Bachelor Happy Hour - Mark Bares His Heart

Episode Date: October 11, 2024

Today on “Happy Hour,” we sit down with Mark Anderson! We kick off today’s episode taking it all the way back to Joey and Kelsey’s Hometown from the last season of “The Bachelor.” Then we get into how Mark’s life changed and ultimately how he got to “The Golden Bachelorette.” And, of course, we hear all about his connection with Joan and what his journey in finding love again has meant to him and his family. Plus, we discuss what this week’s date felt like and the special place it has in his heart. Tune in now to hear all this and more, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone.

Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you.

But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh, my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Hi, I'm Jenna Lopez and in the new season of the Over Comfort Podcast,

I'm even more honest, more vulnerable, and more real than ever. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time? Join me for conversations about healing and growth, all from one of my favorite spaces, The Kitchen. Listen to the new season of the Overcombered podcast on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, everyone.

Welcome back to Bet Your Happy Hour. I'm Joe. And I'm Serena. And we are here with none other than Mark Anderson. You're the only one I say. I've said their last name just because it's just, it just goes. It just flows. Mark Anderson.

Yeah, it's a good name. You know, a lot of celebrities have to change their name when they become celebrities. because they just need a better name. You definitely wouldn't. Mark Anderson is a strong one. Yeah, it works. Yeah, thanks, mom and dad, right? So what's going on?

Mark, how are you? I'm doing great. Thank you for letting me join in with you. Of course, of course. So let's kick this thing off with your daughter. So your daughter goes on the bachelor. How do you feel about that at the time? Yeah, well, I mean, I had to.

really watched I hadn't really watched Bachelor of Bachelorette the series I think it had been on TV and I'd walked through I just don't really watch a lot of TV but Kelsey had called and said that she applied for a show and it was it was in the summertime like we were going to

Hilton Head for a vacation and said she couldn't go because you know she had the interviews and stuff she had to do for that and and then my youngest son Matthew and I were down in New Orleans and Kelsey said that she got selected and she was going to be on The Bachelor and we were all excited. You know, we kind of had a good time. And then, you know,

we get out, we leave and Matthew and I were driving back home and I'm like on the phone looking up Bachelor to get an idea what she's getting into, you know, and you see these little short video snippets of a girl in a hallway having this emotional distressful moment and and crying and you know so my heart sinks thinking oh what is she getting into you know

but it was you know it was great she got to come home right before she left and we just kind of hung out went to a movie and stuff and had to film some video stuff with her

but it was really neat you know and I told her how proud of her I was you know, that she was going off to do some great things and told her how she was much stronger than I, you know, that she was going out and, you know, going to give her, did you give her any advice or just? Yeah. Yeah, I said, you know, just be yourself, you know, let your heart guide you. You know, the biggest thing, just be yourself. And if you're yourself, there's no surprises there's no you know everything just works yeah that's always the advice i would

give anyone to that goes on the show it's just like as simple as it sounds it's like just be yourself like yeah and that's it and if it doesn't work it doesn't work but then you don't have to like look back on it and regret anything because you were who you were um so kelsey makes it the hometowns did you have any idea what that was did she did she prep you before she left like If I go, if I make it pretty far, like, you may have to, you may have to come. You may have to be on TV. No, I got a, I got like a phone call from a producer, you know, saying, hey, we're setting up hometown visits. And it was, you know, at first I get a phone call and they're saying, because I hadn't heard from Kelsey, you know.

