The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - AdapTayshia

Episode Date: December 30, 2020

Ben and Ashley sit down with Tayshia for the first time since she handed out the final rose on her season of The Bachelorette! Find out her REAL thoughts on Zac from night one and she opens up about some of the personal struggles that she faced during her time on the show. Tayshia tells us the moment her parents knew she was in love with Zac.Plus Ashley tells Tayshia about the text she sent her that she regretted....And to prepare for Matt James’ premiere next week, Ben and Ashley give us their first reactions to Matt’s contestants! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee 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 iHeart radio app search emergency intercom and listen now why are tsa rules so confusing you got a hoot of you want to take it all i'm manny i'm noah this is devon and we're best friends and journalists with a new podcast called no such thing where we get to the bottom of questions like that why are you screaming i can't expect what to do now if the rule was the same go off on me i deserve it you know lock him up listen to no such thing on the i heart radio app apple podcasts or

wherever you get your podcast. No such thing. I'm Dr. Joy Hardin-Bradford, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. I know how overwhelming it can feel if flying makes you anxious. In session 418 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett and I discuss flight anxiety. What is not a norm is to allow it to prevent you from doing the things that you want to do, the things that you were meant to do. Listen to therapy for Black Girl.

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The Super Secret Bestie Club podcast season four is here. And we're locked in.

That means more juicy chisement. Terrible love advice. Evil spells to cast on your ex. No, no, no, no. We're not doing that this season. Oh. Well, this season, we're leveling up. Each episode will feature a special bestie, and you're not going to want to miss it.

My name is Curley. And I'm Maya. Get in here. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie. Dusty Club on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcast with IHartRadio. This is another week of the Almost Famous Podcast, and we are lucky to have this episode. We have somebody absolutely incredible joining us. Yes, Ashley, how you doing?

Oh, that's a sweet Ben, but like I'm so excited because we have the woman of the hour of the past few months, Tasha Adams herself and her beautiful face staring back at us right now. Hi, guys. I'm so happy to be with you. Tasia, we are super pumped to have you on here for a couple reasons. We've been huge fans of years for a long time. In fact, I was thinking back to the very first time I met you and I still remember it. I'm sure Ashley, I think Ashley was there for this, but she was there. We, you came into our studios in Los Angeles right after Colton season. our very first guest from that season. You came in and sat with us.

And I remember during that time, your producer looked at me and said, I'm really happy I got to meet this girl. She's going on to do incredible things. And I'm just happy. She's happy. And I said, hey, for a producer to go out of his way to say that means this is somebody special.

Well, you've proven it. And then we'll fast forward. And everybody's heard us talk about this. You've gone to IHeart Festival, music festival with us. We've been able to be around each other quite a bit, and we cannot be more excited for you. Congratulations on a great season.

Congratulations on a great ending. And thank you once again for joining us. Thank you so much. Honestly, you guys are right. I've been with you since the very beginning of this all, I feel like. So it's perfect timing. I want to get started here with this, because you are somebody who, you know,

this is a whole unexpected journey for you. This was not playing. this was not thought through a few months ago you had no clues was going to even happen. I'm going to start at the beginning with a question that I really want you to think about because I think it's important. How has this experience sitting where you're at today, knowing what you know now, how have you changed as a person? I mean, I think I've said this, but I know. It's, if anything, it just makes me really appreciate the hard times that you go through in life.

Because I feel like for so long, I would not have given myself like to even think that I would deserve something like this. You know what I mean? And I think that I was like so in the mode of like, okay, I have to do this next. I have to this next. I do this next. But it's just, it was being concerned about everybody else and not listening to myself. and then just knowing like I worked my butt to get where I am today. And I'm so happy that I went through all the hard times.

I feel like you don't appreciate things if you don't go through the hard times, right? Yeah. I would agree with you. But like, explain us a little bit more before we get into your season. Okay. Because yes, your season had its ups and downs. Yeah. It wasn't always easy.

But for the most part, like this is a really great season full of a lot of things to celebrate. A lot of really beautiful moments. It wasn't as controversial and dramatic as past seasons, but it was still as entertaining because there was a beautiful story being portrayed. So when you say going through the hard times of led you hear, what are you speaking about? I guess there's multiple things. It's number one, it's even just the way I was grown up. I think that there are things that I've experienced as a child, just like even, you know, hard times that my parents have gone through. Like, even financial struggles and I guess being.

picked on like being younger and so that makes me in turn like when the guys come around and they tell me about their struggles that they have gone through in life like there are things that I have like a like a soft stop for people that I've you know struggled so there's that part and then in relationships and like dating guys that are just like such jerks and assholes it makes you like really like really appreciate the guys that are in front of you that are super vulnerable and just being willing to do this and that you would never um I don't know think that somebody else would do for you It's just I have learned to appreciate everything that I've gone through now. I feel like I completely deserve, like even Zachary that I have now.

He treats me like a freaking angel. And I never thought that I would ever have a man that would treat me as well as he does. But like I feel like now that I know that what another person has treated me like, I appreciate this 10 times more. And I just want to like cherish that. You know what I mean? No, that makes sense. That's great.

Well, again, before we dive into the season, we really just want to start by saying congratulations. We're happy you're sitting in the place. you are and we're excited for this interview because it's a good interview and it's one that comes from a place of joy and celebration. So Ashley, I'll throw it to you. Okay. Do you know how hard I was rooting for you and Zach and like how like I had to keep it together? Like do you know like the fire that I felt between you guys and like the intensity and how obsessed with the fact that like for the past month I felt like I had a new rom-com or romance to watch every Monday and Tuesday? Okay. First of all, it's funny because we would text every now and then, but you knew nothing. I didn't tell you one word. And I was just telling you, like, I want you to kind of like give me your insights or your like version of it all. And it was so cute just watching you watch it and like coming your little pointers about all these guys. It's so good. But thank you. I appreciate you rooting for Zach and I. It's, it was insane to watch back. I'll tell you that much.

also really dangerous on Ashley's part okay yeah tell me some of this stuff she would text you and I'd be like Ashley you don't know how this is like this could get really awkward for you okay okay funny story here okay so you were like I love hearing what you have to say you know like week to week yeah so when Ben got sent home the first time uh I I debated I was like whether this is appropriate or not to send but I this is what I text it Tasha guys and I there's a story to go along with it. So I go, I'm so glad you sent Ben home. These remaining three are gems. I just felt disconnected to Ben and the edit was making me feel like he was going to get top two. See, he seems like the kind of guy that would ghost a girl he was in a serious relationship with. So Tasha doesn't respond to this and like for two days or whatever. And like that's not like I wasn't worried about her not responding. Like Tisha's not like a guy I have a crush on. And I also know that she's like the very, very busy bachelorette. And I can't even imagine how many texts you get while the show's going on.

So I didn't think twice about that. But then all these rumors started coming out that Ben was coming back. And so many people were like she ends up with Ben. And I text immediately like in our almost famous message thread. When all these rumors are coming out, I was like, you guys, what if I told Tasia that her fiance say currently is a guy that seems like he would ghost a girl in a long-term relationship. Could you imagine if that was the case? We worried about it during that like maybe Tuesday's episode was just so obvious, but

maybe like Monday's episode. That is too funny. My friends are looking at me watching and being like, God, this is going to be hysterical and she picks bad. You're probably sweating bullets knowing you, freaking out. Freaking out. And I don't take awkwardness well. Like I get really, I can't even hard.

I can't watch a season of The Bachelorette and Bachelor without looking through my eyes or looking through my hands half the time. I get so cringy. Really? Oh, yeah. And like, knowing Ashley now for the three plus years I've known her, I was like, of course you would do this. I know. Why would you do this? I know.

