The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Cry Cry Again

Episode Date: May 12, 2025

Ben and Ashley are taking your questions and NOTHING is off limits! Find out who Ben would want to swap lives with, hear Ashley’s Bachelor Nation conspiracy theory, and we finally get the real answer on Ashley’s total cry count.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 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 residency. 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 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. 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 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.

I'm Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. I know how overwhelming it can feel if flying makes you anxious. In session 418 of the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett and I discuss flight anxiety. What is not a norm is to allow it to prevent you from doing the things that you want to do, the things that you were meant to do. Listen to therapy for black girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcast with IHart Radio. Hey guys, welcome to the Almost Famous Podcast. Today is one of Ben's Ben and my Q&A session. We love these. You guys send in your questions and we answer them. Today we have your names and your city. So it feels like a real radio show and I love it. So we're going to start with one from Cassie from Denver. Ben, what's more nerve-wracking? handing out your first rows on national TV or sending a risky text without a follow-up plan. Oh, this feels a little too personal. No, we love it. Have you ever sent a risky text? Because, you know, we know that your wife, well, she was a virgin before you guys got married.

So I feel like there weren't a lot of risky texts during that period of your life. But maybe. Yeah, but this like being from Denver and being somebody asking, like, I'm like, is this like a flirtatious? Was this like, is this coming back 11 years ago? And they're like, finally, I get to ask this question of why he never texted me back. Yes, he totally gave her your number.

Post-Loren breakup. up. This happened during that Ben era. That's what I'm worried about. I'm like getting red and hot right now. Like, I don't like this. Wait, this is resonating with you as if it could be. Do you know what Cassie? No, I don't.

But, yeah. What's more nerve-wracking? Without a follow-up plan. Goodness, I would say probably the national television moment. I mean, I don't know what exactly risky text means without a follow-up plan. Yeah, me neither. What's your follow? I've always have a follow-up plan. I said the risky text because I got the follow-up plan. Maybe my follow-up plan is not to respond back to you. But yeah, I mean, being on national television passing out roses is definitely more nerve-wracking. All right, moving on. Ashley, how many crying memes of yourself have you seen? And which one's your favorite? Okay, well, that question is from Jordan P. in Tampa. And I will admit, I have this app. my phone. It's called GIF wrapped. I don't know if that's a really old GIF app, but that's the one

that I use. And I have some of my favorite memes saved, or GIFs, GIFs. I've got some of Hannah Brown roaring. I have one of Doss, of Jared saying Rob Thomas, Rob Thomas, Rob Thomas. And then I have a ton of myself that sometimes I'll send to people, if it's the right person and they'll know that I'm not too self-obsessed. But I have, I don't want, my favorite one, my favorite one is probably not of me crying, but giving this, this round, it's like a big carousel of my confused face during women tell all. So if you type in Ashley I, Women Tell All, that might come up. Ben. I'm assuming that you don't have any of your gifts saved.

I don't have any of my gifts saved, but there has been moments where I've looked them up, and they're hilarious, and there's some good ones. There's one where I looked absolutely jacked, and so sometimes when my friends are making fun of me, I'll send it just because I look good. That's awesome. There's this one of me that says,

this is stupid, why am I crying again? That's good. Then there's one that says, he's so hot. I think that my eyes were made to look at him. Another one that says, how am I supposed to find another you? Yeah. And then this is great.

I'm going to end with this one. Are you sure you don't want to be with me ever? I feel like this question really just went. Like this, Ashley could take a whole episode and just go through these and just laugh at them. I have some good lines. You have some good lines. You're a funny gal. Ashley, if you had to swap allies with a Bachelor Nation alum for a day, who are you

choosing and what's the first thing you do? I saw this from somebody and I saw this from Trent from Seattle. And that was like, you know what? I'm really not sure. I'm not sure. Do I get to be in their body was the question. Yeah, you're switching lives with them. I can be in Kelsey Anderson's body with her face for a day.

