The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Almost Famous Adventures: Did Sandra Mason almost Ghost her New Boyfriend?

Episode Date: February 2, 2025

Bachelor legends Bob Guiney and Andrew Firestone are getting to know a fan favorite from The Golden Bachelor season one: Sandra Mason!  After reliving her breakout moments from her TV debut, we talk to her new love interest who you might recognize from the Golden Bachelorette… Charles King (AKA CK!).  It's the Golden crossover you never knew you needed!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 Kenspiracy theorists. That's right.

To give you the answers and you still blitzers. The Puzzler. Listen on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Kurt Brown-Oller. And I am Scotty Landis, and we host Bananas, the podcast where we share the weirdest, funniest, real news stories from all around the world.

And sometimes from our guest's personal lives, too. Like when Whitney Cummings recently revealed her origin story on the show. There's no way I don't already have rabies. This is probably just why my personality is like this. I've been surviving rabies for the past 20 years. New episodes of bananas drop every Tuesday in the exactly right network. Listen to bananas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Almost Famous Podcast with IHart Radio.

Almost Famous, the OGs, our Pebble Beach podcast with my handsome co-host, Andrew Firestone, sitting in for my normal co-host, Trista Sutter, Nay, Wren. Yes. And I'm doing the best I can, Trista. I'm trying to keep up this seat. Keep it warm for you. You're doing a great job, buddy. You're doing an absolutely great job. I got to be honest, not as fun to look at you. But you're still doing a damn fun job. I've heard that before. We are joined by Sandra and C.K. May I call you CK or do you want to call Charles? All right, Sandra and C.K. Now, guys, I am so excited to have you both on the show. First of all, your history, why don't you let our viewers know and our listeners know? kind of how you came into the public eye and how you ended up being a part of this whole community. Okay, public eye, before the bachelor's?

No, no, with the Bachelor prize, sorry. Okay, okay. Well, hey, just applied. And here I was, one of 23 out of 35,000 applicants. I'm bragging, of course. Top 20? Yeah, top 20, yeah. Three, yeah.

First ever golden bachelor. Yeah, that's great. And you were great on the show. You made a big impact with people, and you obviously made a lot of friends within the Bachelor Nation community because I know that Kathy and I've been with Kathy and Susan had a bunch of different things

and your name has come up a ton. So I know you guys are all still great friends and, you know, have a lot of fun together. Do you get a chance to get together with the Bachelor Nation people as much as you want to? Of course not. No, I'd love to see them all again and again and again. But we all live in different parts of the U.S. of A

and what are you going to do with that? Right. But that's what texting and emailing is for. Yeah, modern technology, right? It's pretty spectacular. And how was your experience on the show? Like, when you left, how were you feeling about your relationship

with Gary? Did you feel like you had enough time with them? You know, where was your headspace with you? Okay, none of us ever has enough time with the league, as you know. That's the way they format the show, which is fine. But the times I did spend with him were excellent. We had great conversations, which America never saw because it was a one-hour show, 44 minutes without commercials. So it was very limited.

But boy, did we have some good conversations. I'm sure he did with other women as well. Sure. Yeah. It was great guy. Let's go back to before you got on. So there's always a back. story on they told me that I should definitely apply or they told me you're crazy you shouldn't do

that. I want to hear both sides. I want to say, who was your biggest advocate? Was it, was it family? Was it friends telling you? You got to go and do this, Andre. You would be perfect and as a matter of fact, no one. Really? I applied with that. Well, well, when I applied, I did call my oldest daughter and she helped me do some word smithing on the application, but I didn't tell anyone. Maybe for fear that they wouldn't accept me. But here's the thing. After I applied, send it in, Did it out send it in? I totally forgot about it. I mean, you know, then I didn't hear from anyone for three months and so, and life just went on.

Was there anybody, though, that when you announced it, when you said, I'm going to go and do this crazy thing, did anybody say, can't do Sondra, no, you know, you're going to get hurt, or don't do it to protect you? No, because you know what? I followed the rules. They said, don't tell anyone except the people are going to collect your mail and walk your dog and all that. So I didn't. My daughters, I told him, my very best friend, and that was it. And everyone was positive.

Oh, yeah, they were positive. That's great. That's fun. And they had to be so, I had to be a big surprise when they saw you on the TV. They were proud of me. Yeah. And it was one of those, guess who I know, Sondra. My friend was on the old bachelor.

