The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Breaking News: The Fate of The Bachelor Revealed! And Taylor Frankie Paul's Social Media Goes Dark!

Episode Date: April 23, 2026

Just as The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives announces a return to production, Taylor Frankie Paul makes a shocking move that could affect the rest of the season! Plus, Ben and Ashley share their reaction to the announcement on the next season of The Bachelor and the future of the franchise!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you

won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves.

We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Vodom. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever.

He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah. It would not be. Right.

It wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad 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're back in the almost famous podcast. We're here today because we've got some more breaking news. Shocking. We have breaking news around here.

It's wild. It's like four times a week. We have now gotten some clarity on the fate of the Bachelor franchise. And also some news on Taylor Frankie Paul. Let's start with Taylor Frankie Paul. It just came out, Ashley, that she's deactivated. It looks like all social media. You know, I make light of the fact that it's breaking news around here because we have so much of it when it comes to Taylor, Frankie Paul. But this is really actually quite serious for her.

She's never done anything like this. This is her, you know, her livelihood. And we were, honestly, for lack of a better term, a little bit weirded out when she didn't take a social media break after the postponement or whatever you want to call it of the Bachelorette. And here she is completely turning off social, especially. especially strange that it's after a string of posts in which she was like, this is what I've been doing to get better emotionally and mentally and like, I'm for you guys on my journey with me. Her sister is the only one who's commented and she said like everybody has a breaking point. That's basically all we got from her. So I don't know what happened over the past week where she decided that like this enough is enough.

and then it was this is an interesting tidbit from a TikToker who noticed her last post her last like regram so she didn't actually post it

but it was like the last one that she liked and like reshared said humble enough to know I am replaceable at work but confident enough to know it would take three people and this is on the tales of

some is she Isshy news from ABC. Rob Mills has made comments at the ABC event that they had this week where he did announce, as you said earlier in the podcast, that Bachelor will return. Bachelor in Paradise will also return, but in 2027. But Taylor's involvement in season 5 that is currently filming now of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is up in the air.

It's going to be limited, at least. based on our conversation yesterday, you can go back and listen to breaking down her decision to be on Secret Lives of Mormon Wives or not. Allegedly, she has declined. She was given the decision, and she said no, but she is not closing the door to any appearances on the season. But Ashley, that does bring us into kind of our breaking news when it comes to The Bachelor. You've mentioned that Rob Mills did state that in 2027,

Bachelor in Paradise and The Bachelor will be returning. He did not, though, clarify anything about The Bachelorette, probably because that's still up in the air. But he does comment on it. The question was asked to him whether season 22 of The Bachelorette starring Taylor Frankie Paul will ever air is a different question. Mills says he doesn't know whether it will ever air on ABC or stream on Hulu and it's taking everything day to day. Ashley, that comment was made based on the recent

decision from Salt Lake City where the county's district attorney's office declined to file charges against Paul. My thought is that they're going to do something with it. I think so. The April 30th thing comes back clear. She gets custody of Ever on April 30. I think they're going to do something with it because he's not ruling it out. And if they are okay with her being on another one of their shows, since they have not let her go for, we know that she will return in some capacity to Secret Lives and Mormon Wives. I'm thinking that they're going to be okay with her going forward with the Bachelor

that's already been filmed. The interesting thing here, Ashley, obviously the big news is that the Bachelor will be returning in 27 along, with Paradise. It's April of 2026 right now. I mean, what are we going to talk about for the next nine months, Ben? Well, the Taylor News keeps going. We have real Housewives and we have Taylor News. But it's interesting. That's a year away that he's saying it will come back. Yeah. I guess my question there is why so long of a hiatus. The Paradise has been so infrequent. the way it is. We took a season off. Then it came back for a season. Now we're going to take

another season off. I'm not an expert in entertainment. I just imagine the, I mean, I've always been told the more you post, the more episodes you can put out there, the more people are going to stay tuned and become loyal to it. I don't know if that's true in TV or not, but that It's a long break. It's a really long break. I guess it's okay to restart. I haven't noticed that any of our other long breaks, like COVID or whatnot, have helped Bachelor.

