The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Almost Paradise

Episode Date: July 8, 2025

We’ve made it to the beach of the *new* version of Bachelor in Paradise, but things aren’t as magical as they seem… Ben and Ashley break down all the changes in the new season, from the good to the bad.   So far, it feels more like “Love Island” than Bachelor in Paradise, but can the two shows coexist?? Ben and Ashley hold nothing back when discussing the couples in the new resort, including another look at Justin and Susie’s relationship timeline, and an early prediction on Jess and Spencer.   Plus, will the addition of “life changing money” be the shot in the arm the franchise needs??See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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.

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We're back. Paradise is back. It feels like it's been a long time since I've seen Ben. I told him to save all of his thoughts on this new season of paradise, which, to remind everyone, if it didn't, if it wasn't blatantly obvious to you when you were watching this episode, this is a whole new production team. Well, I think it brings in a few things. One, I didn't feel like your intro was representing the excited energy that you and I have towards the start of a new season of something. but I think the main point that you just made is super important.

It shows, you know, we've talked for months now about, hey, the production team has gotten fired and nobody that we know still works there. And I think people maybe from the outside heard that as a complaint, as a concern or whatever. But I think watching this episode represents how much a production team actually has when it comes to how the show is seen. Like they have a lot of influence. It is incredibly important. And different productions teams will have different aspects.

And this new one took a totally different route when it comes to Bachelor in Paradise. It was so stylized and modernized. And I am not somebody who watches Love Island. I know it is the biggest show out there right now. so I can't even compare although now I feel like for research sake I feel like I have to watch Love Island because it's their main competition it's come and it swooped up what they had maybe like originated in some sense and I just felt like when I watched the first 15 minutes especially I was like oh my god they're

trying to be Love Island now I say this not knowing Love Island very well right but it's just stylized, edited so much differently. One of the big things that stood out to me was that we're talking to the barrel, the lens of the camera. We are not talking to a producer. Our eyes are, they're talking directly to the audience. And we can't be hypocritical.

We wanted the aspect of less production. However, watching this episode, I think we need to start this episode with some of our complaints and then end with some of the things that we were really in favor of and we really enjoyed because there were those elements as well. For sure. I think

personally, Bachelor in Paradise's Secret Sauce was that old style kind of TV. You watched it and it made you feel like it hasn't changed in 10 years. It was the Bachelor type TV. It was less produced.

in a lot of ways because it was hidden cameras. It wasn't the highest quality camera. There wasn't like the clip art snapshots coming in. This did take the Love Island vibe, which I think is an attempt to modernize Bachelor in Paradise. However, I don't know if Bachelor in Paradise is at a place to compete with Love Island. I think Bachelor in Paradise had its own special sauce that Love Island could never have. And that's why Love Island didn't go with the Bachelor and Parade.

Paradise vibe. They want with their own vibe. And I think the two can coexist. However, now, Bachelor of Paradise is throwing themselves in that Love Island bucket. And you and I both said, we want this less produced. I don't know if this was less produced. I actually think it was more produced, even with the in-camera talking than previous seasons. They wanted to come across as like slick and to me so love island is trashy right like it's like it's got a lot more edge it has a lot more raunch to it and I think with

paradise it was still that bachelor foundational show where it was like love and it wasn't supposed to be shocking it was supposed to be a little grittier in paradise right but there wasn't supposed to be like a much shock value to it and while there weren't a ton of raunchy comments. They definitely wanted to come across as like, it felt like more of like an MTV dating show where it's like, oh, I'm so and so. And like, I'm bit dapper with my face like flashing different angles of my face like in front of the description of myself. It just, it didn't feel as comfy and warm as Paradise usually feels. And yeah, holy moly with the HD camera, right? It looks gorgeous. It looks gorgeous. Yeah, it's just, it's just not homey feeling.

And a lot of that has to do with location change, too. The resort vibe is going to give more of that sleek, modern feel than glamping. Okay, so the first comment is out of the way when it comes to not a criticism. I think, you know, old school transition. I think with the transition, my concern is can Love Island and Bachelor in Paradise coexist with the same kind of vibe? I feel like Bachelor in Paradise should have never taken on Love Island and Love Island should have never taken on Bachelor in Paradise

they would have better co-existed with the original format. That's my take. I might be wrong. The second thing, Ashley, that I want to talk to you about that could turn into a criticism. Could not, but you've been there. You found love there. Is the resort and the venue change?

