The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - A Chat with Chelsea

Episode Date: March 9, 2021

Ben and Ashley talk to Chelsea Vaughn from Matt’s season and she’s ready to spill it all!She reveals that she has her eye on one of the guys from Tayshia’s season! And Ben and Ashley make their final predictions of who Matt will choose as we head towards the finale. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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and, of course, the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very wonderfully experiential sporting event. To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an IHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment

on the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports Network. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts with IHart Radio. It is another episode of the Almost Famous Podcast. Ashley Nett are so pumped to be here for multiple reasons. One, I do have a personal antidote to share with you all. It is the week that we celebrate Ashley Iconetti's birth into this world.

Happy birthday, Ashley Ikenetti. Happy birthday week, I guess. Thank you so much. 33 is like mid-30s now. So I feel like it's a big jump. Do you feel like 33 is a big job? I think it's like, you know, 32, early 30s. 33.

Are you early 30s? Are you mid-30s? Yeah. And you know what? I just did a cameo last night where somebody sent me a message for their wife. And it was her 33rd birthday. birthday. I'm turning 32 in just a few weeks. Um, and it started with this. Please tell her she makes 33 look good. And I was like, oh God, that's horrible. I was like, come on. Come on.

That's terrible. I remember I read this study that women apparently hit their peak attractiveness at the age of 31. So for like all my 20s, I was like, you know what? It's okay. Because apparently I peak at 31 and now I'm two years over that. Yeah, you're in this season of life. It's super, no, it's super special. Like, you know, you're not a kid. Uh, you can't use that excuse. I really can't. Uh, you're an adult. You are, uh, a huge piece of society. You're, you're forming this world. Like, this is a cool season for you, but you have, now I think at like 33, even 30, you've got to give up all like excuses of, oh, I'm just still young. Like, you're not young anymore. Um, and that's okay.

That's not a bad thing. It's just a weird feeling. I was cleaning out my closet because we're moving. So I'm trying to get rid of a whole bunch of stuff I won't wear again. And I do this through FaceTime with my sister because I'm such a pack rat. I'll find a sentimental value to everything. And I have to have her say like, nope, bye. And something that we really concluded that I actually felt in my bones was like,

Lauren, I'm going to obviously continue to wear crop tops. That's like my style. but I can't really wear brawlets anymore like I can't go out of the house wearing a braulet basically like not a crop top

where it ends kind of like right above your belly button like I can't wear anything that that's a that's significantly above my belly button does that make sense Ashley I can be showing my whole stomach anymore you do you girl

I don't know it doesn't even feel right if you want to show that stomach off you show that stomach off I could I could but then it's just like I'm not a sure I'm not I'm not a child anymore. These are decisions now that you have to think through. And, well, Ashley, in all seriousness, happy birthday. You're somebody I love to celebrate.

It was a good one. Thank you. Real quick, how did you celebrate it? Well, on Friday, I went to dinner with NAS. If you guys listen to the I Don't Get a podcast, she's my co-host there. And she is my best friend who I met, who was my producer on The Bachelor. And then we went dad and Jaden Tanners for Saturday. We slept over there.

It was the last time we get to hang out with them as both California residents. And the following night, we went out to dinner with Nick and Natalie, his girlfriend. So it was a nice set of friend dinners. That's really special. You know, it's cool. And this is just interesting, is all of these close friends are people you've met. Now you have great. I've met your friends from like.

All of them are through the bachelor. Yeah. And they're like real friends of yours who love you as a friend and love you as a person. Now you have great friends outside. of the show. I've met them at your wedding and every place in life. But like these are real friendships for you. I just did the I Don't Get a podcast a couple weeks ago. And that is, I'm not kidding. And it was one of the most fun, uh, podcast I've ever done. One, because you girls really keep me on my toes. Um, and two, it's just, it's fun to get to talk to you all in this like really

friendship environment. And I know that's what that podcast is. But yeah, um, happy birthday. I hope you feel loved. I hope you feel celebrated. I do. I very much do. I appreciate that. All right. Let's jump in now to the fantasy sweet episode this week. Instead of running down the episode scene by scene like we often do, today I just kind of want to do big takeaways. I had three. Do you want me to list them or should we just go one by one? How many standout moments did you have? You know, I don't know if I looked at it that way. I'm happy you're doing it this way because I watched it more. is in its entirety. I do want to start with one standout moment

and then we'll go into yours and I'll just respond. The first one I talk about is the conversation that I was not expecting, maybe because I haven't seen the previews. I haven't really watched the previews recently was with Matt and his father. When his father walked in, that was a shock to me. That's a big moment.

