The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Ashley I vs Enjoy: The Golden Bachelor Bracket

Episode Date: September 23, 2025

Mel Owens’ season of The Golden Bachelor is almost upon us, so it’s time to lock in some predictions before he hands out the first roses. Ben and Ashley are putting together their first Bachelor bracket to predict who will go to hometowns, who makes it to the fantasy suite and beyond in Mel’s season! The only thing hotter than the contestants… are the stakes! You won’t believe what the loser of our bracket challenge will have to do!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. I'm Jorge Ramos. And I'm Paola Ramos. Together we're launching The Moment, a new podcast about what it means to live through a time as uncertain as this one. We sit down with politicians, artists, and activists

to bring you death and analysis from a unique Latino perspective. The moment is a space for the conversations we've been having us father and daughter for years. Listen to The Moment with Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos. on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club?

Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds 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. Do you want to hear the secrets of psychopaths, murderers, sex offenders?

In this episode, I offer tips from them. I'm Dr. Leslie, forensic psychologist. This is a podcast where I cut through the noise with real talk. When you were described to me as a forensic psychologist, I was like snooze. We ended up talking for hours, and I was like, this girl is my best friend. Let's talk about safety and strategies to protect yourself and your love. ones listen to intentionally disturbing on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts i'm bridget armstrong host of the new podcast the curse of america's next top model i've been

investigating the real story behind that iconic show i ended up having anorexia issues bulimia issues by talking to the models the producers and the people who profited from it all we basically sold our souls and they got rich if you were so rooting for her and so her drowning. What do you help her? Listen to the curse of America's Next Top Model on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Hi, I'm Jennifer Lopez, and in the new season of the Over Comfort Podcast, I'm even more honest, more vulnerable, and more real than ever. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time?

Join me for conversations about healing and growth, all from one of my favorite spaces, The Kitchen. Listen to the new season of the Overcombered podcast on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcast with IHart Radio. Hey guys, welcome to the Almost Ayes podcast. Ben and I are together today, and we are going to be kind of previewing, giving our predictions for the Golden Bachelor, which comes out on Wednesday. Hey, Ben, so I thought we could have some fun here. Hi, Ashley. I thought you're going to let me say hi there.

Hey, so our producer is just asking us before we hit record what we should bet on. Like, we could we give something to each other? Should it be financial? Because like let's actually make this season kind of competitive. We reduced bracketology to come up with the formal bracket. Time out. Time out. Okay, fine.

He times me out all the time. Go ahead. Well, you got to do. tell them what we're betting on. Okay, that's what I wanted to say. Yeah, but you're talking about bets without anybody knowing that's listening. Oh, yeah, the season. Sorry, it wasn't explicit there. The Golden Bachelor season. I'm not timing you out. I'm saying let's go ahead and explain what we're setting up for ourselves and also our listeners to participate in. Okay, so guys, this is what we did this afternoon. We both downloaded this app. It's free. It's called

Bracketology. And there's a very simple Bachelor, Golden Bachelor, they have one for every season bracket we have filled it out so uh i have week to week who will be eliminated but today we'll just talk about the big ones um like who your final four is um your fantasy's week week and your you know final two and final now ben well it's very nice to have your bracket out because you can see everything so clearly with this app it's really really nice anyway So, Ben, I was thinking we could, like, take this seriously and see, you know, who gets further, who gets more points along the way, more accurate predictions. We could do it financial. Our producer mentioned that.

But then she also said, possibly, you can, like, give something to each other. The winner obviously gets a gift from the loser. So, Ben, you know what I'd want? This is the creepiest thing ever. I want to know it so bad now. Next time we're together, I want a half an hour of Ben Higgins' shoulder massage. I'm not lying down, guys. Just a little tank top was just just his hands on my shoulders.

Like a cheer massage. If you never had Ben Higgins massage, you're missing out. That's pretty much most of you. But he has given a shocking amount of massages to his fellow, you know, Bachelor co-stars. Mm-hmm. Deal. Okay. I want the same thing in return, though.

Our Eustin, our audio, is, he's saying that our engineer, our audio engineer, Easton, if you guys, get with it. You know who Euston has that for like eight years. He said he can confirm you do give the best massages. Oh, that's really sweet, guys. Yeah, but I want the same thing from you then. Really?