I had more street crid than ever at that point. Were there any regrets as you sit here right now? I mean, you have a big smile on your face. I mean, you're, you know, but any regrets about it? Any moments that you thought, oh my gosh, I wish. Oh, sure. I can't believe I wore that. wore that dress or I can't believe I said that or they, you know, the big fart on TV.

What the heck was? That's a whole other story, you guys. Backstory. That's funny. Of course there regrets, but. Yeah, but it was a great experience. Oh, absolutely. Well, yeah.

And I said this earlier with Andrew. Andrew and I've been around for 20 some years now around the Bachelor franchise. And the beauty of it is, those friendships that you've made and those memories that you share never go away, right? You know, they just kind of grow with time. Excellent. How about for you, C.K., the same for you. Like, how was your experience getting onto the show?

And how was experience going through it? Well, I'll kind of get to getting on the show, right, which was a journey. And to Sandra's point, it's a process. And I really appreciate the network for going through the process, whether it's background checks or physical checks and so forth. I did appreciate that. But it's a long, elongated process. And I went back and forth quite a bit. And I would say, I'm not going to do it.

And then my boss would call me on a Sunday. He goes, no, you're going to do it, Charles. It's time you can do something. Yeah. And I call them back. And, you know, next week, I go, no, I'm not feeling uncomfortable. I don't think I'm going to do it. And then he and my CEO would get on the phone and say, look, if you don't do it, we're going to fly to California.

We're going to fire yourself. So they really were pushing you to do it? My company, at Tenable in Maryland, was very supportive from top to bottom. I mean, they would give the women that watch the show would. Okay, C.K., I'd go out to Maryland. Let's practice your get-out-out-the-limo thing. What do you want to do that? That's so great.

So, Sandra, you were keeping it, you know, a secret. And here's, he's the gay's out there telling everybody, getting advice. Well, I have to tell my company, right? Because I had to be away for it. Sure. Yeah. And then word kind of spread. It was all the way from my executive staff down to the desktop people.

Everyone just had so much fun with it. Week to week, I would quit. I get a call from the janitor. You can't quit. You have to come back. The janitor. That's awesome. So it was a real community wanting you to succeed at this.

Yeah. I felt very supportive. it from everyone at my company and my family. My brother didn't believe it. I told him, because I had to tell him to watch my house. Yeah. And he goes, I don't believe it. And then the first commercial came out, he saw it.

He says, I still don't believe it until I see on CGI. That's not him. Yeah, that's not him. But I think the vetting process or the process, you know, Sondra, you might have had thinking about it, what do I want to do? Do I want to do this? Do I want to put myself out there? Do I potentially embarrass myself, you know, potentially have this amazing,

experience, all that kind of introspective, I think, strengthens your resolve and probably makes that experience that much better because you're like, no, this is my decision. I'm doing this. Nobody convinced me, except for your boss. But I think that's a valuable process, you know, to go through that. One thousand percent. Yes. One thousand.

I think, you know, for me, that the difficult part is I work and live in an environment that's so factual that you come into this environment. Now you have to be vulnerable. You have to be open. You have to put yourself out. And then all of that goes with this unassuredness that you have because you can't control the outcome. Right. And I live in an environment where I can control or predict the outcome.

Yeah. This is the emphasis of that. So I think that for me was my hesitation. You know, I think I've heard the word vulnerable more in the last two days. Me too. You know, in talking to this, to this crew. Yeah. And, you know, also what we talked about is confidence.

And I think that this is the most confident group of people that have been on The Bachelor because life, experience because you've done it, you've been there, and you know, like you know what you know what you want. And what do you have to lose? What do you have to lose? Yeah. What do you have to lose at our age? Right. Yeah. But more important, what do you have to gain everything? You know, like, and if it if it doesn't work out, you've made amazing friends, you've been able to, you know, ask yourself a bunch of questions, sit alone in your thoughts. Yes. And really, I think, help shape what the next chapter is going to be, whether it's with that bachelor or bachelor, or a bachelor, or if it's just, you know, your next chapter overall.

Right. I have to tell you guys, in my toast to welcome everyone last night, I said, you know, the first time I did this event, I was the youngest person here. And now, Andrew and I are the whippersnappers, right? But I will say this. We talked about this last night, Amy Sugarman and our team were like, we're doing all golden all the time because we, the, you guys come in and like Andrews said, everybody's vulnerable.