We need to have a long break with something to boom, like, to be like long break and boom to like really reset it. Yeah, something like wild. Our producer is saying that maybe because of this newly announced show at ABC, it's a dancing with the stars reality show where. people are competing to become the next pro hosted by Robert Irwin, who has kind of been rumored to be asked to be the bachelor. He's too young, you think?

I think he's probably too young. He's like 23 right now. Let me read you this quote. Well, if they wait until 2027, he'll be 33. Okay, never mind. So this quote from Rob Mills, which if you guys don't know Rob Mills by name, he is the head of unscripted at ABC and Hulu. So he says, I don't think.

we need to talk about something that is a year off. Hopefully at next years get real, which is like the conference they're at right now, we'll be talking more about it. So it's like totally frozen. So the, I feel like the only chance we have at anything Bachelor related this year will be if Taylor's season is released.

And it makes sense why it's going to take so long to get something else out there. Yeah. Because like we can't do Paradise without some fresh casts, you know. I said cast, that's silly. We need a fresh bachelorette and bachelor season to create a Bachelor in Paradise. Golden, I mean, even if they were to film Golden today, and they're not nearly there with casting, it still wouldn't air until July.

So that's not going to happen. And then with Bachelor, I mean, they've got a lot of work to do there too, because they don't have a group of guys to pick from. And if they need to stunt cast. it, which they probably do. They have to find the right stuncaster. The quote from Rob Mills is interesting. The Bachelor, Bachelor, he believes, will rise again. It's just he says it's too good of a format. I would agree. I think there's a lot of opportunities for The Bachelor to rise again, but it's the decisions and the way that it's presented. I mean, I think the Bachelorette was

on the verge of rising again. It was two days away from really having some of historic ratings and a lot of interest and intrigue. I think all of the this, I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when Rob was getting these questions because it's very interesting that they were being asked at Get Real, which is the unscripted kind of conference and announcement with a very small bachelor presence at this conference. You know, you had, I think, a picture of four or five former contestants and leads that attended this. if we would have flashback 10 years ago, a conference like this for Disney would have been

the structure of this, the foundation of it would have been Bachelor. But it's not. They invited people from Los Angeles, locals, and to like ask if they want to come. This was not like a big performance. It was almost like the show didn't exist. Right.

And just going off topic a bit. but I don't predict that there will be that there's a real hunger for a golden bachelor season after male season so I don't even really like count that as part of the franchise right now tracks let's go new music and the next big thing always on the new music first your first place to hear it all because you're going to like it love to want to play it twice playing now I heart new music Your digital station for brand new drops, fresh vines, and tomorrow's bangers. I think we need something new. Discover IHeart new music.

Always fresh, always first. Stream now on the free IHartRadio app. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice Podcast. to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar.

This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. There's two golden rules. that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes.

And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care.

So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. It's interesting to me, Ashley, as I sit here, and I'm with Rob, I agree. I think the format is good. I think it will rise again. I'm going to believe that. I want to believe it. The franchise has done so much for you and I personally and so many of our friends.

But it is interesting to sit in a place. And I think everybody would have to admit to this. Right now, that show is dead. Now, it could, it's not like on, you know, I guess dead would be like done. It's on its last breath. It will have to rise again to get back on television. The golden was massive. It's done.

and it all happened in one season. I don't want to blame Mel for that. But that show's done. And then our producer goes, I do. Yeah. Taylor, I mean, the Bachelorette. Done. Right?

And now we have this place where we have this hiatus of saying, we're going to wait another year to air television. I do believe the franchise is strong, but how does it come back? And that's my question for you, Ashley. how does it come back? Okay. It comes back to me, and this is maybe way too personal,

too personal of a feeling. But I feel like The Bachelor is one of the most wholesome reality TV shows out there. And I think that's how people just like getting a little too tired of like the ranch of Temptation Island and Love Island. Like the pendulum comes back. Yeah. The only thing that's just like. that I have to say that's hilarious is who is the host of the show that's actually trying to bring Holesome back Chris Harrison.

Their Fox Nation show is all about like, well, this is probably going a little bit more back in time than back to Holesome, but it's like people who want additional stay at home mom. You think it's going to be, I know from what I've heard from casting over there, they've said that they like feel like it's going to feel like old school bachelor. Yeah, I don't think they set a traditional values things to get people talking. I don't mean, this isn't a, hey, mom, you can't work, be at home all the time. You don't think so? No.

