The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Bachelor Breaking News: Age is Just a Number

Episode Date: May 16, 2023

A new member of The Bachelor franchise has entered the chat! Ben and Ashley have all the details on “The Golden Bachelor” and we have an inside look at WHO might be the host!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. Get fired up, y'all. Season 2 of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway. We just welcomed one of my favorite people,

an incomparable soccer icon, Megan Rapino, to the show, and we had a blast. Take a listen. Sue and I were like riding the lime bikes the other day, and we're like, we're like, we're like, people ride bikes because it's fun. We got more incredible guests, like Megan in store, plus news of the day and more. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports Network. 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 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 Pivotts.

Now on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast with IHartRadio. We've got a major announcement. This is Breaking news. Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. Breaking news. Yeah, breaking news. and it's exciting.

It's what everybody's been waiting for. It's what everybody's been waiting for. I get asked more about this potential show that is now an actual show than anything else. People have been waiting for it. People have been excited about it. And there's still some anticipation in the almost famous family.

That's bad. That we could be involved. Okay, here it is. Are you ready for it? Ashley, are you ready for this massive announcement from Bachelor Nation? You share it because it's very special to you. The Golden Bachelor is officially being announced after more than 20 seasons of fostering young love on The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise, the Golden Bachelor showcases a whole new kind of love story, one for the golden years.

On this all new unscripted series, one hopeless romantic is given a chance at love in the search for a partner with whom to share the, the sunset years of life. The women arriving at the mansion have a lifetime of experience living through love, loss, and laughter, hoping for a spark that ignites a future full of endless possibilities. In the end, will our golden man turn the page to start a new chapter with the women of his dreams? All right, guys, there it is. The senior bachelor you've been waiting for. The show is called The Golden Bachelor, and it will be airing this fall. on Mondays, 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. So it's only an hour show.

That's fine. That's fine with me. I can do an hour. Now, the thing is this. We do not have word of who will be hosting it or if it's been filmed or when it will be filmed. If it hasn't been filmed yet and it hasn't officially gotten Jesse, who we would assume is just the overall Bachelor host,

hosting it. Ben is still here to shoot a show. shot to become the host. Ben, I'm a free agent. Why, why, why, why you over Jesse? Because we love Jesse and no offense to him, but you do have an older soul. Yeah, I mean, there's no offense to Jesse here. I hope Jesse understands the situation I'm placed in. This is just like my perfect scenario. Meaning, if you would have asked me, even before I was on The Bachelor, what would be your dream job? It would have been something similar to this. I love, love, love, I love, I love story, and I love helping people go get through their story and the lessons

learned in life. Like, one of my favorite things growing up, I don't know if you've ever known this about me, Ashley. When I was in college, I joined a pipe smoking club that's the good kind of pipe, like with tobacco in it, like the old school. You're like not a crack pipe? Yeah, no, like this is like tobacco pipe. I joined it so I could sit around the table with a bunch of people in their 60s and 70s and 80s and hear about their life experience and learn from them. I feel like I've been prepared for this my whole life. I, again, will say, I don't need to be the host.

I would love to be the host. I think I could be the host. But I just want to be involved. Like, let me be involved in some way to be there and support. And I think there's an element where Jesse's an incredible host, but some fresh, you know, some fresh people on a new show could be good for Bachelor Nation. I think that would be good. And somebody that, you know, Jesse was the Bachelor as well, but somebody that was more recently

the Bachelor and recently a newlywed. I have a lot to learn from them. How cool would it be to have a host who is learning from the contestants as they walk through this experience? I just want to be involved, Ash. I don't know. I think this is, I'm going to be, if I'm not involved, I'm going to be very sad because I've tried really hard for this one. I think you're going to actually be sad. I would be sad. No,

because I feel like this is something, there's nothing I've ever asked for from this world. Yeah. There's nothing I ever have said, hey, you know, when they announced Jesse as the host for the Bachelor and Bachelor, it's not like I sat at home, been like, I could have been better than him. I didn't think that. I didn't say that. It wasn't a thought of my mind. I think he could be a great host. But when it comes to this, I feel like I could do a good job. I feel like I was made for it. shoot my shot. But if I'm not to host, I will be sad, but I will be the biggest fan of the show.

