The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - A Farewell to Rodney

Episode Date: November 16, 2022

We’re back to a 2-Paradise week and Ben & Ashley are ready to break down the first episode! Rodney’s leaving the beach! We get to the bottom of why his departure affects the other cast members SO much. Eliza shows up at Justin’s doorstep, but he’s clearly not interested. What should she do??  And Ben has some exciting news to share!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Eumanzor. 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 internetcom 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 available now listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Let's start with a quick puzzle. The answer is Ken Jennings' appearance on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. The question is, what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land? Jeopardy-truthers believe in... I guess they would be conspiracy theorists.

That's right. To give you the answers and you still blew it. The puzzler. Listen on the eye. My Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If a baby is giggling in the back seat, they're probably happy. If a baby is crying in the back seat, they're probably hungry. But if a baby is sleeping in the back seat, will you remember they're even there? When you're distracted, stressed, or not usually the one who drives them,

the chances of forgetting them in the back seat are much higher. It can happen to anyone. Parked cars get hot fast. and can be deadly. So get in the habit of checking the back seat when you leave. The message from NHTSA and the ad council. Tune in to All the Smoke Podcast, where Matt and Stacks sit down with former first lady, Michelle Obama.

Folks find it hard to hate up close. And when you get to know people and you're sitting in their kitchen tables and they're talking like we're talking. You know, you hear our story, how we grew up, how Barack grew up. And you get a chance for people to unpack and get beyond race. All the Smoke featuring me. Michelle Obama. To hear this podcast and more, open your free IHeart Radio app. Search all the smoke and listen now. This is the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast with Iheart

Radio. It's time for another almost famous podcast. Today's a big day for Ashley and myself. Why? Well, because we're here talking to you. Ben, you ridiculousness. I enjoy it. So do I. Thank you everybody for listening, Ben has a big announcement that he's talked about a little bit on social media today. Ben, you're going around the world. You're basically a speaker for hire now, for corporate events, for, what are you talking about? Tell us about your new venture. Okay. Well, thank you for bringing it up. It's a big day. It's been in the works for over a year now. I was encouraged to think about some, I'm going to keep this short, to think about some things that really fire me up that I enjoy doing. What I found out that I enjoy doing is sitting in

really difficult conversations where nuance, uh, special, special quality. That's just not a lot of people like to sit in uncomfortable positions. Yeah, that's what makes you so awesome. That's what I'm hoping I get hired some, some for it. But, uh, you know, a lot of it was based, you know, right now I'm at a gathering of church pastors, which in, in Colorado, there's about 50 of them here. And the whole purpose of this weekend is to just kind of heal and rest and discuss and help kind of get clarity to some issues. Maybe the pastors are feeling. And I just get lucky enough to be invited to it. This idea came last year when I was here. I was like, you know, I enjoy sitting in those hard conversations with people that maybe it's, there isn't like a right and wrong.

But the important part is that we're hearing people's stories, that we're listening well, that we're trying to understand where everybody's coming from. And then you can make your own opinion and judgment based on that. But I think it's one of the things missing in a very polarizing world on all big umbrella fronts, right? Religion, politics, culture, society, how are we functioning together if we're not listening to each other? And so this website launched, Ben Higgins.com was taken. So I had to go with the Benhiggins.com, which feels very self-execided. But we know it's not. It was the closest thing to it.

And we're going to be launching a talking series called Come Sit with Me, where I'm hoping to go into corporate events and churches and schools and just sit with people so that they are heard, listen to, and feel less alone. And that I can just get to be a part of those conversations and maybe help guys. and direct so that some good fruit is coming from them. So it launched today. You can go visit the website. I'd really love for you too. And I'm very excited about it. Well, congratulations, Ben.

It sounds like in plain sight is going on tour. Yeah, because it never did because of COVID. COVID crushed my book dreams. So we did well with the book, you know, considering, not fantastic. But now it's bringing what we wrote about in a lone in plain sight. yet two different people groups to hopefully bring people together, to listen more, and to leave, I'm hoping people leave, no matter what space we're doing this in, encouraged to continue and to continue well in a healthy way, causing less pain than they do healing.