It's one that I I don't know if I can say it like this but I'm going to. It was one of the most intimate scenes of the season and one of the most engaging scenes of the season not because of um not because of the emotion behind it but yeah not because of the hostility just because of this was a one of those as we say often real life moments that will play huge impacts way past the show okay so let's break that down first if you don't mind because

I do want to spend some time on that and then we can get into to your highlights from the dates. Well, that's, of course, number one standout moment for me. Okay. What were your thoughts? I loved seeing the development of it because his dad had a very natural defensive reaction at first and then he really listened. He let it hit his heart what Matt was saying and then he apologized and it was so sincere and I really do feel like they're going to have a better relationship here on out. Yeah. I mean, it shows, you know, Matt has always been a, like, a leader from the day one, you know, he stepped into the bachelor role and has kind of done a tremendous job at caring for the women and the women caring for him. And obviously, I've always been a big fan of him. But in this scene,

you really see if, if there's any doubt, if Matt is ready for a long-term commitment. And I don't know if anybody was doubting that. I'm saying if there was any doubt, this scene was my, like, concrete example of yes he's ready because of how he navigated it like he navigated it in a way that was like i need to confront you on this i'm not going to shy away from the the conversation i need you to talk about this with me now granted was matt's dream to do on national television was his dad's dream to do on national no but as matt kept saying there hasn't been another moment that i can do this this feels like the moment that i have to dad and we did we saw the arc of the confrontation to then the end, and the moment that said out to me was when they hugged each other and they did

this thing that just shows the desire to love each other well is when Matt says, I could still kick your ass in soccer. And I know that's like a passing comment. I get it. Yeah. But it's one that pulls back a memory. It's one that obviously connects them. And it's one that makes them both know like, hey, I've never forgotten about you. I totally agree. And if you guys didn't watch it you know we talk about the the trajectory of this conversation so first matt's talking about how like dad i didn't have you in my life like you weren't there for the big moments you didn't show up for me and then his dad says you know i said like he gets defensive he says you know my dad was killed at five i didn't have those things um he just kind of was like

i was there for you like i showed up you know a time or you know i'd be there we used to go and hang out, have pizza and stuff. And then Matt was like, no, dad, like, I don't want to be like you. Like, I want to be there for all the moments, not just like these little showups. And then, um, his dad, you know, he really just like, he took it to heart. And he said, like, I'm not perfect. We all make mistakes. You know, he said I'm not perfect at first.

And we're like, okay, dude, uh, you better take more accountability than that, right? And he ends up doing so. And it was just really awesome. I especially thought that the guy was going to get a little bit irritated that Matt was doing it on TV. I thought he was going to have like a break moment where he was like, you know what, I'm done with this. Not now. Why in front of the cameras? I was even thinking at a certain point that like, oh, this is what Matt's going to be sitting on the curb really sad about.

But then the dad surprises us all. And he's like, you know what? I'm not proud of what I did. and you know he did it was um i don't want to say like it was impressive but it was it was like hopefully it was like something that makes you feel good about people yeah he could have easily got up and walked away again yeah right i mean that was what matt was confronting him on was you've always walked away you you've never been there and he sat in this even in a very uncomfortable situation now it also reminded me this taught me a big lesson is when you have a

problem with somebody. Confrontation is not a bad thing, right? To sit down with somebody one-on-one and say, hey, I don't appreciate the way you've treated me. I don't appreciate the way this is gone. But the ability to work through that confrontation, and then to hear the story of that, like that moment when his dad says, like, do you even know that my dad died when he was five? When I was five, you don't know everybody's story. Like, there's a reason why, you know, this conversation was being had and why his dad was so, you know, at first thrown off is because he's like, do you know what I've been through? And then it turns the corner and there's confrontation still that exists throughout it to a point where at the end they go, I'm sorry.

And Matt can look at his dad and give him a hug and say, like, I love you. This is a big deal. And one that I hope builds a foundation for the both of them. And, you know, his dad hinted at it. And we won't probably know this as fans, but he's like, I want to do better. I want to keep working at this. I don't, I don't want to. want this to be at the end of this. That's special. That's a big moment. And then it carries through each of the dates.

He does. He wants to bring it up with each woman. Each woman then responds and he gets to have those conversations. It has to be, I wonder, we'd have to ask Matt when he comes on later. But I wonder if for him it was at some level healing to have so many people that care about him so intimately there to like get their perspective and talk to about it. Like, I mean, when you have one person in your life, it's a great thing, right? But like, when you have the ability every day to say, hey, this just happened to me and I just want you to know about it, I'm sure there's a, there is some type of like healing to that because you're able to talk about it.

And here everybody's responses, granted, I think the women responded perfectly. They didn't just respond in some fluffy way. They both dug into it with them. They told him who he was. They sat in it. They showed a lot of empathy, which is an incredible trait, especially on this show. all right so huge moment we're out of the bat what was your second highlight well i mean it's really just rachel's date and how he looks at her i just feel like it's totally different than the other two

well now we know that brie was eliminated so i think that it's different than when he talks to michel he just is so engaged with what rachel's saying yeah and it's you know we lead into that date with Rachel being bring out yeah and like you can tell it's coming from a place of like she just adores this dude and this is really hard for her to hear and and luckily she didn't like hide it for too long uh do you I mean because I would maybe disagree with you a little bit and say I was actually thinking that Bree's date was the one that felt like uh they had the best connection during when did you feel that when what point they're making breakfast the next morning I just you were going to say that that's why I asked.

And that brings me to point number three about Rachel, why did we go from fireworks out the window in the fantasy suite to straight into the rose ceremony? Both other girls, per usual, got that little scene in the morning. And I think the scene in the morning tells a lot about how the night went. We always know whether the night went well or the night went sour, aka, remember when Tasia left Coulton's room. Yes. We just knew.