And in today's age, that's a tough thing, you know. Like, she would be driving around, she'd be driving around her car or outrunning and she'd call me. me up and say hey i just got this weird feeling and you know yeah so it was always kind of like a i don't know like constant communication yeah yeah always and uh um it was weird not being able to talk to her and not be able to you know hear from her or know where she was at um so it was you know to hear from somebody saying hey Kelsey's doing fine so it was nice to hear that she was fine yeah yeah so you you see her for the first time and and without communication for however long it is and you meet the man that she potentially is going to

get engaged to are you okay with it are you happy like what are you how are you feeling over it that was you know i was worried about the hometown visit because the golden bachelor was airing while she was off filming right so i was um i was kind of gauging stuff off the golden bachelorette and i'm watching it and i like i was getting all this you know my own internal um i don't know corrections to myself i guess like i was getting some inspiration from watching a golden bachelorette like it was it was fantastic to see people in my situation out looking for love you know um and so i was watching that and then we went down for kelsey's hometown and when she walked in it was just like oh finally you know because it'd been

a while. I hadn't seen her, didn't know what she was up to. Joey walked in, and it was like a, it was like a perfect first impression. You know, like, you could tell the way they walked in, you know, he was just graceful with her. And, you know, impatient, let her, you know, get her hugs in and say hello to the family that she hadn't seen for a while. And then he just kind of fit right in in conversation. And it just, it was a, it was a really great, it was a really great experience for a first impression. Like it was, it would be, it looked like watching it, you know, I remember watching it and being like, yeah, this works.

And, and watching that whole season, I to, to Serena and I, mainly me, but it was pretty evident that Joey was going to choose Kelsey. Yeah. Yeah, 100%. how is it how is it now after you know all set and done they're engaged just joey fitting into the family is everything yeah yeah like you know the summer we were out in the hilton head for a week you know and so he's meeting my brother and his wife and family and and we're just hanging out going to the beach playing golf you know and it was it was fantastic fit right in is he giving you golf lessons i was going to say well who be two in golf who's better well

not me Joey's pretty good he's a good golfer right huh I'm sorry Joey's a pretty good golfer right oh yeah yeah so it was my brother and Matthew

Joey and then my brother's brother-in-law Alan it was the five of us that went out golfing so it was like Alan and Joey were playing then my brother was kind of the one given Matthew and I lessons

as we were playing. So we just played 18 and cracking. It was a lot of fun. Nice. That's fun. I love Helton Head. So then, so the show airs,

hometown airs, and now there's going to be this spin-off from the Golden Bachelor to the Golden Bachelorette. And a lot of people are throwing your name out there. That was like one of the biggest things in Joey season was Kelsey's dad

needs to be either the Golden Bachelor or on the season. of the golden bachelorette so what was it like hearing that and were you were you ready for it yeah i wasn't i don't know how you could be ready for that i mean i it was a it was a huge surprise for me like i was more worried going into that hometown um you know the filming of that like i was worried that you know i didn't want to be the the the reason that joey wouldn't pick Kelsey, you know, if Kelsey picks him, unless she stayed there. So it's apparent that she liked him, right? She thought there was something there. So, you know, I'm there to support Kelsey 100%, you know,

and I didn't want to be the reason why he would say no. Like, so there's a little stress, you know, a little anxiety. But it all went great, you know. I mean, it went great. So my experience, with that and then all of a sudden all this internet starts up and like I'm not a big social media person you know like I had Facebook because my kids had Facebook when they were little and they were playing like farm bill and stuff right so I had to like send them animals and cows and farm stuff I don't know it was it was crazy but we had social media to follow our kids to keep you know checking on them what they're doing and it was we were watching the hometown episode we were down with Kelsey at her place And Kelsey's on her phone. And as it's airing, she's like, oh, my God. You know, she's like, dad. She's like telling me, I don't even know it's, you know. It was crazy.

So as a result of hometown's airing and you're getting all this love on social media and Kelsey's, you know, telling you like, hey, like, you're going viral. What's the craziest story you have for us from there? Well, it was, you know, as we're watching it, Kelsey's like, dad, there's thirst traps about you. Like it was a commercial, like right after like the first part aired. And she's like, dad, there's thirst traps. And I was like, oh.

