The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Almost Famous OG: A Golden Pioneer with Joan Vassos

Episode Date: September 19, 2024

Our Bachelor Nation OGs Bob Guiney and Trista Sutter are hanging out with the first Golden Bachelorette, Joan Vassos!  Find out some of the drama that unfolds on her season, how she’s feeling before the premiere, and Joan opens up about how it feels to be on the OTHER side of the rose! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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For me, it's the pursuit of greatness. It's the journey. It's the people. It's the failures. It's the heartache. Listen to the bright side on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I always had to be so good.

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Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a relationship. I'm Emily Tish Sussman, and on she pivots, I dive into the inspiring, pivots of women who have taken big leaps in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweetie, Monica Patton, Elaine Welteroff. Learn how to get comfortable

pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Listen to these women and more on She Pivots, now on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The U.S. Open is here, and on my podcast, good game with Sarah Spain. I'm breaking down the players,

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This is the Almost Famous Podcast with IHart Radio. Well, thanks for coming on the Almost Famous OG podcast because, you know, you kind of are an OG. that's true oh geez yes isn't that crazy i know i know i know i know i know i can't believe i'm in the same category as you right two pioneers the two like the first i love it no we'll be linked forever you're stuck for good reason yeah so um okay so what obviously you've done this interview a billion times right so what are they i i would ask like if you can share anything But, you know, everyone's probably asked all the questions, and the person probably sitting right past your screen is telling you don't say anything that you're not supposed to say. That's right.

So obviously, you're meeting a ton of people. You're going through a ton of things right now. I mean, how is this whole experience? Are you feeling fatigued by it yet? Are you still just crazy having a great time? I'm crazy having a great time. I was really tired after taping, and you guys know, like, how that journey is. And it's emotionally exhausting, you don't sleep a lot, you have so much going on.

And then you come home and you like get a breather and then you start this press stuff. And then like you're re-energized. So I'm super energized right now. And I'm just excited that you're finally get to see this journey because like the men are so fun. We got to do such great things. I just think it's going to be, I really, really, really hope it's going to be as an exciting as a season as I think it is. I'm sure it will be. I mean, look at who's the lead. I say this all the time. And Trista knows this. We both feel this way. You know, you can have the greatest cast of guys on this show. But if you can't carry a conversation with them, it doesn't really do much for anybody, right? You've got the hardest job on the show. So I love that you're in this position. And I know we're all very excited about the casting. I love the casting, obviously, for the Golden Bachelor. But I feel like for the Golden Bachelorette, they amped it up again. It's really. really good. I know. I was really worried that no one was going to apply. I don't feel like men

are ready to like, you know, put themselves out there, that they're just like, I'm good. I, you know, I go up my buddies at night. I'm fine. I'm looking for a woman. Or if I do it, I'm certainly not going to do it on national TV. So I was really worried that they weren't going to have a lot of applicants. So I was really so happy when they started stepping out of that limo. And I was like, okay, we're good. I could see a future with some of these guys. Like, this is going to be okay. Yeah. Okay, I have a question because obviously you left on Gary's season of a golden bachelor

and, you know, to be with family, which I so respected and still do. And since Gary's single now, is there a chance that he's going to make an appearance on your season? Well, as a matter of fact, he does. What? Aren't you all intuitive? You've been around Bachelor Nation way too long. You know how long this is. What an unexpected twist.

Always up. Never before seen a Bachelor Nation. Never seen before. We've got to have that sound bite sometime. That's right. He absolutely does make an appearance. Yeah. Yeah.

And that's all I'm telling you. Yeah. All right. Okay. Good girl. We had great conversations. Intuitive, good conversations. Yeah.

Good. You know, that's good. I think, you know, one of the things that I loved when I was the Bachelor right after Trista had kicked me to the curb was, you know, was she was such a, really a guiding light for me. I mean, you know, you think you know the situation, right? Until you're in the situation where you have to hand out flowers or not and hurt people who have never done anything wrong. And, you know, I mean, I remember that was, yeah, it's such a crazy experience. That's the one thing I remember Trista. you know, really making sure that I was aware of was that it was super hard in those moments. And I thought I knew, but obviously I didn't know until I was the one in that position. Did you go through that a little bit yourself? Oh, my God, it was agony. I didn't sleep the whole night before when there was a rose ceremony. I agonized about every decision.

