The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Choose Your Bachelor

Episode Date: May 29, 2025

It’s the ultimate slumber party when Caelynn Bell hangs out at a Villa in Napa with Geneieve Parisi, Mercedes Northup and Rachel Recchia!We’re asking questions and NOTHING is off limits! Find out which alternative Bachelor season each lady would go on if given a choice, who would thrive on Survivor, and why we all need a hype woman!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then, everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, terrorism. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System

On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 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 or 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 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel. Writer Strong. And Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. We are back in Las Vegas and giving the people what they want, a full week of Y2K content. Tell me, Y. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency. sphere, of course.

We joke and say this is our second marriage, but it takes a lot of communication. Plus, it's carrot top, baby. And finally, Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the on-purpose podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all-time, Novak Djokovic. He's one 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak, joke a bitch.

When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How long can I push my own limits? Listen to On Purpose with Jay Chetty on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you live.

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 iHeart radio app search emergency intercom and listen now this is the almost famous podcast with iHeart radio hello everyone welcome back to the almost famous podcast i'm kailen bell here, joined with Rachel, Mercedes, and Genevieve, and we are broadcasting live from the heart of Sonoma Valley. Let me tell you, we are in the most gorgeous home. It's kind of reminiscent of the Bachelor Mansion. We are making memories to last a lifetime. We are having the best time here, and it's all thanks to Verbo. So when you are enjoying a great vacation, or you're about

to plan a vacation, make sure you had to Verbo, because we're having a great time. We are having a great time and we are going to start off this podcast with a great game a lot of questions a lot of fun questions a lot of uncomfortable questions and we're going to start off with if you weren't on your season of the bachelor who's would you want to be on anyone i'll start i would be on peter weber season oh tell us why because he's sexy and we're both pilots love that so i think i would do well or maybe he would send me home night one I don't think so I think you heard it here first

I think you do well too but that's no I think that's who for sure I would pick I like it Mercedes what do I want to say Jesse Palmer I can't take the easy way out Was he the host of your season? Everyone wants me on Jesse Palmer season Yes

I love this I'm just kidding though I don't know Why do I want to say Joey's I like that answer. It's a good one. Yeah, I feel like I would choose Joey's. Also sexy. I feel like, Kelsey.

What's that show? Good answer, good answer. Family feud. Oh, I love that. I love that show. I feel like I would be on one of the older seasons. Like, because maybe this is just like my perception, but it feels like it was more real before. And it's just becoming, like, more games.

Give us a name. Sean Lowe. I thought he was a sweetheart. I love that him and Catherine are just like happy. They have their family. I love that. So it seems normal and like a good person. I would choose that, I guess.

I love that. Can't answer everyone? I'm married so I can't answer, unfortunately. But on to the next. Oh, so we just have to answer. Okay. Okay. I do want to know, has anyone from The Bachelor not on your season, Rachel, not on your seasons of Paradise?

slid into your DMs. Ooh, spicy. I feel like mine is just like my season of guys that like we just chat. No one outside of it. I don't like not that like not in a way of like trying to like. Yeah. Just like I think if we're friends if we've met in person, I want to be like, oh yeah. No, I just feel like it's like me and my season of guys just chatting in the DMs.

And then people that are just my friends. I feel like no. No? I don't think so. Wait, really? Why is it surprised me? I feel like that... Wait, there's one.

You don't have to say who, but you told me about one. Oh, that was before the show. Yeah, but still counts. Oh, you have to tell. He will kill me. No, he won't. He's very open about it. No, he's not.

We're not talking about this. Oh, no. No, no, but one did. Yes, yes. Someone slid in before... I thought you guys, like, talked about how you had. Before, no, but not before. Really?

Before I was on the show. Yeah. It happens to the best of us. I slid into my husband's DMs before I met him, before I was on the show. I love that. She's a manifestation queen. I actually love that. We love.

Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn't it. We also talked about this earlier. Who here auditioned for the show. I'm very open. I auditioned. I was, I loved the show as big fan in college.