To me, it was harder to follow where people were at on the premises and where people were intermingling and not intermingling because of this new, you know, venue. However, I understand that I need to get used to the new venue. I will learn it over time. And so this could just be me not understanding it yet. However, this episode was harder for me to follow,

not harder for me to watch, harder for me to follow because of the new venue. it was harder you how so was it harder for you to follow or where you just felt like to me the venue feels like a date venue and yes this is all because we're comparing it to nine previous years but like when justin was like wow i'm really glad that we're on a date now you know it took a while but i'm glad that we can have this time and then even there's another conversation where Alex was saying to jonathan so how would being on a date with me be different than what we're doing right now And that's kind of what it felt like during Bachelor in Paradise previously, getting out of Playa Escondida was like a treat. And now, right now, they just feel like they're already on kind of like a day. Like there's no, there's not much to be had different. Yeah. I think it was just hard because of it felt like a cocktail party where there was different like seat segments.

And so unlike before where you'd have to have a couple sitting on a. sunbed next to another couple on a sunbed. Now it felt like everybody could spread out in a very comfortable setting. I haven't seen the places where people can lounge. I love, I don't know why, I just noticed this during, like, this episode. During Bachelor in Paradise previously,

I've loved those sunbeds where people can like almost lay out and nap. It felt like this was very resorty where it's like, we're going to sit in two separate chairs side by side or in a couch sitting straight up because they could nap in their own rooms it was even jarring to hear when there was a thunderstorm that people had to go to their separate rooms because I'm assuming that there's no cameras in the bedroom so if they can't be outside in the common area then they just have to go be alone what would happen in bachelor in paradise previously when there

was a thunderstorm we would go to the tree house which was the lounge room in the bedroom area there was there was like a common area over on that side and i always thought it was weird that they usually didn't use the cameras during that time it was like low-key shelter together time but i don't know there must be some reason for them not to have the camera equipment out the final thing that got brought up via our social media when it comes to criticisms of this episode before we get into the breakdown of the episode, which we'll run through for everybody. This won't be a four-hour podcast like this episode was.

Was the Dale Moss love? There's a lot of Dale Moss love, especially on his entrance. Ashley, thoughts on the Dale Moss love, warranted, unwarranted. How will Bachelor Nation, in a sense, the majority respond? So I put myself into the girl. shoes because as an outsider and as a fan, I was like, maybe I'm speaking without really

knowing Dale, but I've been very team Claire and all of that. And I always thought that Dale gave off this ultra polished here for the fame type vibe. And it was strange to see him regarded as some sort of fan favorite, which I don't think he's ever been. And then I put myself in the girl's shoes and I did feel what cat felt which it was like holy shit an adult male just showed up because a lot of the guys do give off boyish energy but his reputation if I were there would have been more so what I was thinking about but I totally understand how dashing he is he's a very handsome man yeah perfect smile but it felt like the show really played it up more than they did with even like justin who could have easily had that same kind of edit it felt like the show

was really playing up that dale was there well that's because he was their all-star he was their a lister he's the one that people will remember even if they haven't watched the show in a few years he more than justin i think so yeah i think Justin is really fun tv but i don't think that he's i'm sorry Justin i love you but like i think he's more of like a B list when it comes to Bachelor Nation. And I think Dale teeters on the A-list. Well, that's the breakdown of anything sort of a criticism. Ashley, let's run through this episode.

I am going to kind of lead it because I want to hear your thoughts and opinions because you have been there. I haven't. And so my opinions come from strictly a viewer's standpoint. We've got to change at the opening of the show. We've kind of mentioned it. I actually personally really enjoyed how this show opened and how the cast was like announced. I don't think it gave a great background for us in terms of knowing this cast because I don't

think we know a lot of these people from this cast well, but I did like the visual effects, the kind of new arrivals, but I do fully miss the host of the show. That was like their only job when it comes to paradise. Why is there a host outside of Wells If they're not going to introduce people to the beach? Yeah, we missed the whole long walk down to the sand That arrival moment was missed Do you miss it?