And then I just felt like I, so there's a part of me that thought, you know, I loved being on the other side of receiving a rose because I kept thinking, you know, if I don't receive a rose, my heart. heart will be a little hurt. I'll be maybe like a little embarrassed or whatever, but I'll get over it. It was so much harder being on the other side of the side that you're going to hurt somebody. And I hated that. And I also feel like older men that are willing to put themselves out there and be vulnerable are very fragile. And I felt so responsible for not hurting them. And because they had done this really hard thing, they come on a show and like been vulnerable in front of a bunch of other men and in front of a million people or millions of people and how hard that is. And so sending them home made me feel like I felt like crap. I hated rose ceremonies. I like begged for more roses. I wanted it to be different. And I know that everybody knows what they're getting into and that only there's only going to be one man standing at the end. And we all get like the rules and how this works.

it still does not make it any easier. No, I agree. I agree. Yeah. It's so hard. Okay, so another thing that really stood out about you when I was watching Golden Bachelor is how you talked about when you get older, you feel invisible, you know, and that you don't feel seen and people kind of forget about you.

And, you know, Bob and I are almost 52, he's 53, and we're, we're. We're getting, you know, we're getting older. We're the OGs, after all. Yes. The old guy and the old gal. So I feel that. When you said that, I was like, that is really interesting because especially in Bachelor Nation, I feel that a lot.

Even though I quote unquote and the most successful, whatever, it doesn't matter. It's like I feel like the younger versions of, you know, our characters on the show, we just keep getting replaced. And in a way, I feel a bit invisible. I feel very lucky in the past, like, a couple years after being on Golden Bachelor and then being able to go to the wedding and, you know, doing other things. I feel more connected in and more seen again. Yeah.

But do you still feel that way? And have you heard from anyone who has reached out and said, I mean, I'm sure. I have to assume that you've heard from thousands of people saying the same thing, but they feel that way. You know, I said it and thought that I was the only person that felt that way. And I just kind of blurted it out. I never planned to talk about it. It's just a feeling. And I think it was maybe the first time I ever actually even verbalized it to tell you the truth. And I was so surprised to hear how many people that that statement resonated with. And also people saying, I never knew how. to verbalize it, but that you just said it perfectly, that I feel invisible. And I think, you know, I put a lot of thought into it, like, how did I all of a sudden become invisible? I went from being visible and feeling like kind of important in the world or at least important in my little world to being like a nobody. And like I tried to figure how this

happened. And I kind of came to the conclusion that, you know, as you get older, the upcoming generation becomes more important. And that they are the people that people are focusing on. the ones that are going to be taking the, you know, we're all going to be like getting towards retirement age or like our careers are not as important to us or that we are slowing down on them. We're not wanting to work 80 hour weeks. And so the next generation that is willing to work the 80 hour weeks and is going to be maybe the next, you know, big guy at the company or big woman at the company, like they become more important and we become less significant because this next generation is replacing us. And not only that, I felt like coming on this journey,

to find love was really like counteractive to the way I was maybe feel kind of guilty because I felt like it's our responsibility as we get older and we become less significant to now play a support role in this next new generation that's coming up. So like you should be there to babysit the grandchildren or you should be able to help you know with whatever they need help with so they can assume this like more important position. But I figure like I don't feel like I'm ready to take that backseat yet. And it took a while for me to get to that, that I still have like a lot of living to do. And it may not be like, I don't want another big career. I've had all that. I don't want to raise a family. But I don't want to take a back seat yet. I still have a like, you know,