So yeah, I put myself out there and I auditioned. And I think a lot of people are not honest. At least back in the day, we're not honest about auditioning. And I think there's a taboo around it. But if you want something, then you have to go after it. And I wanted to be on the show. I love that. I auditioned.

No, I agree too. I think it's the popular answer to be like, oh my God, like my co-worker. I've never watched it. I never heard of it. I just, all of a sudden one day I was on the show. But like, even if you do get nominated, you still do actually have to like do the interviews and the videos. And so don't be fooled. Like, people don't just get nominated and they stumble on.

It is actually like I felt like it was like my job to like be interviewing like I would go to my job and then I would come home and have to do like a million things for the interview process. But I nominated myself because I was like breaking up with my ex-boyfriend and I was like you know what and I'm going to go on The Bachelor and I did. I'm like I'll be the bachelor. I truly no but I really feel like the one thing I was like I need to do this and like I just kept having this feeling that I need to do this. And then. It ended up being like one of the best decisions I ever made. So I'm happy that I. And that was like a gut feeling. It was a gut feeling. Yeah. And I don't get those often. Yeah.

So yeah, I'm happy. It worked out. Yeah, I, my cousin nominated me. Sure, Mercedes. Like four years before that, they like came to Nashville for like an open casting call. And I went, I was like 20. There was no way I was getting on the show. But I went and I was hungover.

And the guy that interviewed me was from Des Moines, Iowa, which I'm from Iowa. So I was like, oh, my gosh, it's little this meant to be. No, no. She had a gut feeling too. No, I really. No, like, this is mine to me. Because you knew you would be on it eventually. No, but do you want to know what's so crazy?

Okay, so the guy when I was 20 years old, the interviewed me was from Des Moines, Iowa. Okay, didn't get on, obviously. So then when you go to L.A. For like your final interview, outside of the window in L.A., there was a sign that said Iowa. It literally said Iowa And then the girl that took me to the final interview room was from Iowa Because you were meant to be on the show

That is crazy That is really weird No I told my mom when I got back I'm like I like don't know how this is happening to me But like I literally think I got it Because why would like God put so many people like Right in front of me just telling me yes That's crazy yeah

It wasn't your time the first time But they were saying like Keep trying basically Yeah That's exactly what it was and you were on the season You were meant to be on Yeah that's crazy

they DM'd me and I hate like yeah I hate saying but they but Genevieve was like an inf- Like I remember on our season one of our producers like went up shows and I'm like Genevieve's an influencer And we're like Genevieve's an influencer

That's why a guy we will not name slid into your DMs before you're ever on the show Yeah so we were like I remember looking I'm like Jenny like She was like I remember someone being like Do you have a lot of followers? Because the producers, they were like, yeah, Jennery's an influencer. That's crazy.

Which obviously have you seen Genevieve. Like, if I just saw that girl, I'd follow her too. Like, literally the most sunny, best hype woman ever. You are. You don't need hype women when you're you. Thank you. Aw. Yeah, so then I went through the process, though.

Like, I did everything. Everyone else did all the interviews. So you're saying you were nominated. They reached. I don't know if someone nominated me, actually. I was a joke. Oh, I was like, I don't know. but you technically were but weren't i guess so yeah you're picked you're plucked said like hey i'm

casting for a show if you want to check like my bio says more information if you're interested and i was like okay why not like let's try it i'm honestly shocked that those work because like you see that a lot with love is blind and like all these other reality shows where they're like come like audition whatever and i'm shocked at work i was no it kind of was odd that i checked the bio and i used to watch bachelor in high school with my mom and sister. And I remember sitting there being like if I'm 30 and single, I'm going on this. I mean, granted, I went on it when I was 26, but now I'm 30 and single and still talking about it. But yeah, so it was, I think, no regrets. Everything happens for a reason. Yeah, we all ended up here. I was in love with Dean, Angler, now Bell, and would love to have been

on his season, but he was never the bachelor, and then ended up on Colton season, but still ended up marrying my husband. So it worked out. I love that. I have a question. How did you slide into his DMs? Like, do you remember what you said? Yeah. What'd you say? Okay, so one of my best friends DMed Ben Higgins around the same time. They are not married. He's married to Jessica, who is one of my favorite people in the world. But she would always DM, not always. Like, she damned to like a couple people she thought were cute. And she said, hey, I have a question. So I thought about that approach because it's like intriguing, you know? It's like, well, what's the question? Like I need to know.