That scene is so telling. And yet they eliminated that with Rachel. Who knows why? My, what's your instinct say? My instinct says that it was actually so good, so strong. It would have been a dead giveaway and they couldn't have aired it. Interesting.

Yeah, because it's weird. I even had to watch it back and go, did I miss this? Because we get that cut. You know, we get the early cut. And I was like, jarring. Yeah, did this get, did this get to leave? Where was that?

And it just wasn't there. So, Ashley, you know, that's, that's point number two. And then, you know, your third point was what? No, my third point was why was that scene cut for Rachel? So let's just real quickly run through each date. Date number one was Michelle. And you felt like you're just, if you had to explain it, you felt like I felt like it was not the I thought it was the third of the three in terms of connection. I thought there was something

good there. I thought they definitely enjoy each other. I definitely put Bree above Michelle when I was watching it if you take out the roast ceremony at the end. So I watched the episode. I'm within the past three hours. Yeah. And I literally just forgot for a second what they did on their date. So that's how little memorable it was. They went to the spa. Remember they did the oatmeal baths and milk baths and stuff? Yeah, it's like a Pennsylvania style spa. And I think part of that is because it was the first date.

Those dates always kind of get mixed up. And then the second is it was almost covered up to me with the emotion that they've been doing for the past few seasons where all the people are in one room. Like it used to be where, you know, you'd have your overnight and you go back, you weren't with the other contestants once you got. back. Yeah, they love doing that now. Now they love cinema all in the same room, which I still would, I mean, I've said every year, I just think it's weird and unhealthy and like really awkward to like, so awkward. They love it though.

Yeah, and I don't know if it does a lot for me. And I think it honestly like hurts the relationships at some level because it just makes this whole thing even weirder is like, oh, you just spent the night with my boyfriend and you're back and you're smiling and like, this is weird. But you're right. like during Michelle's day I was like still kind of getting over watching the dad conversation and then the other standout moment is when she walks in to meet the other girls and the reaction that she gets there so before we bring on a really special guest and we're about to

and she's going to be incredible um you would say you weren't shocked by breeze departure why no not all I felt breeze departure coming for a long time I do feel like there was like something like sexy intimate there with them but i don't know so like maybe there there was they had it in that department but i don't know that they they have it in like just the communication passion like that that jive that you need to have like that that banter back and forth like type of continuous conversation connection yeah i felt the connection uh i guess i was shocked uh but then it leads us in the next week. And we have to give our assumptions here. And we don't know any spoilers. But if I'm shocked Bree at home, because of Michelle's date felt like the third to me, is there any, I mean,

is she going to have that secret like kind of like, oh my gosh, out of nowhere Matt's like proposed to her? Do you think it's Rachel no matter what? I think it's Rachel no matter what. But I am still interested to see, of course, like I've been saying for weeks, why he's so upset sitting on the curb now it's seeming like it's a conversation that happens between him and his mom and maybe his mom doesn't think he should be getting engaged something like that her mom his mom seems definitely weary of marriage right from like her from her wounds uh and then it seems like there's like a day where he's supposed to see the girls but then decides not to so that's pretty intense but then again this could all be like fluff that they edit together in the preview to make us seem

like it's a bigger deal than it really is. Yeah, and we'll never see it on television. Yeah, like maybe he had E. coli or something like you did. Yeah, maybe he did get E. coli. And then he's crying. He's like, I just can't do it anymore. This sucks. All right, Ashley, let's take a break.

When we come back, we are going to have one of the most beloved contestants from this season on this podcast. We were so pumped for it. Chelsea is going to be joining us on the Almost Famous podcast. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a relationship. I'm Emily Tish Sussman, and on she pivots, I dive into the inspiring pivots of women who have taken big leaps in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweetie.

Monica Patton. Elaine Welter-A. I'm Jessica Voss. And that's when I was like, I got to go. I don't know how, but that kicked off the pivot of how to make the transition. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full. of them. Every episode gets real about the why behind these changes and gives you the inspiration and maybe the push to make your next pivot. Listen to these women and more on she pivots,

now on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The U.S. Open is here. And on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain, I'm breaking down the players from rising stars to legends chasing history. The predictions will we see a first time winner and the pressure. Billy Jean King says pressure is a privilege, you know. Plus, the stories and events off the court and, of course, the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very fancy, wonderfully experiential sporting event. I mean, listen, the whole aim is to be accessible and inclusive for all tennis fans, whether you play tennis or not. Tennis is full of compelling stories of late. Have you heard about

icon Venus Williams' recent wildcard bids, or the young Canadian, Victoria Mboko, making a name for herself. How about Naomi Osaka getting back to form? To hear this and more, listen to Good Good Game with Sarah Spain, an Iheart women's sports production in partnership with deep blue sports and entertainment on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of I heart women's sports. I don't write songs. God write songs. I take dictation. I didn't even know you've been a pastor for over 10 years. I think culture is any space that you live in that develops you. On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us podcast, I sat down with Warren Campbell, Grammy winning producer, pastor, and music