Yeah, when you say you miss it, do you actually miss it Or is it good to have gone? I don't know, it's just like, it's classic. Yeah, I miss it. But it's not like, but it wasn't one of the things that I thought of I thought oh this is a weird cheesy

opening that seems try hard and doesn't seem like us I actually didn't think oh wow I missed the walk down the paradise until you just said it yeah it's a different vibe I didn't hate it I didn't hate it I do miss

the host of the show welcoming people to the beach catching up with them for a second where have you been what's love been like all right, get down there and that awkward walk down the steps that isn't sexy, that isn't easy. Yes, but I do, I've always appreciated it.

You don't have it now. That has changed. Like a lot of things on this show has changed. The thing hasn't changed is the contestants have came from previous seasons of The Bachelor and Bachelorette. We won't run through all the names that were announced on the beach just because you've probably watched the show already.

You don't need it. But in short, some of the standouts were Alex from Grant's season, Lexi from Joey's season. We have Bailey from Grand Season. Hakeem from Jen season. That was a big one. As we mentioned, we have Dale Moss from Claire's season coming on, Zoe from Grant's season.

And then some of the other big standouts were Justin, who was from Katie Thurston, season but recently dated susie evans those are the big standouts those are the ones that make up most of the storylines during this episode including which cat and jonathan also should be included in that list because they were seen a lot cat was the superstar of this episode whenever cat was on the screen i was smiling i was laughing she's such she was born to be a reality tv star and i felt like and i think you and i said this i think she had a bad rap coming out of paradise last season.

I think she got mixed up a little bit. She started out strong and ended kind of in this like love triangle where she got very upset often and it made her seem like she was getting upset for the most ridiculous reasons. I'm happy to see her back on the beach because I do think this could be a redemption story for her and one that we get to understand her a little bit better. Obviously she ended up with somebody from last season of Paradise. But it just never was pretty last season for her. She had like that meltdown, that shout fest, and a lot of people got her on her for that.

I think that a lot of people didn't see the humor that she has. I think a lot of it she says is tongue and cheek. She was hilarious in this episode. And when she wasn't on the screen, I would sometimes get bored. I'm with you. She will be one of those people. When she pops on, my attention will be a rock. Exactly.

Yeah. 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, 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'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. Hello, it's

Daniel Fischel, writer strong, and Willfordale from PodMeets World. And we're bringing you Viva Las Content. That's right. We are back in Las Vegas, the city of sin, and giving the people what they want. A full week of Y2K content. Wait, we're back in Vegas? Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course.

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The Super Secret Bestie Club Podcast Season 4 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, 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 divo 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. 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, heart breaks, men, and of course, our favorite secrets. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club as a part of the My Cultura podcast network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Your entire identity has been fabricated. Your beloved brother goes missing without a trace. You discover the depths of your mother's illness the way it has echoed and reverberated throughout your life, impacting your very legacy. Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro. And these are just a few of the profound and powerful stories I'll be mining on our 12th season of Family Secrets.

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Hello, it's Honey German, and my podcast, Grasasas Come Again, is back. This season, we're going even deeper into the world of music and entertainment with raw and honest conversations 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've got some of the biggest actors, musicians, content creators, and culture shifters sharing their real stories of failure and success. You were destined to be a start. We talk all about what's viral and trending with a little bit of chisement, a lot of laughs, and those amazing vivas you've come to expect. And of course, we'll explore deeper topics dealing with identity, struggles, and all the issues affecting our Latin community. You feel like you get a little whitewash because you have to do the code switching?

I won't say whitewash because at the end of the day, you know, I'm me. But the whole pretending and code, you know, it takes a toll on you. Listen to the new season of Grasas Has Come Again as part of My Cultura Podcast Network on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Ashley, before we get into the date card number one, which happened during this episode, anything stand out to you from kind of the intros and initial conversations? I guess the initial conversation that jumps out is the automatic conversation. connection between Jess and Spencer. I just throughout the episode and yeah, three hours, three hours was too long. You and I with our screener, you know, we see it, we don't see a condensed version.

