The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Live from The Golden Wedding: Leslie Fhima

Episode Date: January 6, 2024

Ben is hanging out with the Golden Wedding guest that was on everyone’s mind… runner-up Leslie Fhima! How was the ceremony for Leslie?? Things get emotional when she shares her reaction to Gerry walking down the aisle, and she reveals a moment during the wedding that made her wish she didn’t come at all!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. 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 podcast. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club?

Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story. Does anyone know what show they've come to see? It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life. This is Wisecrack, available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get fired up, y'all. Season two of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway.

We just welcomed one of my favorite people, an incomparable soccer icon, Megan Rapino, to the show. And we had a blast. Take a listen. Sue and I were like riding the lime bikes the other day. And we're like, we're like, people ride bikes because it's fun. We got more incredible guests like Megan. store plus news of the day and more. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports Network. Tune in to All the Smoke Podcast, where Matt and Stacks sit down with former first lady, Michelle Obama. Folks find it hard to hate up close. And when you get to know people and you're sitting in their kitchen tables and they're talking like we're talking, you know, you hear our story. how we grew up, how Barack grew up, and you get a chance for people to unpack and get beyond race.

All the Smoke featuring Michelle Obama. To hear this podcast and more, open your free IHeartRadio app. Search all the smoke and listen now. This is the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast with IHeartRadio. It's a beautiful morning here still in Palm Springs. It's the morning after the Golden Wedding.

And we definitely have one of the absolute. favorite. It's last night had to be a little weird for you, huh? I guess the anticipation of it was a lot harder than it was in reality, to be honest. Good to hear. Yeah. Because we've talked a lot about. Yeah.

Ben, we have connected like through Instagram and when I went to the Bachelor Mansion, she was one of the ones who like ran up to me immediately. Because you're my icon. You're the best. You're the reason why I even watch the show. So we've talked a lot about the, you know, the hesitancy to be here. And I've just been trying to lift her up and say you, you deserve to be here and to be part of it all because correct me if I'm wrong. But my take, I feel like we talked about this.

But, you know, we said, I know it's going to be really hard for you. why are you, why are you feeling like you want to be there? And she was saying that as the runner up, right? I hate that word. But as the runner up, that's what you're called essentially. I was there, Molly was there, you know, whatever. You're secluded. So on the finale, you're on your own.

You don't go to the men or the women tell all. You don't get to hang with the group. Like you are on an island. Yeah. And even more so, because it's like the two of you at the end and then you, you're just left out in the cold essentially because you don't get the man you don't get the group of friends you so part of it for her was to be in the mix and like actually get to be part of this amazing group of golden bachelorets that she doesn't normally get to like is that true that's so

true because i created such a bond with them and they were doing all these things and um i wasn't jealous i wasn't envious i just felt left out because you know we had such a great time. We spent so much time together and they're doing this and that and I'm like, hey, don't leave me out in the club. So I really, you know, I was given the choice to come and no one made me come. Teresa invited me and I really thought at the end of the day we're all here for one reason is to find love. And obviously, you know, I know that came down to one of them. of us out of two. And Teresa and I were really good friends in the house. And we spent a lot of time together and a lot of talks and we really support each other and we laughed. And, you know,

so I, as soon as I shouldn't say as soon, but I had to process my heartbreak. And it took a while. But after that, I realized that, you know what? She, they're probably perfect for each other. and I'm so happy that she found love because that's what we came for. And especially at our age, we wanted to show the world that you don't give up if you're 65 or 70. And so, and she found her true love. And I can only support that. Love that. It's, you said some there, I think it's interesting because you said nobody forced you to come.

And also, from my understanding of last night, Teresa really wanted you there. Yeah, right? She did. So you wanted to be there. You chose to come and she really wanted you there. Do you like, was there ever a moment where you didn't want to be there? Last night, you mean? Yeah.

No, not really. It was a little uncomfortable during the ceremony when they were talking about Costa Rica because I was there too. I knew it. I looked at you. I know you did. And, but, you know, I was like, it came in here and then it was. went out. I'm like, okay, let's just put, you know, and it was just a little, it was probably the only time it was really uncomfortable. And for me, you know, and seeing Teresa so happy really

kind of just took that away anyhow. You know what I think was uncomfortable? When you guys had to dance without music. I feel like that was the weird, we've never met. And they're like, hey, Ben, you're going to get the dance party started night. I was like, I'm good with that. Leslie's going to help you. And I was like, well, that's great. She's a good dancer. And I was like, this will help me, you know, be less weird. I just didn't know what we're going to do.

And so what we're talking about is when there was like the reception started, they asked us to start the dance party. That was something they wanted us to do. And we both agreed to do it. And so we get out there and they're like, okay, get people on the dance for. We're like, great. We start doing it. And then there's no music.