Everybody's, like you said earlier in an interview, like the bravado is down. Yeah. The confidence is up. Yeah. And you're dealing with real people. who are sharing real emotions, it's amazing, right? And it's not provided, it's, it's earned confidence. There you go.

Seriously, it's from, you know, it's, you know, the younger, you know, has a different experience because they're kind of bright eye, bushy-tailed, you know, optimistic, what, you know, what can happen? And they want you to think that they're, you know, yeah. And, you know, conversely, you know, you have this kind of life of experience that, you know, that gives you a different perspective, which I think is so refreshing and very honest and very authentic. Earned confidence is what you said. I love that. I think if I can just, I don't disagree. Role ceremonies, group dates, one-on-ones, the whole environment of the experience.

It takes your, my, at least for me, it takes your, my confidence was very cyclical. Yeah. Among all the men, it was just me. Sure. And one of the things that was good about, my group of men was that we all instill confidence in each other. You know, if I was down, like, see, man, I mean, look at you, bro. You. You know, I mean, look at you, bro. You know, this, this, this, this. Yeah, but I didn't get a group day. Yeah, I don't worry about that. But look at this, this, this.

Sure, sure. And it was just, that's totally different than the young. Oh, yeah. So I think in the younger, you know, version of The Bachelor, everyone's, oh, you're down. I'm going to push you down a little further. You know, I'm going to, I'm going to, you know, I want you to feel insecure. I want you to feel anxious.

Yeah, they're praying on that. Because then it raises you up in comparison as opposed to raising up the other guys. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Well, wait a minute, Sam, maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone.

Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend. former professor, and they're the same age. It's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet.

So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not? To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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. On 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. 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. A foot washed up a shoe with some bones in. They had no idea who it was. Most everything was burned up pretty good from the fire that not a whole lot was salvageable. These are the coldest of cold cases, but everything is about to change. Every case that is a cold case that has DNA right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime.

A small lab in Texas is cracking the code on DNA. Using new scientific tools, they're finding clues in evidence so tiny you might just miss it. He never thought he was going to get caught. And I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha. On America's Crime Lab, we'll learn about victims and survivors. And you'll meet the team behind the scenes at Authrum, the Houston Lab that takes on the most hopeless cases,

to finally solve the unsolvable. Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The reason why I loved the casting, both for Gary's season and Jones season, and I've said this a bunch, is because it wasn't that stunt casting that The Bachelor has sometimes been known to do, right? Where they throw somebody in who they know is just going to be a thorn on everybody's side or whatever. It was really good, and it was age-appropriate as well, right? We didn't have, you know, a bunch of people in this age segment, and then we throw in a 35-year-old to randomly just stir up the sauce.

Like a tempress to go away and make everybody upset. Yeah, we didn't have that. And the thing I loved, too, especially about Jones season with the guys, well, actually and Gary's season with the ladies as well, was it reminded me of my first season when I was on Trista's season of The Bachelorette. So I started on The Bachelorette before I became The Bachelor. I was one of Trista's Rejects, yeah? And I was actually...

And you still are one of Tristan's Rejects, I still have that badge proudly. I think I was actually technically the first lovable loser that turned into The Bachelor guy. But I started this whole damn thing. No, I'm just kidding. But I loved those guys. Like, we got along great. And we got some heat from producers at the time. Like, they were like, hey, this isn't like supposed to be a love fest, you know?

And, but we kind of persevered with that. We stayed buddies. And I loved it. It's still buddies to this day. And a lot of the guys. And it's really fun to catch up with them and, you know, check in. And, you know, and that's 22 years ago, you know. So when you went on your season, did you know who the bachelor was going to be ahead of time?

No, we didn't tell us. So that's the same, when I was on it, a long time ago, it used to be a surprise. surprise. When, you know, when I came out of the, out of the limousine, nobody know who I was. Right. You didn't know who you got out of the limous. And so I didn't know who any of the women were. Yeah. Wow. They didn't know he was going to be the bachelor until he showed up. That added, I think, a layer of kind of like, I don't know, like innocence to the whole thing because there's no preconceived notions. That's right. And I think that's kind of a nice thing. Yeah. And I mean, of course. See, I have the opposite. There might be no chemistry at all,

which is fine. That's natural. Yeah. You know, you don't. You don't. You don't. You don't. You don't have chemistry with every single person, but if I thought I knew you because of TV, and I went to meet you because you were on TV, and then you're not what I thought, that's even worse. See, that is so funny that you say that, because my season was they announced me as The Bachelor, and then they opened it up for applications.