Yeah. I think I like went with something lame. I almost did that. And then I was like, I'm just going to say, hey, I'm in L.A. Do you want to get caught? Like something stupid. And so we're going to get coffee and then like ended up bailing a couple days early. But whatever.

It ended up working out. That is so crazy though that you literally DMed him and then now you're like married. It's weird. It's weird that it was like before I was ever on the show. Yeah. But I've like always thought Dean is the most handsome guy ever. So. Yeah.

I asked her at dinner. I'm like, will you teach me how to manifest? like that because Kailen is mastermind by Taylor Swift like she knows but even like Bachelor like I just loved that show so much and I had I just wanted to travel and I had no money to travel and I was like I want to get on the show I would love to find love but it doesn't seem realistic you know like I think people go on the show and they're like want to put on a good face and like no I was a front opposite I was like I am getting no but I'm delusional like I'm a Pisces I'm thinking I'm In my mind, I was like, that's awesome, but, like, realistically, there's 30 girls. What are the chances that, like, he's going to pick me? The chances of me getting to go on fun trips are, like, a lot higher. So that's going to, it's not my priority. But in a sense, I think, like, now I'm past it enough to be like, yeah, that was my priority.

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

professor and they're the same age. 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 OKStorytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast

or wherever you get your podcast. Hello, it's Daniel Official. Writer Strong and Wilfredel from PodMeets World. And we're bringing you Viva Las Content. That's right. We are back in Las Vegas, the city of sin, and giving the people what they want. A full week of

Y2K content. Wait, we're back in Vegas. Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course. We sat down with Kevin Richardson and A.J. McLean just minutes before they took the stage and our very own Wilfredel basically became the newest member of the band. Boy band, please. Plus, the man who has the longest running comedy show on the strip joins us and gets his props. It's Carrot Top, baby. And finally, we all L-O-V-E-Her, Ashley. Ashley. Simpson Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. It's a full week of nostalgic interviews you don't want to miss. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then, at 6.33 p.m., everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Apparently, the explosion actually impelled metal glass. The injured were being loaded into ambulances. Just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, and it was here to stay.

Terrorism. Law and order, criminal justice system is back in season two we're turning our focus to a threat that hides in plain sight that's harder to predict and even harder to stop listen to the new season of law and order criminal justice system on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the on-purpose podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all-time Novak Djokovic. The world's number one, Mayo Tennis player.

He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak Djokovic! You've been through so many injuries, losses. I always showed himself. What has Novak Djokovic done? What goes through your mind when you lose? want to be left alone. What has it taken to become Novak Djokovic? It's a consistent practice. It's prayer work, mindfulness, meditation, conscious breathing. It requires more responsibility

from you on a daily basis to prepare yourself for the biggest battle. When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How far can I go? How long can I push my own limits? Listen to On Purpose with Jay Chetty on the I Hi Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 Whitmer, Jody Sweetie.

Monica Patton. Elaine Welterah. I'm Jessica Voss. And that's when I was like, I got to go. I don't know how, but that kicked off the pivot of how to make the transatlantician. transition. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Every episode gets real about the why behind these changes and gives you the inspiration and maybe the push to make your next pivot. Listen to these women and more on She Pivots now on the IHeart

Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It does bring me to one of my last questions, which is, would you ever go on another date show or a reality show yeah I think I might like I would think about it it would have to be the right one but I think I would definitely be open to it I would love to see you on another show Ritchie yeah yeah you're just maybe you're made for it

I love dating on TV so I feel like I would I don't know which one I know which one I know which one too Let's all say it One, two, three Farmer has a wife Oh, I didn't know the name But Farmer

Farmer has a wife What is the actual name? Farmer has a wife Farmer wants a wife One, two three Farmer wants a wife Yeah Are you sure that's what it is?