Yeah. Oh, well, if it's like a physical thing that I like to be Kelsey. Didn't she just say she got a Brazilian butt lift or something? she did not she got like veneers though oh a big difference okay um i was thinking like if it was just switching lives like i had to it was like wife swap the old show and i had to go live in somebody's house for a day i thought that maybe it would be interesting to go live in emily maynard's house and she has like six or seven kids and then i'd be like wow this is what it feels like to have six or seven kids and now this is what it feels like to leave that house yeah you're in such a mom

Like, your idea of a swap would be to take on more responsibility. Yeah. And then to realize that I have it pretty easy. Oh, okay. So it's just to find the life that you have. It's just to find a life, just to appreciate my life. I appreciate my life every day. Every day.

I'm so grateful. There's no sarcasm here. I still have mind blown how this all came to be. All right. Next question. You didn't answer. You get to answer this one too. Oh, I have to answer both of them?

I would like you to because it doesn't say Ashley or Ben. It just says, if you. If I. Goodness gracious. There's so many people I'm envious of that come to mind. I think for me, I would take it to like an extreme of, hey, let me take a step back and maybe have like less responsibilities. And when I think of somebody that has like less responsibilities and has a lot of fun, you know what?

Like you said Kelsey, I might say Joey, not that he doesn't have responsibilities. We'll be together for a day, Ben. Yeah. Yeah. Why not? We're together so often. Not because he doesn't have any responsibilities, but he's kind of in that like prime season where he's just having a lot of fun.

He's enjoying it. But if we talk all Bachelor Nation alums, I'm going Chris Harrison. because that dude is living the dream right now. I mean, he gets to golf, he gets to play in cool events, he gets to live in Austin, and, you know, he doesn't have to exactly worry about money. He's so talented. I would just love to be Chris Harrison for a day,

or Jesse Palmer. I think they're both just crushing it. Yeah, that's actually a really good answer. Yeah, I like them both. And they're both handsome, and they're both doing cool things. Okay, what would a typical bachelor date look like if it was produced on a target budget? Well, I think we saw that last season. That's what I was going to say.

I was like, Target, guys. It's in a Walmart budget or a dollar tree budget. I mean, they did go to the mall after hours and bounce on some balls. That seems to be expensive. Yeah. The target budget is definitely what I think you kind of say. saw last year. I would also say that if if you look at hometown week, that's kind of a good target budget. That's what the show would look like. You know, you'd be going to parks and taking lots of

walks and going to like the nearby bar. Yeah. I mean, I also think a lot of their dates are not super expensive, meaning, you know, I had a date at a vineyard. That's not like super pricey. Now we did helicopter in, which saved us time and effort and money, uh, time and effort, not money. So, you know, But that's like a normal everyday date, and I thought those dates were the best dates. And even some of the group dates when you do a sporting event. It's like out on a college field, yeah. Well, yeah, but if they're not renting out the Coliseum, then they can do this in a random park, and it's like cheap. So I'd say stuff like that.

And like Ashley said, a lot of the hometown dates are very much in line with that. If you look at the season, typically, there's only a few, like, magnificent dates. that are unattainable. There's a lot of unattainable moments, but the core parts of the date, you'd be like, we could do this. We could go to dinner and go watch a concert. Now, that concert might not be a private show.

Yeah. But we could watch a concert. Yeah, it could be edited down to be pretty normal and not that too expensive. 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, 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. And it's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not? To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hello, it's Daniel Official.

Rider 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 Y.

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. E-Hur, 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 iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the unpurposed podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Djokovic. The world's number one male tennis player.

He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak Djokovic! You've been through so many injuries, losses. Oh, he showed himself. What has Novak Djokovic done? What goes through your mind when you lose? I just 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 Shetty on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 Sweeten. Monica Patton. Elaine Welteroff. 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 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 okay ben um this next question i love it okay i'm gonna have you answer first this is from

kevin and brooklyn he says what bachelor nation conspiracy theory do you believe might be true Ooh Can you give me some examples of conspiracy theories and Bachelor Nation? Well, I only have two. One, I probably shouldn't say. No, you should say it.