So it was an ego stroke, right? Oh, wow, you got so many people wanna sign up for this. But then it was a lot of pressure, because then I'm like, well, wait a minute, what if they're only coming on because of who they think I am, and then I'm not that guy. I have literally thought about.

Just before you say it was an ego stroke, they had a tough time for the net cast. They called my mom. My mom's like, I got 10 girls on standby. You know, you have to do what you got to. No, but I agree with that. I think it will be. And I think the next, you know, I'm not sure what they're going to do for the next step of the golden franchise. But we've talked about this a little bit.

Well, I have it with you, Sandra, obviously, but I did it was CK last night. I feel like the golden franchise has kind of reinvigorated the whole Bachelor franchise and reinvigorated Bachelor Nation because it's a return. to like what Andrew and I had, which it wasn't a bunch of cat fighting and backstabbing and everything else. It was just people there, you know, optimistic and hopeful, you know? It wasn't like there was some type of an agenda. I mean, there wasn't even tooth whitening strips back then, right? That was what people wanted.

They want that, they want the story with the fairy tale. And even if it doesn't work out happily ever after, it's that, like, authentic chase of that dream that everybody wants to be a part of. Now, it's fun to watch the cat fights. And there's a guilty pleasure in all of it. There's always that bit of it. But I think the thread that has kept it together is that as a viewer, you're like, I want this to work out. I want Sondra to be happy.

I want CK to be happy. And whatever that is, whether it's with that person or in life, and that's why people are going to follow you afterwards. They're going to want to know what your story is. And they want you to be happy. And that's a really nice thing. Yeah, you'll have people invested, what you are. I've heard that what you're saying.

I've heard that from people I bump into at the stores and at the airport. They say that same thing. And a lot of them say well, I watched it when it first started, but then I got tired of it. But when they introduced the Golden Bachelor, oh, I really got interested. And now I hope they do it again and blah, blah, blah. So

like you said, Bob, it reinforced the whole franchise to have the golden set. Let it back up. People wanted to pay attention again. I think it's a big hats off to casting. I really do. It's the people that they bring on. You know, that have genuine And I don't know, you can, they say you can, and I know this is said in a different way,

but they say that if someone's faking it on camera, you can see it. Like you can't hide. Of course. And to see that authenticity from all of y'all and the vulnerability, as we said, we've heard that word a lot, even from the guys this weekend. I think people relate to that. I mean, sometimes you get the cameras on or your mic. I mean, you just forget because you're so in the moment.

But I want to say just about friendships, right? So I was in the supermarket once, and this lady comes up, oh, my God, are you sick a call? And she goes, is it really true that you guys are really friends? I go, yeah, we're all really good. So I get my phone out. She doesn't believe it. So I get my phone out. And I'm going through all the guys.

And I go, see, there's Mark right there. She goes, if I push this button right here, I'm going to call Mark in. I go, yeah, yeah, yeah. She pushes the button. He answers the phone. And she walks off. And I think I walked away thinking I can call any of these guys, any moment. And I won't go to voice.

They'll answer the phone and go, hey, what are you need? Right. I think that in your seasons, the people that go on have the most to lose, meaning you're the most to risk, the most to lose, because you have, you have a family, you have a, you have a job, you have your life. When you're going on as a 25 or 26 year old, it's like, you know, it's just summer vacation for a lot of people. Yeah, and like, you know, if you go in there and you embarrass yourself or whatever

else, your heart's broken, whatever else, you get over it. But I think that the friendships and the relationships that you guys have started from what I've heard are so much more impactful because I think you recognize, listen, no, we're taking time out of our real lives. We're taking away, you know, from our, from our, you know, work and family and all these things to go and do this together. So it's like this, you know, almost like a Stockholm syndrome where like, you know, you guys are in this thing together. Yeah, you're in it together. All right, guys. Well, let's get to it. So recently, the two of you became a little bit of a tabloid fodder and kind of hit the zeitgeist no that was AI was that was that