We see it without the commercials. So when I saw that it was almost, it was two hours and ten minutes of actual airtime, I was like, oh, this is reserved for finale. This is usually, Paradise is chopped up into two days. right so you have your two hour night then your hour night and this felt far too long I was in and out of it it was like kind of a roller coaster where I was like oh I love paradise it's so much fun and then I was like oh I'm done oh I'm back in it again but it did have its good moments and I know that at the beginning of the episode it was like we were like oh god

but but actually there was a lot of foundational bachelor moments I would not call Jess and Spencer's. Jess and Spencer were they were the couple that you think is going to make it and they're just, they're not going to. That's my guess. Oh, I don't, I don't I find that I think she's going to get annoyed with him. I think that, I think he can be, I think he might be annoying. And you think, I mean, out of anybody in the beach, I feel like

Jess would appreciate the annoyance more than anybody right now. Why? She's kind of quirky herself. totally and i think he takes it to i think she's quirky and cute and i think that he like might have like a little bit of a side like uh whoa this is too much yeah who's the other guy that i didn't even recognize dark hair military school that also had that vibe to me oh you think that he had that vibe to um that was kyle also from katie's season i was he got eliminated at the end this episode and I was rooting for him over Jeremy and that loves your angle. Okay.

Well, I mean, I think Kyle had that similar feel to me. Let's start now with this date card because that's really where the episode to me begins. We have a huge storm come in. So Justin cannot take Lexi. Justin gets the date card. Cannot take Lexi on this date. However, when I'm watching in this moment, At this period of time, I say Justin and Lexi have a shot.

Lexi is very similar to Susie Evans to me in a lot of ways. I agree. Do you agree? I do. Okay. When I saw the two of them talking, I thought, yeah, that she can give Susie vibes. Both of them have a sense of composure and maturity. Now, there was one thing that made my alarm clock go off, my little alarm.

here. And that was that Lexi wanted to, for a moment, not explore things with Justin because the Susie breakup was so recent and that he was with her for two years. So that doesn't match up with our public timeline. Our public timeline says that Susie and Justin were together solidly for about seven months, seven, eight months. Because when you and I hosted that thing at the Bachelor Mansion. We, that was October, 23, or December 2020. And then they had later admitted that they were together and they had actually been together for a month at that point. Then they broke up last summer, early summer, I think, like June, 2024, which means at the time of filming, he was broken up with Susie for a year. Now, were they secret?

dating and we don't know? Or was that a little, whatever they call it, a Franken bite? Because it did sound a little bit like a Franken bite when I heard the two. It's a two. Two seems like an extended period past what you and I would know. I mean, behind the scenes, we

got to hang out with them personally. I don't know them together for two years. Yeah, I think that perhaps they were friends with flirtation for a long time and they're actually together for a far shorter amount of time than two years. And I just feel like, oh, come on.

Like, I understand Girl Code, not wanting to date somebody in Bachelor Nation who's had a long relationship. If you respect the girl and whatnot. But like to be in paradise and be like, oh, I just don't know if he's ready for this. Just makes me feel like, no, no, no, let's not bring that up. Yeah. It's hard to tell. But I do think Justin wants to find love. Outside of anything else, I don't know how Susie feels.

But if they're broken up, I think she's aware and Justin's aware that he is ready to have a serious relationship. And so for me, we have to have this conversation all the time on this podcast, especially when we talk about Bachelor, is how soon is too soon to move on. And our consensus has always been as soon as you find the next right person. It could be two days, three days, it could be three years. But for him to put himself back out there and go on, paradise again i have no problem with even if he still does have sadness over the loss of susie that's okay because i bet that next person will help him forget about it or make him forget about it so quickly and you know what i bet what i bet that susy comes in next week and we can all see

where they stand i hope they're fine i hope they're fine for both their sakes if not this get really awkward. We do get a little breakdown at this point in the episode of relationships that already exist, which makes me giggle and laugh. So we want too much time on them. But it seems like Khakeem at this point has already started. And we love Akeem. We're really excited he was going to be there this season.