Why would I do that? What, like, what positive was going to come out of you texting or that? Like, this is so dangerous. I felt very passionately towards Zach Tasia, okay? So, like, I totally eliminated the other two. I was like, Brendan and Ivan, so sweet. But I don't think she's going to end up with him. So in my head, you're going to end up with Ben or Zach.

And when Ben left, I was very relieved because in my head, that just meant you ended up with Zach. That is too funny. Yeah. That is too funny. I mean, there you go. That just goes to show maybe don't send the text next time because you just never really know. I know with the show. But also at the same time, like how.

good did that pause. I'm really good at pausing apparently and just not responding and really allowing for like anticipation just to boil over. But hey, it all worked out in the end. It made it. It made it more fun to be honest, yes, to have that tension lying there. Okay. So let's just- Wait, Ben, did you think this about Ben? I had my hesitancies about him. And so, like, Ashley and I would talk a lot offline about, like, where we're at. There wasn't a guy this season that was like, no, for sure not. Like, I can't, this dude is dangerous and trouble but ben was the closest thing where i was like i just don't see it and i don't and ashley both agreed like hey there's something more there that we're not seeing

understanding that we can't put our fingers on and tasha's so open and vulnerable that it just doesn't they don't make sense together and so we were just fans of zach i mean we've been fans of zack for a while and we thought you this is beautiful this would work uh but i i would have never advised her to do what she did because you never crazy things have happened and i'm not kidding to pause to in this here like behind the scenes when she told me she did this like i was like curled up in a ball in the fetal position on the couch no we'll never have tasha on the podcast she's never going to talk to us again i'm going to lose tasha and my friend like this is bad that is so funny oh my gosh i wish i would have seen you guys like behind the scenes but i did tell people who are worried for me for saying that

I was like, Tasia is the kind of person that I could say that about her fiance and she would have forgiven me and thought it was kind of funny. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. It would be like, hey, how funny is that? And I'd just like pull him on. We're like, be my fiance. No hard feelings at all. No. So, all right, let's talk about the fact that you are one of the greatest bacheloretts of all time and it almost didn't happen. What? Oh, my gosh. Can you believe it almost didn't happen? Well, I still can't believe it happened. Well, do you feel like it was like a meant to be type thing that, like, Claire was supposed to be that bachelorette and then she was supposed to find Dale and then like that's why you were supposed to commit. It just seems like it's very meant to be and fateful to me. I always think that everything works out when it's supposed to. And I definitely think that this situation worked out perfectly for me.

Because if I would have had too much time, I think I would have like had like, I mean, I've said this before, like focused in a lot of the guys. prior to going to be on The Bachelorette, and maybe would have zoned in on one or two people just because of like their looks or done this or that. You know what I mean? Just like how Claire did with Dale, she knew who he was. She loved what he stood for. And like when she did meet him, it kind of just like mashed really well. So they ended up together. But I think not knowing any of the guys, the guys not knowing me, me kind of just like honestly going like within 36 hours of me getting the phone call and no time to prep for anything. It was. was perfect it was perfect i wasn't too into my head i just had fun and went with the flow when you

and the guys i felt like were for me too i don't know they're perfect do you feel like if when you look back on night one did you feel like zach was a frontrunner in your mind or did he truly grow every week he truly grew every week i mean like i i i liked doing the whole wishing thing in the well um or in the fountain um his style stuck out to me because he was wearing sneakers. But other than that, like, I think that there was a little bit more of like a, I don't know, instant connection with a couple of other guys as opposed to Zach. Well, if we're starting at the beginning then, because I want to hear this, one of the things that Ashley I noticed, and I've been in those shoes before, you kind of

like entered into it and you felt it seemed like you were very comfortable. Like there wasn't, like most of the time on night one i remember for myself there's like a lot of nerves uh you're pretty hesitant you don't know what to say you don't know how it all works but like right away we got the sense from you like hey you're in it like you're ready you're you're you're leading this thing you're asking the right questions you're open and you're letting them talk back like why why were you so ready on night so natural i don't know i just i'm a people person i really like being around people getting to know them, but also, I remember walking into that room. I remember driving up and then talking to Chris was the most nervous I had been throughout the whole night. And then the

second I walked into the room, all the guys, like the energy was just so good and they were so nice. I was like, I can do this. Like, I had no, I wasn't sweating. I wasn't nervous. Everything was great. And I was just living my best life. And I was just, I mean, what girl doesn't want to talk to like 20 guys that like all the attention is all you? You know what I mean? I know. You did such a... And they look good, too.

They're all suited up. I was having the best time. And it looked like it. That's really all I can say. It looked like it. You're just so fun and easy to watch as the Bachelorette. Okay. So before we talk about Zach and how happy and wonderful this story is, let's go back to your top

three or four for a second. Okay. If Ben didn't come back and bring up. and Brendan didn't leave, would Brendan have been number two? Okay, if Ben didn't come back and what? And Brendan didn't leave? Mm-hmm. Who would have been number two?

Okay. So this is a little backstory on that. I had been saying for like, it was, I can't really tell you like the timing of like filming of it out in a house because I don't remember it at this point. But I had been needing to talk to Brendan about. about our relationship because it had kind of plateaued at some point. Felt that. And it was like he wasn't giving me anymore.

And I remember after that lie detector date, like something just didn't feel right between us. Like when he made that comment about not being ready to meet my parents and me not to be able to read his, that kind of brought me the wrong way. And I was like, okay, hold on a second. I'm someone that's actually like in this and ready to, you know, move on to the next steps. That's like the last thing on their mind because meeting your parents is like, it's a big deal for me. And I understand that being a big deal for somebody else, but like that should be like the least of your concern as opposed to like getting engaged.

You know what I mean? Yeah. I mean, that's like the easy part. Like that's your family. Like they can help you make that decision. That should be fun and exciting. Yeah, no. He was very hesitant about that.

So that kind of like where like that hesitation started going. And then, yeah, I think when he told me that on our fantasy suite date where he was just, like, not there, the reason why I didn't react and I didn't cry is because I kind of felt it in my gut and I already started, like, putting my walls up. Okay. And so I just kind of like shut down at that point. So no, I don't think I would have because once I make a decision, I don't really go back on it. So no. So what was up with that soundbite that said I thought Brendan was going to be the one?

my theory is that like early on you thought that Brendan could have been the one was that I think so yeah because I remember saying that since day one I mean it was so funny like after that first one-on-one day I was like I can leave right now and people were like tasha slow down you're staying here you're not leaving there's not another bachelor coming okay um but I'm sure I said that in the beginning just because like we had hit it off so well at that one-on-one was amazing so maybe that was the sound bite from the beginning did you ever allude to to wanting Ben to maybe come back, especially after your fantasy suite with Ivan, because maybe you realize that you and Ivan weren't on the same page and that you're like,

man, I kind of feel like I need somebody else here because I can like eliminate him. Or was it by fantasies, you just had decided on Zach and like everything else was trivial? Um, I think at that point, I started getting, once Brendan left, I started getting in my head. Like, oh my gosh, like, what if these other guys aren't ready? and then after because at that point I had a fantasy suite with Ivan and I had known that like okay there's a couple of things we spoke about that we're going to have to definitely work on if it were to be us too and they were kind of worrying me a little bit and then the whole Brendan thing left and like at that point I was just like I don't know what the heck I'm doing like

what is Zach's not even ready no I never said or considered Ben even coming back that was a last thing on my mind I already had like enough on my plate but at that point point Zach and I's fantasy suite had been the best one yet so you know it was just kind of speaking at the devil he just walked in Zachary's here so Tasha we only have a few more minutes left with you I know that you've been busy with uh everything going on in your life and we do really appreciate you coming on for a few minutes a day and kind of talking to us um before we get to Zach I want to I want to take this time because there's a question that nobody really ever asked me, but I think you're close with your family. I'm close with mine.