And then she's like, no, really. So she starts playing it and she's like recording it. You know, and I was like, oh my gosh. Like, I don't know. It was really crazy. but like after it aired we got home like I started getting mail like letters to my house I got oh really like phone calls registered mail that I had to go sign for at the post office like what were they said what were these letters or were people writing to you it was a little

variety of stuff like like an introduction you know like saying oh you know I lost my spouse or you my husband passed away or um which you know i i was getting a lot of a lot of um stuff on instagram and and like my my stuff was always private you know like i just never really shared anything i didn't think anybody be interested and like i put something on there like once a month if that you know yeah um cook a brisket and take a picture of it you know like share it with the kids um so it really but then all of a sudden i'm getting all these messages right and everybody's it was it was it was just i mean it was supportive you know like a lot of people were bringing up about you know being on the golden bachelor and yeah um and then they announced a golden

bachelorette you know and and so it was really you know it was neat like you know i mean it was just a lot of attention and i just like i personally am not used to that like i don't like I don't thrive on that like it I don't know I guess it's kind of shocking it is it's overwhelming it's shocking I'm not a you know I'm not a about me kind of person so it was very overwhelming you know like did it make you nervous at all that people

had your home address like strangers had your home address yeah a little bit but the internet like everything is there like yeah I mean I got that was a there was a real estate I said wow kind of surprised you found my address and she goes oh i'm in real estate you know she's like honey i'm in real estate i get i have more information on you than oh my god i mean it's true i mean honestly like that's why i all like people are always like

worried about like their information being stolen but like it's all out there yeah yeah you know like having to shred all your mail nobody waste their time with that anymore you know it's too easy to get it on the internet yeah if somebody really wants the hack you though they'll figure it out My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Well, wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot.

He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor, and they're the same age. And it's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him

because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not? To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Jemell Hill, host of the Sports and Politics Podcasts Politics. And on the latest episode of Politics, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joins me for a candid conversation. about the state of the Democratic Party. What do Republicans say to you privately that they won't say publicly? Many of them are in fear of their political lives, and that's been part of the challenge.

But we continue to say to them, you were elected to defend your constituents, to stand up for your constituents. And there's life after Congress. And you should be willing to actually want to be able to look back on your time in the House of Representatives knowing that you can keep your head held high because you did the right thing. Donald Trump is gone in three and a half years, but their legacy or their failure to stand up to the extremism and the unprecedented assault on America as we know it will be with them forever. Make sure to listen to Spolitics on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie, and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble.

Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. So Hometown's ends. You're viral on the internet. Kelsey's doing great. You're doing great. Lots of love in the Anderson household. They get engaged. We see that you go out for the live finale of Joey's season, the After the Final Rose special. What was that experience like being there in the audience with a live audience? Everyone knows who you are. What was the response like? And there's also golden bachelor women there. Oh, yeah. Some of the golden bachelor women are there as well.

which I'm sure you got to meet them. Yeah. Yeah, it was, so we were sitting, we weren't out in the audience for the majority of the episode. And then right before the Rose ceremony, we got to walk out. And as we walked out, there's just like clapping and cheering. And I start looking around like, like, who's, you know, who just got here. And it was you. Yeah.

And so we go in and we sit down, you know, my other kids. are there with me and and so we all get our seats and uh and we sit down and you can you know I'm looking around and I can see back over this way is is a group of the women from Golden Bachelor um and of course Joey's family was like right across a little aisle from us and uh and then we got to watch a proposal which was like that's the first we saw yeah which was really nice yeah it was it was great you know and to see that That, you know, as a parent, like I didn't watch my kids on a date, not like, you know, not on a TV episode for sure, right? But, and I was, I wasn't sure if it was something I wanted to watch because I'd never seen my other kids go on dates.