I think he's a big name to be in paradise. But Akeem and Bailey seemed to be chiming it up. Not really, though, you know. Dale and Zoe, Dale and Alex are also mentioned together. I see Dale and Alex more than I see Dale and Zoe at this point. And just because he is in this weird kind of very early on love triangle that shouldn't really even be a thing, he does get the second date card. He pulls Cat, Zoe, and Alex all, chooses Cat to go on the.

this date. It's a big moment because Dale has obviously been one that has been fought over during this episode. He shows his interest in Kat. This couple does make sense to me. Ashley, I don't think they're

long term and he is the opposite of whatever the guy's name was who was awesome and I love him and he's super nice and fun. John Henry. Yeah, John Henry. But she seems intrigued. Well, I wanted Kat to get this date just because she was so hilarious when he walked in. She was just, just fonding all over

him. And I'm like, I need him to ask her just for the entertainment sake of it. He did seem to have a little, I felt the heat between him and Zoe and Alex was funny because Alex was like, I never get nervous around guys, but I'm getting so nervous around him. I'm the most awkward thing ever, jumbling on my words. And I was like, you know what? I respect that moment, Alex, because every girl has that moment and I'm glad that you just admitted to it but at the end of the day glad that cat will on the boat with him

they I think that cat actually truly did not feel good when the boat started rocking like she was like no no no I'm nauseous because I felt like she actually wasn't even though she said you know 10 out of 10 kiss her I think that she was actually like

not into that moment because she was going to barf in his mouth that's awful can you back to that feeling Yeah. He like went in for it when she was like, I'm feeling nauseous. And then he was like, oh, I'm going to kiss you now. And I think she was like, that's very delightful, but not the time. I don't know. Maybe I'm over analyzing it, but that's how I felt. And I think that they will be good for now. I think that Dale definitely can date around. I wonder Dale, for his sake of his reputation, is going to be the kind of guy that even talks to anyone else because I think he's just going to want to look really good and loyal in this. it does deal does give off like some vibes to me

where he wants to say the right thing exactly yeah which I'm always very cautious of when it comes to this show it you know you say all the right things and it's hard to fact check on reality television

but I am always a little more drawn into the characters or the contestants who can make fun of themselves a little bit. Who can laugh at themselves, laugh at the situation. Wells does a great job at it as the bartender. It does feel like, hey, I want to say all the right things

and make everybody think I'm the perfect man. And your actions don't always match up to that. And so who are we or what are we to believe? A side note, is this the beginning of, of some of these montages that they put together versus him putting on sunscreen secondly is somebody

imagining what's going on on another date and they like kind of purposely put together these silly like daydream stories which I don't know I was actually I wasn't against that

I thought was kind of funny I'm not against it at all yeah to me a little bit actually like they need to choose who they want to be do they want to be a serious dating show with this new modern look or do they just want this to be the corny goofy paradise

that's always been i don't know if you can have both this is like their version of talking to the parrot talking to the raccoon yeah but i felt like the old paradise was all kind of tongue-in-cheek corny goofy until the last week when romance was represented through engagement yeah i mean from the intros to the sweaty moments, to the people snoring on the sunbeds to people making out the pool, a lot of it was tongue-in-cheek until that last few weeks that got serious. It feels like right now the vibe is, can we do both in the course of an episode? And it's hard for me because I either want to invest or I just simply want to enjoy. And if you're going to ask me to enjoy, you've got to make, like as well said, these idiots make out in a pool for like the next 10 weeks and make fools of themselves.

You cannot do both to me. I think you can do both to me because that was silly. But I thought there was some really meaningful conversations too. The conversation, I'll go through them. Is that how we should handle this and you go through them? Go through them, yeah. Okay. there was the conversation about timeline between Justin and Lexi,

especially because she has talked about her possible fertility issues down the road, that I thought that was really natural and made me feel something. I also felt the conversation between Jess and Sam talk about their fears on that day. that felt old-fashioned bachelor i liked that and then yeah so then Alex had a good conversation with jonathan i felt that was pretty real too i don't discredit the realness i just think as a fan you got to give me one of the other uh and sometimes during these great moments you can't mix in the silly i either got to feel it i don't i don't have the emotional capacity to go back and forth too often.