Well, there's no one I can think of that's a better listener. I feel like everybody has that story of when they first meet you, where they're just like, oh my gosh, I've never met somebody who's just so engaged and you can. could tell, just actively listening and making eye contact, like, I've just never met somebody like that, like on the first meeting to seem so interested in my life. Because I am. And I think that's a cool thing. And I used to cover that up and kind of suppress it and be like, oh, yeah, isn't that what we were supposed to do? No, you know what? I'm confident now that that is something that I've been gifted with and it's a skill set. Because I really am curious about people and their

stories and where they come from and why they are the way they are and why they believe what they believe. And it's just gotten more over time as I've been in touch with more people who maybe don't believe the same things I believe. I became more curious to hear why. And a lot of times it makes sense. And like we say on this podcast, Ashley, you know, I've said it many times before. It's really hard not to like somebody when you get to know somebody. So, so true. And that's what this is all about. And that's kind of what's been fun about almost famous is we've gotten to get to know a lot of people who have been very critical up on this show.

And they were like, gosh, dang it, I like them. I know. I even said, did I tell us to you that when I met Aaron, like, to his face, I said, on TV, I didn't like you. Like, you look like you're always looking for a fight. You're always angry. It's like, I'm Aaron.

I'm angry. And in real life, you're totally different. But I do think that he's coming across on this season more of the way that he is in real life. He's like way more of a jokester. And this, there's this one part. I'm not sure if it's in episode one or two of this week, but he's talking about delicious, like, what is it?

Like nectar, that's sweet nectar. Well, if you guys, if you're listening, is it, yeah, I think that was episode one. It was, and it was so funny. That's, like, true, Aaron. Okay, well, let's dive into the episode right after this break. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor. And I'm Drew Phillips.

And we run a podcast called Emergent. 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. My name is Ed. Everyone say hello, Ed. Hello, Ed. I'm from a very rural background myself. My dad is a farmer. And my mom is a cousin, so, like, it's not, like...

What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke, but that really was my reality nine years ago. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. On stage stood a comedian with a story that no one expected to hear. Well, 22nd of July 2015, a 23-year-old man had killed his family. And then he came to my house.

So what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage. Available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, and in session 421 of therapy for black girls,

I sit down with Dr. Afea and Billy Shaka to explore how our hair connects to our identity, mental health, and the ways we heal. Because I think hair is a complex language system, right, in terms of it can tell how old you are, your marital status, where you're from, you're a spiritual belief. But I think with social media, there's like a hyperfixation and observation of our hair, right? That this is sometimes the first thing someone sees when we make a post or a reel is how our hair is styled. We talk about the important role hairstylists play in our community, the pressure to always look put together, and how breaking up with perfection can actually free us.

Plus, if you're someone who gets anxious about flying, don't miss session 418 with Dr. Angela Neil Barnett, where we dive into managing flight anxiety. Listen to therapy for black girls on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Get fired up, y'all. Season two of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway. We just welcomed one of my favorite people and an incomparable soccer icon,

Megan Rapino, to the show, and we had a blast. We talked about her recent 40th birthday celebrations, co-hosting a podcast with her fiancé Sue Bird, watching former teammates retire and more. Never a dull moment with Pino. Take a listen. What do you miss the most about being a pro athlete? The final. The final.

And the locker room. I really, really, like, you just can't replicate, you can't get back. showing up to locker room every morning just to shit talk. We've got more incredible guests like the legendary Candace Parker and college superstar AZ Fudd. I mean, seriously, y'all. The guest list is absolutely stacked for season two. And, you know, we're always going to keep you up to speed

on all the news and happenings around the women's sports world as well. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. If a baby is giggling in the back seat, they're probably happy. If a baby is crying in the back seat, they're probably hungry. But if a baby is sleeping in the back seat, will you remember they're even there? When you're distracted, stressed, or not usually the one who drives them,

the chances of forgetting them in the back seat are much higher. It can happen to anyone. Parked cars get hot fast and can be deadly. So get in the habit of checking the back seat when you leave. The message from NHTSA and the ad council. okay we start off with everybody being super sad and depressed about rodney leaving and having his heart crushed it's like mourning in paradise m o you are i mean can i i'll say this actually i thought it was way overdone i mean i get rodney's a great dude i know i believe that