What was it like for your family to watch? And now also, if you could, as we transition into your relationship with Zach, what was it like for Zach to watch this season now play out and all of them to kind of be invested? Was it weird? Was it awkward? Were there any funny moments? What was it like? First of all, with my family, I don't watch it with my family. I did it. I did it once. And it's awful. That's insane. It was awful. I could never. And the funniest thing is my dad would just text me like Tasha with like three little dots.

And I'd be like, oh my God, oh my God, he's watching. I'm like, I can't. I'm not. I'm so happy. I'm not in the room with them. So that's that with my family. But as far as like Zach watching it back, it did get really hard at times. Yeah.

And I think it's just because like he obviously watched it because his family was so excited. So he wanted to like watch it back with them. And just at times like I think like, I think like, like hearing my conversations with the other guys or like hearing how I was feeling in the moment is difficult. It's not, it's not normal. But I think that what really helped us is just having that open line of communication. The one thing that we have that's very, very solid is our communication. No matter if it's going to hurt one another or whatever it's going to be, like we definitely just hit it head on and just deal with what we have to deal with.

And we definitely had some serious conversations quite a bit, quite a few times. But yeah, it was really funny because I knew it was coming later down the road. So when I saw him up with Claire, I was like, oh, you're really excited to have the date, huh? Like, because he would say little things like, can't wait to get this started. I'm like, oh, you can't wait to get it started. So I had to get my jobs in when I could. But because I knew they were going to come for me. So it's okay, though.

There's a lot of really happy moments because like obviously when we had our one-on-one and like hometown all the kind of stuff it was really fun to watch back with him but can you give us the dirt was there like what was the one scene that really set him off with another guy uh i think he was more so towards the end i think he was like fantasy sweet time like just like just the conversations we were having yeah um and it was just it's just it's just not fun no no it's not it's not fun it's not healthy i i would say many times like there's there's some good that comes out of it because you learn how to communicate right and then you learn how i mean like for me you know, moving on from my relationship from the show and moving into, you know, my

relationship with Jessica, that same communication openness has like existed there. And so it's like really good. It helps, but it sucks. I remember that. It just is really awkward. And there's no good answers. And you're like, I don't have any way to explain myself here. But like, that's the thing. Yeah. I can't really explain myself. It's just, it is what it is. And I'm sorry I felt that way, but it's just, it's also just not normal to watch like multiple relationships with your fiance. So it's just, it's hard. Was, your dad ever like it's Zach like we feel it with Zach we know you're picking Zach because I know that your dad had such a guide and he was such a guideer through it my mom and my dad said that they

knew the moment I fell in love with him which was everyone says like the hot tub scene because I was just like so like it's so weird because I don't even remember that scene I don't even know if I watched that episode um in my mind I didn't like Zach that day I remember that but everyone said it was around then that they like saw it in my eyes it was a little different so oh it felt like like you guys were fighting it then like you're just like oh I hate you because I know I love you I think it's what it was because I remember getting out I'm like yep I don't like him at all and then um Zach then I actually gave him the rose that night so clearly I liked him but I was like fighting the feeling yeah so funny oh do I have time for another question you have one more

question left, Ashley, then we're going to close this up. And I mean, hey, we could talk to all day. This was one of the best seasons of all time. You are one of the greatest leads. But, hey, we know the media gauntlet that you've gone on. And we also know that you're engaged. And we want you to be able to celebrate that engagement with him without being on your computer the whole time. So actually, you get one final question. And then we'll close out here with Tasia. Thank you. Oh, crap. Got to narrow it down. Okay. Well, what was like the moment that you knew, knew because I got so, like, thrilled and on Cloud 9 when watching you guys on that date and he was like, I love you. And then you were like, I love you. Oh, my God. Like, you, you must have

been preparing to say that. You must have knew in your head when you said that that he was it. When I said, I love you. Oh, before a Fantasy Suite. Yeah. Well, I knew I wanted to say I loved him. But you didn't want to say I love you to anyone else, right? Well, I think like that's funny to say but yeah when I was feeling it I would say it maybe that's not always the best way to go about it then yeah I get it so like I kind of like was kind of reserved but like with him it was just like we had this like again open line of communication since the very beginning and I felt like I could always like tell him how I was feeling and I couldn't find it at that point no when he said it I was just like wanted to grab

him and be like I love you too so yeah exactly how it was okay fine one question one final question i'm so sorry but how was your christmas with the palm tree christmas tree because you couldn't get one in time oh my gosh it's so funny it's actually a succulent um it was good it's because usually in new york they have like a bunch of christmas trees on the side of the road and you could just like grab one and drag it to your house kind of thing that's what i was planning on doing but um it was christmas day and everyone's like why are you waiting till christmas day i'm like guess because we were in like orange county me. But it was good. It works out, right? I didn't want to buy the bush for $170. That was

ridiculous. You're good there. Well, hey, Tasha, do us a favor. You are incredible. You've been incredible. You've shown true to yourself, to your family, to all of us. You're going to do great things for this franchise and for just kind of the people that watch this series. Stay true to you. we've admired you we've laughed with you we've celebrated you and thank you for coming on this podcast and giving us your time i know you are busy um but you chose to do this and we are very thankful for that so tasha hey congratulations now get out there and start celebrating you got it thanks guys i really appreciate it oh you talk soon okay bye all my love bye that's been tasha adams everybody she's incredible um yeah this not often quite honestly it's very rare

a season that we kind of leave these interviews with the leads and be like wow they're just awesome like we just know it like there's full confidence usually there's like a little skepticism there's a little like reservation there's always something to be worried about there's critiques there's these things that we feel maybe we say and maybe we don't maybe you can sense them in our language that we use in the podcast but i will tell you this at least from my perspective i think i can speak for you actually on this is we're 100% confident that tasha adams will go on to do great things, has already done great things, and that, you know, if this relationship works, we will be celebrating the whole time.

If it doesn't, we know they're going to give it their best shot, but I believe it's going to work. I'd put money behind it working. But Tasha Adams had a great season as a Bachelor app, and I'm really glad that we got to watch it. And it's obvious that I feel the same. That's right. Hey, Ashley, let's take a break here.

When we come back, we're going to do Bachelor headlines. And then, later on this podcast, we're going to break down Matt James. Yes, we're moving on the Matt James already. Like Tasha, we don't forget you. You're going to still be in our hearts and our minds. We hope you come back again. But we're moving on to Matt James' season of The Bachelor, which is airing in a very, very few amount of days.

And we're going to break down all of his contestants that are coming on to try to court him. Hey, we'll be back with the Amosemus podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emeritus. 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. 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, until this. Turn this. It's just, I can do it in 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Janica Lopez, and in the new season of the Overcomfit podcast, I'm taking you on an exciting journey of self-reflection. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time?

I wanted to be successful on my own, not just because of who my mom is. Like, I felt like I needed to be better or work twice as hard as she did. Join me for conversations about healing and growth. Life is freaking hard. And growth doesn't happen in comfort. It happens in motion, even when you're hurting.

All from one of my favorite spaces, The Kitchen. Honestly, these are going to come out so freaking amazing. Be a part of my new chapter and listen to the new season of the Overcomper podcast as part of the MyCultura podcast network on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The Super Secret Festi Club podcast season four is here. And we're locked in. That means more juicy chisement. Terrible love advice.

spells to cast on your ex. No, no, no, no, we're not doing that this season. Oh, well, this season, we're leveling up. Each episode will feature a special bestie, and you're not going to want to miss it. Get in here! Today, we have a very special guest with us. Our new super secret bestie is the diva of the people. The diva of the people.

