The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Letters from Paradise

Episode Date: July 10, 2025

The first episode of the “new version” of Bachelor in Paradise has aired, but what do people REALLY think?? Ben and Ashley share reactions from all over Bachelor Nation and we find out what worked… and what missed the mark.   Ashley feels that the biggest flaw of Paradise is one of the biggest changes! We try to figure out why Dale Moss is being placed on a pedestal, what are they planning?? And is the cash prize taking away from the “love” aspect of Bachelor in Paradise?   Plus, we have low hopes for how much Hannah Brown we’ll actually see this season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Get in here! Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcast with IHartRadio. It's almost famous podcast. It's Ben and Ashley back here. And we wanted to do a quick little recap on the feedback we've seen and also kind of heard about this new season of Paradise. Because after all, the show has resonated with his audiences. in a way that's positive and negative,

kind of like we were breaking down on our Bachelor in Paradise Recap. Before we get into it, the premiere was Monday, and we've been watching you and listening to you, and we're going to try to do our best of encapsulating everything that's been said so far. Ashley, I'll start out here.

I think Tanner Tolbert's post... Oh, my God. You haven't pulled up? Ben, are we mind reading? I literally just pulled it up for this conversation. I feel like you and I are like really clicking right now. Yeah, today we're having a day. We're having a day.

Ashley, go ahead and read it because I think it's the perfect breakdown of how I felt, maybe how fans are feeling. Because it wasn't pure hate. It's it's kind of a divorce from the old entering into the new, I'm not quite sure how I feel, but Tanner said a lot of things well in this post. Totally. Okay, so he said,

Bachelor in Paradise is now Timu Island, which if you're not familiar with Timu, it is like the cheaper version of Amazon products. It's the Sheehan. It's the Forever 21, RIP Forever 21. He's saying it's the cheap version of Love Island. He said these producers are just trying to copy Love Island, but are executing it poorly.

the new location is silly either get a badass villa if you're going to copy love island or stay in paradise this generic resort falls short of somewhere in the middle very stale feeling the dream scenes are so cheesy in force this was a very popular opinion on social media my bad for thinking that these scenes were like kind of fine like kind of funny in which i said on our last episode he said having the cast stay in separate hotel rooms is dumb. It limits the amount of interaction and discussion between the castmates. I totally believe that that is one of the major flaws in the new system. Having the cast stay in separate rooms is just like, okay, it's dating time. And then it's like, go to bedtime. It's just, it's not, it's just not paradise whatsoever. And then he said, he's still hopeful that this cast can produce some good storylines.

I truly am. I'm not sure about, I don't think there's going to be a ton, but I do think that there is some good relationship meat forming. Overall, he did a poll said, do you think, would you like the new BIP? Only 13% said yes, 87% said no. Okay, let me pause you there. It goes kind of against the poll that we did on Instagram. We got a lot of great results coming in from our list.

listeners. The first question we asked on our poll was, do you like the new filming of the resort, like the new filming resort? So the one that they're filming in now, 55% said yes, 45% said they missed the old one. We also asked this question. Did you, do you like all the Dale Mons, Moss entrance attention? 70% said they did not like it at all. yeah 30% said they did because he's handsome final question we asked was do you like money being involved in paradise 26% said yes they love the competition of it all while 74% said no this should be about finding love now I think a little bit of that is based on how we asked the question however the thing I want to focus on first with you ashley before we get in anything else

and the thing I was most interested in is really two topics. You know, I didn't love all the Dale Moss love, but I can't hate on some dude getting some support. Whatever. People are saying that that is the bombshell entered the villa that they have on Love Island. Like he was supposed to be the bombshell, which, yes, that is an extreme similarity. Sure. I will say it this way.

I don't know Dale. So I can't say if he's good, bad, indifferent. I don't love anybody getting kind of put on a pedestal in these experiences. I think all of them are beautiful. All of them are there to find love. I like equal playing fields in paradise because it's fun to see the Tanner Tolberts marry the Jades of the world, which nobody would have expected. Not that Tanner isn't not a handsome dude, he is. He's a great guy, funny.

But Jade was the bombshell who entered the villa. exactly so that's why i say i like during these kind of shows especially paradise who does it i think better than anybody when it comes to the equal playing field the dillans marrying the hannas like those are the scenarios that stand out in my mind that i love and i think putting anybody on a pedestal makes them so much of the pursuit that a lot of these kind of like maybe quieter nerdier people, maybe don't get a shot. Okay, that's my statement, whatever. But the two things I'm most interested

to talk about with you on the breakdown after our breakdown is the resort. So let's start there. I think the reason I said Tanner said this perfectly is because he's right. They either get a really great villa for this show or, you know, they get some type of house. But I think the reason I said last episode

that it was hard for me to follow was because of how segregated this resort is. They're just staying at a resort. Even when I go on vacation with my wife at a resort, sometimes we don't see each other. Like we miss each other. She goes to the gym.