Rodney has had this impact on all these people's lives at this deep level. I think he's a tremendous dude. I'm not taking anything away from him. No, it was overkill. But genuine. The first 15 minutes of this episode were people being sad about Rodney leaving. It was way overblown. I've never, again, if this is the impact that he has on people by being around them on a beach,

I just want to sit in Rodney's presence to feel that same love. you know, I just want to feel the love that he's exuding from himself because he had people a mess, a mess. Yes, everything was genuine, do you know what I mean? Like, they were truly feeling that way, but we didn't have to see all the depression. It was like a little bit like, whoa. But I will say the part where Brandon is talking to Serene is super adorable because he was like just having one of those moments where he was appreciating her so much

and like the fact that he's so lucky that he hasn't had his heart broken and he has this angel and, oh, he's just the cutest little munchkin. Isn't he the sweetest and so emotional and like so romantic? His heart is so broken for his friend. Yeah, he's the sweetest.

That relationship is a sweetest. I will make a statement though and say that he is the sweetest because he's so in love. Like I think he's probably a great dude off this show. I think he's very kind and consider he's probably very romantic yeah but we're loving him why because we get to see this dude just fall head over heels for somebody yeah and we're seeing what she brings out in him and what

he brings out in her i know but he's the sweetest because it's easy for him right now i mean he's just i mean there's just rainbows and butterflies it is easy but we even know how sweet he is when he gets broken up with with michel like he may throw rings into the ocean but he still handles it with sensitivity i think he's a great dude uh okay so now we go to like the juice right we have eliza flying to baltimore from porter viarta to surprise justin at his door which he he just arrived home like i can't even imagine that it was more than like 24 hours before she gets there his bags are still unpacked he's surprised but not necessarily happy to see her and we quickly find out why he's really not down for the fact

that he was second choice. I am a little bit torn in this situation. I don't think he was second choice. I don't know that he even thinks. Do you think that he thinks he's second choice or do you think that it's more of like you didn't have the guts to just go forward with me? My opinion is that he wasn't as injured

as he bled on. And there's that. Because if there's a person that you are so head over heels for comes begging at your door, you're going to be happy and take them back. Especially 24 hours later and she explains that she felt pressured and that she explains, you know, why she did what she did.

If he was as in, okay, let's reverse course. Let's roll play for a second. Yeah. See it happens in reverse order. She chooses Justin, realizes Rodney's the one, flies home to see Rodney. How do you think Rodney reacts to her showing up at his door? Oh, completely elated. Oh, like a little hesitant, but mostly elated.

Yeah. I mean, Justin, Justin did not seem down. And I'm sure it does hurt to be second choice. And I'm sure it doesn't feel good and that he is looking. But I just read, this is my opinion, I don't have any concrete facts to this. Yeah. I read in that conversation that he wasn't that disappointed to be home. He wasn't.

And that he maybe wasn't as interested in pursuing. eliza like we all thought he was the but we're judging it off of the rodney reaction we're judging this off of how much in love he was and how torn up he was and how torn up the beach was that rodney isn't with eliza still and so i think we just saw a very drastic difference where rodney was this is my wife and justin's like i would have loved this keep trying to make it work in paradise but it didn't work in paradise and so now we're all moving on and i'm good with that And I hope you are too, which is a very different perspective than Rodney had about Eliza. I think that that night, that Rose Ceremony Night, she wanted to pick Justin.

And there's no second choice about this. She just felt so much peer pressure. And can you blame her? Look at the peer pressure that is like, that look at the reaction that the crowd had. How are you supposed to disappoint people like that? Then, like, not only are you maybe disappointing a whole bunch of other people, but you're also saying, you're also worried that they're going to be like, oh, there's the dumbass who chose Justin over Rodney. Like, you don't want to, like, wake up the next morning, go to the pool and then be like, oh, there's the girl that made the massive mistake. Like, what is she thinking?