I didn't, you know, I don't, I mean, I'm worried about them, right? I stay up. I do, you know, I check on them. But. Yeah, but the idea of watching it just doesn't even seem real. it's like right like yeah you would never get that kind of access to your children's dating life yeah like at all like who wants though really you know truly who wants that but truly who wants that you know like they don't want to see mine well you guys to see kelsey so now they're going to see yours yeah and um

but it was it was it was such a fantastic thing you know to watch that blossom and um And it just reinforced that, that feeling that I got when we're at hometowns, you know, when it started airing to see that progression of, of a relationship, you know, and it was, I don't know, it was just, it was very reassuring. It was very, it was great. You seem to have a very positive perception of the journey and Kelsey's experience, which totally makes sense because she's happily engaged to Joey, who's wonderful. Did you have any hesitations, though, for her going on the show or when she came off engaged? Was there any parental nerves there? Yeah. I mean, there is. I mean, you know, it's a one, it's a TV show, right?

It's a reality show. You hope that the connections that are made are strong. But it's like a bubble, you know. And once a real life starts happening, once reality really hits that. reality show it sometimes it doesn't work you know there's too many stressors or outside influences um you know luckily for them they started that couple counseling um immediately and it helped him tremendously the communication piece was great you know that joey's a fantastic speaker like he he he's a wonderful communicator right he listens and he speaks you know and um and pays attention

like um so like the match of them i think is is is just right like and and had kelsey not gone on the show she would have never met joey yeah that is true um you know it's just the odds of odds of those of those two meeting in any other situation it wouldn't have happened so you know having talked with kelsey and joey a little bit about that you know like that was an opportunity you know they took that opportunity and it and for them it was you know it was right it was it was they got that magic right so um and that's him you know that's it's uh enlightening um thinking about it i mean all the stuff on the internet was saying you know a mark for golden bachelor and all this and and i was on a you know i thought i'm not old enough

they were all like 60 and up you know um and here i was going to ask have you have you have you thought about yourself as golden what does that mean you know what does golden even mean i mean yeah i i guess it's like an older time like your golden years is it is it is it if you can sign it for aARp at 55 i don't like you know like um i mean i mean I feel like it's more of a season of life than it is like a specific age. Okay, so moving then towards your journey. So, you know, all this goes down and people are like marked for the Golden Bachelor and then Joan becomes the Golden Bachelorette.

How sure were you that you were ready to go on her season? I don't know if I was, I don't know if I was sure. like right away I mean it was exciting you know and the thought of it was great like I had to go like I had the hardest conversation with my children um before I even said yes and that was to ask them if it was okay for me to date um because I'd never done that right like yeah and you know and and to ask them if it's okay for me to date and then the second follow-up question was, is it okay for me to date on TV, you know? Yeah. That's a big one. That's a big second question. That's a big one. Yeah. But it, you know, it was, had any one of them said no,

like, I'm not ready for that. I wouldn't have. Yeah. But it was like the hardest thing for me to do was, was to ask my children that permission. And, you know, not to say that I don't talk to them or I don't, you know, encourage them to tell me what they think or, but for me to say, you know, I'm looking for someone besides your mother, right? And, you know, just to reinforce with them that I can't replace her. I will never replace her. She will never be replaced as their mother. But I had, you know, over the course of six years,

thought, well, what have I, have I kept them from, having that someone that they can relate to, someone that they can talk to, to confide in. You know, because I hope that they would feel comfortable enough to talk with me about anything. And I think for the most part they do. But there are things that a mother would talk to a child about just because it's the mother. I mean, like it's a different thought process, right? Like, brains are wired different between men and women. And, you know, that mother figure is, I think, is needed. So, you know, I thought maybe I was preventing them from having that outlet, right?

