Montco Native Heads One Of Most Popular 'Bachelor' Seasons Ever

COLLEGEVILLE, PA — The new season of ABC's "The Bachelor" is now through several episodes, and people around the world have been introduced to the Montgomery County native at the center of the show.

Joey Graziade, 28, Collegeville native, graduate of Spring-Ford and West Chester University, is the lead. He gained fame as the runner-up on last summer's season 20 of "Bachelorette." That's another way of saying he was the second choice (out of of dozens) of the show's leading woman, Charity Lawson.

Graziade has proven to be one of the most popular bachelors in the history of the franchise, at least as far as viewership is concerned.

The Feb. 12 episode in the series averaged about 5.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen data analyzed by Variety. That marked the highest turnout of the season thus far.

This season as a whole is one of only 10 times in the 25 season history of the show that has seen a ratings increase, other Nielsen data shows. It's notable as most cable television shows have been steadily declining in the era of streaming, for the better part of a decade now.

Multiple upcoming episodes are slated to feature Collegeville and the greater Philadelphia area, as the final several women in the show visit his hometown.

While an exact schedule has not yet been announced, the finale is expected to fall on March 25.