The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Bachelor Breaking News: This time it's Personal

Episode Date: August 3, 2023

Ben’s shares his honest thoughts and responds to comments his former fiance made in her tell-all interview with Shawn Booth. Plus, are the rumors true.  Is a Bachelor Nation couple we all love breaking up? And, Ben and Ashley give an update on Gabby Windey's new love.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Eumanzor. 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 internetcom and listen now 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. Let's start with a quick puzzle. The answer is Ken Jennings' appearance on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. The question is, what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land? Jeopardy-truthers believe in... I guess they would be conspiracy theorists.

That's right. To give you the answers and you still blew it. The puzzler. Listen on the eye. My Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I just think the process and the journey is so delicious. That's where all the good stuff is. You just can't live and die by the end result. That's comedian Phoebe Robinson.

And yeah, those are the kinds of gems you'll only hear on my podcast, The Bright Side. I'm your host, Simone Boyce. I'm talking to the brightest minds in entertainment, health, wellness, and pop culture. And every week, we're going places. in our communities, our careers, and ourselves. So join me every Monday, and let's find The Bright Side together. Listen to The Bright Side on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts with IHeart Radio.

Hey, everyone, welcome to the Almost Famous Podcast. Today's a special episode because there is so many Bachelor headlines going on that we wanted to dedicate a whole podcast to it. Ben's here. And Ben, one of the headlines is kind of about you. Goodness gracious. Yeah, we really wanted to jump on and talk about all this stuff. Should we start with that one? Nah, let's start with this one.

Claire Crawley has a gender reveal and it's a girl. Why is it that? Like, I didn't even think that there was a possibility of Claire having a boy. Like, in my head, she announced that they were having a baby and it was a girl. Like, there was just, there's no way that Claire Crawley is having a boy. It is a girl. She has revealed it. Her and her husband are very excited.

This is just crazy to me. It really is crazy to me, Ashley, that now we sit here and we talk about Claire Crawley being a mother. Like, it feels like we were just talking about her having a breakup. And then we talked about her having a wedding. We're like, finally, it happened. And now we're, now she's a mom. It's like Claire has grown up in front of our eyes in the last 18 months. And it's such a cool thing to see.

It's really nice. When something's throwing for people, starts to roll you know what i mean and i love it for her she has such feminine energy she's so maternal i can only imagine how well she'll raise a little woman no it's gonna be great should we say how we did it sure she did it okay so it's really cool i guess like a lot of people do the whole pink cake or blue cake on the inside but she did it in like such a cool way you have to see her instagram she did it so slowly and it's so artistically the cut of this cake But she says she knew 100% in her soul that it was going to be a girl.

How do moms know this, Ashley? I don't know. I definitely knew I was going to have a boy. And in my head, I just know the next one's going to be a boy too. Like, there's no doubt in my mind. I even refer to him as him. Wild. I mean, I might be wrong.

I might be wrong. But we'll see. I mean, that is just like really crazy. I feel like I hear this all the time where somebody's like the mom always says like, I know it's a boy and then usually always is. I don't have many gender reveal examples to pull back in my life on, but I do have a few. And it feels like the mom always knows.

And the dad has no clue. He's just guessing. We have some breakup rumors to get to today. We also have an interview with Lauren Lane, formerly Lauren Bushnell. She came on Sean's podcast. and Sean did bring that up to us when he came on our podcast talking about his recent developments in life.

Let's start with this breakup rumor, though. Greg and Victoria, this is a couple that obviously came off of paradise. Bachelor Nation had, let's just say, a dramatic response to their relationship because obviously Victoria was in a relationship

going into the final episode, then rumors started to fly, that her and Greg were together, then it got posted on social media that they were hanging out, and then publicly they came on the show and showed that they had matching tattoos and they were in love,

and their relationship blossomed from there. But Bachelor Nation fans now are thinking they're broken up. Well, not anymore. Okay, so it had been circulating for quite some time because Victoria went seven weeks without posting Greg, which, to be honest,

is a really long time when you're in a relationship where you're both from Bachelor Nation, right? And you're known for just relationships. So it was on his birthday about seven weeks ago that she said, happy birthday, I love you. And then there was very few of the two of them

present together on social media. Greg was doing a lot of his like broie posts with his guys from his season. And fans were commenting stuff. Like, did you break up? single Greg is back but just this week Victoria posted

a whole little slideshow on her Instagram feed that they're together now she first posted a couple stories to your Instagram which seemed like they could have been throwbacks and then people were like oh they just trying to give it more time before they announce

but then she posted something that seemed very in the moment to her feed so do you think Ashley knowing this world, knowing the couples that exist within this world, knowing how the couples try to operate. Do you think there was a rough patch? Do you just think they were traveling separately and doing their own things for a bit,

which is totally healthy for couples to do? Or do you just think they weren't posting? If I were to assume, I would assume that they probably went through a rough patch. Yeah. Well, I mean, a lot of the Bachelor Nation couples have gone through rough patches. In fact, Jojo and Jordan came on this podcast. and mentioned how they were kind of at a breaking point where they said, were they going to end this thing

or we're going to stay together and make it work. But I think every relationship, like it isn't shocking, nor is it a headline. If a couple goes through a tough patch in life and they make it through, usually you're stronger for it. It's true. That is so true. Well, this next headline is... So speaking.