I think it's going to be awesome. So they actually said back in February that the thing was going to happen. I didn't even know. I would think that slipped us. But it was actually Mike Fletz, who was no longer with the show, that announced on Twitter

that the Golden Bachelor was coming in February. Now, I think the age range is somewhere from 55 and older. definitely begs the question whether Gabby's beloved grandfather will be on the show. I think it would be a nice little crossover. Then,

what else do we need to know about this? Ben, I will say I can't imagine anybody being a more naturally. When I think about a host involving themselves with this cast, I just see you so perfectly. I hope they do. I hope they think the same thing.

Yeah, I think they'll... And I'm very cheap. You'll come, you'll do this for dittily squat. Yeah, I mean, I'm not going to say I'd do it for free. I know, but I'm just, I'm just above free. Yeah, just like your per diem, right? Yeah. Okay, so then we also got news today.

I'm not so surprising whatsoever. I think we would have found out if it wasn't happening earlier, but that Bachelor in Paradise has been renewed for season nine. And it will be also airing this fall, question here is will it be Bachelor in Paradise for two hours followed by an hour

of the Golden Bachelor It says Tuesdays though So Golden Bachelor is going to be Mondays 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time And then Bachelor in Paradise is Tuesdays 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern time. No, no, no, it won't be.

I'm disappointed that Paradise will be fall because I think Paradise was great in August and September as it is a summer show but I will say this. I think this is a great move for the franchise in general. No matter what my involvement or lack of involvement, I have yet to receive a phone call.

So I'd love to still, my phone is open. I will say that. I would share my number, but I don't know if that's smart. I think this is a great move for the franchise coming up in the fall where the Golden Bachelor, I believe, will do fairly well. And I think Paradise always does what Paradise does. It does consistent numbers year over year. brings in a certain audience.

And so we're going to have two back-to-back nights of the Bachelor franchise, which to me, two different, completely different shows, I feel like Bachelor Nation won't get tired of this where maybe like the Bachelor season this last year, they get a little tired of watching the same show for three hours, maybe back-to-back nights. I think these are going to be so different in content that Bachelor Nation might react really well to watching both of them. Yeah. I think they're going to get a lot of viewers, maybe even new viewers to the Bachelor franchise.

Because out of all the streaming service dating shows that we have, so many, right? So many dating reality shows. None of them pertain to an older demographic. Sure. So this is truly unique. And I'm glad that our franchise is part of it. And we are going to have a great time discussing all of it come to come fall. Great for our show.

Absolutely. amazing for our show. Congratulations to the Bachelor franchise for finally doing something. I mean, the big joke every time when I went out when I was The Bachelor, when I'd meet people would be, you think they're going to, you think they would have me as the Bachelor? It would always be somebody older telling me that. Like, it's always been the joke, but now it's not a joke. It's actually happening. It's giving a whole new demographic, an excitement, something to tune into, something to maybe dream of being on one day. It's giving a lot of people probably second chances, some first chances, but a ton of great stories involved.

So we're excited for this show. The fall is going to be full of Bachelor content, new Bachelor content that we cannot wait to break down with you. But we had to get on today and share this breaking news with you that, yes, finally, after years of teasing and claims being made, the Golden Bachelor is officially announced for the fall, Mondays, 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time. Let's go.

My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Well, wait a minute, Sam, maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor, and they're the same age.

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

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or wherever you get your podcast before we sign off How much is it going to be the real housewives meets the bachelor? Because you know that people love seeing ladies in their 50s bicker. Yeah. And they're going to get that. No, I mean, that's a cool part. It's going to be wild. It's going to be wild, but then there's also, it's going to be similar, I think,

to the regular, like, Bachelor, where you're going to have your big personalities, the ones that are a little more drama-filled, the ones that are a little more quick-tempered. You know, when you get older, you just typically seem to, speak your mind more openly. You're so much more comfortable with yourself. You're more comfortable with yourself. But then you're also going to have the people there who maybe aren't comfortable with themselves, who maybe have been through some pains and some trauma.

And maybe you don't even want to be on the show, but their kids signed them up because they just thought, hey, it'd be great for my mom or my dad to have this second chance at something. And so those people are going to be there. And they're going to be a little more like conservative and how they communicate and what they do. And I think that's going to be beautiful. As we get older, our personalities seem to come out more and more because of that confidence and because of life experience. And so we're going to get some big personalities and some deep heartfelt stories. I can't wait for it. Me too. Final thought

here. What do you think they'll be looking for in The Golden Bachelor? Well, I think, honestly, it would mirror what Sarah Trout told us in an episode we have recorded with her that will be posted very soon. They're looking for somebody not only that is probably physically attractive

but also has an empathy, has the ability to communicate and listen, has a little bit of confidence, probably has been through some stuff in their life, so they have a story to tell. But I think it's really