was that AI wasn't really awesome seems like there was a post I'm gonna read this let's see there was a oh CK we're at 3 a.m. staying out to 3 a.m and that there was a photo that was shared about you guys on a first date yeah that's pretty spectacular yeah can we let's talk about it sure CK talk about it how did it happen what happened well it it was really three yeah well that's nice at the end of the day it kind of reminded me of being back in high school you know you drop her off you're sitting in the car you're just talking here a couple of minutes and then a couple of minutes 30 minutes an hour and then she gets ready to leave I go no what about so and so on then another hour goes back yeah you know that's called kidnapping right

not if it's Stockholm syndrome yeah yeah but you're also not at this at this of the game you're not worried about her dad flipping on the porch light either right so you got that she was staying with a friend of hers and there was a light thing like is the light on or off and that kind of thing there was a little bit of conversation about that but yeah it was an amazing experience

I want to hear the other side you've been pretty quiet he was full of shit I'm just kidding I'm just kidding you like that one I did I love that no we really did have good conversations conversation through dinner before dinner because we had a wait to get in there during dinner afterwards like there was so much to talk about the show our individual lives how we got where we are family kids the whole it was just there was just a lot to and where was this where was this you guys met up in georgia in pasadena i was here for the rose bowl parade oh great so this is just recently yeah so you guys met at mentel all right at the mental all special correct and then and then the first date was during the rose bowl time right So let's go back.

So the men tell all, I see Sandra. And I had known who she was, but I always wanted to introduce myself as a courtesy. Sure, sure. And I see her, and I go, and you know it, the mental law afterwards, everybody's going to get into it. Yeah, yeah. And so I passed by Sandra, and they're pulling me. I go, hey, call me. She goes, I don't have you enough.

How am I supposed to call this guy? It's like a Bachelor phone tree, just like you dial in it. So how did you give her your number? But I knew that we were, I don't want to say, is it friends on Instagram? Okay. Yeah, yeah, like Insta, Instagram. We follow each other on the Instagram. And so in my mind, I felt like, yeah, I can always say, so.

So you slid into the DMs? Oh, I've heard about this with you kids. I've been married since Instagram's been around. I've never slid into anybody's DMs. This is exciting. Is I just to slide into, I just said, hey, Sondry, I just sent her a message. Hey, Sanchez, CK, here's my number, blah, blah, give me a call. Is that considered sliding in?

I think that's. That is exactly the definition. You know what? Let's go to somebody. Wait, wait, but you have to know this person. Nope. I know that's the whole point. That's the whole point.

That's the whole point you're sliding in is that you don't know them. No, I know her, though. Well, apparently, if I know, it's never, but now you have my mother. You didn't know me. You knew, you knew me. I know of you. Oh, that's great. See?

If I'm, if I'm, if my mother and I are following each other on Instagram and I say, oh, see, here's my new number. Is that sliding into my mom's being? That's an entirely different couch that we need to be. That's a circle. That's not the kind of kids. That's not the kind of kids. That's what we're doing here.

Yeah. That's totally different. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Oh, wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast. So we'll find out soon.

This person writes, has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now hold up, isn't that against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor

and they're the same age. And it's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor, or not. To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

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. 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A foot washed up a shoe with some bones in it. They had no idea who it was. Most everything was burned up pretty good from the fire that not a whole lot was salvageable. These are the coldest of cold cases, but everything is about to change. Every case that is a cold case that has DNA right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime. small lab in Texas is cracking the code on DNA. Using new scientific tools, they're finding clues

in evidence so tiny you might just miss it. He never thought he was going to get caught, and I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha. On America's crime lab, we'll learn about victims and survivors, and you'll meet the team behind the scenes at Othrum, the Houston lab that takes on the most hopeless cases, to finally solve the unsolvable. Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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.

to shock incarceration on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, so sliding in DMs, meet out and pass, because you were going to go out there. Okay, this is the big question. So how long between when he sent the DM, did you respond to it? Oh, probably the same day. Next day, I'm not certain. Oh, see, there's something.

I mean, I try to keep up with my IG account. Of course. Yes, of course. But here's the thing, though, he, you slid an early... Slip to fail, stone. Sounds so naughty. It does. I love it.

What was October-ish? And his company had sent him to Atlanta for a convention or something conference. I was in Atlanta. And can I tell this story? Yeah, go ahead. I was in Atlanta for a few days. I figured, I mean, but Saunders in Atlanta. So I called her up.

