The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Frankie Friday: T.G.I.F.F.

Episode Date: February 7, 2026

Ben is joined by OG Bachelorette Trista to break down the latest news happening with Taylor Frankie Paul!   Taylor is supporting her friends, opening up about her mental health, and practicing her free throw!    Is someone from Bachelor Nation joining the next season of "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives"? We break down what we know!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. In the middle of the night, Saskia awoke in a haze. Her husband, Mike, was on his laptop. What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever. I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing. And immediately, the mask came off. You're supposed to be safe.

That's your home. That's your husband. Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Black history lives in our stories, our culture, and the conversations we still having today. This Black History Month, the podcast I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. Diggs into the moments, perspectives, and experiences that don't always make the textbook. Let me tell you about Garrett Morgan.

Brough had to pretend he didn't even exist just to sell his own invention. Listen to I Didn't Know. Maybe you didn't either from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or simply wherever you get your podcast. 1969, Malcolm and Martin are gone. America is in crisis. And at Morehouse College, the students make their move. These students, including a young Samuel L. Jackson, locked up the members of the board of trustees, including Martin Luther King's senior. It's the true story of protests and rebellion in black American history that you'll never forget.

I'm Hans Charles. I'm Minnick Lamouba. Listen to the A-building on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What if mind control is real? If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have? Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car? When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings. Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?

some suggestions to be sexually aroused? Can you get someone to join your cult? NLP was used on me to access my subconscious. Mind Games, a new podcast exploring NLP, aka neurolinguistic programming. Is it a self-help miracle, a shady hypnosis scam, or both? Listen to Mind Games on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast with IHeart Radio. It's the Almost Famous podcast.

I'm here today to break down Frankie Fridays. Thank goodness it's Frankie Friday. I'm so excited to be breaking down another week of what's going on in Taylor Frankie Paul's life. We're coming to you from San Francisco. Trista's with me today. Hello, Trista. Hi. We are here for the big game, Super Bowl week.

So we're out in San Francisco hanging out at the new pop podcasting studios. It's beautiful. It's wonderful. Natural lighting. I'm looking at a tree full of, what kind of tree is that, Trista? It's beautiful. I didn't even notice it until now. Yeah, it's like a rose tree bush that's grown up, real big.

Yeah. Beautiful out here in San Francisco. A lot is happening this week with Taylor Frankie, Paul. I'm actually wondering if she is in San Francisco also for Super Bowl. I wonder because I got to come to Super Bowl when I was the bachelor at. I didn't. You didn't? I missed out on that one.

Sorry. I must have didn't. I didn't answer my phone. I'm sure they called me about it. I'm sure they did. 100%. Yeah, you're right. Let's start with the Taylor,

Frankie Paul News, that Taylor and the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' cast show support Whitney for her Broadway debut. Yes. Amazing. I am so excited for Whitney. I was a huge fan of hers on Dancing with the Stars. I haven't watched Mormon Wives.

So I don't know all of these people. I mean, I'm getting to know them because, obviously Taylor is now part of the Bachelorette sisterhood. Sure. But what an exciting time for Whitney and then to have all of the Mormon wives with her, I'm sure felt really good. Whitney, I mean, Dance with the Stars has always been kind of a good jump start for people.

Yep. It kind of died off there for a bit where you didn't really hear much like many success stories coming from Dance With the Stars. recently, obviously, it's changed. Whitney has definitely, I don't want to say taking advantage because that sounds bad, but she is definitely rolled Dancing with the Stars into some incredible opportunities. And now she is in Chicago, the musical, on Broadway. As Roxy Heart, like the...

That's incredible. The part, biggest part in Chicago. And usually, because Ashley's watching it and I need to kind of... catch up on Mormon wives. I'd ask some Mormon wise questions because I've always, at least I've been under the assumption that there's like a lot of drama in that group, but maybe there's not because for all these girls to show up to support Whitney on Broadway, says something. Totally agree. I feel like we were talking about it last night, Rachel and Joan and I at the party. We were at and I don't watch, but they watch. And Rachel was saying

they're really good at talking. If something happens, like something dramatic, if you did something to me and I took, you know, took it personally, if I'm a Mormon wife, I bring it up then, I put it on camera,

we hash it out, and it's done. So I wonder if because of the show, like, yes, there's a lot of drama on the show, they actually like hash it out. They talk it through, they say what they need to say, and maybe that helps them, like,

get past it. and support each other? I don't know. I mean, that feels very healthy, right? Right. That's what marriage counseling tells you to do. So, like, I feel like... Just do what the Mormon wives do.

Why not? I mean, right? You spent some time recently. The next headline is the Bachelorette special, which we've teased, but now we can officially start to talk about it more. Yep, because they announced it. They announced it. There's a Bachelorette special with 18 former leads led by the one and only.