Yeah. So Caitlin and Jason is another couple. that Bachelor Nation has increasingly been talking about here over the last few weeks, leading up to the last two days, where it feels like these rumors are getting hotter and hotter, and it feels like the public is starting to tap into something they believe now is true, and it's not just a rumor. But Caitlin and Jason are rumored to be broken up. Now, I don't know if we call us a rough patch,

because right now we don't have any examples of the two of them together publicly in quite some time. But Ashley, break down where these rumors started and kind of what we know today. Well, I think there's probably been rumors speculating. Since they started, it feels like there are always rumors about breakups. I think there's probably been a lot this year because they've been like pretty vocal about not being keen on wedding planning. because at first they were pretty gung-ho about wedding planning, you know? And then they kind of stopped. And it seemed like they backtracked when they stopped.

It wasn't like, oh, we're just going to do something small. We'll figure it out on our time. It was almost like they were saying that they weren't like excited about wedding planning. And like whenever they'd sit down to two of them, they just would decide not to do it when that was the initial intention. And then they were just like, you know, she's always been open about what's going on on her podcast. They did podcasts together, and there was always, there was, there was some tension and some of them. Do they, does she talk about this on her podcast? I don't know when she's last talked about her relationship, but Jason.

But, you know, she's honest about like little tips that they'd have. So I think that the, the fandom right now is like, okay, you guys have been more so than ever not posting about each other, especially over the past two months. The last time I think they were photographed together was in June, like mid-June at like a music festival, and it was an event. And this week, the two of them were on separate vacations. And Caitlin has posted multiple things on Instagram that have led us to think that she's having quite the emotional week. She posted one thing about her crying, like Instagram versus reality moment. And a couple other things about just like her mental space. you know, she posted the lyrics of her song that came out.

I think it was three or four years ago. Yeah. So I'm oblivious to the reality or the truth to the situation. But I, you know, it was intriguing back in the day when we kind of came out with a headline that she was on a wellness retreat. Now, I am at the time, you see somebody going on a wellness retreat. Like, good for you. Especially somebody like Caitlin, who's very busy and gets pulled in a thousand directions. it's nice to step away. Now, I don't know if maybe that was just a, hey, I need to get away.

I need to do my thing. We're not doing well here. Like, I need to go get some support. You need to go get some support. Let's come back together and see if we can make it work. Who knows the reasoning for that. But she did go on a wellness retreat. My point of this is in their relationship, it was not shocking to me that they didn't post with each other because they have spent a lot of time separated from each other in their relationship, right? I mean, Caitlin went on dancing with the stars. She then went on tour. Jason was back in Nashville for that period of time. Then he does his own thing and he starts traveling around.

And it felt like even from, you know, a friend yet fans' perspective, they were kind of crossing past, you know, never really being in one place together. But it never made me think that anything was wrong when they stopped posting on social media because I was kind of used to them doing their own thing and still making it work back at home. the only time actually that i've started to i guess go in the camp of hey something's going on here i don't know what it is it's not up to me to define and say hey yeah they're definitely separated they're not together anymore etc was uh i think last evening two days ago maybe it was when she posted on her social media and she posted this she posted um i cannot believe the audacity of people to expect things from me when I haven't even been able to process things for myself. Have a effing heart.

You're scaring me with your comments and demands. I'm almost worried about you. She posted this and then took it down, but even if she just said, hey, people stop bothering me. I'd be like, cool, I don't know what's going on in their life. But the comment this, this is the line that sit out to me. I cannot believe the audacity of people to expect things from me when I haven't even been able to process things for myself.

So she's processing something that she's not ready to come out publicly with. We're not here to force her. She's not coming on the pot. We're not like, hey, and here's Caitlin to talk about the relationship. But something's going on. We can say that. Well, I feel bad. Obviously, like this is like, why fandom, why guys do you, why are you demanding that she lets you know this?

It's not up to you, first off. It's kind of similar to when couples go into a relationship for the first time, right? and you have your first couple dates and because you're a part of Bachelor nation and because you're known for your dating now people are like you need to tell everybody about it like why I'm eating it's like well

one I'm not ready two that puts a whole new level of pressure on me three think about this when Caitlin and Jason say the situation is not good let's just say that we don't know

but let's say something's going on there and they publicly say hey either we're taking a break or hey yes we went through a rough patch or hey, we're really doing good. Whatever it may be, then every interview that Jason or Caitlin does for the next six months

is going to be about something that either way is very difficult for them to speak about. They probably aren't ready to answer those questions. If you are one of those people who are DM and Caitlin, just tell us, just I need confirmation. Think and reflect upon your message here.

why does it matter to you whether you know for certain if they are broken up or not? And I can guarantee you your message to Caitlin is not going to be the thing that convinces her to tell anybody. She's going to do it when she wants, just knowing Caitlin. However, there is a sense, Ashley, where when fans do message about certain things, there is a sense of caring and intrigue and interest, which is something that Caitlin has, right? And she is proud of that. It's how her podcast has became so popular. It's because people are very invested into her life.