I think so We'll see her on there Season 2 She lives in Iowa on a farm She's got the life She shows it very well on Instagram It would be a good show for me She needs her real life

Yellowstone love story. Like this is Beth Dutton right here. I was like, I'm going to find my husband. I literally went to Montana two days early before all the girls. You could go to the bar? Yes, I'm going to go to the whiskey. I'm like, Beth. Martinis are injured with friends.

Do you find anyone? No. No, I didn't. That's like, were you like in Bozeman or where were you? Okay. She is meant to be on there. Yeah. They don't, you know, like Beth Dutton goes to Bozeman just to do business.

Like they're living out on the farm. Yeah. Yeah, so I need to do that. I need to do that. I go out to the farms then and do it. Just pop her out, knock on doors. You guys, I literally like. She knocks on the bunkhouse door. She's like, I go there.

Ranch hands. I can picture it. No. I'll be like, yeah, that'd be crazy. I do need a farmer, though. So maybe I'll do a farmer once wife. Yeah, also, again, come to Aspen. There's a lot of farms, a lot of ranches.

Maybe come visit you and we'll find someone, surely, somewhere. Has to. Have you seen? her. Seriously. All the farmers would be fighting over it. They would. And I'm so serious about that.

I would love to watch. Wait, did you guys watch this season? No, but I didn't know the highlights. Rachel told me about this today. I just saw the one clip on TikTok about like the girl who wouldn't kiss him on camera. That's what I saw too. She was kind of like the highlight of the season. And I feel like Mercedes would be that.

But like it would be because all the guys are like fighting over her. Yeah. Over who gets to like. You know to ask her to manifest and then manifest that for me. Whatever witchcraft, Kaelin is doing, please do it for my babies. Me and Haley Bieber were one in the same. They went to the same witch in the mountains. I'll hook you up with my witch.

Okay, Genevite. What was the question? Will you go on reality TV? Dating? I think dating shows I'm done with that. Maybe. I don't know. I'm not against it.

But there's nothing in the works, I guess I'll say that. I could still like Love Island. Love Island, US? Anything you could be in a bikini and be, yeah, I don't think people can just go from Bachelor to like love on. 100%. Oh, you can do anything you want these days. Netflix and TV, whatever you want.

I heard you can do anything you want. Also, I don't think I want to date anyone from reality TV anymore. I think I'm, honestly, I think I'm past that. Like I, it's, I don't think it's for me. what about like an amazing race or survivor i would okay we want to go on survivor i would love to go on like a game show in like 10 seconds and do the puzzle in five like she is that kind of like you're so good at puzzles oh i was going to say honestly i would

love to do but i think i'd be like voted off immediately but you have a good you know social game i can do math social game i don't like to even you could totally have a good social that's a thing you fly under the radar with survivor you know you're like maybe yeah yeah yeah like find the strong man and like yeah you can open the coconut i've seen or do it i think you can open the coconut that's true and that's like a skill like i'm set the fires and the coconut i can fish there we go i could fish and get everyone fish i couldn't cut it or cook it but jenny you're so good you're so good okay so there's like so many to choose from the challenge what about it

would you go on that MTV no I don't think I would be good at that that's pretty similar yeah but it's like all actual challenges I'm not like I'm not what's the word I can't like run

but you work out apparently she is saying she can't do all these things and I know her and I know she can do them She's literally saying she can't. I'm going to call you out. I can't be athletic, but I just don't have, like, stamina. Like, I can't, I can't run for a long time.