And I thought this episode, maybe because it was three hours long, made me go back and forth emotionally too much. Ashley, as we close here talking about Paradise, I do want to kind of talk about some of the love triangles that always exist early on in a season of Paradise. Ashley, some of the love triangles that stood out to me personally were, the ones with Sam or with Bailey uh Jeremy and Kyle uh Alex's love triangle uh I think Alex is going to have a really hard time on Paradise because I think she's very open very fun

very flirtatious and very willing to just have a good time which is going to invite a lot of people in to be interested in her which is going to find her to be interested in a lot of people how Paradise works. It's the beauty of it. Date around, see what works. Also, obviously we see Dale. I think we have to consider him not in a triangle as much, but in a place of being of interest to a lot of people. I think any of those girls would have willingly and excitedly said yes to his date. Kat was the one that got asked. Ashley, do any of these love triangles still exist in the next couple weeks? Do they die off? Do any of them actually become a thing? Okay. Here's a triangle. Here's not a triangle, but a couple that I see probably, I don't know what the heck's

going to happen with them. Bailey and Jeremy. Can I just say that I'm not into Bailey and Jeremy because that makeout scene was like, gross. That was like way too much for us to see. I didn't need to see like the tongue in action so much. That was like a bedroom makeout, not a first time make out and there's something about Jeremy that I'm sorry just something about that guy I'm not really sure and also Wells was epic when he described it he was like just me or was like Bailey out of Jeremy's league I was like thank you for saying it out loud Wells is good at that you got to give him credit for saying that as a host of this show I know it's pretty wild that he can or it does but you know I'm with you

And Bailey is out of Jeremy's league. And that's okay. Maybe that's how, I mean, we know a lot of people who's significant others. And typically it's the male who bats way out of his league. And we don't understand why. And we're like, good for you, buddy. Like, I don't know how you did it, but you pulled it off. And that maybe is how this works.

Yeah. Brian and Zoe, they're, who the heck knows what's going to happen to them? Because they don't feel firm right now. And Zoe is definitely somebody who is hot and I can see being a hot commodity amongst the men when they come in next week. Yeah, the men are going to come in next week. We don't necessarily know who we're going to get.

But to close this whole thing up, our thoughts on, my thoughts on Paradise are this. I still don't know these contestants at all. I've watched every season for 10 years. I haven't missed an episode. We've broke them down here on the Almost Famous Podcast. I feel very disconnected from this group so far. It doesn't say anything about the individuals as much of past seasons.

Up until this season, there has been familiar faces to me. And there's a few here, but not many that I really know, rooting for, understand, or remember their storyline up. I don't know what that says about me. Maybe it's that I'm not as big of a fan of the show as I think I am, but I want to see more character development, or I want to see more stories get displayed, or I want to see some familiar faces of the past even come back on the beach. And I think we might get that with the Golden's.

The Golden still are an element of this show that have been promised to us that we didn't see, that we should see at some point here coming out. I think that will help. Paradise is weird for me to watch, honestly, this first episode, because it's all unfamiliar to me. We have a new venue with a new, like with new production company filming this in a whole new new way. I am trying to catch up.

I am trying to adjust and evolve and grow my understanding of what the show is going to look like. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm not giving up and I hope it does. I think we need to end this podcast. We're talking about two things. One is who got to eliminate this week. obviously we know Hakeem one of our favorites was eliminated

Hakeem was hilarious the part the part about him is he's got no romantic energy and I can relate I didn't really exude romantic sexy energy either and so I knew

that he wasn't really going to make a connection this early on but his lines are so funny his facial expressions are so funny I'm going to miss him i was really hoping they would somehow figure out a way to keep him and but i don't think he's like a lost cause if he listens to this it's not that hecim you don't exude any type of like sex appeal well partner energy totally partner energy yes sex appeal no sure and that's okay

i don't think either of us do i don't think either of us are like think you're good ben you're far more than I look at me like you'll want to sit with me and talk to me like I don't think you and I either do that but I think the right person comes into our life and they go that's the person I'm looking for and I think Hakeem is the type of person where the right person would be like that's the guy if I'm really into this thing to find love I could envision myself falling in love with that guy I think he does exude that but he's gone also we see Ricky leave we see Sam leave and then who's the fourth? The guy that nobody remembered Kyle.