executive to talk about the beats, the business, and the legacy behind some of the biggest names in gospel, R&B, and hip-hop. This is like watching Michael Jackson talk about thoroughly before it happened. Was there a particular moment where you realize just how instrumental music culture was to shaping all of our global ecosystem? I was eight years. years old and the Motown 25 special came on and all the great Motown artists Marvin, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Diana Ross. From Mary Mary to Jennifer Hudson, we get into the soul of the music and the purpose that drives it. Listen to Culture raises us on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Kurt Brown-Oller. And I am Scottie Landis and we host Bananas,

the Weird News Podcasts with wonderful guests like Whitney Cummings. And tackle the truly tough questions. Why is cool mom an insult, but mom is fine? No. I always say, Kurt's a fun dad. Fun dad and cool mom. That's cool for me. We also dig into important life stuff. Like, why our last names would make the worst hyphen ever? My last name is Cummings. I have sympathy for nobody. Yeah, mine's brown oler, but with an H, so it looks like brown holer. Okay, that's, okay, yours might be worse. We can never get married. Yeah. Listen to this episode. with Whitney Cummings and check out new episodes of bananas every Tuesday on the exactly right

network listen to bananas on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this attention passengers the pilot is having an emergency and we need someone anyone to land this plane think you could do it It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this. Do this, pull that, turn this. It's just, I can do it my eyes close. I'm Manny.

I'm Noah. This is Devon. And on our new show, no such thing. We get to the bottom of questions like these. Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise. and then as we try the whole thing out for real wait what oh that's the run right i'm looking at this thing listen to no such thing on the i heart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your

podcasts all right guys we are joined by one of our favorites chelsea vaughan you know her from this season of the bachelor she left two weeks ago she's a 28 year old runway model from Brooklyn, New York. Hey, Chelsea. Thanks for being. Hey, guys. Thanks for having me. Am I the first one for my season that you've had? Yes. I'm so honored. We usually save the best for first. So yeah, Chelsea, this is a big deal for us. We're huge fans of you. We're very thankful you came on. I want to start this by just saying this. We were shocked that you went home. Like absolutely shocked. To get this started, we're you shocked that you went home um i mean there weren't that many people left it was almost

hometown the week before i left so i wasn't necessarily shocked just because everyone except for like me and abigail and jessania had had a one-on-one so i knew at this point he had stronger connections with people um i was hoping i'd get the one-on-one that week i didn't so then i was kind of like oh no i might be i might be going but what was weird is that you had like such momentum going into that and we know you getting eliminated during that episode maybe not maybe not weird but I told you in DM I was like you leaving at the beginning of that episode of that first row ceremony seemed very weird to me just because you had three consecutive weeks where you had very memorable conversations with Matt during the

group dates did you feel like you are gaining speed or losing speed during that portion of the season Honestly, I felt like I was losing speed a little bit just because every week I kept feeling like, oh, this is my week. I'm going to get the one-on-one this week. And I think I was just getting a little bit discouraged because you can only learn and grow your relationship so much in like 10 or 15 minutes at a group date after party. And then there were so much drama at the cocktail parties before the roast ceremonies that there were a few weeks in a row where I didn't get to speak to Matt. so yeah I was just like a little bit discouraged I always felt better after I spoke to him but at the time I was like oh no the longer this one-on-one takes the more I feel like I might be on the chopping block you know we saw a lot of the like the drama at these cocktail parties happening as viewers for you who was somebody that felt the repercussions of that and didn't get to talk to Matt what is your like mental space like as you're sitting there going another week another cocktail party I don't get to talk to him. Were you getting frustrated?

Were you, like, hostile? Like, what was, what were you feeling? I was definitely super frustrated towards the end, especially because I wasn't involved in any of the drama. So I was just like, this is something I can't even control. That's taking time away for me every week. So that was just really frustrating not being able to do anything about it. I kind of just had to deal with it.

So, yeah, there were times when it was super hard to stay hopeful and positive, like there was a lot of time when I was just like I'm so over this I don't know what I'm doing here anymore if I don't get a date like I don't know what I'm why I'm here do you feel do you feel that there was too much emphasis on drama and not enough of his romantic connections the season when I was there or when it's been aired watching back I guess watching back I definitely feel like yes there was a lot of emphasis on drama and I know that there is every. season, but it felt like there was more this season. I don't know. Maybe that's just me. No, no, no. It's not just you. I think it's all of us. But it brings me to an interesting question, because we haven't had anybody on yet that was in the house at that time. You know, we have always talked about how much fun it was at times to be living in the house with all these people. Was it as difficult to be in that environment as what it feels like as viewers? Do you feel like it was contentious?

I think because there is so much emphasis on the drama when it's airing that it feels like it was just a hostile, terrible place to be because that's all that's being shown. And then they're showing like the interviews and what people are saying in there and the private conversations that only two people had, whereas like the other 28 of us were at the bar taking tequila shots. So, like, I think that it doesn't feel like it looked on TV. I did have a good time. I did enjoy getting to know these women and bonding with them every day.