I still have like a fun life I could have. In fact, like maybe more fun than I had when I was doing all that. Like I love my life with my husband. I love raising my children. But then I look at like what I had planned for the second half of life with John and like we finally had the resources and we were going to have time and like there was a lot of fun and a lot of travel and adventure that was going to be the next part of our life and when he passed away like that all went away. So although I felt selfish thinking that I get to have the second chance and I don't want to be in the support role, I really do feel kind of guilty about that. Like I'm not dying to babysit my grandchildren four nights a week. I'll babysit them. But you know, I still feel like I want to have.

have a life. And so that felt really selfish for a while. But now, like, that whole thing about being invisible, like, I don't accept that anymore. I, you just have to say, I'm not accepting that. You know, you need to live your best life. Damn straight. 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. The 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 child? true crime producer walks into a comedy club, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage. Available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, and in session 421 of therapy for black girls, I sit down with Dr. Ophia and Billy Shaka to explore how our hair connects to our identity, mental health, and the ways we heal. Because I think hair is a complex language system, right?

In terms of it can tell how old you are, your marital status, where you're from, you're a spiritual belief. But I think with social media, there's like a hyperfixation and observation of our hair, right? That this is sometimes the first thing someone sees when we make a post or a reel is how our hair is styled. You talk about the important role hairstylists play in our community. the pressure to always look put together and how breaking up with perfection can actually free us.

Plus, if you're someone who gets anxious about flying, don't miss session 418 with Dr. Angela Neil Barnett, where we dive into managing flight anxiety. Listen to therapy for black girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hello, puzzlers. 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 who say that you were given all the answers believe in... I guess they would be conspiracy theorists. That's right. Are there Jeopardy Truthers? Are there people who say that it was rigged? Yeah, ever since I was first on, people are like, they gave you the

answers, right? And then there's the other ones which are like, they gave you the answers and you still blew it. Don't miss Jeopardy legend Ken Jennings on our special game show week of The Puzzler podcast. The Puzzler is the best place to get your daily word puzzle fix. Listen on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a restaurant. relationship. I'm Emily Tish Sussman, and on she pivots, I dive into the inspiring

pivots of women who have taken big leaps in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweeten, Monica Patton, Elaine Welteroff. I'm Jessica Voss. And that's when I was like, I got to go. I don't know how, but that kicked off the pivot of how to make the transition. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Every episode gets real about the why behind these changes and gives you the inspiration and maybe the push to make your next pivot. Listen to these women and more on She Pivots, now on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. How serious is youth vaping? Irreversible lung damage serious. One in 10 kids vape serious, which warrants a serious conversation from a serious parental figure like yourself. Not the seriously know-it-all sports dad or the seriously smart podcaster.

It requires a serious conversation that is best had by you. No, seriously, the best person to talk to your child about vaping is you. To start the conversation, visit talkaboutvaping.org, brought to you by the American Lung Association and the Ad Council. One of the things I was thinking about when Trista asked you that question was, you know, I think about my mom and I think about people who, you know, are much older than you, obviously, but I'm just thinking about like when they move into this phase of their life and they put everyone

before themselves. And that's what you do, right, as a grandparent. And, and it's, I see it as a father. You know, I know, I see it with my little kids. I'm always like, well, it used to be so important to me to do this, this and this. And now I'm like, it's my reason not to do things. You know, I got, sorry, guys, I got kids now. Can't be the life of the party. I can't stay out after eight. It's because they're tired, not me. I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine. I can totally hang. I can stay all night. Yeah. No, I love that you said that. I think, I think you might be probably one of the least invisible people in the world right now. So I think from that perspective, for this one little moment. Yeah, feel comfortable and confident knowing that. But I think I think you have a way about you

that's really lovely, Joan. I really do. And I think that for you to be in this position, much like when Trista accepted the reins, you know, so many years ago, I think it's all about the right people. And I definitely am so thankful that it's you because I just, I love him we met. And I think you're just such a wonderful example of how to embrace this stage. And I just, I'm so excited to watch your season. Thank you. I think the story is way less about me. I mean, I do agree with you.

You have to have a person that's in the lead position that can carry in a conversation. But if you have somebody good on the other end, the story like shifts from you and goes to them. Because like everybody kind of knows me now. And we have those thems, all those guys are really good. Yeah. It's a good looking crew of older gentlemen. I will tell you that much. I know.