Well, no, we should all just look into Kelsey Poe a little further. Is she still alive? Yes, she's alive. She lives in France. I know she's not listening to this podcast. Okay, this one's mine then. If you don't have one off the top of your head. I don't.

Because I would, yeah, because this is the only one I could think of right now. But I think that Claire was, didn't, I think that Claire didn't want to leave with, what's his name? Dale? Dale. I think she didn't want to leave the process early. Oh, so she was like forced out? Yeah. That makes sense.

That's a good one. I mean, like, when I think of like the stories I've heard. from behind the scenes it's like a producer sleeping with a cast member but like that's not a conspiracy that was true the guy like broke his leg jumping out the window or something well yeah that was that the first paradise i don't know i mean like so i don't know many conspiracies as much as i just know wild stories from behind the scenes that are true yeah well can you give us one of those that that one is the one like that's the one it comes in mind well we'll remember this question and we'll let you guys know i'm trying to think of like the unreal show and like what about

that wasn't like what were they talking about on that the craziest thing from unreal was that they took the girl's antidepressants away from her and then she ended up killing herself and it's like yeah that doesn't happen no that's that's to the extreme like that stuff doesn't happen at all ever yeah there's not a lot that comes in mind there i mean i think most of bats her nation would know the stories that would stand out ashley if someone gave you a hundred for every time you cried on The Bachelor. How much richer do you think you'd be? A couple thousand.

You're going to lowball this? Oh, I said a couple thousand. You think it's 10,000? I don't think you cried a hundred times. I don't think I cried a hundred times, no. But I did have four seasons. But I would say, I would estimate 40 times. Wow.

$4,000? 40 times over $4,000. seasons i think that's like appropriate yeah you think that's like normal are you like justifying it and saying yeah that's not that's not weird sound not crazy to me yeah there's 10 episodes there's eight episodes per season 10 episodes per season yeah okay actually low-balling it all right Ashley maybe it's 5,000 okay ben if you um if you what's the wow this is interesting okay this is to you this is directed to you what's the weirdest DM you've ever got gotten from a fan.

The weirdest, I mean, there's weird things that are sent to you. Like, I mean, I think every Bachelor Nation person probably has had, like, naked pictures sent to them. Like, that just happened. That's a guy thing. Yeah. But, like, I'm sure if you asked Jared, like, he's opened up his messages at some point and been like, whoa, like, that seems like risque and vulnerable.

Maybe that's what they meant by the first one. So that feels like outlandishly crazy. I had somebody DM me and tell me that they're so excited to meet me in an airport that I was not flying to and that like I don't know if they said God or somebody had told them that I was meeting them there and that we were going to have a future together. I never went. They wanted you to meet you at an airport? Like they said I was going to, like that they had gotten a message from something.

Okay. So they're like stop premonition. Yeah, so they're like driving to the airport and that they were going to pick me up. Okay, that's memorable. That's a good answer. Yeah, I didn't, yeah, I didn't, I didn't make it. If Bachelor Nation had a Hunger game style survival match, who's making to the final three and who's the first to go? Okay, I've thought about this.

This is from Elizin, Portland, by the way. I'm thinking, I think that Jared would get really far, and I'm not just saying that because I'm his wife. he's really insanely competitive and he's strong and he's he's in good shape yeah but he like would know how to play that game and then he'd have a serious depression afterward but he'd have to win though um and then i think nick would do really well because nick also like has to win and then i think Hannah Brown, just Nick and Hannah both kind of almost did this through special forces. Yeah, I could see that. That makes sense.

Who's the first to go? Oh, me. No, I'm kidding. The twins, Emily and Haley, they would both be like, take us now. Yeah. We're good. Goodbye, world. Oh, that's so good.

What would you rank? Who's your three? I mean, I think you, I would agree with you, but not. to like repeat it, I would add on, I think Dean has some survival skills that are very useful in these situations.