And as a result, very invested into Jason's life, very invested in her happiness and health and Jason's happiness and health. And so it doesn't shock me. You know, I think there's a part here with Caitlin was sitting in front of me. I'd say, yeah, you knew it was going to be this way. Has it ever not been this way? When you don't share anything, people are going to start to assume. And they're going to start to question.

So don't be mad at them for that. That's just the thing that happens. Yeah, I mean, I understand. I totally, somewhere in between, she definitely has to just appreciate and I think she does her audience who really feel like they know her so well and care about her a lot.

I just hope that these messages are with kindness and not just like, why are you telling us? You're terrible. You don't want to be like, no, those are not helpful. They're not good. I'm sure they exist. I hope people are coming from,

a place of, hey, Caitlin. We're thinking about you. We care about you. Like, we're here for you if you need us. A hundred percent. I hope so myself. But we don't know anything outside of that. We do know that that post was put up on her social media. We do know that the rumors are swirling. We do know that people are getting more and more intrigued. Something is happening there. We just don't know what. And we'll say, hey, we can't confirm or deny these rumors at this time. But what we can do is say if she and Kate, or if, if Caitlin and Jason are not ready to speak about it publicly, we should allow them that space because that also shows that they really should met a lot to the two of them, which is obvious that it did. And on theme,

Michael Aalio and Danielle Maltby, who may have celebrated their one year dating anniversary last month, also have been posted of each other for a few. weeks. And Danielle did move to the Akron, Ohio area a few months ago to be closer to Michael and his family. So time will tell whether this social media silence is, well, telling. 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. Hi, I'm Jenna Lopez and in the new season of the Overcomfit podcast, I'm taking you on an exciting journey of self-reflection.

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? I wanted to be successful on my own, not just because of who my mom is. Like, I felt like I needed to be better or work twice as hard as she did. Join me for conversations about healing and growth.

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Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Let me flip this on you for a second. Okay. Because I feel like you've had more public breakup than I ever had. So, like, did you, when you were in the midst of breaking up, what was your social media activity like? Were you, like, going dark on it or were you posting unrelated things? Because to me, honestly, in the midst of all this, Jason just posting as if, like, it's his normal life and he's,

like posing with his mom and the dogs and all that. It's just creating more speculation because Caitlin is continuously absent. If they just went blank, dark, I'd be like, yeah, like, why are you guys even speculating? They're just taking some time off social. Caitlin has been active on social media, right? Yeah. Yes, she has too. Yeah, she has two.

Well, one, Ashley, it's very different for me to be active on social media compared to Caitlin and Jason. My activity on social media is never at the volume that the two of them consistently produce because they're both very involved in that world and Jason has a career in that world. And so for me personally, I probably went dark. I'm assuming nobody noticed because they'd be like, hey, Ben hasn't posted in two weeks. And most people would be like, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know? Well, we have some breaking news coming through right now that kind of distracted me from my turn of thought. Caitlin has recently posted on social media.

Here's what it says. This is as of like right now. She just posted something on Instagram with the caption, got to toughen up if I'm going to fight the noise. It's to a workout video. Don't know what that means. Let's read that again. Got to toughen up if I'm going to fight the noise.

let's just pause there for a second, fans and listeners. I'm going to toughen up to fight the noise. I'm assuming the noise is in reference to the people asking her if her and Caitlin or if her and Jason are still together. But I'm wondering if Caitlin is right now doing the thing that most of us in this world do when we're not feeling our best and when we're emotional and when things feel heavy and chaotic is we focus on the negative comments and the negative noise instead of anything positive and loving.

I'm guessing that's where Caitlin's coming from and what she's speaking to is she's noticing that people are getting more and more inxy, more, let's say, irritated. They're wanting to know. And as a result, they're getting more desperate in their messaging. She's seeing this. That's the noise she's speaking about and she doesn't like it. Ashley, do you agree? I think you're probably right. We think that noise is people like criticizing her possibly.

Like she's ready to go into the announcement that they broke up, perhaps. This is all like very sad. It really, really sucks. It really does. And we're kind of in this world we're out today, which is such a new phenomenon, we're watching this kind of play out in front of our eyes. Like now Caitlin is, you know, posting pictures. with, I believe, a new tattoo.

She's, you know, obviously telling us that, hey, you know, stop making me talk about it or stop asking me to talk about it. I'm not ready to talk about it. Now she's doing a workout video. Like, we're kind of seeing this play out in her coming to the, you know, to the public now was something. I just don't know when. And I don't think we need to push her or Jason to say when.