But I'm not as great as you. I want 100% of your effort. I want this to be the one time that you have to. and that you're committed to it and that you're you're fully in all right i'm going to have to work out my hands for that one for a half an hour yeah i think i'd rather just pay a hundred dollars and be like hey just go get a massage you jerk all right well it'll be something along those lines but i thank you thank you sounds good let's play on this all right so ben uh do you want to go through who we both on separate podcasts have

quick reactions to who we thought would stand out. But after some thought and consideration, I feel like I've made some intelligent picks. What about you? I feel really good about it. Ashley, you're really into this. I didn't think I was. I didn't think I would be.

No, you are. I've never done a bracket in my life. How, so for, like, listeners of this show to compete against us, how would they do that? To compete against us? Yeah, like to see where our points lie with theirs. This would be, they have to join the same league.

And I'm just in Bracketology Golden Bachelor League. Okay. And my name is, it's Ashley I. Oh, there's 5,000 other people in this. Oh, my goodness. Somehow my username got made enjoy. I can get auto-corrected from Ben Higgy to enjoy. So I'm going to keep it.

Because it feels, it feels right. But let's go through who we're taking. I mean, I don't think we're giving too much away from the listener. Obviously, they don't want to choose exactly who we're choosing because that would just make us tie and what fun is that? Yeah, well, Ben, what I think is fun here, though, is that you and I have made picks and we don't know who each other picked. But it's here in writing.

Like, I could screenshot it right now and send to you. It would be like, look, I did not manipulate. this based on our conversation. I agree with you. How about you get started here? Okay. All right. So hometowns?

Yeah. Okay. My hometown picks are Carol, Debbie, Maya, and Nicole. What about you? So my hometown picks were this. Nicole, Mylene. I am a massive, massive fan of Andra. Andra.

I think it's Andrea, Cassandra is her sister. So Andra, I just, I really, I don't know. Did you meet her yet in person? No. And Lisa. I think he's actually going to go for the blondes. I think he's a blonde guy. Okay.

So I have to say that I went based on like youthful looks, since we all know that he likes a youthful look. And I also went on athletics because we know that that's big for him. I also made Southern California, something that I considered in making this, because that's where he's from. All right, so Carol, I picked top four, Debbie, Maya, and Nicole. So I want to, should I give you reasonings as to why I did both all of them? No, no, no, okay.

Maybe just one. Like, who out of this was, like, very clear to you? I mean, you kind of gave us your reasoning based on age, looks, location. Okay, so I eliminate Debbie. this week. Now, it seems as if Debbie and Nicole both may

not have been married before and both seem to not have kids. So I had to, while I think that that will be an important component for him, an important element of life sharing those experiences, I was

like, I'm going to eliminate one of them from contention because of that. No. offense and no you know just just for a compatibility reasoning and then i move on to fantasy suites where i have carol maya and nicole for fantasy sweets yeah i have Nicole myline and my final fantasy suite goer the final one that is lisa okay and why did you eliminate who you eliminated. I do think when he mentioned how interested he was in the age of somebody, as much as he wants

to say that, oh, I didn't really mean it, or I was kind of kidding. I think it is a thing. And so I think 77 might honestly just be a little bit too old for his liking. Oh, my goodness. You're creating quite the age you got with him. He's 63. Mm-hmm. I eliminated her based on that.

No, I know. But still, you have a 77-year-old going. that far. I like her vibe, Ashley. I like her vibe. Okay. All righty. I'm Jorge Ramos.

And I'm Paola Ramos. Together we're launching The Moment, a new podcast about what it means to live through a time as uncertain as this one. We sit down with politicians. I would be the first immigrant mayor in generations, but 40% of New Yorkers were born outside of this country. artists and activists. I mean, do you ever feel demoralized? I might personally lose hope. This individual might lose the faith, but there's an institution

that doesn't lose faith. And that's what I believe in. To bring you depth and analysis from a unique Latino perspective. There's not a single day that Paola and I don't call or text each other sharing news and thoughts about what's happening in the country. This new podcast will be a way to make that ongoing intergenerational conversation public. Listen to The Moment with Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos as part of the My Cultura Podcast Network on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Ed.