All of a sudden, I'm at the cafeteria. We're not seeing each other for a couple hours and we meet each other at the pool. It felt like this during paradise. I don't like it. I want them back at one house altogether, intermingling. Yeah.

You could have made it an air-conditioned place and it made it way busier than it usually is. but still kept the whole living together as a community environment. Yeah. So I'm with the fans, the resort, not for me. So far, I'm not sold on it. The cast is, you know, somebody I do hope creates storylines. We want to give them the benefit, the doubt.

They're still people. They're very similar to the castes of the past. They just don't have maybe the A-lister's, like the Ashley's that are there with him. But they're, they'll do their best. But really, the final point here, that I want to speak with you about is the cash prize. We kind of glossed over it during our breakdown of the first episode. I actually now, based on fans' responses,

think it is the most influential and crucial item to this first episode. Oh, I disagree. I will let you know what I think is, but go ahead. I don't like it. I have solidly put my stake in the ground now, and I would love to be convinced otherwise. I have committed in life to be able to change my opinion, even when I feel strongly about something because that's how the best humans of history have

operated. And I'd like to try to get as close to them as possible. But I don't like it right now. I don't like that we have separated and kind of made love now a money grab. It feels like what our culture and society has done incorrectly that we're feeling the repercussions of where, you know, kids are now meant to be influencers. And money seems to be the easy pursuit of everything. everybody and everybody's going to try to find their way to get rich quick the thing i loved about

paradise actually was still the innocence the craziness of the scenario but the innocence of the environment where the tanner and jade's meet the ashley and jared's me the hannah and dillan's me and love is formed from this beautiful place adam and raven adam and raven i just think money away from that and I don't want the distraction okay I totally agree with you I think we I think the money thing is going where we think it's going but let's give them a little bit in the doubt that it was just teased in the trailer for the next you know the rest of the season and perhaps it's not as yucky as we think it might be I again think it will be but we do not have details on it yet what I found to be what people concentrated the most on what I'm

looking at my responses on Instagram story. I have like engagement was low this week people because of Amazon. But I, for the amount of people who have seen this so far in the past hour, I have at least 100 messages.

Most of which are complaining about the editing. People are saying that the editing was distracting, that it was cheesy, that just felt way to produce with that kind of editing. And that made the like personality of the show feel totally different. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Well, 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 OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel Writer Strong

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I can't wait to share 10 powerful new episodes with you, stories of tangled up identities, concealed truths, and the way in which family secrets almost always need to be told. I hope you'll join me and my extraordinary guests for this new season of family secrets. Listen to Family Secrets Season 12 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts. So fans' responses right now from all sides, following X to messages we've received to the responses we've received on the Almost Famous podcast. Fans don't seem to be giving up on the show. So that's a good thing.

Yeah, yeah, because I think that they know like the crux is there. It's just stuff. Definitely. So if Rob Mills is listening to this podcast at any point or somebody from his team is, if you want to hear anything from the studies that we've done that are very unscientific, fans are not giving up on the show. However, I do think fans are a little bit hesitant to fall deeply in love with this new format. And I think it all comes down to how this can,

how the season continues to be edited. I think it comes because the resort, if they could edit that, to be great. Like, they can make any location work. We've done group dates in the weirdest of places, and they've made it work, and they made it beautiful, and they made it make sense. I'm not worried about the editing.

That can change. That can happen. The cash prize, I think, is a concern. And so how does that play out? And also, how does this cast step up to make the storylines that we desire? fire. We see in the teaser, the Dale Moss, April makeout. I'm not saying that I want to watch it, but I'm also not saying I don't want to see weird stuff like that happen because it will keep

me hooked for the next week. Yeah, that's, if that case isn't going. Was it a, is it a makeout or did he just like a shot? I mean, I'll call it a makeout. It felt more like a shot with like a It was a shot. Okay. It's like then it's being dramatic. Okay. So I know that bringing up golden's with April. People are thinking that that the resort change was because of AC reasons for them. No, people, that's not the reason. We know, we know. It wasn't because of that. It was not because of the Golden's coming in the show. They weren't saying, hey, the Golden's are coming on. Let's get them AC. I don't think they're that concerned about the Goldens. No, then they would have put the Goldens in a different spot if that were the case. It's interesting that they tease the Golden's

being there so much, and then they didn't incorporate them into a three-hour long premiere episode. Rumor has it. They may not be in the next episode either. Really? See, what I would have enjoyed is because I'm not so keen on them being there in the first place. Like, I think most of Bachelor Nations not. But I would have been down for two hours of the Youngens and then a second hour of the Goldens. That would make sense, or even Monday for the Youngens and Tuesday for the Goldens.