It's just sad. I liked them together. It worked out. It was a good relationship from what it seemed from the outside. It felt like it had a lot going for it for a long time. Again, I don't know if they're together or not. I mean, how big a shocker now would it be if they came back to like, no, we've been happy for the last five years together.

Like, I don't know what you guys are talking about. Like, that would be great. I would love that. And it would, you know, but it's not feeling like it's going that direction. yeah and I'm sorry obviously I'm like a little bit quieter on this end because I do feel it's just an awkward situation to talk about your friends relationship publicly when you haven't been like we haven't been on the inside of it haven't seen them for a while well speaking to that let's talk about my past relationships I've talked to Caitlin but I have not pride about her relationship lately so I just yeah let's move on to Ben's I feel much more comfortable talking about your relationships because Well, you know why? Because I'm talking to you about it.

You know? I'm not like just presuming things. So I was giving the heads up, everybody listening that I was going to be asked to speak about Lauren and Sean's recent podcast where they talked a lot about The Bachelor that they both seem to hate. Yeah, Caitlin. Yeah. And I haven't listened to it. Ashley and Hannah did listen to it. what okay

I'll let you guide me through this what are some of the things that I am responding to or what are some of the things said I do know they talked a lot about a show that they seem to dislike but yet they talked about a lot which I don't really talk about things I dislike too much other than clowns but

the two of them certainly had enough to say about them just feeling they weren't like great fits to be a part of the Bachelor franchise there's a couple of things that stand out to me as far as what pertains directly to you then okay one was that Lauren definitely made it seem like your love was like not like a a great love to her it was more of like a young love and she said

that maybe Sean felt more strongly because he was closer to 30 and she was like 24 okay so the question here is how do I respond to that is that what the question is okay cool the question is How does that make you feel back? How does that make me feel? Well, first off, I don't believe that age has any impact on love. I know people who have fallen in love at a very young age and are very much in love. I know people who have fallen in love at a very old age, a.k.a. hopefully Gary coming up on the Golden Bachelor.

I think love is something that comes about in the least expected way. at some of the most unexpected times. Personally, I hear her say love now maybe feels differently for her than it did back on her time on the show. And I go, I'm glad. Like, you're married with kids. I'm married. Like, yes, love does feel different.

I'm glad you're in love with your husband more than you liked me or if you liked me at all. Like, I'm just glad you like him. Like, that's cool. That seems to be a really good thing. You know, that show was very real for me. I will say the only point to this that upsets me at all, not like upsets me angrily, just like would make me frustrated,

would be that show was a real experience for me. I invested personally a lot of effort into, trying to figure out if it was the path that it was going to help me find my partner or not. I had a lot of incredible women on that show and a lot of incredible people. And if she was feeling this way, I wish she would have maybe made that more apparent during the process. Maybe she didn't know. Maybe she was going too fast and there was just too many variables and she couldn't figure that out. And that's fine.

It worked out for both of us very well. But I think discounting that season of life, is not fair to either of us because it was a meaningful season of life. It was something that impacted us both greatly. And what it did for me and what I believe it probably did for her, you know, I cared about Lauren a lot. Still care about her. I want to see her thrive in life. I have nothing but good. Really, it's kind of funny. I only have good memories of our time together. I don't have a lot of bad memories. That's good. That's so nice. were we right for each other? Heck no. I'm right with Jess. She's right with Chris.

Like, I'm glad it played out the way it did. I just hope within awe that there's not a, that we're not pushing that season aside because what it did do is it helped me see, hey, what I'm looking for in a partner, or what I think I need in a partner is X, Y, Z. And that's what I found in my wife now. And I'm guessing she did the same thing with Chris. So I think that language that they may be using around the show just feels like they're kind of saying, hey, like wasn't for me, whatever, well, you both ended up with the person at the end. So maybe it was for you. But maybe that like was part for you, wasn't that you were going to marry that person.

Maybe this was a good, maybe you should look back on this time and say it was a great stepping zone into finding your future partner. Maybe it was perfect for you. Maybe the bachelor world was the best thing for you because it helped you see and meet your future partners. Exactly. Yeah. So all in all, I agree.

agree with what she's saying. My love now feels very differently than it did back then. And I'm really glad that I found the love that I have today. But I also am very glad that I had the relationship I did with her when I had it because it taught me a lot. I do feel like there was a little perspective missing from the interview where a lot of what they were saying, like they weren't acknowledging the fact that where they are in life most likely happened. because of The Bachelor. Well, I think all of our lives, even if, like, it hasn't affected you at all. Like, I think even the people who go home week two would say, hey, that Bachelor world, like,

changed the course of my life even a little bit. And as a result, now, five years later, it's changed my life a lot. Like, I think all of us have been impacted because we went on a television show and we are maybe recognized by one more person or when we apply for a job interview, that person says, hey, I saw you on TV and I liked you on TV. let's hire you like it has an impact um and it's what you do with it if if you see it as this really negative thing it's always going to be a negative thing if you you try to see that hey maybe this brought some good you can start to see the good in it all right another thing i want to bring up to

you is she mentioned that she met chris while she was with you hmm she did say that yeah yeah good for them all right uh-huh yeah i did you know this i did know this um yeah this was very clear to me um again like i guess i look back on that now if you would have asked me this and you know this right like when this podcast started you had asked me some of these questions like I would have probably been frozen and ended up in tears. Like, I just would have. And I'm assuming, like, she would say the same thing. Like, it was very emotional back then for me.