Who are your closest friends from the season? Hyper, Abigail, and Bree. Okay. So Abigail has been on our list as, like, somebody we really would love to see as the Bachelorette. But rumors are swirling that it's Katie. And during the women tell all, you, this is. actually an email from a listener in women tell all you were accusing katie of stirring things up uh katie said it was like when when katie said all this we were like oh chelsea like

was katie a reason for drama or was she helping prevent drama you seem to have some opinions on that so so tell us about how you think katie would do as bachelorette i mean i don't think she would do well as a bachelorette i think anybody from my cast would um i do think that she stirred up drama i said that on the show and i stand by it um i just felt like sometimes it was unnecessary for her to insert her place herself into places that i didn't necessarily think were needed at the time um i definitely don't stand for bullying by any means i wasn't a part of any bullying. I truly appreciate someone if they're going to go out of their way to stand up for somebody if they think, okay, this might ruin somebody's life. And I think that's what Katie

thought she was doing at the time. But yeah, I mean, her and I just have different opinions on things and that's cool. I just wouldn't necessarily have done or said some of the things that she did. Chelsea, why, where was your decision making, I'm going to say headspace again, there's got to be a better word for that but when all this was going on around you and you chose to stay out of it like why why were you choosing to stay out of it I was focused on myself and my relationship with Matt I was really only concerned about how I was going to get more time to talk to him how I could get to know him better and when I did get time how I could maximize that time so I wasn't really concerned with other people in general that's just not really my

style I'm I kind of stay out of things I keep to myself I chill like you do you all do me like I was just not worried about the drama um yeah I mean I just I didn't want any part of it I was just it's hard enough to being in the house like isolated and like in this bubble and you don't know anyone you don't have your friends or your phone or anything so I was like trying to focus on my mental health and just getting to know Matt so it wasn't my priority So you played a role at Women Tell All, but one of our headlines this week is that Heather was there and played zero role. In fact, she basically just like edited out of the background. Did she have any significance there?

Is there anything that we were really missing from, like, was that like something discussed, Heather's time there and how a lot of girls had an issue with her showing up so late? I don't know if I'm allowed to confirm or deny her being there but I mean you've seen the picture well she's there you see a glimpse of her on screen that's where we got the picture from you know they aired a little clip it

that is true it wasn't anything new it was kind of just like everyone it just wasn't anything added that you didn't see on the roast ceremony that day. Okay. Yeah, but Heather's a cool girl.

I mean, we all talked and hung out with her afterwards and like, she's chill. She's cool, girl. She was there for a couple minutes of the season and walked in, kind of walked out. Now, Chelsea, just like everything in life, we seem to move on quickly in this franchise. So we got to ask you about your next steps.

Is there any chance at all possible that you will be on Bachelor in Paradise? I mean, there's always a chance. Would you be interested in it? I don't know. I just have such mixed feelings about the franchise at the moment with everything happening in Bachelor Nation. Like, especially during my season, it's just been so many things back to back to back and it's a little bit exhausting right now. I mean, I would consider it.

I just, I want to see some sort of changes. I want there to be positive change in the franchise to people of color before I could commit to going on another season. What does that look like for you? I mean, I don't think real change is going to happen quickly. So that's why I'm hesitant about Paradise because I don't know what changes could happen in that quick turnaround of a time. I don't know.

I just think every department, from top to bottom needs to have diversity and people of color in the room that are making decisions. It is. It's crazy how fast, right? Because, I mean, Ashley, you'll know this, but they'll start, like, filming for Paradise in what, June, July?

Yeah, and I believe they already left to film Bachelorette. Yeah, so, like, it all moves very fast. And as you said, Chelsea, like, I mean, nobody's, nobody's naive to this. Like, there's huge changes that need to be made that should be made. that should be made, conversations that should be started. And so it has to happen fast, yet it's interesting to hear as the cast does get announced for Paradise, like people like you who are wise and saying, hey, change doesn't happen quickly, but yet I want to see change before I can enter back into it.

And so it is going to be interested to see how that's handled. And you're kind of saying, you know, you want to see top-down changes where people need to be in the room, making decisions, people of color need to be represented. And that's a hope that maybe then you would say, hey, I can enter back into this world. Yeah, maybe. I will tell you this, though. There is one guy from a claritaceous season I have my eye on.

I'm not going to say who. Have your eyes on as if like already DMing? Because it sounds like, you know, like you've already picked and you may be going after it. Just the excitement I heard in your voice. That's all I'm going to say. Can you give us a bit? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I don't, I don't.

She just offered that up to us. I did. She's like slyly dig at it. We're like, so, um, she offered that up, and then she knew where she was going to leave it. She was going to leave it right there. She was going to take control here and say, there is a guy, and I'm not telling you. Okay, but what we can assume is there might be somebody that you have your eye on, that you'd be excited to me. We don't even have to dig in if you've met him yet or not, but it'd be, you would be excited to meet him at some point on a, in life at some point.

level. Yes. We'll be watching. I'll be watching. Very, very exciting. You were one of the girls, you were open with me that part took in the writing of the joint statement that the women of Matt's season put out a couple weeks ago. Can you talk about how that formed and how you guys got together to write it? Yeah. So there's six women that wanted to just stay anonymous that wrote it, but I was definitely obviously one of the people that posted it. So the six women are women of color that decided to come up with and write the statement. And then they thought about it and realized, you know, it would definitely be more powerful if our entire cast posted it and stood together, especially with everything that happened

this season with the drama and the mean girls and like all this stuff. We definitely thought it would be powerful if we all put all that aside and said, you know, this is more important than anything that happened on the show. So, yeah, it was super powerful. It was great to use our voices. And then the guys from last season also made their own statements stood behind us. And, like, I spoke to Rachel Lindsay about it. And she was really moved by it.