And I made reservations at a five-star restaurant. And I went to right through in Buckeh because I was staying. I love bucket. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, real nice place. Swanky. Yeah. So I could dress them, yeah, look like a G.

You know, I'm basically. Sure. Got two reservations. She calls me, I, see, I, sick, I can't make it, blah, blah, blah. I was in the hospital. Oh, literally. No, she's not in the hospital. She's just flage.

She's blowing you out. Did you really? You didn't believe me? Yep. I did not know that. Wow. I didn't know that. Damn.

If a girl can't. on the first date. Yeah. That's enough. Yeah, I hear you. I hear you. So that was in October. Right.

Yeah. And then, so then did you communicate after October till? Yeah, we spoke in a few times. Okay. She called. I kind of did, you know, like that the phone had. You're like, I'm sick too. Yeah, I'm sick.

Yeah, I'm sick. I can't take your call. No, I'm sick. Okay. Now, this is our revelation to me. You seriously? Yeah. Look at you guys playing these dating games, man.

I love it. I love it. But, but, I mean, But you can understand why. I mean, he made it out there. Big effort. Yeah. And then you pretended to be.

I mean, you said you were made reservations. Believe me, with the tubes I had in and out of me, I, uh, all right. Now that we know she was actually sick. So now she's out in Pasadena. Now she's out in your neck of the woods. Now it's my. Yeah.

And then did you tell him that you were going to be out there? Yeah, I did tell. So you, okay, that's a good sign. She instigated it going back the other way. She started into my day. Yeah. Okay, and so now, so now, dinner, dinner, long conversation. So then you're into it until three in the morning.

So what happened at 259 that said like, okay, this is it, this is what's going to stop? You're running out of things to talk about. Did it get awkward? Or was there exit embrace, anything that placed? Do you remember specifically? Oh, I don't. You both remember specifically. No, I don't know what happened at the 259 marks.

I'm saying. I want to say this, I'm assuming, after just knowing C.K. for a short period of time, CK got out of the car, walks you to your door, right? You're at the door. Is there a high five or? Is there? Sure he did. You guys lean in? I didn't. I didn't. I saw her to the door. Saw her to the door. That's okay. Yeah. He watched me to the door. Okay. But before

you watch, he watches you to the door. Is there, okay, good night. And like, you guys shake hands. Hug? Knuckles. I think somewhere during the conversation. we kissed. And I don't know at what point. I don't know what inspired that. I don't know. But we did kiss. So four or five seconds. It was not like everlasting. Four or five seconds. Is that a lot? I got married for four or five seconds. My first two kids were born within four or five seconds. You kidding me? What can happen during that time? Okay. You give me yourself away, Bob. Okay. Okay. So now we know. Okay. So there's sparks something. Whether it's a bright spark, there's something.

A little makeouts say. Maybe curiosity more than Spark, wouldn't you say? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And was that the last time you saw each other until today? Yes. We've spoken a few times.

Interesting. We're like phone pals, pen pals. Yeah. Well, I mean, phone pals who kiss. Let me be clear. Sure, sure. I'm going to be crystal crystal clear. You got it.

I am a guy. Yes, sir. Sanchez a woman. Amen. It's very attractive. Absolutely. Thank you. I'm all right.

I mean. You're a G. You said it. You're pretty. You're a G with the OGs. That's right. That's right. You can't come home at a day

and not get a kid. You cannot. That is not like rule book number one. Actually, it's on my list of things that must happen. You can't come home without a kiss or a felony. And we've gotten both, sadly. So that kiss, I will tell you this, guys. Just FYI and Andrew Will test.

And Hana's got data, reams of data to back me up on this. There are as many successful relationships that have come from contestants from different seasons meeting at events just like these as there are from the actual show itself. I would say probably more. I believe that. Yeah. So if the two of you would like to forego your individual rooms and stay in the Carmel Fantasy Suite. Room number 17. We'll kick whoever's in there out.

100%. Room 69. oh boy all right the show it's a whole different show everybody it's going next level Sandra took us there you guys are having way well guys I sense chemistry here and I do realize geography is a challenge right so in fact I mean you live in Pasadena you live in Atlanta correct and I know you are possibly going to be going to South Africa for a little bit soon well yeah so they're there I I live in Palisvirus way on the other end of of Los Angeles.