But now with where our past have gone, again, mostly when it comes to our relationships and who we are in love with and who we're committing to, I look back now and I'm like, I'm glad it worked out the way it did. Maybe it wasn't pretty during the time. Maybe it wasn't fun during the time. Maybe it didn't seem ideal or fair or all those things that you can wrap up in this. But you look back now and you're like, I'm glad it worked out. out like this like this is good it doesn't mean it didn't come without pain you know the the thing that

i the thing that i do want to say in protection of myself for the first time ever okay yeah and i took and i took it on the chin i did for the both of us um and just for you know for the good of the cause was back then i remember because of the ben and loren happily ever after special it made me look like I had cold feet. Did I have cold feet? Yes. Because I knew we weren't right for each other. Things were not going down a path that seemed like a happily engaged couple where should be going down.

Well, it was appropriately called happily ever after question mark. It did not meet. Like, I felt like that show and the public perception was that I ended this relationship. Do you think so? Well, maybe it's just because I know too much that I never, I thought was more, yeah. But it felt like the relationship ended because I wasn't ready to take the steps forward that, you know, the show was really asking us to take. Hey, let's have your wedding on TV. Let's televise it. Let's pay you to do it. And I said, I'd know. Like, this isn't, this is not going to work. We both know this. And we both are very clear on this. This is not a relationship that either of us are going to pursue. We're, we know that we don't have much time left. In fact, we're trying to hold this together. like by a thread.

And that thread is breaking as we spoke. And so I just would say, and I, and I, and I know Lauren would, I hope Lauren would not be mad at me for saying this. We like did not end because I had cold feet. Like that was not the, that was not the reason. And so the public saying, I wasn't ready, how could I go on to be the bachelor if I wasn't ready for marriage? Like that was not fair to me.

It wasn't, because it wasn't true to me. we just weren't right for each other. Ben, just letting you know that, like, yes, maybe I'm too entrenched personally.

Yeah. I don't think that was ever the public perception. Oh, even if the show was making it seem like that. No, no,

no, no. Even if the show was making it seem like you had golfie, I never thought that it seemed like in the public arena

that you were the one to end the relationship. It either seemed very mutual. Yeah. Or it sort of seemed like she ended it because she was the one

who got a boyfriend and kind of quickly after it. Yeah, who wasn't Chris. Who was not Chris, Lane. It was not Chris. Well, yeah, I mean, I think it was very mutual. I will say it was a very mutual breakup. And again, I think for anybody listening, wondering,

like you can see the beauty in the breakup now. Maybe not at the time. But the beauty and the breakup was that we ended. It wasn't easy. It wasn't fun. When people reach out now, wondering what it feels like to go through a really tough breakup, I can speak to it.

but I know over time it is a piece of my life that I'm also very thankful for. I look back on that season of life and say, I'm glad we tried it. I'm glad we learned about it. And then, yes, we were younger back then. And it led me down to find my partner, who was the perfect partner for me. And I have no emotion wrapped around my past relationship with Lauren. I have no, like, you could not get me to cry. If that's one way you want to get me to cry, that is not an avenue to go down, even though at the time it was. And so I just, you know, I just look back on the Bachelor world with a lot of like gladness because I think it did help me come to my wife.

Yeah, Ben, I totally get that. And I tell people all the time when they're like single and feel like they're struggling. I'm like, you'll look back one day when you're happily with somebody and you're going to be like, you're going to see the weird beauty in the heartbreak and the struggle of it all. Wait, that's what you tell people. You know what I tell people when they're single and you tell them to live it up? I tell them, hey, God never promised us a partner. So you might be single forever.

And what I want you to do with that is become very happily single and content on your own. Because once you do that, then a partner is just icing on the kick. I, okay. Well, there's that. And then normally. People don't like that point. That's when the partner comes into the picture is when you have it all together and you're happy by yourself. Yeah.

All right. Well, that's interesting that we have such different advice to sing, to singles. Hi, my name is Enya Emanzor. 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 ill. Illness, Psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Hi, I'm Janica Lopez and in the new season of the Overcomfit podcast, I'm taking you on an exciting journey of self-reflection.

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? I wanted to be successful on my own, not just because of who my mom is. Like, I felt like I needed to be better or work twice as hard as she did. Join me for conversations about healing and growth. Life is freaking hard. And growth doesn't happen in comfort.