Everyone say 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 true crime producer walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder take center stage. Available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In early 1988, federal agents raced to track down the gang they suspect of importing millions of dollars worth of heroin into New York from Asia. We had 30 agents ready to go with shotguns and rifles and you name it. But what they find is not what they expected. Basically, your stay-at-home moms were picking up these large amounts of heroin. They go, is this your daughter? I said yes. They go, oh, you may not see her for like 25 years. Caught between a federal investigation and the violent gang who recruited them, the women must decide who they're willing to protect and who they dare to betray.

Once I saw the gun, I tried to take his hand and I saw the flash of light. Listen to the Chinatown Sting on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts. It may look different, but Native culture is very alive. My name is Nicole Garcia, and on Burn Sage, Burn Bridges, we aim to explore that culture. It was a huge honor to become a television writer because it does feel oddly, like, very traditional. It feels like Bob Dylan going electric, that this is something we've been doing for hundreds of years. You carry with you a sense of purpose and confidence. That's Sierra Taylor Ornellis, who with Rutherford Falls became the first native showrunner in television history.

On the podcast, Burn Sage, Burn Bridges, we explore her story, along with other Native stories, such as the creation of the first Native Comic-Con or the importance of reservation basketball. Every day, Native people are striving to keep traditional. alive while navigating the modern world, influencing and bringing our culture into the mainstream. Listen to Burn Sageburn Bridges on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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.

Escape to the coast at the Portofino Hotel in Marina in Redondo Beach. Wake up to sweeping ocean views, then dine by the marina at the Baleen kitchen. Where fresh flavors meet stunning waterfront views at the dockside adventure center rent a kayak or a paddleboard or hop on a complimentary bike for a ride along the coast now through december 31st iHeart listeners receive

complimentary self-parking and a $50 resort credit with promo code iHeart visit hotel portafino.com to book or call 800 468 4292 So for my fantasy series, we got Carol, Maya and Nicole, like I said. So then we've limited that down to the final two, to which I have Carol and Maya. Now, both of them very athletically inclined humans. Maya is young. This was one of the first people that I picked last week when I was just doing first impressions. she's 58.

So to me, because the cutoff is normally 60, I think they put her in here for a reason. I think that they think they're that compatible that they needed her to get in at 58. Because the only other person, like I said last week, you weren't here with me, though, was Kelsey's dad. He was the only one in his 50s during last season.

And he made it pretty far. And he made it far. But we know that they wanted him because of multiple reasons being Kelsey's dad was definitely a big one. Maya also is like, she's a college sports consultant from Malibu, California.

They legitimately live within like an hour hour and a half from each other, coasty people, West Coast people, and she's looking for somebody who loves sports, someone who's athletic, fun, and flirty. And they both have kids, and I just think this is possibly the one.

Or at least the show saw her as a good possibility as being the one. Then I chose Carol, because Carol's similar vibes. Carol is a family manager for baseball. She's 63. She has, like, a youthful vibe. She's got three daughters. She went back to work becoming the full-time manager

for her pro-athlet nephew who is L.A. Dodgers' first baseman, Freddie Freeman. She also returned to college recently and is thriving in her late student life. And I'm like, okay, this just makes sense. Again, California girl who is really into sports.

With kids, Ben? That was your final two? Yeah. My final two is Nicole and Mylene. I just think, based on what we know so far, I feel like they both will be wow factors for him. They're both gorgeous. All these women are really pretty. I will say, I agree with you.

Those two are, to me, just based on these two pictures, like, the hottest. You know what I mean? Yeah, well, they look like they're like 25 years old. Yeah. And so I think they just stand out to me Because I mean, I think Maya is a great choice I do see what you're doing there I like your philosophy

I'm going just based on Because I know nothing else about these women yet Other than the pictures And knowing his comments And knowing where I think his focus lies I hope he wants to get married from this show I think this dude is out for a good time So far from what I know

And these two look like two people That are also out for a good time So that's what I'm going with them. Okay, yeah, yeah. So you took a different approach. And if I were to take that approach, I would have gone with the same people. My winner is Maya because, again, I think that the casting saw them so much together that they said, oh, you're 58. It's okay.