I'm just like, text your ex. My theory is that if you need to figure out that the stove is hot, go and touch it. Go and figure it out for yourself. Okay. That's us. Where is the best? That's us. My name is Curley.

And I'm Maya. In each episode, we'll talk about love, friendship, heartbreaks, men, and, of course, our favorite secrets. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club as a part of the Michael Thura podcast network available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed it. be hell on earth. Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training. These programs aim to provide a shock of prison

life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months. The first night was so overwhelming and you don't know who's next to you. And we didn't know what to expect in the morning. Nobody tells you anything. Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We are excited for the new year. on any gifts, any gifts for this holiday season,

for yourself, for others. Hey, nobody's judging here. As always, The Bachelor headlines are sponsored by Affirm, which is an incredible sponsor of ours. So here's the thing. With Affirm, you can pay overtime at thousands of stores like Walmart, Pottery Barn, Casper Slee, Poshmark, and Price Line, and more, whether you're shopping

for one big ticket item, or you wanna check everything off your post-holiday gift list, a firm gives you a smarter and more transparent alternative to your credit card. With Affirm, there are no late fees or hidden charges, and a firm tells you exactly how much you'll owe and when you're going to be done paying. So you can buy the perfect gifts today or the perfect items for yourself, you know, whether you're getting organized or in shape for the new year. You can buy those items today with no gotchas tomorrow. And you can visit Affirm.com slash famous to shop the latest electronics, fashion, home goods, travel, and more.

And you pick the payment plan that works best for you. Head to Affirm.com slash famous to get started today. That's Affirm.com slash famous. Or, hey, download the free Affirm app for eligible customers. Ashley, it's Bachelor Headlines time. And we're ready to break down the most recent things in Bachelor Nation. The holidays, hey, we're upon us. We celebrated them.

And Ashley, I hope you had an incredible, holiday season but we see that claire crawley and dale maw spent their very first christmas together as newly engaged couples this according to people this picture that claire posted looks like something out of it's a wonderful life right yeah it's so cute so romantic it's like she went all the phases that bailey goes through and then there she is with her love knowing what's important at the end of all of it And she says in the caption, I pray that no matter what these holidays look like for you, that you are able to share and feel the love, regardless of circumstances, the greatest gift of all. Merry Christmas. It's very, very cute. And this is a photo that was taken in

Dale's hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Well, obviously, we just got done talking to Tasha, who was a bachelor, and we can't forget about Claire. She did start this season off, even though, you know, it kind of became Tasha's season. And we're happy. happy for Claire and Dale, and we're hoping they do celebrate and continue to celebrate for years to come. Well, one couple that we expect to be celebrating for years to come, I think it would be a shocker to us all if they didn't. Caitlin Bristow and Jason Tartick test positive for COVID. This is bigger than us. This is according to people.

Yeah, this was so sad. So, so sad. They were quarantining for a bit because they were going to go up to Buffalo to spend Christmas with his family. and then they let one person in the house who actually had to be tested daily for work and she had tested four days in a row negative so of course they thought okay it's safe for her to come in well it wasn't because she came back positive the next day after she visited their house so you know Caitlin and Jason of course decided to stay home and they did not have they are not having an asymptomatic bout of COVID that's for sure uh jason looks he looks rough on

their instagram poor guy um she said that he's had worse symptoms worse fever than she has had um but she definitely isn't like doing real well either she lost her sense of taste and smell and uh we're just hoping that they're going to be good she says that she's had a lot of anxiety over it if you've been following her on Instagram story um you know she knows they're most likely going to be fine but she's like it's crazy that you know one day i think i'm fine the next day i think my symptoms are kind of low then the next day i can't taste anything it's like what is this going to evolve in so she's nervous but we're sending our thoughts and prayers out to kately and jason in nashville yeah and you know as ashley was just mentioning at this point in time

you know we've been talking about it now for months we understand that a lot of you listeners have probably had COVID. I mean, the chances are that out of, you know, the hundreds of thousands that listen to this, over a thousand of you at least have had this of COVID and have been sick. And so we're thinking about all of you during this time. And I think when Bachelor Nation gets it, we obviously talk about it. We obviously break it down. And it gives us a glimpse of what COVID can do. But hey, we're thinking about all of you, those who have lost people during this. And all of those of you who have been sick during this time. And yes, Yes, Caitlin and Jason are as well getting through COVID the best they possibly can.

Well, on to some sadder news for just a bit. We released this story last week, kind of breaking news as we were on the podcast. And there's more details around it now. Bachelor in Paradise's Carly Waddell cries over Evan Bass's divorce. It feels awful, she says this according to us weekly. yeah so carly you know she was pretty quiet on social media the first day or two after the announcement came out that they were splitting up or had separated um officially and then she got on there on she did a video about you know how her emotions how difficult it was how this is now the new normal um but the new

normal doesn't feel normal she says it feels awful and it's been it was obviously a horrible every week's horrible um when this happens to you but um it was a horrible week especially for it to come out and for her to experience it because it was christmas week and she didn't get to have christmas with her kids and she says it was a weird week for me because most you know eva and i are getting divorced so she uses the word divorce um we've only seen papers for separation um i guess depends on the state where you have to file separation papers before divorce but Anyway, she says, I don't know how to do Christmas alone. Today's the first day that both of our kids are staying at Evans' house overnight.

And I'm feeling like a piece of my soul is missing. I'm literally just sitting here by myself writing this. But I'm thankful that it was a white Christmas and I'm thankful that the kids are going to have a blast with their dad and their brothers. And they are feeling so loved. But yeah, I mean, like, this is so sad. And my heart goes out to her. really is sad this is just never fun to talk about it's never fun to experience and especially actually i know you're super close with the two of them they're at your wedding i know this this is

something that has hurt you um and we're thinking about them both during this time uh really really difficult well you know there's this new train going around uh on social media where i'm always behind the trends i don't know how you stay in front of the trends i'm always consistently behind the trends. But this trend right now is where people on Instagram are asking their friends or who they follow to post different pictures. Like, hey, show a picture of your childhood. Show a picture of the most exciting time of your life. Show a picture when you're sad. Well, Becca Kufrin has jumped in on this trend and she opened this up to her fans. Now, Ashley, this is, I think, funny. Like, I don't. And funny and sexy.

and like all the feelings in one. Yeah. Ashley, tell everybody about it. Okay, so this trend is actually super fun. I don't know why I haven't done it yet. I'm going to do it. I am so attentive and I watch all the slides when people do do this. So it's show me a picture of.

And then she said, so the question or the, you know, the statement that the fan sent, they wanted a picture of the time that you thought you had life figured out. And it was Becca and Garrett pulling away. after the final rose, after their engagement in that minivan that Garrett showed up on night one in. And then she has a huge LOL over the top of it. So yeah, I mean like it sucks. It's sad. It's like all these bachelor couples lost this year. Well, 2020 is hard. I mean, a lot of people spent a lot of time together. And a lot of things were figured out. You know, it's interesting going from the Carly Nevin story to a different story,

right. Becca and Garrett were just engaged, which still is meaningful in a lot of ways. And I know they were trying to make it work. But when we released a Garrett and Becca story, I mean, it was crushing for us, right? I mean, I just came off tour with Becca. I'd seen them both together. We were both super sad for him. And now they're at a place where there's like kind of jokes being thrown around, which I think is a good sign. There was another joke too. This wasn't the only shady thing that she posted on this theme of Instagram. story slides. Somebody asked her

what was your what was the best date you're on during the Bachelorette? And she posted a picture of her and Blake destroying stuff. So she and she like added Blake. So now she thinks of Blake you know in a higher

way. Oh, isn't life interesting? Relationships are interesting. Well, hey, there is a relationship we need to celebrate. Bachelor Nations, Jordan Kimball, who, hey, we haven't heard a lot from, right? He was really out there, really outspoken, kind of controversial in Bachelor Nation. He was very opinionated. He was known for his opinions and kind of his polarizing character on the show. Well, he kind of disappeared

for a bit. And I wondered why. I was thinking this. And then I saw this announcement. This is something cool. Jordan Kimball engaged a girlfriend, Christina Creedon, this according to people. He got engaged on Christmas Eve. The Instagram caption reads, Kimball Miss Kimball Well he's going to turn Mrs. Kimball? Did he mean Mrs. Kimball?