the relatability factor when it comes to the lead on this show is when we watch them, how much can we relate with them? How much do we admire that they're giving this thing a chance? How much do we enjoy the questions they ask and how inquisitive they are? And then how interesting is their story? That's the easy part, I think, because I think everybody's story is interesting. But I think they're going to get, here's a going to happen, Ashley. Here's my, here's my thought. Okay. Is they're going to get for the first season, it is the bachelor. So they're going to have a male lead. He's going to be Kevin Costner-esque, where like 20-year-olds are going, oh my goodness, that dude's attractive. And 60-year-olds are going,

oh, my goodness, that dude's attractive. And this dude is going to blow up because he's going to have a wide range of people being like, goodness gracious, that dude's a stud. They need to make this guy like a real celebrity. Lead him up. to his role in the show like have him go to red carpet premieres put him in really sexy locations for his photo shoots and all that give him a cowboy hat and a glass of whiskey

and everybody loves him. Ruggard. Yeah, let's go. Then I also say there's got to be like he's got to fit into one of these three storylines. Of course he's going to either be the guy who's forever single and now is ready.

The guy who like you know like a Leonardo DiCaprio like, you know, well, he's in his 40s, but, you know, like a guy who's like 50s plus who has never been married. Maybe he was a former playboy and now he wants to be settled down. Or then we have the divorcee or we have the widow. Which category do you think is going to be the most intriguing? I would tend to gravitate towards somebody who has either gone through a divorce or is widowed because um because i just think they're they've felt love and i had there's a quote from uh michael a few years ago that said how lucky is it that i've got i i get to

experience love twice um and i think that's kind of a good theme for this show is how lucky am i that i get to experience love twice and that that to me is you know when he said that uh there was so many emotions that came up inside of me. And I think that will be a very intriguing storyline that so many would tune into and be like, I've been there too. I get it. And I'm here to support you. In the whole single forever thing, young, wild and free now being settling down is more

of like the bachelor. We kind of get that with a young bachelor every time. So we kind of need the person who's had a great love in their past. Yeah. of some kind in some way. We need somebody who knows how to love and who has found love. Now, not saying that there won't be in when this last 20 years in some seasons that will have that person, man or woman, who has just lived wild and free and now they're

ready to settle down, that could be interesting too. But initially, I would gravitate towards somebody that's felt love before. Yeah. All right. So pump. Let's go, Ashley. Big things ahead. Make your petition online.

Should I start that for you? That would be hilarious. I'm going to put that on my to do list. I just want all of the almost famous listeners to show support because how juicy could this podcast be if the host of the show was also hosting this? How much intel could we get? I'm going to do it.

I'm going to do it. Don't laugh at me and don't get mad at me when I put out the petition tonight. You're the best. Would you really? Would you be okay with it? Oh, yeah. I am pulling all strings here, Ashley. I have made it very clear and very known.

I have no embarrassment towards my push to say, at least consider it. At least consider. I'm not taking anybody's job here yet, I don't think. Like, I'm not petitioning to step on anybody's toes. If Jesse wants this job, again, he is the host of The Bachelor. He can have it. I just want to be involved.

It would be too much for him to do all this. all year. Yeah, he's going to get tired. He's going to get tired. He probably wants to do football during the fall too. He needs a break. He needs a break. Give him a break.

I type in petition and I go to change. Change.org is the number one petition site. It's like change. org, Ben Higgins for the golden bachelor host. Oh, goodness. Well, hey, we'll be back. We just had to get this one out there. We'll be back very soon.

We have some episodes being posted this week. We have a great weekend ahead of us with a lot of content. We'll be recording with some incredible guests. Stay tuned. And this has been another very special episode of The Almost Famous Podcast. Until next time, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley. Bye, guys.

Follow the Ben and Ashley I, I Almost Famous Podcasts on IHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor, a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know

each other, but I just want her gone. Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. Get fired up, y'all. Season two of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway. We just welcomed one of my favorite people, an incomparable soccer icon, Megan Rapino,

to the show and we had a blast. Take a listen. Sue and I were like riding the lime bikes the other day and we're like, we're like, people ride bikes because it's fun. We got more incredible guests like Megan in store, plus news of the day and more. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports Network. In sitcoms, when someone has a problem, they just blurt it out and move on. Well, I lost my job and my parakeet is missing. How is your day?

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See how much further you can go when you take care of your mental health. This is an IHeart podcast. Thank you.