So it was just a beautiful moment. It is. And you know what? You, and along with others, really are going to be difference makers in this franchise in your lives moving forward. and kind of as this, you know, as your time on the show ends and you move into the world. Chelsea, I like to ask every contestant of this. And if you could expound on a little bit, the why to it, either way.

Are you glad you did it? Are you glad you went on The Bachelor? Yes. I absolutely have no regrets. I would have been like, what if I hadn't gone on the show? I met some amazing people. And I'm just all about experience. in life. So like I love to have the experience and I learned a lot from it and I think it's

kind of been life changing or it will continue to be. So I'm definitely glad I went. Switching gears a little bit back to paradise. There are two female, two groups of females competing for spots in paradise. So it looks like Tasia slash Claire season will be the only group of males that is predominantly picked from for paradise right but you girls because of you know they're not being a paradise over the summer means that matt's girls and peter's girls are going to have to compete for spots in paradise do you have girls who are like really being honest about the stress of getting a slot there i mean i don't know if anyone's super stressed about it They secretly are.

They're not sharing. But I've talked to a couple of girls from Peter's season. Like they reached out to me and like I asked them for advice and stuff before I went or when I came back from the show. And they're really sweet. So no claws have come out if that's what you're asking. Okay. No, that wasn't what I was asking. I was just wondering if people were cognitively thinking about that competition.

It'd be really cool though. If like publicly people were just arguing with each other like, I want to go. No, I want to go. section yeah that'd be awesome that would be a good headline for the podcast keeps us going my last question for you chelsea is you were very honest and vulnerable about your hair can you talk about how many women reached out to you and kind of said thank you for talking about this on national tv afterwards um an overwhelming amount of women reached out to me and that might honestly be my favorite part of everything that's happened and going on this show um

so many women, not even just black women, but all kinds of women reached out just saying that they felt seen and heard and they couldn't believe that this conversation was happening on national TV and that they saw themselves in me. And it's just, it's just so touching. I don't know. It's just nice to hear people be like, oh, my God, you're an inspiration to me. Like, people send me pictures of their classroom and be like, the girls in my class. I showed them the clip. Like, they felt so inspired by you. And I'm just. I'm just flattered. That's so nice.

Well, Chelsea, you belong in this moment. We are so excited to follow your journey. You are an inspiration. There's no question about that. Best of luck as your life moves forward. If this is the show or not, we're excited to follow along with you. Please don't be a stranger to us.

We like you a lot and we'd like to have you back sometime. Thanks, guys. So nice to meet you. Thank you. Bye. Bye. Chelsea Vaughn everybody that was she's just she's a special human who's standing in a really special place right now with the franchise and yeah she is and she's she's somebody that we're going to cheer along I would love to see her in paradise I hope we can see more of Chelsea I felt like her time was cut short and I just don't feel like we got to know her as well as maybe we wanted to based on her not having a one-on-one date I agree yeah well hey Ashley listen a break here. When we come back, we're going to break down some Bachelor headlines, and there

are a few. We'll be back with the Almost Famous Podcasts. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a relationship. I'm Emily Tish Sussman, and on she pivots, I dive into the inspiring pivots of women who have taken big leaps in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweeten, Annika Patton, Elaine Welteroff. I'm Jessica Voss. And that's when I was like, I got to go. I don't know how, but that kicked off the pivot of how to make the transition.

Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Every episode gets real about the why behind these changes and gives you the inspiration and maybe the push to make your next pivot. Listen to these women and more on She Pivots, now on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The U.S. Open is here, and on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain, I'm breaking down the players from rising stars to legends chasing history, the predictions, well, we see a first time winner, and the pressure. Billy Jean King says pressure is a privilege, you know. Plus, the stories and events off the court, and of course the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very fancy, wonderfully experiential sporting event. Listen, the whole aim is to be accessible and inclusive for all tennis fans, whether you play tennis or not.

Tennis is full of compelling stories of late. Have you heard about Icon Venus Williams' recent wildcard bids or the young Canadian, Victoria Mboko, making a name for herself? How about Naomi Osaka getting back to form? To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an Iheart women's sports production in partnership with deep blue sports and entertainment on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. rented by Capital One, founding partner of I Heart Women's Sports. I don't write songs. God write songs. I take dictation. I didn't even know you've been a pastor for over 10 years. I think culture is any space that you live in that develops you.

On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us podcast, I sat down with Warren Campbell, Grammy-winning producer, pastor, and music executive to talk about the beats, the business, and the legacy behind some of the biggest names in gospel, R&B, and hip-hop. This is like watching Michael Jackson talk about thoroughly before it happened. Was there a particular moment where you realize just how instrumental music culture was to shaping all of our global ecosystem? I was eight years old, and the Motown 25 special came on. And all the great Motown artists, Marvin, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Diana Raw. From Mary Mary to Jennifer Hudson, we get into the soul of the music and the purpose that drives it.