Oh, okay. I think it's like. I thought it was trad wives. Yeah, I think that's what they kind of wanted people to, and then they'll watch and be like, oh no, this is old school bachelor. Okay. I think. We'll see.

Anyway, when I watch reality TV, because everybody's always like, do you watch this do you watch that like how do you be how can you be on reality tv then you like you don't watch a ton and i'm like because a lot of the stuff makes me like feel uncomfortable i will say what watching our show back housewives of rhode island doesn't make me feel uncomfortable there is like something like more grounded feeling um and like more familiarly oriented than like a lot of the the like quote quote love shows which is really just hookup shows. Yeah, you're right.

There's very few, like, love shows. It's hookup shows. It's hot people shows. Exactly. And that makes me so uncomfortable. You and I. Yeah, I, yes, I don't have any concept for them. I mean, I've heard rumors about these shows and that they have live cameras in the

bedrooms and there's, like, sounds and noises. I'm like, I don't want to see that. Like, the night camera vision, like, with the cameras along. in the corner of the room. That pushes my moral envelope. I know that it happens sometimes with fantasy suites in paradise, but that like for some reason,

it just feels fine. It feels like within the bounds of love because those people are always like in serious relationships. And these other shows, it's just like, you're hot tonight and I'm drunk. And I'm like, no.

Yeah. It's going to be interesting, Ashley. I'm glad that I, that Rob Mills was answering these questions that he said it would come back. That does give me confidence. is the one that could speak to it and say it. I think, and I hope Rob listens,

I feel for him and the team. They have a massive job in front of them. And I don't think that's understating it, overstating it. I don't think that's anything they don't know. There is going to have to be a lot of intention, geniusness, wisdom to pull this off. So I'm glad I'm hearing him say it. and I think they have a good team there.

Do I believe it's actually going to happen? I can't say I do. I'm not confident that they can figure, like that sounds like I'm going against them. I just don't know how it comes back after your hiatus is pretty much what I'm saying. It comes back with a really good famous bachelor. Maybe. That could be it.

Who's like wholesome and grounded. Like I love like an NFL player who is well known but not. No such thing, Ashley. What are you talking about? My sister's here to join in for her podcast with Ben about the real housewives of Rhode Island. So I'll leave you guys to it. Lauren, can you think of one bachelor off the top of your head? No, but I was just going to say, thank goodness for Farmer Wants a Wife, though.

You guys are forgetting all about that. Do you like Farmer Wats Wife? Yeah, I don't know how they find these hot cowboys everywhere. All right. Well, guys, I'm sure we'll be back later this week with an update on Taylor Frankie Paul's socials, Because, I mean, they're active. Left with no departure. No departure warning.

Let's say thanks to ABC and Hulu for commenting publicly that this show will come back. We both want to come back. Yeah, I know. We're so happy about that. That is truly, like, such good news for us. I would be so sad if we were living in a bachelor-free world. Maybe we can get Rob on. Let's see if we can get Rob on. Will he?

Yeah. He's so sweet to us. Yeah, he's open to talk. Let's get him on to, like, really dive in to. and maybe where his mind's at. I think that would be good for us, the show, the listeners. Hey, where do you see this going? I think would be a big conversation and a really good one for everybody to hear.

Like if he was kind of put on the hot seat to say, hey, I'm so glad you said this, but how are you going to do it? Would be fun and get people excited for 2027. Well, hey, that's the breaking news for the day. We'll be back breaking down the Real Housewives of Rhode Island. We also on the Almost Famous Podcast are breaking down Farmer wants a wife, because of Heather Martin's appearance on the show. We have breaking news all the time.

We're going to keep going because Bachelor Nation is everywhere and you, the listener, want to hear it and we want to talk about it. So until next time, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley. Bye. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcasts on IHeartRadio

or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Cliford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network, on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast,

it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects.

From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make, to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider,

you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist,

they take matters into their own hands. I vowed, I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the guys. Girlfriends, trust me, babe, on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I got you.

What's up, everyone? I'm Ago Wode. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration.

It would not be on. a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Yeah. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.