is just a well-rounded guy."
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Charity also praised John's demeanor, sharing, "A lot of people are captivated by his personality, and he really is someone who I feel is very genuine at his core and sincere."
The Bachelorette star concluded, "That makes for a really great lead in my opinion."
Charity also pointed out how her older brother Nehemiah Lawson -- who made an appearance in disguise on the premiere of Charity's The Bachelorette season -- is "single!"
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
She noted, "He also has my vote for Bachelor, or we could do a double [The Bachelor] season."
But ABC ultimately went with Joey due to his "charismatic" personality and his "honesty and openness to find lasting love." ABC also praised Joey's loyalty, thoughtfulness, compassion, and family values.
"As the Bachelor, Graziadei is looking for a life partner who is outgoing, caring, and shares his love for adventure and exploring the outdoors," ABC teased of the next season, which is expected to premiere in January 2024.
"He loves hiking, surfing and ending his days watching the sunset but knows he has much more love to give, and the only thing missing is someone with whom to share his life."
After he was announced as The Bachelor star, Joey told Jesse that the opportunity feels "surreal" and he found the closure he needed from Charity by watching her romance with Dotun unfold on television.
"This is crazy... I never expected this at all," Joey said on The Bachelorette's live finale, adding how he's looking for a woman who will challenge him, be willing to face adversity with him, and just enjoy life.
Before The Bachelor returns, ABC is premiering Bachelor in Paradise's ninth season as well as a new spinoff, The Golden Bachelor starring Gerry Turner, on Thursday, September 28 beginning at 8PM ET/PT.
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RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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