It happened in motion, even when you're hurting. All from one of my favorite spaces, The Kitchen. Honestly, these are going to come out so freaking amazing. Be a part of my new chapter and listen to the new season of the Overcumper podcast as part of the MyCultura podcast network on the IHeart, Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 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. The Super Secret Bestie Club podcast season four 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. 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 Deva of the People.

The Deva of the People. I'm just like Text Your Ex. My theory is that if you need to figure out that 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, heartbreak, 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Okay, there's a few more things I just want to mention. One being that overall, Sean had nice things to say about Caitlin and Lauren had nice things to say about you. Really, they thought that you guys were both a wonderful, charismatic, likable leads.

I just wish there was something else like that's great and I have I would have full confidence if you want them to talk to you about you as a human being and not as a lead of a show. It makes me sound like I was just like a character and I mean that's not fair

but I get it like they I would have no questions that Lauren would speak highly of me that's not like a fear of mine I didn't know with this podcast with some of the like editing of the trailers I was like shocked goodness gracious like

they went heart at me. And that doesn't seem fair because Sean went to my wedding as a friend. And I think Warren would look back and say, hey, like, no, it didn't work out. But like, we don't hate each other. There's no will here. Like, we're both happy for each other. And so I, I didn't, again, I didn't listen to the podcast, but from the notes that are sitting in front of me and from the words of you and Hana. And from me who did listen to the podcast on behalf of us. It did sound like they were, they were overall very nice to the two of us, which is good and expected. It would be shocking. because I know Lauren, and I know that's not like, she might not, like, be my biggest fan.

She might not be telling, like, Chris and her family, oh, been so great. But she wouldn't have negative things to say. I don't think. Yeah. But also, I couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Sean literally reached out to Caitlin a couple of months ago to say, can you stop talking about a relationship that ended five years ago? And then he did a half an hour segment on the relationship. That's interesting. I didn't think about that. Well, yeah, he's going to, you know, the balance on

these podcasts is interesting because a lot of times you are going to be speaking about your past. He admitted it, though. I kind of questioned it last week. He said, I understand now that I have my own podcast, that it is hard not to bring up. Yeah, it gets brought up. But I'm glad they were, I'm glad they were positive. Overall, you would say, Ashley, that listening to this as a friend of mine and as a friend of Caitlin's, you never were like, angry? No. Okay. I was, the only thing that made me really go, hmm, was the, it was like a young love.

I don't know if my feelings were as intense as they were yours, Sean, and feeling like it was a different kind of love. Then she should have gone home. She should have gone home. Make it easy on me. Break up with me at the, leave me standing in Jamaica all alone at the podium, just being I'm like, well, son of a gun. Like, I am unlovable.

Like, love me. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. I mean, Ben, there's also one other thing. It was the fact that she said that you're a happy couple weekends weren't necessarily that happy. She said what? So happy couple weekends. Oh, okay.

You guys know they're like the little moments that the lead and the quote, quote, winner have. They have about three of them between the show. rapping, filming, and airing. And Lauren said that you guys didn't have a blast in them. What was your take? I mean, if she didn't like me, I bet they were painfully hard for her. Like, if she was showing up to these happy couples and I was-

Oh, okay. Well, I didn't know. Okay. She liked you very much. You were just not the great love of her life, which you said. It's awesome. You respect. Yeah, it's respect.

I loved happy couples. You don't know why? Free food, free booze. and like in the midst of the chaos of the Bachelor and being the Bachelor it was like three days that the show could not contact you to do anything and so you were just chilling like sleeping in

the show couldn't contact you because she said that you were out on Bachelor duties that you would go on Bachelor errands and like make press appearances during it and then she'd be I don't remember no I don't really see you don't remember I don't remember it's been so long I mean if that was a case

possibly I remember those being, okay, let me say it this way then. In the midst of the chaos and the craziness of being the bachelor, when you're on press duties and traveling around and doing appearances and everything from like 7.30 a.m. till 8 p.m. at night every day, those were an escape because they just had less duties than usual. You weren't gone all day, every day from morning to night and then wake up and do it again. Like, I felt like I remember days of taking naps, which was not a thing for me back then and I love a good nap. You're such a napper.

Like I can just see you like curling up and being in a hobby. Golf on Thursday through Sunday. You got to believe it. And they were nice houses. Like, and we, you know, I don't know. I thought they were fun. I enjoyed them. I have good, I have good memories of those.

I'm glad that you have good memories of those. Sean brought something up that I was interested to know your take on. He said that he's like, like, okay, so here I am in a house with this girl that I'm like now engaged you. I guess I'll get to know her. It made me feel like

he didn't feel like he was totally in love and knows her. I'm like, Sean, you were the man who literally was so certain. This was like the woman for you during this season. Then you're now you're in the happy couple and you're like, I guess I'll get to know

her. I'm like, wait, what? I mean, yes, you'll get to know much more over time but did you feel like you were in a house with a stranger is what I asked asking you because I do know what it's like when the show packs up

and you're like okay now you can go be with each other in real life there's no cameras even the fantasy suite feels like that it's like oh god do I know you do have we've been hanging out the past couple weeks yeah so did you feel like

you were getting to know somebody from like friends Or were you like, this is my fiancé? I totally know her. Like, let's just have some fun. Okay. Two different responses. One is as a bystandard on that season and as a, you know, somebody that saw that

love story play out. I am surprised that he felt that way. I don't want to say he was wrong. But I am surprised because it really felt like from night one, Sean. They knew each other's souls. Yes. Like that Sean and Caitlin were meant for something. Obviously, they weren't for marriage, but they were meant for something.