So nobody really remembered Ricky or Kyle from the past. So to be honest, I don't really feel like we've lost anyone there. I did want to see more of Sam because he went up against the one that we shall not name on Jen season. I literally forget his name. Betta and I always joke about how we forget her women. name and it's for good reason right so the one who we shall not name he went up against him and we at times thought that sam was the villain but like knowing who one who shall not be named truly is now like he may not have been the villain Sam may have not had any villain energy at all so I really

wanted to see more of him I think that he has an appealing suave to him and I think he could have done better. It's unfortunate that he picked somebody to go on a date with that was kind of wiped up. Yeah. Well, it also seems he's going to bat for home runs. And he tried to hit one. It didn't work out for him there. 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 Story Time 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'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 to 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. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel, writer Strong, and Wilfredel from PodMeets World. And we're bringing you Viva Las Content. That's right.

We are back in Las Vegas, the city of sin, and giving the people what they want. A full week of Y2K content. back in Vegas? Tell me why? Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course. We sat down with Kevin Richardson and A.J. McLean just minutes before they took the stage and our very own Wilfredel basically became the newest member of the band. Boy band, please. Plus, the man who has the longest running comedy show on the strip joins us and gets his props. It's carrot top, baby. And finally, we all L-O-V-E-Hur. Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency.

It's a full week of nostalgic interviews you don't want to miss. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your entire identity has been fabricated. Your beloved brother goes missing without a trace. You discover the depths of your mother's illness, the way it has echoed and reverberated throughout your life, impacting your very legacy. Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro, and these are just a few of the profound and powerful stories I'll be mining on our 12th season of Family Secrets. With over 37 million downloads, we continue to be moved and inspired by our guests

and their courageously told stories. I can't wait to share 10 powerful new episodes with you, stories of tangled up identities, concealed truths, and the way in which Family Secrets almost always need to be told. I hope you'll join me and my extraordinary guests for this new season of Family Secrets. Listen to Family Secrets Season 12 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hola, it's Honey German, and my podcast, Grazie's Come Again, is back. This season, we're going even deeper into the world of music and entertainment with raw and honest conversations with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition? No, I didn't audition.

I haven't auditioned in like over 25 years. Oh, wow. That's a real G-talk right there. Oh, yeah. We've got some of the biggest actors, musicians, content creators, and culture shifters sharing their real stories of failure and success. You were destined to be a start.

We talk all about what's viral and trending with a little bit of chisement, a lot of laughs, and those amazing vivas you've come to expect. And of course, we'll explore deeper topics dealing with identity, struggles, and all the issues affecting our Latin community. You feel like you get a little whitewash

because you have to do the code switching? I won't say whitewash because at the end of the day, you know, I'm me. But the whole pretending and code, you know, it takes a toll on you. Listen to the new season of Grasasas Come Again as part of my Cultura podcast network on the IHartRadio 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 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ashley, as we look forward to the rest of the season, what are you excited to be watching? We want to see Susie come in.

I'm really interested to know where their relationship stands. We haven't really had that many bachelor couples who've had like a previous relationship and then go into Paradise. It can be absolutely heart-wrenching. And I've said that I relate to Justin and Susie's story in many ways with Jared. and I just feel like going to Paradise seems like the move, but it's going to be heart-wrenching either way for them, I believe. We saw this again with Joe and Kendall. That was hard.