And they are fun. We have some stories. It got me back into the gym. I actually literally was, I was like, looking at your guys. I'm like, what the hell am I doing sitting on the couch eating bonbons? No, we got back after it. Oh, come on, Bob. You have all your hair and you're good looking.

Oh, thanks, Joan. I love it. That's amazing. It inspired Bob Guinea to get back in the gym. Maybe, yeah, I mean, that's a headline right there. That's the sound bite from this interview. There you go. That's the one.

I had nothing good to say. Oh, gosh. Okay, so last question before we go, if you get married and if you get married on, well, if you get married on television, can, I'm hoping I can be invited, but because Bob holds it against me, like every single time we talk, can Bob be invited to? Well, Joan, before you even answer that, I will tell you this. You give a good gift? I give great gift, but the weddings.

I have not been invited to in Bachelor Nation haven't worked out. I'm just going to say it. They have not worked out. The ones that I have been at are all still going strong. That's all I'm to say. If I get married, if I get married on TV, if I get married at all, you guys both are invited and with your plus ones because I've never met your wife. And Bob, I need to meet your wife. Oh, you do. She's something. You would love her. You would love her. Everybody, you both are invited. My God, I mean, I love you guys. You know, there's a special bond that you have with other people from Bachelor Nation. That's weird because like most of us are total strangers until we meet.

And then once we meet, we're like the best of friends because we've shared this weird journey. So you guys are so in, of course. Awesome. Thank you, Trista. Thank you, Joan. Of course. I'm so much happier now. I feel like the way to the world's off my shoulders because that was on my list of questions.

Well, that's why you need to go to the gym because that way to the world. Check that one off the list. Yeah, room for it to happen. One done. Okay. And now, you know, I'm going to be required to come to all of your children's weddings. Oh, absolutely. You're in.

Minor ways off, I think. I think so. I follow you on Instagram. I see your little ones. Oh, yeah. They're exhausting. They are exhausting. But wonderful, but wonderful, yes.

I know. I had four. I get it. So I know you have one more interview. I've been sitting in that chair all day long. Yes. So we let you go. Thank you so much for coming on the almost famous OG Pubit.

I love you guys. This was my one I was looking, I was looking forward to the most out of all of them today. So I love seeing you guys. And thank for wanting to talk to me. Yeah, absolutely. We love you too. We wish you the best. And here is to the best season so far.

We're very excited for it. Thank you. You're welcome. Text me. Tell me what you think. You will. I will. Oh, I will.

Oh, I know. All right. Love you. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast on Iheart radio or subscribe wherever you Listen at 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.

They gave you the answers and you still blew it. The Puzzler. Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. How serious is youth vaping? Irreversible lung damage serious. One in ten kids vapes serious, which warrants a serious conversation from a serious parental figure like yourself.

Not the seriously know-at-all sports dad or the seriously smart podcaster. It requires a serious conversation that is best had by you. No, seriously. The best person to talk to your child about vaping is you. To start the conversation, visit Talk About Vaping,

Brought to you by the American Lung Association and the Ad Council. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a relationship. I'm Emily Tish Sussman, and on She Pivots, I dive into the inspiring pivots of women who have taken big leaps in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Wittmer, Jody Sweetie. Monica Patton. Elaine Welteroth.

Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Listen to these women and more on She Pivots, now on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Simone Boyce, host of the Brightside podcast, and on this week's episode, I'm talking to Olympian, World Cup champion, and podcast host, Ashlyn Harris. My worth is not wrapped up in how many things I've won,

because what I came to realize is I valued winning so much that once it was over, I got the blues, and I was like, this is it. For me, it's the pursuit of greatness. It's the journey. It's the people. It's the failures. It's the heartache. Listen to The Bright Side on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The U.S. Open is here. And on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain. I'm breaking down the players, the predictions, the pressure. And of course, the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very wonderfully experiential sporting event.

To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an IHeart women's sports production in partnership with deep blue sports and entertainment on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports Network. This is an IHeart podcast.