Yeah. I'm telling you, I know you. Genev would be great on a dating show, on any sort of a challenge show. She's met for TV. She's so great. She is cutting herself down right now, and I'm going to call her out because she's amazing. I think you would thrive outside of dating. Yeah, I'm like, the dating is not, like, also watching myself date.

I'm like, oh, gosh. No, it's not bad, but I think, like, you would thrive and, you know, you're a Gemini and your intensity would be utilized better elsewhere. I think so, too. Yeah. Way better than a dating show. Okay, before we wrap, I do want to know outside of dating, where would you guys thrive? Like, what reality show?

Oh. Non-dating. I feel like Bachelor was like, I'm good in that because I'm so emotional. And when I think about a show that's, like, thrives on being emotionally, like, vulnerable, it would be a dating show, which I never thought I could be like that. So it's like so cliche, but I think Boucher was like the perfect place for me. Yeah, I think so too. But there's other ones like traitors against survivors emotional.

I know, but I'm not like traitors. I'm not good with conflict. And I feel like every show, even other reality shows, it's like you have to be good with conflict and I avoid. She hides from conflict. I'm kind of like that too. is the challenge the one that like jojo C-Wa was on what's that big brother or no no no no no no no military one special forces okay I don't think I would be good at it but I would love to go on it

like I would love to watch her oh wow I feel like I would because I like I don't know if daredevil's the right word but like I like adrenaline and I feel like I'm I wouldn't be good but like I would try it you probably would be. I can see you being like all the good at that or something. Yes, she's like I wouldn't be good, but right? Yes, I think I would be good. No, like she could like stand on that bridge and walk across the parapet. Yes, like stuff like that I wouldn't bother me.

The parapet. But I don't know. I feel like that one would be fun. That would be a good one. Traders. When you said traitors, like I just, I love watching that show. I think it's so interesting. I think I can pick up like on little.

I think I would be able to tell, but also it's easier said than done. I'm like, oh, I'd be able to tell when someone's lying. But who knows? But I just think it's interesting and it's just like a fun show. Oh, it's so good. It's one of my favorite shows ever. I, in my mind, I'm like, I would be so good. But I'm also like such a bad liar.

And I don't think it could be a manipulator, I think. Yeah. Yeah. But both ways. It's like, yeah, bad faithful. I think I would just think I'm a traitor because I'm too like. Yes. I'm like trying to convince them that I'm a faithful.

It's like, no, she's a traitor. You're like, you're getting defensive. No, I'm just like really. This is me. Yeah. yeah i don't know what you do wait okay so you said parapet and you know how they did squid games like a reality version of it yeah they need to do that a fourth wing oh i would be on that is where i would thrive like Netflix need to pick up a fourth wing where we like are going through the quadrant

way like the obstacle course like there is like a full game show that they could take advantage of and i think i would lose immediately but it would be so sick because i would love love to be a background character in fourth wing the show, but I think that's impossible to achieve. So I think my next step is like a Netflix show of fourth wing. Yeah. Like squikings. That's such a good idea. That's such a good idea. I love that book. And that is where I would thrive. Yeah. I love that. Yeah. You would do good. We're just people meant to be on reality TV, I think. Yeah, I guess so. And with that, I'm going to wrap it up. And thank you so much for listening to the Almost Famous Podcast. Again, we are here in the beautiful Verbo Villa, and it's a great time.

It's a great little girl's trip we have. So much fun so far. Yeah. Thanks for listening. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their needs. new Christmas toys. Then everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged. Terrorism. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 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 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hello, it's Danielle Fischel. Writer Strong. And Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. We are back in Las Vegas and giving the people what they want, a full week of Y2K content. Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course. We joke and say this is our second marriage, but it takes a lot of communication. Plus, it's carrot top, baby.

And finally, Ashley Simpson Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residence. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the On Purpose Podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Djokovic. He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak Djokovic. When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How long can I push my own limits?

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Humanzor. 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 IHeart Radio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. This is an IHeart podcast.