He said I would bend my knee a million times to stand by you This ring represents how much I love And listen to you Then it says I selected every detail while smiling And nervously envisioning this moment He's talking about obviously designing the ring

He says he can't express how lucky he is and just how deeply he's fallen in love with you, Christina. I could think, I could cry thinking about how happy you make me. I promise to love, nurture, and protect you as long as my heart beats on this earth. I love that even beyond this life, you'll remember this love. I can't imagine life without you. Your voice, smile, presence are forged into my picture of the future forever. You're absolutely precious, and I want to bring all.

your dreams to life. It's actually a little fantastic caption. And if his proposal is anything like that, I'd say, bravo. We'll celebrate Jordan. Jordan, congratulations, and Christina congratulations. That is a love story worth celebrating. Well, the final headline of this week is one I know a little bit about. My fiance and I just purchased our very first home together. Now, a lot of you know this, and you've either watched, you know, Ben and Lauren happily ever after, or you've heard us talk about on the podcast. Right now, I live in a house. I've lived in for eight years. It's an awesome house.

It's only 800 square foot, though, and it's one bathroom. And the bathroom does sit in the kitchen. And it's not, the bathroom doesn't even have a tub. It's like a shower and a toilet and like a little sink, which, hey, has been great. And nothing to complain about with that. But we got the opportunity to kind of go looking for homes. over the last couple months and we found one that fits us perfectly and uh jessica's going to be moving into that uh she has already moved out to denver that's a big deal for us we've done long

distance for two and a half years so if you need to know anything about doing long distance i think uh jessica and i are experts on that um but we did uh just officially she moved out here last week and uh we had our first dinner in the house together it was on the floor because we have yet to get any furniture for this place it is uh i don't have a lot of furniture in this house i don't need a lot of furniture in this house and i wanted her to be able to pick out stuff that she uh likes uh stuff that you know a lot of facebook marketplace stuff i mean she's been going crazy on facebook marketplace it's been really really actually kind of cool how much you can get on facebook market but uh yeah we have officially got our first home together and it is awesome we are so pumped uh i know that people

are going to ask is this mean that you guys are moving in together before beforehand, but you've already answered this question on the podcast. She will be living separately from you. You call it Jess's private VIP party pad until the wedding. Yeah, we're not going to be moving in together. It is something that is important to Jessica and I. We've made that commitment to each other. And it's not for these high moral reasons.

We want to be excited to be on our wedding day and after our wedding day to be saying, okay, now it's time to start life. Now, hey, don't get me wrong. It doesn't mean that we're not going to be together a lot. It doesn't mean that I'm not going to be spending a lot of time up in the mountains where the house is. Like, we are going to be together. So don't think this is a crazy thing. It's just smart for us to have our distance right now and to not put ourselves in, you know, in a situation where we won't be able to celebrate it after our wedding day.

And we've, hey, we've gone two and a half years together to make this work. And we've done it and it hasn't always been easy. like at this point why stop now I mean our weddings this year so or I guess in 2021 so yes she will be up there will be her private party pad and I hope she has a lot of parties

I hope she has a great time she needs to meet friends in Denver and here's a cool thing so give a little shout out to Jessica and then we'll move on because I'm talking about her a lot I don't know I have one more question and it's like really personal

but I may want to ask it okay well here's the thing I want to talk about Jessica first Jessica just officially passed her final test to become an esthetician. So she has finished school. She passed her test. I think she has one more to be officially licensed. As we do this podcast right now, she's at a job interview in Golden, Colorado, to potentially work at a, I don't know what you call it, like a spa salon.

Yeah, a skincare clinic. Yeah, there, which is super pumped. I'm just proud of her. and she did she made a huge deal by moving out here and super pumped so yes that's uh that's her life and say if you're if you follow her on social media go out and tell her congratulations that was a lot of work um to do over COVID I can't wait for her to extract my face one day okay can I ask you this personal question yeah because you guys have been together for two years and um like bedroom stuff hasn't happened do you guys have like the most heated makeout

sessions ever like these are still like so much sexual tension there how much fun is that it you know it really takes you back to middle school um everything's new and everything is exciting you know i i think that uh i think honestly it's going to be interesting i want to talk about this you know after our wedding day because i want to see the pros and cons to this i'm not i'm not against saying that there might be some cons to the strategy that we're taking Then I could, we could learn that then, and I think Jessica and I would love to talk about it. But right now, the cool part is there's a mystery and there is a passion and there's an intense, like, connection that we have as two humans. And yes, the physical part has been taken out of, you know, our relationship for the most part.

But the cool thing about that is it's really allowed us to grow as people together. And then, you know, let's not be crazy here. Neither of us thought we were going to be dating for two and a half years before we got married. Like this was not a part of the original point. Like this was, you know, unfortunately, like the pandemic put a big wrench in our plans in our system here. And we talked about that. Like, okay, what do we want to do now? And the decision was, let's stick to what we want to do the whole time.

And let's try to make that work. And so it's been a roller coaster. And once, you know, we get married, I think. I'll very openly and be willing to talk about, hey, what did we see that was good about this? What it was bad? What did we miss? What do we feel like we needed to do better? But right now, yeah, there is passion because there's so much mystery.

Yeah. Like, that's like cool because at this point, like most people would be like, oh, I know you inside and out, right? Yeah. But, yeah, like, I'm sick. I'm not sick of you, but like, hey, what's going to change? And for us, you still have something really cool to look forward to together. Yeah. and to share, you know, later on in the future.

So, hey, Ashley, let's take a break here. When we come back, we're going to break down Matt James' contestants. I mean, this is an action-packed episode, right? We have Tasha. We have Bachelor Headlines sponsored by Affirm. And then we get to break down one of our favorite episodes every year is breaking down the new contestants that we know nothing about that we've only seen pictures of and we get like where they're from

and what their occupation is. We're going to fly through this as quickly as possible. but we're going to do it for all of you and for us because we enjoy it when we come back with the almost famous podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor and I'm Drew Phillips and we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD, oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental.

illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. 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, pull that, turn this. It's just, I can do it my eyes close. I'm Mani. I'm Noah.

This is Devin. 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 Hey sis What if I could promise you

You never had to listen To a condescending finance bro Tell you how to manage your money again Welcome to Brown Ambition This is the hard part When you pay down those credit cards If you haven't gotten to the bottom Of why you were racking up credit

Or turning to credit cards You may just recreate the same problem A year from now when you do feel like you are bleeding from these high interest rates, I would start shopping for a debt consolidation loan, starting with your local credit union, shopping around online, looking for some online lenders because they tend to have fewer fees

and be more affordable. Listen, I am not here to judge. It is so expensive in these streets. I 100% can see how in just a few months you can have this much credit card debt when it weighs on you. It's really easy to just like stick your head in the sand. It's nice and dark in the sand. Even if it's scary,

it's not going to go away just because you're avoiding it, and in fact, it may get even worse. For more judgment-free money advice, listen to Brown Ambition on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth?

Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training. These programs aim to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months. The first night was so overwhelming. and you don't know who's next to you

and we didn't know what to expect in the morning nobody tells you anything listen to shock incarceration on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts the super secret Festi Club podcast season four is here and we're locked in

that means more juicy cheesement terrible love advice evil spells to cast on your ex no no no we're not doing that this season oh well this season we're leveling up each episode will feature You're a special bestie, and you're not going to want to miss it. Get in here!

Today, we have a very special guest with us. Our new super secret bestie is The Deva of the People. The Deva of the People. I'm just like text your ex. My theory is that if you need to figure out that the stove is hot, go and touch it. Go and figure it out for yourself. Okay. That's us.

That's us. My name is Curley. And I'm Maya. In each episode, we'll talk about love, friendship, Heartbrates, men, and of course, our favorite secrets. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club as a part of the Michael Tura podcast network available on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. We're back with the Almost Famous Podcasts.

We're going to be breaking down Matt James' contestants. Now, as we were recording, we did have another headline come through. This is two weeks in a row where we've had breaking news hot off the press. Colton Underwood has reappeared to us all through his Instagram stories. He has yet to post a picture, but he was posting about the holiday season and also that he loves writing the Peloton. And he also posts saying, hey, I missed you all. Now what this means, where this goes, who knows, but Colton has reappeared on social media.

And we'll be following that. I will be following that and seeing kind of what the next steps and state. ages he takes to get back into this world of social media. Well, hey, social media is going to be a big part of a lot of these contestants' lives. It's a big part of Matt James' life already. We've watched him through the quarantine crew and through just Matt James doing his ABC food tours. And now he is The Bachelor.

And here are his contestants. Ashley, you've studied where they're from and their occupation. So here's how I think we should do this. you're going to read I'll read the names you tell us what you think of them through your research and then I'm going to just give you my first initial opinion based on what they look like which is the most judgmental mean thing you can ever do but I'm going to do that and then we'll close it off and move to the next all right here we go first contestant Abigail so Abigail's 25 she's a financial manager from Oregon and little known fact about or maybe not a little

known fact but interesting fact about her is that she is hearing impaired so we'll see if that plays any sort of role on the season she looks uh she looks spunky that's what i want to say she looks like she's got some athletic spunk to her like she's going to be uh fun and giddy and really sweet next uh contestant is alana she is 26 she's a photographer from Canada and she, well, loves puns, and she's like traveled all throughout the world. She spent her post, her not college years, but the years that lots of people would go to college in Europe and did programs there instead. She, to me, anybody from Canada that goes in the show has a super witty sense of humor. I think she's going to make Matt James laugh.

I think she's going to make us all laugh. And I think she's going to say some things that push the envelope. Because, hey, that's what Canada oftentimes does. And I just think of Caitlin Bristow and some of the other really beloved Canadian contestants on The Bachelor. Well, hey, up next, Alicia. Alicia is 24. She's a professional ballerina. She dances for the prestigious dance theater of Harlem.

She's the kind of girl that is, like, so hardworking, dedicated. and driven and wants to see the same type of thing for her future spouse. I was going to say that. When I look at her, I think of somebody that is driven. Like she, I mean, just based on also her professional background, to be a professional ballerina means that you've spent hundreds of thousands of billions of hours in a studio that your body's been sore, but you've pushed through it to perform this art that we can all be entertained by

and also that she can love doing. So I look at Alicia's picture and I say that girl is hardworking. She's driven and she's going to take that into this season. Up next is Amber. Amber, very interesting facts about her. She's 30, yet has a 13-year-old. She is a nursing student in California. She was young when she had that 13-year-old man.

I think that's going to play a role in her storyline. When I look at Amber, I think that you can look at her picture go oh that girl could cause some trouble however i think this about her she's going to be a very soft spoken and a very wise individual in fact uh i think matt james might have it like be very very into amber and also be so into her that maybe you know having a kid he just goes this is awesome i get two for one here um who knows up next is anna is 24 from chicago illinois she's a copy writer and she's terrified of fish obsessed with cheese and she one time she one time convinced a pilot to let her fly the airplane over the bluffs of Minnesota for 15 minutes without having any

background and flying well I look at Anna's picture and I think she's the type of person that doesn't hold back she's going to ask the questions and ask things of Matt that most people would it. She is forthcoming, I would say. Bree up next. Bree is 24. She's a communications manager from San Francisco. She talks about how her mother and her grandmother worked so hard to get her in a place so that she can have a successful life. So she is like nonstop grinding. Her dream is to live in Hawaii and to live on the island life of eating nothing but sushi. She loves brunching and yeah she's an outdoorsy girl i look at her picture and i think she's going to be appreciative i think she's going to find uh be very thankful for the experience and very gracious to mat and as a result

i think she's going to go far up next is caroline caroline is like going to be the tattooed girl of the season she doesn't like to listen to top 40 basic girl music she says she likes post-punk music and she is also somebody who is not going to settle for well she says she doesn't like it when guys name drop

or brag about money but somebody who has a warm heart and is passionate about philanthropy so good thing she's paired up with Matt James right now she's a 30 year old journalist from L.A. I could see her being the one that kind of pushes Matt James out of his comfort zone

that she isn't you know with the way that she's the kind of music she likes the thing she's into I think she's going to push Matt into his come out of his comfort zone and I think she's also going to be that type of character that doesn't really like fit into the group but the group enjoys being around because she's different than the rest Cassandra's up next so she's a 25 year old social worker from Newport Beach California she's still scared of the dark and she hates it when people eat food off her plate. She also loves stargazing and eating s'mores with sweatpants on, no makeup. She's that kind of girl.

Well, I think Matt James's heart is going to be taken by Cassandra. In fact, I think she might be one of my top favorites. And the reason for this is I think she is that type of girl. And I think that's what Matt James is probably looking for is somebody that can just take a deep breath, enjoy the little moments, and smile at all the craziness going around. I don't think she's going to involve in the drama. Again, I know nothing about any of these girls. These are all guesses, and so who knows if I'm right?

We'll see later on. Well, Chelsea is up next. Chelsea is a 28-year-old runway model from New York, so she had a corporate job, and then just a few years ago, she quit it and went into modeling. She said that her dating life has been pretty non-existent since she was in college. I have a feeling Chelsea is going to be a thing. favorite. I think she's fierce. I think she's funny. Her smile tells me that she doesn't have a lot to hide, but she has a story to tell. And I see that in Chelsea. Up next

is Corinne. Corinne is a 22-year-old marketing manager. She is family. She's very family and marriage oriented, even though she's 22. She currently works in marketing for her family's high-end Italian restaurant. So I like that about her. I don't know. You say Italian restaurant. I'm like, sold. She loves Disney World and has been there

more time since she can count. And she once snuck into an abandoned insane asylum in the middle of the night that makes two of us. Don't ask. My sister loves doing wild things. That's a little creepy, Ash. Well, hey, I look at this picture, and I think motherly.

I think she's going to come in and she's going to show signs of being a terrific partner, a terrific friend. I think she's going to be a good mother figure to many. Up next is Amani. Amani is a 25-year-old realtor from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She says that if she could be anyone else for a day, that she'd still be herself because she is pretty cool.

She also says she's not a lovy-dovey kind of person, but she loves deeply. She also prefers a sophisticated jazz bar over a baseball game. for a date. See, I think she's empathetic. I think she's a good listener. And I get to that from her jazz love. If you love good jazz music, you typically like to get in that mood, that vibe of just sitting and hearing the different sounds come off those instruments. And as a result, she's a good listener, which typically good listeners are empathetic. Up next is Alina. Alina is a 25-year-old health food developer who lives in New York, New York. She has big dreams of making herself a name in the health food world.