That source of communication and confidence, you know. And what was their response when you asked them for that permission? Oh, they were all like, yes, absolutely, go, you know, like, yeah. Very supportive. Very, very supportive. And, you know, but it was like I asked my kids and then I called my mom, I called my brother, I called my sister-in-law and my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law, you know, and asked them, you know, and said, hey, look, this is what I'm thinking about doing. What do you think? You know, because, you know, it was something that they had to know. For my in-laws to have encouraged me to date just seemed, you know. and that was early on like you know my sister-in-law she's like she's like she's like a sister you know like she's she's great but she always she always said mark you to get up and he's

wanted you to date she wanted you to meet someone she wanted you to take care of somebody she wanted you to enjoy life yeah you know so so to have somebody pushing me like that um I mean it was it's just great support so then yeah after Harry all their love and support and their acceptance of the whole idea of you going on. Were you yourself ready after that?

I mean, you know, I learned a lot watching The Golden Bachelor. And that was really kind of like I had hard time I had a hard time with with being okay with dating.

Because I was, you know, my, Denise was in my heart. You know, she filled it completely. And how do I make room for someone new? So the enlightening part of the Golden Bachelor was to hear, you know, the people on the show talk about how, you know, it is okay to love someone. It is okay to move on and have someone else in your life, you know, to enrich your own life.

life with someone else it's empowering it's enlightening you know um you know and and just time you know six years was yeah time yeah if so so you you agree to do it at you America wants you more than anyone uh you you step out of the limo and you see Joan. Oh, wait. Backtrack real quick. Kelsey is in the limo with you. Oh, yeah. Yes. Yes. What is the ride?

What's that conversation right? Up to the mansion. Like, she's done it before. Yeah. Now she's doing it with you. You're going to be stepping out of the limo. What is that car ride like? You know, the car ride and the whole process through it. Like, I didn't ask Kelsey about, you know, what should I expect.

I didn't talk to Joey about. about how is this going to, how, you know, what's it like? What am I going to, um, they didn't really offer it. And I, I did not ask it because I didn't want to know, like the most important question that I had asked Kelsey is, do I need to bring towels with me? You know, I do I have to pack towels in my suitcase too, because I'm running out of room. And she was like, no, dad, you don't need towels. So, you know, that was like my big, my big question for her, you know, and then what I'm

That's, that, see, that, like, that's insane to me that your daughter just went out of the show. And your only question was, should I bring towels? Yeah. Wow. Well, because I, you know, I wanted that experience, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. That's fair.

Yeah. Because I had to develop that experience. I had to, you know, go through the, go through the, whatever journey that was. Yeah. And I didn't want to, you know, I didn't want to, I didn't want to expect something and not, not, not get that, but see, something else you know it it was just better for me to experience it first makes sense i i i get it i get it who do you think was more nervous in that level ride you or your daughter a hundred percent me yeah i was like yeah i mean we were just how we're laughing and joking and

you know and we pull up and and and they opened the door and kelsey got out and walked up and you know i could see them i couldn't hear him um and i saw kelsey talking i'm like I don't know what she'd say because I had no idea you know and then all of a sudden I saw her you know waved me up and so then I get out and then it was just a big blur

right like yeah it was just a big blur I had no idea what was going on I don't know what I said I know what I wanted to say I think I'd mumbled something but that that first that first night yeah I think that's how majority of people feel like that

when they when they get out of the limo and see the Bachelorette for the first time or the Bachelors. Like, you know, you walk up into that setting, like they're like romance novels have been like centered on that right there. Just that one tiny little experience. Like it's incredible. Like if you could pick a place to do a first date, like that would be it. Just the light like.

Yeah. It's like, it's like a Disney movie. Yeah. Yeah. It's a Disney rock. It's very extravagant. Yeah. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious.

Well, wait a minute, Sam, maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor, and they're the same And it's even more likely that they're cheating.

He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not? To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I never envision being with a woman.

I'll just be honest. I'm Jamel Hill, host of the Sports and Politics Podcasts, Spolitics. On this week's episode, I'm joined by Basketball. legend, Candice Parker, who stops by to discuss her candid new book, The Can Do Mindset, in which she shares while she waited two years into marriage to come out. Like when I close my eyes at night, every night, I was like, I need to find my prince charming. Like, it was never a princess. Like, that never entered into my mind. But, you know, as I learned, sometimes life gives you things wrapped in a package that you didn't expect it. And that was

It's just, you know, and honestly, it took me a long time to be okay with myself. Make sure to listen to this week's episode of Spolitics on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh, my God, perfect.