I think that's what they would think. Yeah, we said it last week. Like, I feel for Eliza here. I think she was in almost a no-win situation. Yeah. Because she was interested in both people. She made it a choice that she felt like was best for her. But also, you know, when you make a big choice in life,

typically people rely on their friends and their family to help bring clarity. And her friends were all telling her very obvious who you should choose, the man that wants to marry you. So she did. Didn't work out. I was surprised that Justin didn't welcome her back in with open arms. Do we villainize him for this? I want to know what the fans were thinking on Twitter last night or on any social media.

Were the fans annoyed at him? Because I don't think there's any reason to be annoyed at him. No. I think that it's just a very unfortunate overall situation. Do you think that she regrets not hanging around and giving Ronnie more of a chance? I think ultimately it's a win, win, win. I think she pursued what she wanted. Lose, lose, lose.

Win, win, win. Yeah. I think it was a lose at first. I think it turns into a win because Justin is then at this point clearly stating his intentions and feelings for Eliza. I do don't think we villainize him. I do wonder, though, since he is friends with so many of the guys on the beach and he knew how Rodney felt about Eliza, why he stuck around. If he wasn't completely and utterly in love and sold out with Eliza saying this is my human, this is my person. knowing that his buddy was feeling that way.

Why do you stick around and try to step in between that? That would be the only thing I'm wondering about what decisions he made. But Rodney gets clarity because he realizes the person that he was in love with maybe doesn't feel the same about him. Eliza gets clarity because now she's single. Yes, I hate that she's felt pain on both sides of this now. And then Justin, Justin's able to move on with his life. And I think ultimately it's going to work out great for all of them.

I just think watching it was hard. I do wonder, if I had a question for Justin, it would be, why did you stick around knowing how deeply your buddy felt about this person and that there was a potential that that person felt the same way about him? What were you doing on the beach? That's a really interesting way of thinking about it, because I didn't think about it in that way, but I did think when he didn't take her back that he did it

because he didn't want, he likes his friend Rodney more than he likes her. Well, that could be too. I mean, that's not a bad thought. We don't know. But that's another theory, right? That he's thinking, no, I know how this played out with my buddy. Yeah. It obviously probably crushed him.

Yeah. However. However, if you're really being a good guy, really, really, then you leave the beach and you say, I'm not here. I don't have strong enough feelings to stick around for you and to make like this whole shenanage, you know, shenanigans. Or when you do get let go, like he did, right before you get in the car, you say, say, hey, I think this is the best thing for you. Yeah. Like, you know, you give that reassurance before you leave saying, I'm going home and I do

believe this is the right thing. I think this is something that's going to be great for you and great for Rodney. And I'm sad because I did have feelings for you. And I do think you're amazing. But you made the right decision. Yeah. He could have said, I wonder, well, like, I could go on and on about the I wonders here. Yeah.

But I do wonder if he had one of those left the bachelor bubble burst. where he was like, oh, got on the plane, okay, I liked her, I liked her, but I didn't see her as my wife. I don't even know if I saw her as a long-term girlfriend, but I was like really into her and attracted to her. To end this, in this wondering stage, I wonder why the show doesn't give us ITMs in these situations that ask these questions. Give us clarity, Justin, sit down in ITM. Tell us what was going through your head, why you ultimately made this decision. Why don't you leave the beach early? Tell us everything so that we aren't wondering. Give us clarity.

That's why they have reunion shows. Okay, fair enough. That's going to be our union. I don't know. That's going to be good. As much as I love sitting in tough situations and walking through stuff with people, that would be when I'd be like, ooh, there's a lot of the, there's a lot of emotion in this one, which isn't always fun to be a part of.

Well, actually then after these two big storylines, obviously, the Rodney monologue of tears that everybody seems to be feeling and the Justin and Eliza break up we move into some more smaller issues in my opinion and some things I want to get your thoughts on the whole rest of the episode is like small issues in my point of view yeah yeah but there are some things I want to bring out to you and get your opinion on there the big one is we saw people showing up to the beach and not just one what the heck like what what's the point Okay, so you've been to paradise, you've been to paradise this year. You've been behind the scenes.

