The current Bachelor is opening up about what causes his eyes to appear yellow after fans started worrying about his health on social media.
Joey Graziadei, currently the star of the long-running ABC show, posted a TikTok explaining he has Gilbert syndrome, which is an inherited genetic condition.
"I want to jump on here really quick and talk about something that I'm seeing a lot of comments about, which is Joey's yellow eyes," he begins the video.
"I have to go all the way back to when I was in high school. I was sick for about a week and a half, and my mom thought it'd be a good idea to go to the doctor," he explained. "When I went to the doctor, I had bloodwork done, and the bloodwork showed that my bilirubin count was very high."
The high bilirubin levels indicated that something was wrong with his liver, Graziadei said, and following an ultrasound and visits with other doctors, he was eventually diagnosed with Gilbert syndrome.
"They found out that there was nothing that was necessarily wrong like hepatitis," he said, adding that "at the end of the day, I am told that I am healthy."
Graziadei said that the whites of his eyes can sometimes look jaundiced, or more yellow, as a result of the condition. He said it tends to impact him more when he is worn out.
"I am healthy. It's just something that I have to pay attention to drinking more fluids is worse when I have stress or lack of sleep, which happens on a TV show," he concluded. "And I do appreciate everyone looking out for me and wondering if I'm okay, but to my knowledge, I'm as okay as that can be and I will continue to look at it."
According to the Mayo Clinic, Gilbert syndrome is a common and harmless liver condition caused by a modified gene inherited from parents.
"This gene usually controls an enzyme that helps break down bilirubin in your liver," the Mayo Clinic website reads. "When you have an ineffective gene, your blood contains excess amounts of bilirubin because your body doesn’t produce enough of the enzyme."
Graziadei first entered the "Bachelor" universe as a contestant on Charity Lawson’s season of "The Bachelorette."
"The Bachelor" airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. The next episode — airing on March 4 — will feature the tennis pro and the four remaining female contestants venturing to their hometowns to meet their families.