Come on over. Ben? My winner is Nicole. Yeah. My winner is Nicole. I think, again, based on everything I've said, I also just get the feeling when I I see her that she, I mean, here's what's going to happen. She's going to go home on night one because I'm putting so much of my weight in this.

It's going to be over for me off the night one. I honestly just kind of feel like she's the safe bet from, like, personally. I think if I'm going to have kind of a horse to ride through this competition, I want somebody that I believe is going to at least be there until the final four. And I think based on everything I know about him and her, I think she's like one of the sure bets. for Final Four. And so I'm going to write it to the championship, hoping that I'm right. All right.

Well, there you have it, guys. So play along with us at Bracketology. It's an app. They do make it really easy. I never made an app. I never made a bracket before today. And it's pretty fun. Did you have fun with it, Ash?

I did. Yeah. Yeah. That's just been a thing we've always done. But this kind of makes me judge them even more because I'm trying to win here. And so it's not just, like, fun and games. I'm going to say this now.

I want to be put on the record for it. I think Carla is a dark horse that we need to recognize. Oh, yeah. I have her going a couple weeks in. She's a former model. This is kind of fun because you do get to learn a little bit about them. They have their bios in here, or they have, like, brief descriptions on the girls here.

with their photos I think it'll make watching the first episode and like following along easier once you fill out something like this and Carla

yeah she she could get far Ashley prediction do you think this is going to be a good season see Heather and I broke this down a little bit last week with headlines

because one of our headlines was that Mel said that when he got to the mansion night one he had to face a whole bunch of flack from the women who are like, so I'm too old for you? Like, what do you think about me? You know, right?

So I don't want that storyline to, like, be, like, peppered so much throughout the entire thing. Like, make it be a night one thing is kind of what we were talking about. But I also feel like it is something that I'm not going to be able to shake out of my head for a little while. Just because, like, I'm just not sure that I like him. We know so little about him But what we know is kind of like cringe So I don't know It might be like hard for me to get on board

But we'll see We again know nothing about him So maybe he'll be great on TV We don't know enough yet Let's give him the benefit of the doubt Because we are going to be watching this season I think these women are still as gorgeous As I remember them

I am excited for Again go out and download Bracketology Join the pool If you see username enjoy that's me if you see username i am ashley i that is ashley i um make sure you go and follow us you guys we are not sponsored by bracketology just letting you know we just feel like it's pretty it's a pretty clear way of playing this game so yeah and i can't figure out how to change my username and so again i just feel like i'm going to go with it it feels like

a good omen uh that's what we got today uh we just want to tell you about this game we're going to be playing, get us pumped up for the season premiere of the Golden Bachelor, which is happening very, very soon. In fact, the premiere of the Golden Bachelor is going to be Wednesday. The 24th of this month will be breaking it down every episode right here at the Almost Famous Podcast. Until next time, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley.

To-de-Loo. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts on IHeart Radio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. I'm Jorge Ramos And I'm Paola Ramos Together we're launching The Moment A new podcast about what it means to live through a time

as uncertain as this one We sit down with politicians, artists and activists to bring you death and analysis from a unique Latino perspective The Moment is a space for the conversations we've been having us

father and daughter for years Listen to The Moment with Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos On the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different.

What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds 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. Do you want to hear the secrets of psychopaths, murderers, sex offenders? In this episode, I offer tips from them. I'm Dr. Leslie, forensic psychologist. This is a podcast where I cut through the noise with real talk. When you were described to me as a forensic psychologist, I was like, snooze. We ended up talking for hours, and I was like, this girl is my best friend. Let's talk about safety and strategies to protect yourself and your loved ones. Listen to intentionally disturbing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Bridget Armstrong, host of the new podcast, The Curse of America's Next Top Model. I've been investigating the real story behind that iconic show.

I ended up having anorexia issues, bulimia issues, by talking to the models, the producers, and the people who profited from it all. We basically sold our souls, and they got rich. If you were so rooting for her and saw her drowning, what did you help her? Listen to the curse of America's Next Top Model On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Jennifer Lopez, and in the new season of the Over Comfort Podcast, I'm even more honest, more vulnerable, and more real than ever.

Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time? Join me for conversations about healing and growth, all from one of my favorite spaces, The Kitchen. Listen to the new season of the Overcomber podcast on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.