And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Did you feel a spark between Joan that first day? First night? Yeah.

I mean... Yeah, like any time I talked with Joan, there's a spark. Yeah. You know? Because she's just that kind of person. She's just a wonderful, just a beautiful woman. Like inside out, like she's just fantastic. She's so articulate.

She's like, yeah. I mean, just fantastic, fantastic. You know, she would talk to you. And at first, you know, going in, I didn't know if I was the first person. person, last person. But when I got up there, it was like, it was just her and I. And every time speaking with her, it was just her and I. Like, you never thought about anybody else because she made me the most important person there.

That's a good sign. Yeah, it was, it was, it was great. Did you feel any pressure when you walked into the mansion and a lot of the guys knew who you were? Yeah. Well, yeah, I had, I was, yeah, I was nervous about that because, you know, I was like, oh, what's everyone, you know, one, you don't know, you're going to walk in this room with a bunch of guys and they're all like, you know, you don't know if there's testosterone's

like raging or whatever, you know, because, of course, I'm, you know, doing some searches for, you know, bachelorette, you know. But it was, it was great. Like, once I walked in, um, I, again. got over the nerves of Kelsey being there and, you know, and stumbled through talking with Joan and went inside and just, you know, everybody was already in little groups talking. And I was like, wow, there's a lot of guys here. And started talking to a couple people and kind of made my way outside because it was a nice cool weather, you know, and got outside and walked up to the bar.

and nobody had said anything to me, you know, up to that point of, oh, are you that market, you know, like, and then I'm out at the bar and I hear, oh, I, I knew you were going to be here. And it was Keith, right? Keith's like, he walks up and he's like, yeah, I knew you were going to be here. And I was like, oh, you know, like, don't tell anybody. I forget Keith is like a bachelor fan. like watched yeah he's a super fan keith yeah he's like the super of super fans no way everybody

was asking hey keith what do we what is that keith what is it what is that what is that that's so funny i love that between keith and charles's spreadsheet that's where everyone's getting all the information yeah so we we see um i want to ask you this because it's like okay so you're in your so-called golden years but you've you've lived a ton of life right you have a ton of life experiences and then you're sitting there talking to joan i think you guys were on like the the front steps or whatever and it's when you guys have like your first kiss like are do you feel like you're 16 again yeah it was more like like 13 or 14 i mean yeah it was yeah i was nervous Because, you know, you get to the point where you don't really notice the cameras and stuff running.

You just kind of, like, void it out. And it was easy to do that with Joan because she's just right there and she just fills, right? And, you know, it was, we were just playing a game. I was trying to keep things light. You know, some of the guys that talked about how, you know, they wanted to make sure they got this in. And it was like some heavy stuff already. And I was like, it's kind of, you know. and like when we first met you know i said something like you you know of me i know of you

but we don't really know each other like you know we don't really know each other um so i try to keep it light trying to keep things easy but let's learn no stuff about me right like i spent 24 years in the army and i got to i got to spend like 11 of those years in germany you know so it was an easy thing to say do some flashcards and see if she can guess what I'm saying but her family's Dutch it's pretty close

and so I asked her if in German if I could give her a kiss and she guessed that I said cuddle and then I told her I said well no and I showed it to her as I was reading it right it's actually if I could give you a kiss and she said well yes and so we kissed and then she said you could have said that in english

so i said in english we kissed again so it was nice i mean it was just it was fun it was playful it was just it felt very natural right like it was nice like it just it just like it just progressed into it nicely your your relationship with joan up until this point seems very seems very natural it really does just seem like it's it's it's just you too yeah well yeah because you know i mean to me it felt like that yeah you know because when i when i'm spending time with her it was just her and i it was it was just us yeah um so you think about that a lot you know you're like oh well you know but then everyone you know somebody i'd like to talk about you know and but it's it's okay you know because when when i'm with

her she's my girlfriend right like yeah like we're dating um So it was just, it was, it was just interesting. Like, you never experience anything like that in life, except for there. Yeah. I was going to say, how are you handling, how are you handling that thought process of when I'm with her? She's my girlfriend, but also in the back of your mind, there's other guys that are experiencing that at the same time. Is that throwing you off at all? Or it's kind of like you've accepted that that's part of this process?