It's a hard time. But it's also great TV. I want to see Cat. I just want to see more Cat, too. Just Cat entertain me. Are you excited to see Dale Moss take a shot off of April? No, I don't really care. okay

what do you think outside of Dale Moss taking a shot off of April which feels like a lot for somebody to watch in closing here last thoughts what do you think about the challenges

that seem to be promised to us throughout this season are you excited to watch those does that seem like the opposite of what you want and this obviously all leads up to the financial benefits that are being promised from this season of Paradise. Oh, yeah. We forgot about talking about that up front because Jesse did tease that there would be some

sort of major prize that doesn't have to do with romance. They're trying to combine Bachelor Pad with Bachelor in Paradise. They call this life-changing money. I don't like money involved in in places that it's supposed to be love. I think Bachelor Nation is going to absolutely reject this idea. I think they're going to be so angry at this idea that they stop watching. They're like, this ruins everything that I've ever hoped this show would be. And apparently this is what Love Island does. So why does Bachelor just want to copycat them completely?

That's kind of embarrassing. I agree. I think you and I could have got through this whole episode and been like, hey, it's different. Um, not something we reject. It's different. I think the money aspect of this now changes everything. Even the challenges I would been, could get behind. I think when you had money into it, I think Bachelor Nation is going to freak out and say, yeah, not for me anymore. We watch this show because even with all that's happened, we still thought this show was the one show that could find true love, uh, for no other reason other than true love. Uh, for no other than true

love you add money into it changes everything um especially when the money that they're promising is life changing it's half a million dollars that is actually life changing money yeah and that is really very annoying because with that on people's minds that's going to be the number one motivator here not not love yeah that this is a whole different show now and i think bachelor nation as a fan base is going to be very upset about this i do i think it changes everything um and i think it's going to change now how the big show is viewed why you know you go on the big show now to go to paradise to potentially be in the in the running for a half a million dollars Ben, this is actually insane

Because truly If you felt a connection with somebody And you think that Say you feel that you love them at the end of this Don't you try to get off camera for a second with them And be like, listen This could be life changing money for both of us We will go

We'll get the money One of us will choose the money Or whatever People are going to be like I can just DM text this person and a few months later and be like, hey, of course I had to take the money. Wouldn't you understand that? Yeah, or put it in escrow, the two of you and kind of figured out later on.

I mean, there's a thousand things you would decide to do. They've been cheap their whole life. This show has been cheap their whole life. Now they make it a half a million dollars. You and Jared could be half a million dollars richer right now, Ashley. Yeah, because we didn't leave together. Yeah, you would split it. 250, 250, never talk to each other again.

No, but like, that's not what I'm referring to. You know that. It's like, look, we actually, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. This is mind-boggling. This is super crazy. It's really messing with Ashley right now for a lot of reasons. But I like the challenges. Yeah, I do too.

Bachelor in Paradise will never be the same. It's not going to be the same. The promise of a financial incentive changes everything when it comes to this show. are we in for a bachelor nation that's the question we have this week for you are you into it are you not uh if you're into it awesome if you're not into it please let us know by commenting uh on the social media because we want to know how you feel it's a way that we keep in touch with the viewership and understand what the viewership is feeling as hosts of the almost in his podcast i will say i don't love the financial incentive i don't see the point

I think people would have signed up for it, even without it. I think people would have been more likely to go and invest into relationships and love without it. I think it is so much this first episode was trying to fall into the bucket of the modern reality television show. And I think they're, one, too late. Two, I don't think they can compete. And three, I don't know why they would try to compete. They had their own good thing going. But that's my feelings, my thoughts.

I don't promise to be right. I just promise to have an opinion. We'll be back next week and even more this week breaking down more that's happening in Bachelor Nation but until next time

I've been Ben I've been Ashley and I am stunned Bye Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcasts on IHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen

to podcasts Hi my name is Enya Umanzor And I'm Drew Phillips And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom If you're a crime junkie And you love

Crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now.

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 auditioned 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 bevras you've come to expect. Listen to the new season of Dresses Come Again on the Aheart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult. But it happens all the time to people just like you. And people just like us. I'm Lola Blanc. And I'm Megan Elizabeth. We're the host of Trust Me, a podcast about cults, manipulation, and the psychology of belief. Each week we talk to fellow survivors, former believers,

and experts to understand why people get pulled in and how they get out. Trust me, new episodes every Wednesday on exactly right. Listen wherever you get your podcast. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story. Does anyone know what show they've come to see?

It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life. This is Wisecrack, available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio, app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.