When it comes to intruder groom Joel, he certainly has “a star [in him]” that cannot be dimmed (too soon Juliette?!).
Fans have praised the groom for continuing to be his “authentic self” on the show and not giving in to the criticism and behaviour that Juliette has thrown his way, “ick-y” drummer video and all.
In an interview with WHO, Joel revealed how this side of his personality has always been a part of who he is, with a certain leaked Tinder photo of the groom sparking many reactions from fans.
Joel confirmed to WHO that the image “is real” and revealed that these online reactions are not that dissimilar to the responses he received from women who saw the image first-hand on the dating app.
To whoever first uncovered and leaked the photo of this MAFS intruder, thank you for your service!
What was Joel’s bold Tinder move?
So, what is this infamous photo that we speak of? Well, it’s a mirror selfie of Joel in his – his words – “tighty whities”, with the socks still on of course.
Joel spoke to WHO about what inspired this photoshoot.
“I came home from the gym and I got undressed in a really weird way,” the groom said. “I took off my shirt, I took off my shorts, and all was left was the underwear and the socks and the shoes. And I thought it just looked hilarious.”
So, being his “usual self” and someone who likes to take pictures “in funny poses”, Joel did just that, and then put the photo up on Tinder for all his potential matches to glean.
“Tinder was a bit of a laugh anyway,” he told WHO. “I thought, wow, this is really funny, why not just put it on there just for a laugh?”
As we’ve seen from the show, Joel’s sense of humour is a defining quality for the groom, and a turn-off for Juliette. However, when it came to the women on Tinder, Joel revealed that his sense of humour received a totally different reaction on the app.
Joel said his success on Tinder ‘skyrocketed’ after this move
When asked about the success rate of such a – well let’s be honest – pretty funny image to stumble upon on Tinder, Joel told WHO that his “matches skyrocketed.”
“I felt what it was like for the first time to be a woman on Hinge,” he admitted. “Girls were messaging me and making comments about my body. Girls were objectifying me.”
“I’ll tell you what, it felt great.”
Fans are praising Joel for continuing to be his ‘authentic self’ on MAFS
When Joel’s Tinder image reached comment sections online, fans had nothing but praise for Joel committing to being his “authentic self.”
“The thing about Joel is he’s authentic,” one fan commented in response to the photo being shared on Reddit. “Yes he’s out there and wacky…and he puts that on the tin so you know what you are getting from the start.”
“He has a sense of the absurd,” another user said. “Maybe not be everyone’s idea of humour but so what?”
When asked by WHO about his reaction to this commentary, Joel acknowledged how he’s had “a bit of a bounce back from the wedding when I was being my authentic self.”
“They thought I was 100% clown,” he said. “Now they’ve seen a different side of me.”
“People are getting to know the real me. And it’s not just the clown. It’s also that there’s a depth to me and a sincerity.”
Clown or not, it seems fans are feeling refreshed from Joel’s authenticity and awareness that while he may not be for everyone, that’s okay.
“If they don’t get it, you know, it’s all them,” he told WHO.
“I mean, on brand?”, one fan commented in response to the photo. Yep, Joel has absolutely stuck to his brand…and you know what, good for him!
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