No, I mean, honestly, you just have to accept it. You know, if you don't accept that and kind of work your mind to fit that, right? If you don't accept it, that's where the aggression comes out. Like, you know, there's just too much stuff that comes out from that. Like, if you think about dating someone, if you go out with someone, you don't know if they just had a date with someone else yesterday on a first date, right? True, yeah. You don't know what their past dating history is. I mean, you could, I guess.

But when you first shouldn't. Yeah, right? But like if you don't, you don't know them, you don't know who they just dated. I mean, it's kind of the same thing. Yeah. I mean, that's the way I worked. And then when I was with her, we were boyfriend, girlfriend, you know. And it was kind of funny because as guys would go out on their, on their first.

on a one-on-one dates and they'd come back it'd be like hey are you talking about my girlfriend because they just finished a one-on-one so she was their girlfriend until there was another date right so it's like is that my girlfriend you're talking about it was just kind of a yeah lightheartedness you know like the the tension or the stress of it yeah kind of kill a little bit of the awkwardness yeah exactly what did this experience overall so far to you, it's your first time really getting back in the dating scene. And you're sharing this experience with Jones, someone who has also been through the experience of losing a spouse. You seem to really be able to kind of connect and bond over that. Was that a big part of your

relationship in this journey for you? It was. I mean, you know, like, and we got to talk a little bit after we did the men tell all but or barrel um after the men bear all we got to talk a little bit and she you know i knew that that john had died of cancer and you know and i just wanted to convey to her that you know having that commonality you know we both lost a spouse to a horrible disease um and knowing that process firsthand you know, I just wanted to be there to help her to support her in whatever she needed, you know. And for her, I wanted her to know that when she has those days where she thinks back on it, I understand that. Because I have those days as well, you know, like where you think back and you can get, you know, you could have some pretty deep thoughts about it, get emotional about it.

and that's okay because that's a part of it and I understand that. You know, it's had I gone through a divorce, it would have been different, you know, it could have been a, it could have been a not so, not so good divorce where there's like animosity

and you're just happy to be rid of them and you're just like, now finally I'm free, right? And it's like that instantaneous, okay, now I can go focus on me and, you know, meet someone new. that's right for me. But when your spouse dies, it's like, that's not your choice. You know, you didn't choose that.

It just happened and you try to hold on to that because, you know, you lost something that you wanted for the rest of your life, you know, but you've lost it. So you want to kind of hold on to it and not lose it because that was what you wanted. But eventually with time, You know, you start to miss things and, you know, and it's just nice to have someone else to be able to talk to and to share things with. You know, love is a fantastic emotion, you know, it's a feeling, it's an emotion. It's like a sense, you know, and it should be there, right?

Everybody needs love. Yeah. Did it make it easier to strip out camera, knowing that. that it was for stand-up for cancer. Yeah, so I had a lot of reservations about that. You know, we walked in, we walked into this theater and some big old T-stage, you know, we're like, maybe it's a fashion show, right? Yeah, just the way you're going, just like, yeah, I was definitely hopeful.