Trista Sutter, and Taylor Frankie Paul is there as well. It's going to air after the Oscars on ABC. Trista, let's start with instead of like, you were there. I mean, goodness, you know who is there, who wasn't there. There was another article that came out based on this that Claire Crawley wasn't there. And Us Weekly is, or Us Magazine is covering why Claire Crawley skipped. The article doesn't necessarily give the reasoning. I know you've spoken to Claire, you texted her because that's just who you all.

What do you know about the reasoning why she didn't come? So I think in the us article, it said that, and I think there was a comment or she did a story, maybe somebody asked, maybe she was doing like a Q&A, and someone asked why she wasn't there. And I think she said she was not feeling well, first of all. And then she said,

hard pass was her explanation. I wrote her and I said, I was so sorry to hear, I won't get to squeeze you, no, you will be missed. And she said, I know same. I was looking forward to it so much and wanted to see everyone. So, like, she didn't say anything to me about being sick or, you know, hard pass because

I know that she would have loved to see all of us. And that was really, really the sentiment of the day, regardless of anyone's drama, with anyone else, or with the producers, or with the show, or whatever, we just were all in on just spending time together, making it a special day. getting to meet Taylor and helping give her advice on her journey. And anytime we get together, it is always. And I say this because we've had it twice now, maybe just two times. But anytime we're, any of us are together just like this weekend with me and Joan and

Rachel, it's just like a little mini reunion. And I don't think that I'm alone in that sentiment that we just love seeing each other. The bachelors have never gotten together. I know. I was actually going to say that yesterday when we were talking about it. Why not? They need to do a bachelor reunion. I have no idea.

There's so many bachelors I've never met. Totally. I probably only have met four or five other like bachelor men. Yes. Well, maybe a little more than that. You know, the Firestone's, the Ginnies, Jason Mesnick, Sean Lowe, Souls.

And you went on some of the shows to give advice, didn't you? Yeah. Yeah. Joey's and Matt. But, okay, so there's eight of how many? I have no idea. I don't know. I mean, I probably, I mean, there's so many I haven't met, especially before my time.

Yeah. I met a lot post time. It'd be so fun. It'd be so great. This looks like it's so fun. It was so. There are other bacheloretts that could not attend. Jen Schiff.

Yeah. Gillian Harris. Fair Crawley, as we mentioned. Michelle Young, Gabby Wendy, and then Jen Tran. Jen was going, I think she went to Paris with her mom, and she had already had this trip planned, so she couldn't make it because she was going to Paris with her mom. Jillian, maybe I, no, I mean, I guess I could say it.

I show a video to, no, never mind, I'm not going to talk about it. But anyway, yeah, most people were there, and. It's a good percentage of, including Meredith, who was season two. So, and I guarantee, I think everyone except me had never met her. So. No way. Yeah, I don't think anyone had met her besides me. It's just cool because especially in today's time, like everybody, so many of this list has moved on, right?

Yeah. And so many of these people, we've not lost touch with it as much as they've just moved on with their lives and they have families and they've spread out across the U.S. or the world. and they're great people. Yeah. And so to bring them back together in one room, I have to imagine, it's so fun.

Trista, I want to ask you, though, any insights you can give to what we'll be watching during this Bachelorette special? And also, what does it feel like for you as the first Bachelorette when everybody gets in one room again?

Like I said yesterday, it's just my heart is so happy. being everyone. I feel maternal towards anyone who's been on the show and especially have a connection with my fellow Bachelorette leads. You know, there's just, there's only so many of us who have been leads on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette and it's a unique, very unique process and just to be able to, like, I didn't record, I, the Bachelor Mansion wasn't a thing. until way after my season or wasn't a place in the show. I was in Malibu, I think.

Or no, I was in the hills. So it's not like I'm going back to the scene of where I fell in love with my husband, but it definitely brings back those sort of memories and being around the crew and the producers and just being in the midst of where it is, is just really special. So it brings, it brings happy,

happy memories for me back to the surface and just remembering how I fell in love with my husband and why we met or, you know, and also the friendships because I will always say, you know, the best thing to come out of it was Ryan and I for me, but also the friendships that I've taken from it.

So to be able to get together is so much fun. You guys are definitely going to want to tune in. It is just energetic. Yes. So good. Not just because you were a part of it. You actually think the show, like, they made a good show from this?

I think so. It's special. It's leading up to her season. We give her advice. She asks tons of questions. You will see that she is very genuine. She is very present. She is very interested in hearing what we all have to say. And I give her props because it has to be really, I don't want to

say intimidating. There's another word for it. Like very, gosh, what's the word? Overwhelming? Overwhelming is, thank you. I mean, I know quite a few of these women. Yes. Overwhelming. And I mean, there's so many of us. and we all have a different experience. And she's not just sitting down to like have a little coffee talk with like two or three of us, which is kind of how it's been done done in the past. It's 17 of us in her face saying, welcome. We love you.