Yeah. And it also seemed like through the season, Sean really cared about Caitlin and got to know Caitlin. And, you know, maybe watching it back, I did feel, I do remember watching that season back and feeling like the connection I thought they had in the house, like from being in the house and like hearing it and seeing it, TV made it feel less than what I thought it was. Really? Because TV made me feel a lot. Well, there was a lot of making out. There was a lot of like, just like quiet moments. And then there was the argument to me where a lot of their time was spent talking about

the other guy, Nick. Yeah. And so it, it, I always just expected to watch it back and be like, of course. Like they, they had something so magical and they knew each other so well. And I still think they did. I just think they went about it a different way. Okay, so that's my first response. More surprise.

I'm not going to say he was wrong. It's his feeling. feelings, his emotions. That's what he thought. Before you go on, let's just, let me just give Sean the benefit of the doubt. He's definitely talking about, like, in hindsight, as a couple that didn't work out. You know, he wouldn't have said that, I'm sure, if they were married today. No, exactly.

Yeah. Okay, but go ahead. But then I would say when it comes to, like, happy couple weekends, yes, it did at times feel that way. Not necessarily like you're a stranger or not necessarily, I don't know you or I don't like you. It's, what's your phone number? What's your middle name? Where did you go to high school?

What's your middle name? Yeah. What makes you tick? You know, what sets you off? What's your pet peeves? Like those things you do figure out after the show. Now, I would only say the comparison would be like a Katie and Zach right now, where it feels like they're doing great or Jojo and Jordan.

But Jojo and Jordan took a lot longer to kind of get to the point where I think they were ready to get married than the Katie and Zach's of the world. So I do think that people come off of it and feel like, yes. We have a connection. We know each other. Let's keep this thing moving. But I don't disagree with him when it comes to at times feeling like, yes, I'm spending a weekend in a house with a stranger. Yeah. Or not, again, not a stranger. That's a wrong word. Like a, I'm spending a weekend in a house with my first date. Okay. 100%. A great description. All right, Ben. Well, you just touched on Nick. So I think we should probably talk about the fact that he is going to be on special forces.

This was rumored. He did not tell Jared and I about it. He did not tell me about it. I don't know. Like he doesn't like have to tell me his day to day. Like we don't, we're like we had the kind of relationship where, you know, I see him without talking to him for four months. And it feels like we've been together forever. But it's, but like I'm like so freaking excited.

excited to see him go through this. So Hannah Brown, we know one season, one of special forces. And now Tyler Cameron and Nick are both on this coming season that debuted September, too far from now, I tell you. September 20 something. Sorry, the dates in front of me right now, but this is going to be so good.

I have to go back and finish watching Hannah Brown's season because I want to watch her be that badass that she is. Like, she is just so impressive to me. Who makes it farther, Ashley, Nick or Tyler? You know that they definitely go in with this mindset that, like, no matter who I, who outlasts me, like, I have to outlast Tyler or I have to outlast Nick. They probably won in with direct, indirect competition of each other. What do you think? Oh, I'm guessing that was definitely there. You know Nick well. What are some of Nick's, like, fears? Is he claustrophobic? Is he scared?

to heights. Like, what could really set him off? Because I don't know, Tyler. So I don't know his fears or his concerns. It feels like, you know, he's a Florida boy. He likes to dive. He's comfortable in water. He's maybe a little adventurous. He's obviously very athletic. So is Nick, though. And so those, like, athletic competitions they'll do good at. But do you know any of Nick's fears? Or does he have any that are apparent? No, not that I can think of. But I'm just thinking that like the living situation it's not going to be ideal for him. Like on a cot, going to the bathroom,

and like the first episode of the first season, I remember them being like so freaking dehydrated. They get like one little canteen of water for the day. Yeah. It's so scary. I think about how they asked us to do stars on Mars.

They didn't, I felt like that's like the comparable show, but like it's way less strenuous. Okay. It's the joke version of Starz on Mars. Yeah, Stars on Mars is a joke version of Special Forces. Did they ask you to do Special Forces at all? No. You swear to me.

I swear. You know you're going to be asked for season three if there's a season three. I'm busy on a podcast. I don't have any time. No, you have to fill these shoes. Okay. I Jared and I have asked each other how much we'd have to get paid to go to Special Forces. and while I guess I don't know I don't know I have a number in my head I'd have a number do you have a number do you just want to do it would you just do it for free hell no I would not do really no I don't know that's the kind of thing that I feel like you would do because like

you're you like things like this you're doing a triathlon that's basically human torture yeah there's one thing I do for free one reality show celebrities golden bachelor No, celebrity is golfing. You already said that you'd do the Golden Venture for free. I would. Yeah. I think I still... So you do too.