But we're standing up at the, at the far end of this, of this runway, you know, and all these Chippendale guys come out. You know, and we're like, oh, God. And immediately, I'm like, I'm not doing this. I'm just like, I'm not going to do it. Yeah. I'm not doing it. And, but, you know, we're going through the stuff, and they teach us,

they bring out some original Chippendale dancers. And so they're teaching us a routine, you know. And throughout this whole, teaching out like we're all doing it and having fun and and i'm thinking yeah i am i am not you know this is not me like i don't go to that i don't like i just it's not me you know like yeah and then they said yeah so you'll be you'll be doing this dance for jones she'll be out there you know and so at this one point you'll walk up and and i'm like uh like there's no way i'm going to disrespect this woman right like and um so i'm just like i'm like yeah i'm not doing it and then you know all

a sudden they announce that it's a benefit um and it's a benefit for stand up to cancer it was like mic drop you know it was like just the instantaneous attitude pants drop let's go yeah it was it was yeah it was it was you couldn't like it just turned uh it turned from i'm not doing it till you can't keep me off the stage you know know it meant a lot you know they said they're trying to raise money for awareness and stand up to cancer is is all about awareness right like yeah get the word out the more the more people you touch with the word of early detection um just the greater the the survival rate is you know and it's not a it's not a survival you know you're not talking about survival for for

eternity right you're talking about for right now you know it's just cancer just destroys and that the treatments that are there it destroys the body and it you know it's a it's a tough thing to get through you know you can you can put it off you can delay it um but so many times it comes back um you know you can just fight it again and keep fighting it and keep fighting it um but if you're not checking and you're not finding out if there's something there early. It's already so late stage that there's so little that you can honestly do. So as a as a program like a hundred percent, I'm 100 percent there for it. Just as Joan said that she was. You know, it meant a lot to her as well. So yeah, it changed that attitude quick. Oh yeah. It changed the ad. I'm sure

for a lot of the guys about the date. In a good way. It was. Oh, yeah. And good way. Yeah. And I'm telling you, there's some, I think there were some ringers in that, too. Some fantastic performances, for sure. There were some, there were some performances, I think, that had done that before. I think so, too. Possibly professionally. Possibly. I think so too. In fact, I think somebody, I think somebody packed some gold underrues. Really? Yeah. Wait, who, who? Jonathan. Oh, Jonathan. Jonathan. Jonathan definitely did it before. Like John that was in here, he was in his realm right there.

He was surprisingly skilled. Yeah. Well, Mark, you want to play a quick game? Just a little rapid fire, get to know you. Yeah, absolutely. All right. Let's do it. Rapid Fire with Mark.

What musician would you love to see perform? Dead or alive. Dead or alive. Oh. Yeah, Taylor Swift. Okay. Me too. What's your favorite food or cuisine?

Buffet. What's your go-to comfort movie or show? Comfort? It's a wonderful life. What's one thing you would tell your younger self? Just keep at it. Keep doing what you're doing. What's your favorite way to unwind?

Motorcycle. What's a deal breaker for you? Someone who's not kind. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I don't know my son asked me that all the time. I'd love to fly. What is your go-to drink at a bar? Moscow Mule.

What's a piece? of advice you've received and never gotten and never forgotten never gotten never got um make today a great day what is the most adventurous thing you've ever done um i don't know i've done a bit done sky done you've been repelling out of helicopters You stripped on TV. I went on the Golden Bachelorette first ever. There you go. What's an accomplishment you are very proud of?

My children. What's your love language? I think touch. If you could describe Joan's season of the Golden Bachelorette in one word without spoiling it, what would it be? Incredible. I like that. Is that what Charles just said? Charles said spectacular, but a lot of positive adjectives, which is good because usually in the regular seasons, it's like drama.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, Mark, honestly, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day. We really appreciate it. Yeah. Thank you, Joe. Thank you, Surrey. Thanks for coming. And for all of our listeners, be sure to continue to tune in to Bachelor Happy Hour. We have more recaps and exclusive interviews coming your way. Bye. Bye. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon.

This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe. Find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime Podcasts and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes.

Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story. Does anyone know what show they've come to see?

It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life. This is Wisecrack. now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.