Goodness gracious. We're here for you. And she's like, holy crap. But I don't even know what to think right now. Like what do I even say? So I feel like it probably was very overwhelming for her and she handled it so well. I am so excited for all of you to be able to see this special, but also to see the rest of the season. That's awesome.

Again, the Bachelorette special will air after the Oscars on ABC. Oh, is throwing it back. To the days of huge hits and unforgettable albums. A nonstop stream of the biggest and best. Drake, Rihanna, Beyonce, Katie Gaga, the weekend. And more. All your decade defining favorites all in one place. Hi, it's Katie Perry.

Hey, it's Bruno Mars. This is Kesha. Find 2010's The Decade on the free I-Heart Radio app. Preset the station so it's always one tab away. Welcome to the A building. I'm Hans Charles. I'm Inelich Lamoma. It's 1969.

Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Jr. had both been assassinated, and Black America was out of breaking point. Writing and protests broke out on an unprecedented scale. In Atlanta, Georgia, at Martin's Almermata, Morehouse College, the students had their own protest. It featured two prominent figures in black history, Martin Luther King's senior and a young student, Samuel L. Jackson.

To be in what we really thought was a revolution. I mean, people would die. In 1968, the murder of Dr. King, traumatized everyone. The FBI had a role in the murder of a Black Panther leader in Chicago. This story is about protest. It echoes in today's world far more than it should, and it will blow your mind. Listen to the A-building on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In the middle of the night, Saskia awoke in a haze. Her husband, Mike, was on his laptop. What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever. I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing. And immediately, the mask came off. You're supposed to be safe. That's your home. That's your husband.

So keep this secret for so many years, he's like a seasoned pro. This is a story about the end of a marriage, but it's also the story of one woman who was done living in the dark. You're a dangerous person who prays unvulnerable and trusting people. Your predator might go up and good. Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What if mind control is real? If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?

Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car? When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings. Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you? I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused. Can you get someone to join your cult? NLP was used on me to access my subconscious. NLP, aka neurolinguistic programming, is a blend of hypnosis, linguistics, and psychology. Fans say it's like finally getting a user manual for your brain.

It's about engineering consciousness. Mind Games is the story of NLP. It's crazy cast of disciples and the fake doctor who invented it at a new age commune and sold it to guys in suits. He stood trial for murder and got acquitted. The biggest mind game of all, NLP might actually work. This is wild. Listen to Mind Games on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is a great one.

I'm pumped about this. Taylor just recently posted on her social media as she prepares for this announcement. Taylor Frankie Paul's basketball skills will be on display at the NBA All-Star game. She posted a video on social media here recently showing off her skills. It's great. I can't wait to see her out there just hucking baskets. She's actually good. Did you see videos of her?

Yeah. I mean, she's better than I thought. Okay. Okay, should she be playing in the NBA? No, but she can put a basketball in the net. I think it was impressive. However, we don't know how many like shots she took to make all the ones she showed. So it's hard for me to judge.

Yeah, you're right. However, if that was, if she was shooting even 30% with the shots that she was shooting, I'm impressed. Agreed. I was, I was, that's why I'm so excited to watch it. Yeah. Because I just want to see her hucking from like 25 feet like she was in the video.

Yeah, love it. So the All-Star Game will air at 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. If you're a fan of the Mormon Wives or our next Bachelor at, make sure you tune in to watch Taylor Frankie Paul and the Celebrity NBA All-Star Game. Taylor Frankie Paul shares candid message about mental health. Trista, for the last few weeks, we've kind of begun. covering Taylor Frankie Paul. And she's been taking like sabbaticals from social media.

I think life has sped up. I think she was saying very quickly for her with all this stuff going on. And she's still a mom. And she obviously has friendships. And so break down what this headline means. Again, Taylor Frankie Paul shares candid message about mental health. You know, I saw this post pop up because, of course, I follow Taylor. And I was actually.

I don't know if impressed is a good word, but I was impressed. She, I don't know if you've seen the trend where basically someone says, I don't know ball. And she said, I'm struggling with my mental health and I just listen as if I don't know ball. And then she goes on to say she's tried equine therapy, safe and sound protocol, art therapy, working out, massage therapy, trauma yoga, sound baths, prayer, psych ed, red light therapy, reading self-help books, listening to inspirational podcast, and grounding herself. And I was like, wow, I mean, you do a lot for your mental health. This might be the reason why, like, you know, I would go crazy if I was doing all this in the course of a day.