You know how this show flows and functions. From a producer's perspective, from a show's perspective, why do they still have people showing up to the beach right now? I think it's because it was such a long season that they needed to fill up. To be quite honest, but from my point of view when I was down there during week two, which is a long time ago now, I thought that they weren't going to be bringing in people late and that the whole switcheroo thing was going to take the place of people coming in late. The girls going to the hotel.

I thought it was going to be dragged out more than just one week. Yeah, I mean, I think that would have worked. Now I'm confused with the switcheroo thing. I do think that filled an episode. I think it's Drew. It's already interrupted, but it's like a whole different season to me. Like that season when, like, Lace was there and Jill was there.

that was good times now we're just like a whole new like a lot of new cast how long does it feel that teddy was there oh my god a year ago it doesn't seem like i mean i was wondering if she was even on this season it's been so long well she goes in uh we we get teddy drama um later in this week's episode so you guys listening to this episode one know that this is definitely a topic of conversation in episode two yeah but it just feels like forever I mean, there's just a lot, a lot of people that have came on the beach, came off the beach, coming back on the beach, splitting up the beach. Now, we still have people showing up as engagements are upon us in the next couple of weeks here. People still showing up.

And it's really awkward for these people because they're showing up to a beach full of couples. Like, there's an even number of girls and guys this week entering in. And there's still girls showing up to the beach, only there to steal a man. This is when it should stop. The whole entrances is when they have to break up a couple in order to go on a date. Sometimes it happens that the person isn't even able to find a date, which is super embarrassing. But also, if you're breaking up a couple at this point, it's not even that dramatic because the couple obviously wasn't strong enough to still be around. Yeah, it's not.

I mean, you know, we do have a little drama with some late arrivals when it comes to Mara and it comes to Enzi. And those, you know, that does shake it up a bit. But I'm more intrigued at this point in this season with making the couples that still exist, ask those big questions, you know? That leads us so well into the conversation between Victoria and Johnny. He's just now revealing to her that he. that there's a lot of family drama going on. His mom is in a super stressed out situation. I don't know how their marriage is going,

but they're dealing with his brother being in prison. And how is she, how are they just having this conversation now after knowing each other for like three weeks? I think it's fair. You do? I do. Okay.

Yeah, because he said it even when he told her, he's like, well, I said this and now the whole world would know. I think it's very kept to his heart in a, a very secret thing. And I'm sure many times he's wanted to tell her. I don't think it's a Victoria Johnny problem. I think he's probably stopped himself going, this isn't really my business to expose to the world yet.

And at some point, then he's gotten so comfortable on the beach. It feels like they've been there for so long that this just felt like he had to tell her now or a lot of what his going on behind the scenes doesn't make sense. I'm assuming, though, for the first three weeks, he's just held it close to chess because it's a very personal, issue and it's not it involves him obviously because it's his family but it's not his it's not

necessarily his story to tell and and i'm i'm also assuming that when he went on paradise you know there were some probably people around him they're like hey if you can please don't talk about this too much for sure i think i worded it wrong definitely understand why he wouldn't say like my brother's in prison that early on because of the television point of you yeah but it's how the conversation started which felt weird to me because johnny's like i can see my dad really liking you um victoria said my dad would really like you and then they kind of like start talking about each other's like dads and then talking about the family as if they haven't talked about like describe what your relationship is with your family yet or maybe it's

just like a reiteration of it which is very very much like that it could be it could be that yeah i think you're right maybe i'm looking into it maybe i my initial response was too like harsh i just don't think it's weird i think it very much makes sense on why it's happening now and um i'm surprised that happened at all i don't think you know it's a bad i think i get why because they were getting close enough and the ends upon them and they're having more serious conversations about what life looks like post show okay i'm wrong i'm wrong you're right no no this is so true thank you for like kind of like showing me the light on that there's like a lot of people that aren't and in and the way that they brought that up it was like oh you know my dad will really like you if he meets

you type thing which is different than like this is my family dynamic i have a mom and a dad and they live here and my sister and blah blah blah and they live here that's different than like saying like my dad will really like you and then like going into like the personality traits is okay so yeah i understand you ben higgins 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, psycho babble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. My name is Ed.