She has an orange tabby cat named Sir Theo, who, get this, she pulls a fawker. The cat goes to the bathroom on the toilet, and he also wears a bow tie. She says he's very sophisticated. Yeah, she also has a background with synchronized ice skating dancing. Well, I think she's patient. If she can teach a cat to sit on a toilet and she finds that as a worthwhile pursuit, then she's obviously very patient. But I think her patience, my guess, is going to get in the way because she's too quiet. I look at her and I think she's quiet.

She's going to sit back in the scenes And really she should just start out with Hey, my cat goes to the bathroom on a toilet And I think Matt James would be all over it. Well, hey, up next is Giacinia. She is 27. She's a social media marketer from San Antonio, Texas. She is one of our pageant girls.

Yes, there are multiple pageant girls again. She was Miss El Paso in 2016. She loves escape rooms. And if she could live in any other decade, it would be the 80s because of the music and the super funky fashion. She's giddy. I'm going to say giddy.

And now, like, I think when I look at her picture and I hear that she's a pageant girl and she's from El Paso, which is a really great city, you know, down south, it's giddy and cute. Like, she's just, she's got a good understanding of the world and how people operate. And she's going to kind of walk through this process

with a lot of friends. Now, up next is Kaylee. Kaylee is a 26-year-old hostess from Chicago, Illinois, from her bio. You can tell it she's the happy-go-lucky girl of the season. She's witty and charismatic, not afraid to laugh at herself. She's the girl that at her high school graduation tripped on the stage as she went to go get her diploma. Yeah, that's her. That's how I was going to explain it.

She's happy-go-lucky, but she's goofy, she's clumsy, and she's lovable and endearing because she's going to make a fool of herself often, and that's what makes her lovable. Hey, up next is Katie. Katie is a 29-year-old marketing manager from Washington State. They say that she calls herself a witty storyteller who would want to find somebody who's worth committing to. She says that she's adventurous and daring.

Her idea of a fun day is skinny dipping. And this is one of the most interesting facts that I've heard from any of these girls. Katie once planned a dog flash mob that got a huge turnout. She is an adventurer. She's the Becca Kufrin look alike, in my opinion. I think she looks just like Becca in her picture. And she's an adventure. She is going to try new things and try to start new things.

And she don't care who's watching. Kayla. Kayla is a 28-year-old health care. advocate from Durham, North Carolina. What I noticed about her profile is that she's looking for somebody who wants to make the world a better place. And she feels like Matt could be that person because he does work with children through ABC, I feel like, or ABC tours, that they might be able to bond over that.

She loves a good tailgate and idolizes Rihanna. She is wise. She's a wise human, full of knowledge and intrigue, and she's not going to settle for anything less than great. Kimberly's up next. Kimberly is an airline recruiter from Seattle, Washington. She is definitely going to be kind of like the whimsical girl. She radiates joy and happiness wherever she goes.

She calls herself a carefree soul. She hates cats, though. She basically will not date you if you have a cat. and she isn't afraid of anything except for finding out that the guy she's into has a foot fetish well I don't know if she has to worry about that with Matt

maybe she does who knows but here's the thing about Kimberly and you know I'm going to say this everybody out there knows I want to say this anybody that would tell us that they're whimsical and happy I just am concerned about on this show because I think this show

can eat up people who think that way very quickly, but she's beautiful. She's cute. I hope she sticks around for a long time. Up next is Kit. Kit is 21. She's a fashion entrepreneur, but depending on where you're looking, they're also calling her a socialite. She's from New York, New York. And the reason she's being called a socialite is because her mom is Cynthia Rally, the legend, honestly, legendary designer. Somebody has, everybody has a Cynthia Raleigh something, whether it's a t-shirt and you don't even know it's by her or some Cynthia Raleigh sheets.

But despite the fact that, you know, she might be, I don't want to say spoiled, but, you know, very privileged. She says that she has an extremely high maturity level, even though she's only 21. She's ready for that serious commitment now. and fun fact she can surf in high heels I have a feeling that I look at Kit and I think you're going to be a storyline this season somehow some way I don't know good or bad or indifferent

but she is going to be a main focus so keep your eyes out on Kit and I look at her picture and I think yeah people are going to be watching you and they're going to be very interested by you Kristen's up next she's a 27 year old attorney from Virginia Beach and she also is very goal-oriented, very business-savvy.

That's what she wants. And a guy, she says she's fiercely loyal. She's intelligent and has an unmatched work ethic. Thanks to her incredible mother, she also loves to belt Disney songs during karaoke. Something that seems very divisive about her, though. Like serious stuff right here. She says, she does not share food. And this sounds like a lawyer move.

She does not share food unless both parts. parties have previously agreed upon it. Oh, she's going to be the stickler. She is going to have rules and boundaries. She's going to, she is going to be very strict on what she wants, how she wants it done. And who knows? Maybe Matt wants that. Some guys are like, hey, yeah, just tell me how to do it and I'll do it.

Lauren's up next. We have another attorney. She's 29, and she is from Miami, Florida. She, in her free time, enjoys fashion, going to the beach, working out and spending time with their girlfriends in their book club. She says that nobody that she's dated in her past has truly been her best friend, and she's hoping to change that with Matt. She's terrified of lizards and frogs.

I see Lauren's picture, I think, hesitant. I think she's going to be really concerned and hesitant to open up that it might get in the way of her in mass relationship because she is hesitant, and she is a little scared of the fact that maybe she hasn't found that right person. And this environment is really hard to get through. And so I can see some walls coming up there. Up next, Maggie. Maggie is a 32-year-old pharmacist from Ethiopia.

She's been living in the U.S. for a while. She said the scariest thing she's ever done was moved to the U.S., but she doesn't regret it one bit. She actually won the lottery. She says, it's like it's a real lottery. It's the diversity visa lotto. And she's so grateful for all the opportunities that she's been given. And she never takes anything for granted.

She runs a nonprofit that supplies shoes to girls back in her hometown. She is going to be so sweet. She's going to be a fan favorite as well. I see her story. I hear her story. I see her picture. I think this is going to be one to keep your eye out on that the fans are going to absolutely adore Maggie. Because she does care.

And she's super smart. and she has a story to tell and she has a lot of life to to kind of communicate to Matt and all the other women. I don't see her getting involved in the drama though. Hey, up next is Mary. She's 24.

She's a marketing director from Maryland and she's your kind of girl, she's your kind of girl, Ben, because she says that with the people that she dates, she loves giving them massages. Oh, geez. And planning small little, surprises. She's our pageant girl. She actually won Miss Maryland USA in 2019, and she placed in the top

10 at Miss USA last year. She is, yeah, anybody, well, you know, Jess went to esthetician school, so she does know how to give a good massage. I mean, she's my favorite right now. You want to say you're good at massages. You've got me hooked, and I'll be rude for you to the very end. Up next is Marilyn. Marilyn is 28. She's an event coordinator from Studio City, California. She needs a man who is ready to commit and not be afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. She says that she really prioritizes health and hygiene and she needs somebody like that.

She does not like lazy and introverted. And she also grew up surfing, but is terrified of sharks. I look at her picture. I know. She's a tough cookie. I think she's a tough cookie. I think her picture here is going to be anti who she is. I think this picture looks tough, looks fierce. I think she's going to be sweet and quiet. I also, though, think she might get involved in the drama. I can see it. I can see it that she might start falling for Matt. And she could be the Matt. This girl's doing this person. Who knows? Hey, MJ's up next.