But would Dean kill? Yeah, Dean would just kind of like be a passive. He's a pacifist. Passivist. I think Gabby's showing us some resilience with her one-on traitors. We got to give her credit for that.

Yeah. And then honestly, like we have some like, we have some really strong individuals and Bachelor Nation that are like I don't want to count out like Jordan Rogers I mean the dude is a Division I athlete

who stays in shape who obviously is competitive I think somebody like that could sneak up at the end of this and really make some noise that's a good answer yeah thank you I appreciate it which moment from your season

do you wish got edited out completely this is Dylan from Miami for me it's It's making out with crystals on the balcony. It was like our third kiss. It was like week three. And I looked back and I was just attacking him. It just was not a sexy kiss.

And it was like in the middle of me like blubbering and crying. And I'd be like, okay, we can make out five minutes later. Yuck, yeah, yuck, yeah, fuck, Ben. Do you want it to be, okay, be honest. When you're kissing Chris on TV, how much in the back of your mind were you thinking, is this going to look sexy or not? I was convinced the first time when I said, oh my God,

I can't believe I took this advice from Todd. Todd, I'm calling you out. I thought it was hilarious. Todd's a producer. Yeah. I could call out Todd now. He doesn't work there anymore. He was like,

you should tell Chris to rub your belly button ring because I had a genie. I had a genie lamb. It was Aladdin. It was the Aladdin. No, just keep going. This isn't going to be good no matter what. Okay.

And then he was like, you should point that out to Chris. And then say he gets three wishes on your belly button ring lamp. And then I did. Oh, Ashley. Then it's hilarious. Because like, that is some stupid hilarious. And I was like, yeah, let's do it. And then he wished that he could kiss me.

That was the first time. And I was convinced that it was going to be sexiest on TV. And it was fine. That was fine It was okay And then the second It was the one on the balcony That I was like

What in the What are you doing? Yeah Ashley I love that you said yes to Todd In that moment You're like this That does make so much sense

Like make him rub my belly button Goodness gracious That was the most Todd idea ever And this is why I got in trouble Too much Because Todd and I got along Too well

Yeah it sounds like He was really looking out for you You guys were great friends. Hey, he, Gary, if he is, his part in my life is big. Uh-huh. Yeah. Goodness, Ashley. Okay, so what do you wish did it make air?

Oh, the double I love yous, for sure. Oh, but no, come up with something new. Okay. I mean, honestly, I think I could take out the whole week in the Bahamas because everybody was so sick and I was so sick that it was so brutal that nobody was like feeling them. themselves and feeling good about it. I don't have a lot of moments that I'm like, I wish that wouldn't happen. If I went back to my Bachelorette days,

Jared knocked me out cold on the boxing match, and like, that wasn't a cool look. See, Hunger Games, I tell you. Because if you see you at 6-4 and Jared at 6, you think you're probably going to take that. Uh-uh. No, he rocked me. I wish that wouldn't have been shown.

That wasn't like a good moment for me or friends or family. nobody's like proud of me well Jared went to the ER after that he did go to the ER yeah he has a Ben Zorn yeah not me um let's be clear he knocked my contact out so I couldn't see so not only was I like face down on the mat I was like I'm blind so I couldn't see a thing oh my gosh that's so embarrassing hey that's all the questions we have for you today uh this has been the almost famous podcast it's so fun to answer your questions please continue to write them in we'll answer everything we can, which is everything at this point. So write us, whatever you're thinking. Until

next time, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley. Tudaloo. Follow the Ben and Ashley I. Almost Famous Podcasts on IHeart Radio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast. So we'll find out soon. This person writes, friend'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 Daniel Fischel, writer strong, and Wilfredel 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, it's fear, 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. December 29th, 1975. 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. 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. listen now. I'm Dr. Joy Hardin-Bradford, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast.

I know how overwhelming it can feel if flying makes you anxious. In session 418 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett and I discuss flight anxiety. What is not a norm is to allow it to prevent you from doing the things that you want to do, the things that you were meant to do. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.