Everyone say, hello, Ed. From a very rural background myself, my dad is a farmer, and my mom is a cousin, so, like, it's not, like... What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke, but that really was my reality nine years ago. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. On stage stood a comedian with a story that no one expected to hear.

Well, 22nd of July 2015, a 23-year-old man had killed his family. And then he came to my house. So what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage. Available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, couple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Dr. Joy Hardin-Bradford, and in session 421 of Therapy for Black Girls, I sit down with

Dr. Athea and Billy Shaka to explore how our hair connects to our identity, mental health, and the ways we heal. Because I think hair is a complex language system, right, in terms of it can tell how old you are, your marital status, where you're from, you're a spiritual belief. But I think with social media, there's like a hyperfixation and observation. of our hair, right? That this is sometimes the first thing someone sees when we make a post or a reel is how our hair is styled. You talk about the important role hairstyles play in our community, the pressure to always look put together, and how breaking up with perfection can

actually free us. Plus, if you're someone who gets anxious about flying, don't miss session 418 with Dr. Angela Neil Barnett, where we dive into managing flight anxiety. Listen to therapy for Black Girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Get fired up, y'all. Season 2 of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway. We just welcomed one of my favorite people and an incomparable soccer icon,

Megan Rapino to the show, and we had a blast. We talked about her recent 40th birthday celebrations, co-hosting a podcast with her fiancé Sue Bird, watching former teammates retire and more. Never a dull moment with Pino. Take a listen. What do you miss the most about? being a pro athlete. The final. The final. And the locker room. I really, really, like, you just,

you can't replicate, you can't get back. Showing up to locker room every morning just to shit talk. We've got more incredible guests like the legendary Candace Parker and college superstar AZ Fudd. I mean, seriously, y'all. The guest list is absolutely stacked for season two. And, you know, we're always going to keep you up to speed on all the news and happenings around the women's sports world as well. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. How serious is youth vaping? Irreversible lung damage serious.

One in ten kids vape serious, which warrants a serious conversation from a serious parental figure like yourself. Not the seriously know-it-all sports dad or the seriously smart podcaster. It requires a serious conversation that is best had by you. you. No, seriously. The best person to talk to your child about vaping is you. To start the conversation, visit talk about vaping.org, brought to you by the American Lung Association and the Ad Council. Final thing. I mean, I think the biggest thing that happens now with the rest of the episode that we need to discuss before moving on the headlines is NC showing up to the beach. With all the people showing at the beach, she seems to be the one that's shaken stuff up.

up the most because Gisina and Andrew are splitting and NC is taking Andrew on a date so we get to see this date between the two of them. I've never, I can say this now and feel really good about it.

So it probably will come off very illegitimate. But I've never felt Andrew and Jacinia. Like I just don't, it's never like felt like a couple that uh that had the depth that maybe some of the other couples did understand i wasn't shocked i was surprised that he did go on another date with somebody else um

but nc you know comes she's new she's exciting and uh and they go on their date it seems to go well obviously in episode two this week we'll talk more about this but uh i guess my my question to you Ashley is, were you shocked that Andrew said yes to this date and leaving Gisina on the beach? No, Andrew has definitely been around for a while because I think he's just such a likable person, but I don't think that like we've ever felt like, oh, man, this relationship is going to lead somewhere serious with him. Yeah. But he's really nice to have there.