MJ is a 23-year-old hairstylist from Ohio. And what I found interesting about this bio is that the word Bachelor bubble is mentioned. So it says, and like I don't know whether these are her words or the words of the writer that puts together the bios, but it says Matt James is charming and memorable. And once she enters the Bachelor bubble, we don't think Matt will have any trouble keeping her on his mind. so interesting that the bachelor refers to themselves as having a bachelor bubble for the first time I thought that was always like a cast term that is that's really weird isn't it yeah i've never heard that as well i don't know well hey i look at mj and i think uh really funny really outspoken uh very charismatic and will be a very popular figure to matt i mean i'm

to take it off of what the bachelor wrote about her. Like, hey, if the bachelor says he's going to have a hard time not thinking about her, well, there you go. Up next, Piper. Piper is a grad student. She's 23 from Happy Valley, Oregon. She is very into European cars and she dreams of having a role of Royce one day, which goes very well together with the fact that she has a lot of ambition.

She values independence and a partner. She wants to have certain parts of her life remain her own. looking for somebody with confidence and somebody who has a lot of forethought. There is a lot of words in this bio that have to do with her being a total catch, a dynamic personality, a creative mind, not just a pretty face. So interesting. Well, that's probably how I'd have to say it too. I'd have to just mirror what they said, creative, intelligent, driven.

Now, we'll have to see. That's a big conversation. Right? You know, if somebody comes to Matt and says, hey, my dream is to drive a Rose Royce one day, well, is that something that he's attracted to? Or he say, yeah, let's do it. Let's get that Rolls Royce and let's drive that on the highway. Or is he going to say, yeah, it seems, you know, too much for me. Who knows? Rachel's up next. Rachel's a 24-year-old graphic designer from Georgia. She calls herself a hopeless romantic, but has never been in love and believes that Matt might be the guy to change that. Now, I love that. And I love that. And I say it like. that because we all know that Matt's never been in love yet either. So it would be pretty cool to see the two of them fall in love for the first time together. She is from coming Georgia, as Ashley mentioned. And I think when you come from the south, there's just a different level of, let's say slowness. Like the south moves slower than a lot of places, which brings on a ton

of pros. And I think this experience is maybe going to move too fast for her. but it doesn't mean she has anything wrong with her, just means she's not going to be prepared for it. Hey, I'm a big fan of, I think the only Denver person represented this season is somebody named Sana. Well, Sanah, who's 25, and an IT consultant in Colorado, Denver,

she takes advantage of everything that Denver has to offer. She loves the outdoors, hiking, kayaking, a sunrise yoga at the Red Rocks Amber Theater. Is that a thing there? Been there, done that. Oh, yeah. Okay, so everybody gathered. there to do stuff together. Yeah, like thousands of people. Oh, that's cool. So she wants

on somebody to go on adventures with her for a lifetime. And this is super crazy. She completed her first marathon at the age of 16. Well, I know Matt James loves his, like, keeping his health up. And so I look at her. I know she's from Denver, which, I mean, come on. You can't get much better than that. I think she goes a long way. She probably will be my preseason favorite, actually. She's healthy. She likes to get outside. I'm going to start the campaign now to bring Matt James to Denver. Up next, Sarah. Sarah is a 24-year-old broadcast journalist from San Diego, California, and she says that she hopes to one day be in a power couple when they're not spending time with their own kids. They're doing work for the community and giving back to children in need.

So that seems to be something that Matt already spends a lot of his time doing. She's also a trained fire dancer. Yeah. Unique is how I'm going to say this. She is a unique person. Not good or bad, just unique. And she's going to be, have different flare for this season. You know, if flare and fire go together. So the flame that she'll be throwing Matt, will be interesting to all. I think we're going to be very curious to watch her journey. Well, we have two Serena's this season. We'll start with Serena C.

She's a 24-year-old flight attendant from San Francisco, and nothing makes her happier than putting together the perfect outfit. I love that. She also is not a fan of getting birthday attention. She likes the idea of a date being getting dressed up, fancy night out, taking in the sunset over a good champagne and a thought-provoking conversation. Ooh, she's going to be good. She's going to get Matt.

I think she's the one when we watch the previews that gets Matt to really open up because I think she does love those thought-provoking conversations. I think she's very non-judgmental, but I think she's beautiful and she's stunning and she's kind and she's sincere and Matt just tells her everything. Serena P. Well, Serena P. has my heart. She's a 22-year-old publicist from Ontario, Canada, and listen to this. Very opposite to the other girl that we heard from earlier,

she said that her future husband has to be willing to share his food with her. She says that if they don't let me taste their food, I don't know if the relationship could survive. Wow. Amazing. I love that. I have this thing where I have to take a chef's bite of everything that I prepare before, like, give me it to Jared. I have to make sure it's right. so I give a chef's bite. So that is one of my mandatory little traits as well. She is chronically hangary, which goes hand in hand.

And she would love to, man, this girl is so food-oriented. She would love to have a pet so that she could have a pet and an endless supply of eggs all in one. She's a renaissance woman. She does a lot of things. She knows a lot of things. but she knows herself really well. Well, hey, Sidney's up next.

She's a 28-year-old marketing specialist from Nashville. She says that she hates awkward in her conversation and says that a man with big goals for the future is her biggest turn-on. She says that she looks for love, loyalty, motivation, and support in a relationship. And she's not just looking to settle for any average Joe Schmo. So she says that amusement parks creep her out.

She is, she knows what she wants. And I think I look at Sydney, and I think she is somebody who is, who's going to have a hard time with all these other women liking the man that she likes, because I think she might like him. I think Matt might like her, but I think it's going to be really hard for her.

Well, our final contestant is one we've seen on the previews. She's been highlighted, and I think she will continue. to be highlighted it's victoria yeah victoria is a 27 year old queen from los angeles california and the most interesting part about her bio is that her occupation is queen i think victoria might be one of the first contestants that we've ever seen has gone into this and we all know what we're going to get out of her right we all know that she is going to be the troublemaker she's going to be the kind of the potster. She has no shame in saying what she wants. I think she might be

one of the first contestants ever that we can go into the season pretty confident that Victoria is going to cause trouble. Now, the question is, will Matt see it or will he not? Well, hey, that is Matt James's contestants going into this season of The Bachelor. We're super pumped for this season. It's coming up right around the corner. We'll be here to talk about it every week. Well, Ashley, another great episode. Thanks to Tasia for coming on. Thank you to you for coming on. The headlines were great.

The contestants are going to be awesome. We'll be back next week with the Almost Famous Podcast again, and we'll continue to bring you up-to-date content, incredible guests, and a breakdown of every single episode that airs on TV. With that, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley. See you guys next week.

Follow the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts on IHartRadio, or subscribe wherever you listen to podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Humanzor. 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. Why are TSA rules so confusing? You got a hood of you. I'll take it all!

I'm Manny. I'm Noah. This is Devin. And we're best friends and journalists with a new podcast called No Such Thing, where we get to the bottom of questions like that. Why are you screaming? I can't expect what to do. Now, if the rule was the same, go off on me. I deserve it.

You know, lock him up. Listen to No Such Thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. No. Touch. Thank you. I'm Dr. Joy Hardin-Bradford, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. I know how overwhelming it can feel if flying makes you anxious.

In session 418 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dr. Angela Nealbarnett and I discuss flight anxiety. What is not a norm is to allow it to prevent you from doing the things that you want to do, the things that you were meant to do. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you, you get your podcast. Every case that is a cold case that has DNA right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime. On the new podcast, America's Crime Lab, every case has a story to tell, and the DNA holds the truth.

He never thought he was going to get caught, and I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha. This technology's already solving so many cases. Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, it's Honey German, and I'm back with season two of my podcast. Grazias, come again. We got you when it comes to the latest in music and entertainment with interviews with

some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition? No, I didn't audition. I haven't audition in, like, over 25 years. Oh, wow. That's a real G-talk right there. Oh, yeah. We'll talk about all that's viral and trending, with a little bit of cheesement and a whole

lot of laughs. And, of course, the great bibras you've come to expect. Listen to the new season of Dacias Come Again on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.