Right. How do I find time? How do you find time? But I don't know that she wasn't saying like, this is what I do. And this is what she's tried over the years to work on her mental health. and I give her kudos for for doing putting in the work you know she's not just complaining about it which I think a lot of people do she's actually putting in the work and and being better for herself and her family well and I think a big deal here too is which so many of us are have done

learn from or witnessed is taking the break from social media has been such a healthy step for so many because what it does do is like it lowers our stimulation. It keeps us from judging and comparison, comparing ourselves and also the negative comments that goodness gracious, everybody with any type of platform and I would even go as far as saying anybody that exists on social media platform or not will receive at some point. And so I think it's great of Taylor to do this, especially as it's not like life is going to be slowing down for her. It's just speeding up.

Filming's over, sure, but she still has a lot, you know, a lot of room here. Time in front of her where she'll be doing press, doing interviews, showing up to live shows. And then hopefully, you know, whoever she ends up with at the end of this, if there is somebody, they're out there enjoying their life as well. Yeah. Final headline in the Frankie Fridays is really focused on Latia Gar. the headline is that she's stepping away from her podcast for a period of time. But the reason it's tied into Frankie Fridays is because she went on Bachelor Happy Hour with the new host of Bachelor Happy Hour, Charity Lawson and Rachel Reckia.

And they asked Latia if she knew anything about Taylor Frankie Paul's season. Trista. Yes. What did you say? So I listened to or saw the clip that they posted for, from Bachelor Happy Hour, and they asked Latia what she thought was going to happen, or if she knew, because she's friends with one of the house, or not the housewives, she's friends with one of the Mormon wives.

And this was her quote, for legal reasons, of course not, meaning she can't talk about what happens in the end of the show if she knows. She said, I have my guesses, but I don't have any hard evidence or dead giveaways. She's keeping it pretty close to the chest, speaking about Taylor, I think it will be good, though. I am sat for it. I'm excited to watch. She's so entertaining to watch.

I just love her. Are they friends? I don't know if she might know her, but I know she's friends with one of the Mormon wives to the point that Rachel and Charity asked her if she would ever go on Mormon wives. Which ties us into the headline because she's stepping away from her podcast that's brand new. I mean, it just was announced. We talked about it here on the Almost Famous Podcasts.

It hasn't been out for more than like a month or two. And she's stepping away until April. Hmm. And fans are speculating that she will be on the next season of, or season five of Secret Lives of Mormon Lives. You think it's true? I don't know. Wait.

So, okay. So because I don't watch Mormon wives, tell me, do you have to be married to be a Mormon wife? Like, obviously Taylor's not married right now. That's a good point. I don't know. That wouldn't really fit to like show title, right? I don't know if Latia, I don't know. Is it like a housewife thing where they're just, you know, at this point maybe they could be single? Yeah, they could be single. And they're just like going to kind of

ignore the title and just be like anybody can be a part of this as long as you're like a good character. That's a great question, Tristan, that I can't answer. But that's what fans are speculating is that she is stepping away from the show because she will be filming her co-host. on the show will be recording solo episodes until she comes back in April. Obviously, it's a big week for Taylor, Frankie, Paul. Make sure you tune in to The Bachelor Special. Make sure you tune in to the NBA All-Star Game, Celebrity All-Star Game, so you can watch Taylor out there.

I mean, she's tiny, isn't she? He's so tiny. This is going to be great. I can't wait. Because there's like some big people in that, some really tall humans. And I can't wait to see her dribbling through their legs. Make sure you tune in to all the things that Taylor is doing on television and on her social medias. That's been a Taylor, Frankie Paul, Frankie, Friday.

Until next time, I've been Ben. I've been Trista. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcasts on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. In the middle of the night, Saskia awoke in a haze. Her husband, Mike, was on his laptop. What was on his screen would change. change Saskia's life forever. I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing.

And immediately, the mask came off. You're supposed to be safe. That's your home. That's your husband. Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 1969, Malcolm and Martin are gone. America is in crisis. And at Morehouse College, the students make their move.

These students, including a young Samuel L. Jackson, locked up the members of the board of trustees, including Martin Luther King's senior. It's the true story of protests and rebellion in black American history that you'll never forget. I'm Hans Charles. I'm in Milliman. Listen to the A building on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Black history lives in our stories, our culture, and the conversations we still having today. This Black History Month, the podcast I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either.

Digs into the moments, perspectives, and experiences that don't always make the textbook. Let me tell you about Garrett Morgan. Brough had to pretend he didn't even exist just to sell his own invention. Listen to I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. From the Black Effect Podcast Network on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or simply wherever you get your podcast. What if mind control is real?

If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have? Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car? When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings. Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you? I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused. Can you get someone to join your cult? NLP was used on me to access my subconscious. Mind Games, a new podcast exploring NLP, aka neurolinguistic programming.

Is it a self-help miracle? a shady hypnosis scam, or both. Listen to Mind Games on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.