Episode ends. Gabby and Rachel are showing up to the beach. The two past bachelets show up. It's a little cliffhanger, a lot of shocked faces, a lot of surprised faces. Ashley, if Chris Soles showed up to the beach on your season and you're sitting on the bench with Jared, let's say the season after, like a couple months after, would it feel awkward for you? No, not in the case that Chris were to come on our season because one, time would have passed more time than the Bachelorette season seeing her. their guys. So these guys are seeing their bachelorette's about a month or so after they left them. So it is still fresh. And then obviously I had way stronger feelings for Jared than Chris. So it wouldn't have

been phased me. But I totally understand like a little like a heart surge, you know, like a little electricity through your body. And you'd be like, oh God. All of a sudden I feel nervous. Now if Caitlin were to have shown up the beach when Jared was there during our first season, All hell would have broken loose. See, I mean, I remember the, was after the final rose, I think I was at. I was so embarrassing. Yeah. And I saw Caitlin.

Yeah. And I remember he was being really excited. So I was, I can't relate. Maybe because Caitlin and I ended on such good terms, very clear terms, both had like that moment to discuss. And I knew it was best for her. And I believed it was going to be best for me. so there wasn't like any like harbored feelings or resentment but i i just was excited to see her

no heart flutter no heart flutter come on now i had a heart flutter when crystal's got on stage i didn't expect it yeah well he's a good looking fellow yeah i know that's i was just like wow he's really hot yeah i mean kately kately and i just ended so well and so clearly like we knew how we felt about each other. Like, Caitlin will always be somebody in this world that I respect and I care about. And I'm so happy that I've gotten to meet. You didn't get dropped in the badlands and then helicoptered off. Yeah. No, I had that moment. And so maybe a little different. Ashley, the first episode of this week, something's happening. A lot of things not happening. Another kind of slow episode to me doesn't feel like we progressed very far in any relationship. It doesn't feel like we got to know

with some of these relationships any better. Obviously, a lot of the episode was taken up with the Eliza, Justin, and Rodney's situation. And we obviously discussed that. But episode one made me intrigued for episode two, because I feel like if we're counting each week as a game, they have to hit a lot of home runs in episode two to get fans, you know, excited about the finale's here. And as somebody who has seen episode two, we, can tell you that episode

two is the wild one this week. So many fun, so many moments talk about. We'll do that in the next episode. But before we do move on to headlines, I think we should mention Mara, because Mara comes in. She takes

Justin the Twin on a date and then he basically just leaves her. I don't want to leave the episode without talking about Mara because I actually think she had a ton of screen time. Her screen time just happened to end up with like pointlessness yeah i was gonna say i mean she had a ton of screen time yeah she was on a day uh she was a storyline but it you know she comes and goes and there's nothing that happens

like there's no there's no juice there's no breakups there's nothing but uh a date and uh some time together and some more eating food off of each other i mean the twins really walked into like an ideal situation because they're like late enough for the two most single dudes and now they're going to get all the attention from anybody that comes on the beach um so i don't know i think i think they just are fine i think those two will leave paradise feeling like they hit the lottery like they had the best time ever those guys like i i know i said it from the get go when they were announced but i thought that they were going to be like pete davidson like like just these that like had all this all these good snappy lines and they are they are even keeled and they're

coming on the show tomorrow so you'll see if we can get some more funniness out of them because they're far more serious than we expected or I expected far more serious probably than the show expected all right Ashley's time for headlines Bachelor nation headlines with our resident expert Ashley I Canetti resident expert the first headline is this the bachelor's Peter Webber and Kelly Flanagan enjoy romantic cruise after rekindling relationship that's according to people. Guys, I want to go on this cruise. They have sold me. I am influenced. We all know if you've listened for a while. I'm a huge cruiser. Love cruises. It was my family vacation for like 20 straight years. Haven't been for four years. Have never been on a celebrity cruise. But their documentation

of their cruise makes me want to try celebrity so bad. I already wanted it to be the next cruise line I tried out. as an adult, because it's very much an adult cruise line. But they literally, if they had the best time ever. We're happy for them. Well, Madison Pruitt shares honeymoon photos with Grant Trout from Mexico. The quote is still not over it, this according to people. Yeah, on her Instagram story, she basically did a carousel of like a whole bunch of places that they hit when they went to Los Cabos, Mexico. She says in the caption, best honeymoon with my husband, all caps, still not.

over it. You know, they're kissing, they're wearing bathing suits. There's an infinity pool. It's like all the things that you expect to see on a honeymoon Instagram carousel. There's a heart-shaped candle around the beach. And then she also recently talked about choosing the location of Dallas, Texas, and the fact that they had 400 friends and family there because she knew it would be the place that most people attending their wedding would be from.