I think that's the offer is still in the table. I don't know. No, I would not do this for free. It would take me some time to think it through. I mean, it's tough. And from hearing Hannah do her interviews, like it's hard and it's strenuous and you're sick. And, you know, the one thing you know me I would have no problem with is the bathroom situation. Like, sorry.

Like, this is the setup. Like, I'm going to do my thing and you guys are all going to have to be a part of it. And if you don't like it, walk farther away. But I would have no problem with that. I would have no problem with the sleeping arrangements because I love to camp and I love to hike. And so I've slept in a lot worse than a cot, you know, in a big old protected room. I'm not even going to say my fears out loud because if I do sign up for this show, I feel like they're going to pull this interview back and just like stick me with them.

So, yeah, there are things in my life that I don't enjoy doing that I think this show does that I would have a hard time with. I'm going to call you out on one of your fears because I have the same fear. It would be claustophobia. Yes, 100%. Like them putting us in like a dungeon below sand. Yeah, I'd be done. Like I would not function.

I would say, okay, that was good. This was a good run. I'm out. Well, that's what happens on special forces. Like people just call themselves out. Yeah, I know. And I would be really upset with myself, especially if it was like week one. I'd be like you're such a weenie.

But I would have to do it or I'd have a panic attack. Nick better last. Nick has to last so long. I need to watch. I want to watch him week to week. Also, I think it's worth mentioning that Tom Sandoval is on here. So, like, everybody's least favorite Vanderpump Rules contestant. And he says he's there because he deserves to be punished.

Brilliant. Yes, he does. Hey, Ashley, another big headline. This is just a crazy couple. days. That's why we came out with this special. I was thinking this was our last headline, which is why I was dragging it out. But holy crap, we have another huge headline. Yeah, Gabby Wendy reveals she's been dating a woman for a couple months, which is interesting because we were with her less than a couple months ago. Do you think they choose with her? Yes. When we were

with her? Yeah, for sure. Me too. You know for certain? No, I don't know for certain. But I would imagine that she was. So Gabby Wendy has came out publicly that she is dating Robbie Hoffman, who is a comedian. They've been dating for a few months. They kept it private, obviously for the reasons that every couple keeps it private. Here's the quote from Gabby. I always want to live my truth and my story. So I've been seeing someone for a couple months. And I've been keeping it a little more private because it is a bigger story and a bigger conversation because I'm dating a girl. Now, she told this to the view on the view. Yeah, she gave the view this.

Why did she give the view this and not almost famous? Goodness, that's a big, it's a big land. I know. But good for Gabby. She chatted about it on the view and then she posted pictures to her Instagram, lots of pictures to them together. Yeah. congratulations to Gabby for finding what seems to be some love.

And you told me before we started the episode that you remember her saying that she like has been sort of like into girls in the past or like has experimented. I remember her saying that she, yeah, like she liked girls. Like I like this wasn't a shocker to me because I just in my head have remembered. I can't even point to the moment. I don't even know when it was. But I just remember her saying like that she had at least dated a girl or maybe kissed a girl, something like that.

And so this wasn't like a, oh my gosh, never saw this coming. But it is still a big headline. Are you sure that wasn't her joking with Rachel all the time that they should just date each other? It could have been honestly. It really could have been, right? Yeah, I don't know. It could have been.

All right. Well, Gabby does say, this is a quote, I think it was always a whisper in me to date women. It just got louder and louder. And I didn't really know to pay attention to it. I think when this happens, there's some shame, obviously, surrounding it. I think I had to navigate through the shame. What is it? Where is it coming from?

But ultimately, I always want to do just me, do what I want, figure it out later. There we go. A lot of big headlines today here at the Almost Famous Podcast. All of them big headlines. That's why he came out with a special episode of Headlines, because, well, I know when we spoke earlier this week. The headlines weren't a plenty. And hey, Bachelor Nation said, it's not fair for the homeless famous not to have a lot of headlines. Let's come out with some. So they did. And here we are with another episode of the Almost Famous podcast. Until next time,

when we'll be breaking down charity season of The Bachelorette, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley. See you guys. Thank you so much. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcast on IHart Radio 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, psycho babble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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

The Puzzler. Listen on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get. your podcasts. I just think the process and the journey is so delicious. That's where all the good stuff is. You just can't live and die by the end result. That's comedian Phoebe Robinson.

And yeah, those are the kinds of gems you'll only hear on my podcast, The Bright Side. I'm your host, Simone Boyce. I'm talking to the brightest minds in entertainment, health, wellness, and pop culture. And every week, we're going places in our communities, our careers, and ourselves. So join me every Monday.

and let's find the bright side together. Listen to the bright side on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.