Listen to Culture raises us on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Kurt Browneuler. And I am Scotty Landis, and we host Bananas, the weird news podcast with wonderful guests like Whitney Cummings. And tackle the truly tough questions. Why is cool mom an insult, but mom is fine? No. I always say, Kurt's a fun dad. Fun dad and cool mom.

That's cool for me. We also dig into important life stuff, like why our last names would make the worst hyphen ever. My last name is Cummings. I have sympathy for nobody. Yeah, mine's brown-olar, but with an H, so it looks like brown-holer. Okay, that's, okay, yours might be worse. We can never get married. Yeah.

Listen to this episode with Whitney Cummings and check out new episodes of bananas every Tuesday on the exactly right network. Listen to bananas on 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. All right, guys, before we get into some Bachelor headlines, we have to talk about our awesome sponsor because we're going to be wearing masks for a while, probably, and it's important to have the right mask. Protect yourself and others.

The N95 respirators can provide a big upgrade to your current mask. There are fakes definitely out there and counterfeit versions, so you want to be sure you have the approved version. Secure Components guarantees 100% authenticity. I was thinking about how spring break is coming up, and people might be traveling on an airplane or they might be going into close quarters into a supermarket where they're just can't be six feet apart, and this N95 would really, really, really come in handy.

Secure Components is a trusted source and provides support PPE needed for frontline workers, and they're also now available to the public. Go to SecureComponents.com to order masks for you, your friends and family, or your business, SecureComponents.com.com. Ashley, we have some big headlines and none are smaller than this one. Everyone thinks Matt James and Heather Martin are dating. Ashley, why? All right, all right.

Everyone is a little bit of a stretch. so are the reasoning behind these rumors so as we talked with chelsea about heather was at women tell all and yet she wasn't shown in fact it looked like she was actually like purposefully edited out of the rows of girls right so some people are putting things together thinking that the reason she was cut out was because she and Matt are secretly dating now. And this is all because they both tagged that they were in San Clemente, California on the same day.

And he recently shouted out on his Instagram robe season while captioning a picture of him and Bree her in a robe. and the fact that Heather also recently was spotted in a photo wearing a robe that's how silly this is literally robe season oh and then Heather wears robes and the two of them tagged the same location

I guess within a similar within a short time frame Ashley here's my only counter argument to this and I have no clue if it's true or not but I remember when there was a TikTok video that went viral talking about how Peter Weber and Kelly were dating and we watched it and we broke it down on the podcast and we said there's no way this is such a stretch this is crazy it's not happening well we were proven wrong because they came out dating so these sleuthers these investigators and bachelinations sometimes they're on to something I'm not going to throw this rumor out I would just be shocked once again okay I would be shocked too but to draw another parallel between Peter and Kelly and Heather and Matt, do you remember how Kelly didn't go to the women tell all? And that was such a red flag to people. Well, Heather was added out of the women

tell all. So there you go. There's a big, big things happening in Bachelor Nation. Well, you know, this list last week, Chris Harrison, and I believe it's his first TV appearance since his time on Extra with Rachel Lindsay. He came on Good Morning America to speak with Michael Strayhand. And the headline reads, this according to Good Morning America, Chris Harrison speaks out after stepping away from The Bachelor. His quote is, I stand against all forms of racism. He says, I'm an imperfect man. I made a mistake and I own that. I believe that mistake doesn't reflect who I am or what I stand for. I'm committed to progress, not just for myself, but also for the franchise. And this is a franchise that has been part of my life for the better part of 20 years and I love it. I'm sadden and shocked at how insensitive I was in that interview with Rachel Lindsay. I can't believe I didn't speak against antebellum parties, what they stand for. I didn't say it then, and I want to say it now. Those parties are not okay, past, present, and future.

I didn't speak from my heart. And that is to say that I stand against all forms of racism. I'm deeply sorry to Rachel, Lindsay, and to the black community. to anyone who is throwing hate towards Rachel Lindsay, it's unacceptable, he says. I sought out leading scholars, teachers, faith leaders, people like Dr. Michael, Eric Dyson, who I am so grateful for, and I've been working closely with a race educator and strategist. I thank them all. He says, but Dr. Dyson often talks to me about counsel, not cancel, and that is full accountability,

understanding what you didn't understand, owning that, learning from that. seeking counsel often in the community that you hurt, learning from them, listening, gaining experience, knowledge, and moving forward. Well, Rachel Lindsay is quoted in people this week, and the headline reads this. Rachel Lindsay says she accepts Bachelor host Chris Harrison's apology. We need to move forward, Rachel says. She sat down with Billy Bush and just had a convo on extra this week where she said, I do accept the apology, and I think it's important for me to say that because I haven't really

talked about, you know, Chris and the statement, because I'm not trying to make this a Chris versus Rachel thing. But the fact that once again, you know, this isn't the first time he's apologized to me. He apologized again on Good Morning America. And I do accept that. And I think it's important for me to say that because we need to move forward. And for me, for us to move forward, I need to accept the apology. So we can all be better from the situation, which is what we want. Well, after, if anybody doesn't know this, Rachel Lindsay received some maybe, let's say,

harsh and a lot of bullying on Instagram. And she stepped away from Instagram a few weeks ago to get herself healthy and to kind of separate from just the consistent negativity that was unwarranted. Well, according to people, Rachel Lindsay returns to Instagram with empowering message about spreading good vibes only. So her caption was just good vibes only under some sunflowers.