So it's kind of like a central location. It's also unique and special to us because that's their home now. So you also always wanted to get married in the fall and always wanted a short engagement. She said it could not be more perfect the way things have gone down. Well, speaking of the invite list, the final headline of the day speaks about somebody that wasn't invited to the wedding. Natasha Parker jokes Bachelor's Peter Weber was not allowed at Madison Pruitt's wedding. The quote is, we would have kicked him out. This is according to us weekly.

Well, hilariously, his girlfriend, Kelly, was there. But yeah, he just was not on that invitation, which totally respectable. Those invitations definitely went out before they were a public couple again. Right, right, Ben? You got an invitation. When you do such a quick engagement, how many weeks did you get notice to RCP and all that? I think it was fairly normal. It was probably two months before the wedding.

Oh, really? Okay. So, like, they basically picked a date before. like right away. The date was probably already planned before he like got down on one knee. Anyway, let's get back to like this sort of joke here. Natasha said that Peter was not there.

No, he was not allowed. We would have kicked him out. Maddie's wedding was amazing. She married her prince charming. Let's just say she is no longer a virgin and we're very happy for her. That is what Natasha had to say for, you know, No, on that wedding.

My goodness. Hey, I lied. We have breaking news, a breaking headline. It's not necessarily breaking news, but it is a breaking headline coming through about Gabby and Eric, Ashley, you have it sent over to you in our podcast portal. Please let everybody know what this headline says and what is going on in their relationship or lack thereof. Well, we basically knew last week that it was over, over.

even though Jesse Palmer wanted to make it seem like they may have been working through things. We had our producer, Hannah, have friends who saw Eric out and about at a bar in Santa Monica. And he definitely was looking like a single man. And now Gabby is confirming it to us saying the end of our relationship happened because we weren't completely in step and in sync with each other and our common goals or just the way that we approach life. We were in each other's best match. despite the split she says that she's so grateful that her dad and her stepmom

are basically the role models for her in a relationship she wants some like a relationship that has the values that they have and she also wants to channel that kind of everlasting love into some of the dances

that she's doing on Dancing with the Stars now it is it is unfortunate news it does feel I remember Sean Lowe once told me that Dancing with the Stars, choosing to do it, is a very difficult thing for a relationship coming off the show. And so it does not shock me, I would say, that, you know, this ended during Dance with

the Stars because from everybody I know, so big time commitment, there's a lot going on, a lot of time apart. That's why I'm very impressed with like Jason and Caitlin for making it as Caitlin won. you know, they found ways to make this work amongst the craziness of the show. So it is difficult. That's so true. But that being said, they would have broken up anyway.

And she did make this statement on Dancing with the Stars last night. We should mention that. Yeah. Well, she's still on it. Go vote for Gabby. But until next time, which is very soon. This has been the Almost James podcast. This is episode one of this week.

It's another one of those long, drawn-out weeks of Bachelor in Paradise. But until next time, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley. See ya. 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.

Let's start with a quick puzzle. The answer is Ken Jennings' appearance on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. The question is, what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land. Jeopardy Truthers believe in I guess they would be conspiracy theorists. That's right. They gave you the answers and you still blew it.

The puzzler. Listen on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 some 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, available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I always had to be so good, no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at tailorpapersealing.org.

Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Tune in to All the Smoke Podcast, where Matt and Stacks sit down with former first lady, Michelle Obama. Folks find it hard to hate up close. And when you get to know people and you're sitting in their kitchen tables and they're talking like we're talking. You know, you hear our story, how we grew up, how Barack grew up. And you get a chance for people to unpack and get beyond race. All the Smoke featuring Michelle Obama. To hear this podcast and more, open your free IHeart Radio app.

Search All the Smoke and listen now. This is an IHeart podcast.