And our producer right now is saying that they're, yeah, not showing up until episode three. episode three i think we'll see the goldens which will be a weird mix in um but we're going to see how it works out uh hey we're having a good time no matter what we're going to be critical but also supportive we have a good time hearing from you the fans the listeners on what you're thinking of this next season uh there's a lot going on and a lot for us to pay attention to so until uh we can continue to kind of i guess fact check this and make sure that our assumptions on how everything is going to happen, actually happen. We're going to stay positive.

Oh, I am positive. I know, but you and I both really want this to work for many reasons. One, one of my best friends in the world works on this show. I want to have a job for the next 20 years. I want to be 60 years old, and I want Will still behind the bar, still mixing drinks. I want him to rock and roll this thing forever. And we also just love the idea of paradise. But actually, I will say this, and I'll say it again.

I love the idea of paradise because it does put, everybody on equal playing field, and I don't want to see that change. And they felt like they were changing that with Dale, which to me made this thing less desirable to watch because I want to see Dale Moss come in or the Sam even, Sam's of the world, who should have been like a hot commodity, right? Good looking guy, stud, suave, all those things. I like that he went home right away, not for his sake, but I like the fact that nobody was like, I'm all about it.

Yes, oh my gosh, give me to Sam. I just want to see how this thing shakes out because I think we get a better taste of who these people actually are during Paradise. Yeah, and I think that so many the changes have dominated the chatter, but I do think that we'll have some

some good stories come out of this. I enjoyed many chunks of the episode. I just think that, you know, the conversation is, it's just, there's other things blaring in our face. So I don't want to like shit on the show at all. It was just, because there is goodness in there.

There really, really is. Yeah. Okay. So that's the breakdown of episode one. That's what you guys were saying. We didn't even mention our recap about Hannah Brown being a part of the show. Yeah. Now, Ashley, as we kind of close out here, we get two episodes next week.

The Golden's Enter the Beach from what we hear on episode three. What is your thoughts on Hannah Brown coming in to be the concierge? Yeah. Okay. So that makes so much. more sense than her being the supposed bubbly girl because you were a little defensive of Wells I think I hope I'm not like putting words in your mouth but like

when you found out that like Hannah was coming they were like they don't need another bartender they don't need a champagne girl nothing against Hannah Brown I'm just very terrible to the to the guy that's been there forever yeah I think if she's the concierge and they're supposed to ask her for like hey like I would love a cute setup over by this spot can I do an at home date that's a cute idea to have her there for that. However, do I think that Hannah's going to be disappointed in the fact that she went and spent three weeks down there

and she might have like three minutes total of airtime, quite possibly? I do think she might be, but she gets paid if she shows up on an episode, so good for her, no matter how often she shows up. However, I also know that, like, this isn't just a character. Like, Wells works. He serves drinks all day. at that beach so she is concierging i'm assuming all day at that beach setting stuff up and actually

like putting stuff together we'll see how she actually feels about it kind of as the season goes on um i'll be interested because i don't it's not just a hand me job like it's not just hey well stand up there at the bar and say bars open and then leave and get paid for it no you're they're gonna work it you're there he does yeah you would know so i'd assume that yeah they're like actually having her cut the strawberry and dip them into chocolate. I think it's so great. Good for Anna Brown.

It's nice to get paid so much and be so humbled at the same time. Hey, anyways, this is the Almost Famous podcast. It's great to talk to you all. We'll be back with more episodes this week. We have a headlines episode. We obviously have some really great interviews coming your way. We'll keep talking about Paradise

and all the cool stuff happening. So until next time, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley. See ya. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts on iHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom.

If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now.

Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult. But it happens all the time to people just like you. And people just like us. I'm Lola Blanc and I'm Megan Elizabeth. We're the hosts of Trust Me, a podcast about cults, manipulation, and the psychology of belief. Each week we talk to fellow survivors, former believers, and experts to understand why people get pulled in and how they get out. Trust me, new episodes every Wednesday on Exactly Right. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Every case that is a cold case that has DNA. Right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime. On the new podcast, America's Crime Lab, every case has a story to tell. And the DNA holds the truth. He never thought he was going to get caught. And I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha. This technology is already solving so many cases.

Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Listen to Shock Incarceration on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Super Secret Bestie Club podcast season four is here. And we're locked in.

That means more juicy cheesement. Terrible love advice. Evil spells to cast on your ex. No, no, no, no, we're not doing that this season. Oh. Well, this season, we're leveling up. Each episode will feature a special Bestie, and you're not going to want to be. miss it. My name is Curley. And I'm Maya. Get in here! Listen to the Super Secret

Festi Club on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.