She says, I want to be like a sunflower so that even on the darkest days, I will stand tall and find sunlight. Well, we were completely supporting the continued progress here that the Bachelor and Bachelorette and really all of Bachelorette has as they continue. to seek counsel to learn and to grow. But in the midst of all of this, there are some other headlines that have kind of came up through the surface. And this one reads, Bachelors Taylor Nolan may be investigated

by Department of Health over offensive tweets. This according to us weekly. This, it says this week, this is from the Department of Health in Washington State. It says this week we've received multiple complaints against Nolan in connection with the issue. that you mentioned.

This is the spokesperson. They said those complaints are under assessment. Patient safety is our top priority. And we take all complaints seriously. He also says that not all complaints lead us to opening cases. Each complaint individually, they take each complaint individually and evaluate it on its merits. He said this is in its early stages and we can't predict what the result will be.

Switching gears just a bit. Bachelorette's Garrett, Yagoran, answers fans burning questions about Becca Kufrin split six months later, this according to Us Weekly as well. Good job saying his name properly. I'm just because I'm on my A game tonight. Yeah, I'm on my A game tonight. He says that he constantly gets asked the question, what led to the breakup? He said, I know most of my supporters are viewers of the show and that they are the main.

base of my platform. I understand everyone wanting to know exactly what happened because you feel so invested into our lives and relationships. I truly don't want to be known for the show. It's not what defines me or my character. He said that it was a miracle that he even got selected for the dating show and that he wouldn't be doing these question responses if it weren't for that. He's talking about like on Instagram. But pretty much doesn't really see. say he doesn't really answer the question you know he's basically like i know i get these questions i understand why you guys send me these questions but um just like not going to give like a straight answer as to what what happened but he is dating someone else now her name is alex he says i've met

an incredible person who supports me my goals and makes me very happy um he said that it was a rough few months getting over the breakup with becca he said It ended in my heart and mind once I weighed every outcome, solution, what ifs, talked it out, practicality. It's completely, it was just completely done for me and no going back. Life is too short to dwindle. Well, speaking of question and answers, Hannah Brown discusses loving relationship with boyfriend Adam Lulard and Q&A. Quote is, he's more romantic this according to people. Okay, yeah, these Q&As on Instagram are giving us a lot of dirt.

People are telling us all their stuff on it. It's kind of fun. Hannah revealed on it that she liked Adam, her boyfriend's, photo first on a dating app. And then he made the actual first move. But she said that every day with him is so great. He's just awesome. She said, I'm telling y'all he's the nicest person I've ever met. What a headline list it is.

We have some love. We have some Q&As. Ashley that's all we've got today for the almost famous podcast it was a great episode of The Bachelor I would give it

we got to rank it I'm going to give it an 8.7 oh okay I was going to say an 8 I'm going to stick with an 8 yeah and I'm going to give Matt an A again I'm excited for next week

this was a compelling episode that I was tuned into the whole time agree for far more invested this week than I have been for a couple weeks and it was nice definitely well hey we want to thank Chelsea for coming on the podcast today uh we really appreciate her given up the time we'll continue to stay in touch with everything going on in the bachelor bachelor bachelorette

bachelor in paradise all these little spin-off shows that are happening but before we do one last time happy birthday week ashley i kennedy we are celebrating you we will be back next week with another episode of the almost famous podcast with that i've been ben i've been ashley bye guys Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcasts on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to 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. And here's Heather with the weather. Well, it's beautiful out there, sunny and 75, almost a little chilly in the shade. Now, let's get a read on the inside of your car. It is hot.

You've only been parked a short time, and it's already 99 degrees in there. Let's not leave children in the back seat while running errands. It only takes a few minutes for their body temperature. to rise. And that could be fatal. Cars get hot, fast, and can be deadly. Never leave a child in a car. A message from Nitsa and the Ad Council. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a relationship. I'm Emily Tish Sussman, and on she pivots, I dive into the inspiring pivots of women who have taken big leaps

in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweetie. Monica Patton, Elaine Welteroth. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. These Women and More on She Pivotts, now on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Culture eats strategy for breakfast, right? On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us, I was joined by Valicia Butterfield, media founder, political strategist, and tech powerhouse for a powerful conversation on storytelling, impact, and the intersections of culture and leadership. I am a free black woman. From the Obama White House to Google to the Grammys, Valicia's journey is a masterclass in shifting culture

and using your voice to spark change. Listen to Culture raises us on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The U.S. Open is here, and on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain. I'm breaking down the players, the predictions, the pressure, and of course, the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open.

The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very wonderfully experiential sporting event. To hear this and more, listen to you. a good game with Sarah Spain, an IHeart women's sports production in partnership with deep blue sports and entertainment on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports Network. This is an IHeart podcast.