And of course, she lives in Atlanta. Yeah. And it's a limitation. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I just want to remind you guys, Joan lives in Maryland, chocolate's in Kansas. Just going to put it out there.

When I'm at Canyon, I lived in Michigan. No, I didn't. I lived in L.A. And so did she. I lived in L.A., but she lived in Vegas. That's the truth.

And then, but she said she was a working girl in Vegas. I don't know if any of you, I heard that last night. I'm like, Canyon, I don't think that means what you think it means. luckily there's great editing for this podcast they know I'm Reander

Thank you so much I'm like Donald Trump getting a speech right now And then I had a sandwich and it was corned beef But I don't know why I think at the end of the day There will be a lot more events such as these Where you can have frequency of visitation And I'm just saying

No you're playing Cupid is what you're doing I am I like you both So that's good I'm saying, don't, don't cut it short before you have to. Right, right. No, I think this is, this is one of the cool things that happens with the, with the network within the bachelor. Is you find like-minded people that are kind, considerate, looking for the same things, willing to be vulnerable, willing to open themselves up. Willing to take chances.

And with that, you know, whether it's, you guys never have a 3 a.m. conversation again, or if you have a thousand more, it happened, and you're better for it. Yeah. I think that's a really special thing. Good job, Andrew. Isn't he great at this? He doesn't think he's good at this. I'm like, you're very good at this. So philosophical.

Just like The Bachelor, he's me, but way better. Just like the one of the He was on The Bachelor. That's why he's my favorite Bachelor right there. All right, well, almost famous, the OG podcast. We're going to let you guys off the hook right now. We're going to let you off the hook, but we're not done here. Oh, we had more, yeah. We got more?

Oh, trust me. We've got two more days of this. Yes, we do. I can't wait to knock on your door at 3 a.m. I'm like, oh. Who's in the air? We got the camera line. No, no, no.

The door is 69. Oh, yeah, yeah. Wow, okay. Turn your kids' eyes away from the camera, everybody. We're talking about the room number 69 now. All right. Well, thank you guys. Sandra, C.K., thank you both.

So much. Yeah, this was fun. So great to make new friends. I love this. Thanks, Bob. Thanks, Andrew. Yeah. Being with the folks last night and all day yesterday,

it made me feel like I was really, really glad. And I tell my bosses all of them, hey, I thank you for making me do this. Yeah. I'm glad I did it. And just looking at Charlton Joan to interact last night, it kind of made me envious, and I thought, you know what, I want that. Well, it just might be sitting right next to you, I'm just going to say. I'm married, so I think it's that.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, hey, yeah, hey, either way. So he's just now getting, man. The other way, the other way. I'm going to give you cue cards. You got to keep on with Andrew. He's quick. He's got six hours on the golf course.

It'll be in a little while, so. Yeah, you're going to learn. That sense of humor fast, buddy. I do appreciate that. I experience, you know, Chalk anticipated her needs. Yeah. How she responded to him. I thought it was very, very, very, very classy.

Well, they're the real deal, you know? I like that. We were talking about that earlier, the kind of the quiet confidence that they have together as a couple. It was really refreshing, you know? Not only that, but the franchise needs that. Oh, big time. I think, like we said it, I think it saved the day,

reinvigorated the whole thing. To me, it did anyway. And I was fatigued as a viewer. I'll just admit it. So it was like all of a sudden I was refreshed and I was excited and I loved the whole direction. And so, yeah, I think it's going to be great for the whole franchise and obviously great for them as a couple too. And who knows? Maybe there are other couples in the making right here on the couch between Andrew and I.

I don't know. How do we overcome 8,000 miles? I don't know. It's called Delta Airlines, ladies and gentlemen. They're both hubs. All right, guys. I'm almost past the OG podcast, Pabble Beach. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious.

Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her. Gone. Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and 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 would be kenspiracy theorists that's right to give you the answers and you still blew it the puzzler listen on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts 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 podcasts hey i'm kirk brown oler and i am scotty landis and we host bananas the podcast where we share the weirdest funniest real news stories from all around the world and sometimes from our guest personal lives too like when whitney cummings recently revealed her origin story on the show. There's no way I don't already have rabies. This is probably just why my personality is like this. I've been surviving rabies for the past 20 years.

New episodes of bananas drop every Tuesday in the exactly right network. Listen to bananas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.