There is no music. But I looked at you and you're dancing. I'm like, are we dancing now? Yeah. And I was like, okay. We're in it. She goes, wait, are we doing this right now? I said, oh, yeah, you're, we're in it.

Like, we're almost done. And then I came out there on the DS4 and he goes, thank you. That was weird. Okay, yeah. And like, is this a warm up? Is he practicing his moves or are we doing this now? No, we're 75% in on this thing. Like, you've been on live television for the last 20 by seconds just standing there looking

at me like, what's he doing? He's being weird. I know. I was like, where's, But the music came and then it went and I'm like, what's playing on? Yeah. That was the weird moment. I'm really, yeah, I just want to say that it's really big of you to come.

And I also get what you're saying and what Trista was explaining is when you're like the runner up or even sometimes the person chosen, it is a very isolating experience on this show. It is. Because people make bonds from all these events. And also they bond over rejection. Like early on in the season. Totally. It does feel very isolating.

So I'm glad that you get to be here and have a great weekend. And so let's lean into that a second. How has it been being back around these women that are at this wedding, celebrating and just enjoying your time together? Well, it's been amazing. I came in on Wednesday night. I walked into the bar and seeing everybody and giving, oh, my God. It was just amazing to hugging my friends.

And I really miss them. I mean, we communicate all the time on a daily basis, but it's not the same as actually being around them. And, you know, I always say, like, when I was doing the show, I missed my friends at home immensely and my family, of course. And but these women, we have a bond that no one else could understand. And so we're always going to have that. And it's just a special bond.

Including Bachelor Nation, like all of us, you know. Like, it's a crazy family. Bennett last night, one of the preempts. producers for everybody out there. He was saying, are you having fun? Like, are you enjoying this? And I'm like, I love it. I love the reunion, like, aspect of it.

Because we are kind of one big, happy, dysfunctional, crazy family. But I was like, I've always said, I want to have a reunion of everybody. Like, last night and these kind of events are like that. Totally. But, you know, Bob isn't here. There are OGs, like, more my seasons. Yeah. that were not present.

And I would love to do, I mean, it would be a lot of freaking people. Look at us. I know, I'm like, I'm hanging with the young ins. Hey. Oh, yeah, you were. Yeah. And not even me, because I'm not a young end.

You're young end to me. 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 crap. 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. Hola, it's Honey German, and my podcast, Grasasas Come Again, is back. This season, we're going even deeper into the world of music and entertainment, with raw and honest conversations with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition? No, I didn't audition. I haven't auditioned in like over 25 years.

Oh, wow. That's a real G-talk right there. Oh, yeah. We've got some of the biggest actors, musicians, content creators, and culture shifters, sharing their real stories of failure and success. I feel like this is my destiny. You were destined to be a start. We talk all about what's viral and trending with a little bit of chisement,

a lot of laughs, and those amazing vivras you've come to expect. And of course, we'll explore deeper topics dealing with identity, struggles, and all the issues affecting our Latin community. You feel like you get a little whitewash because you have to do the code switching? I won't say whitewash because at the end of the day, you know, I'm me. But the whole pretending and code, you know, it takes a toll on you. Listen to the new season of Grasas Has Come Again as part of My Cultura Podcast Network on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

A foot washed up a shoe with some bones in it. They had no idea who it was. Most everything was burned up pretty good for. the fire that not a whole lot was salvageable. These are the coldest of cold cases, but everything is about to change. Every case that is a cold case that has DNA right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime. A small lab in Texas is cracking the code on DNA.

Using new scientific tools, they're finding clues in evidence so tiny you might just miss it. He never thought he was going to get caught. And I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha. On America's Crime Lab, we'll learn about victims and survivors. And you'll meet the team behind the scenes at Othrum, the Houston Lab that takes on the most hopeless cases to finally solve the unsolvable.

Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Janica Lopez, and in the new season of the Overcover podcast, I'm taking you on an exciting journey of self-reflection. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time?

I wanted to be successful on my own, not just because of who my mom is. Like, I felt like I needed to be better or work twice as hard as she did. Join me for conversations about healing and growth. Life is freaking hard. And growth doesn't happen in comfort. It happens in motion.

even when you're hurting. All from one of my favorite spaces, The Kitchen. Honestly, these are going to come out so freaking amazing. Be a part of my new chapter and listen to the new season of the Overcumper podcast as part of the MyCultura podcast network on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I've been around for a long time. You're new to this. I am now.

Every season, the cast gets off and they get really close for a few months. And they do everything together and they talk every day. And then every time that fades and there's like little groups that still stay together and stay friends. I have never in the eight years, 16 seasons that I've seen since my time. I've never seen a group as close as you. you are, the golden ladies that just not only enjoy, but they like cheer, root for, celebrate each other like you all do. Do you see this sustaining? Like, do you see these friendships continuing and maybe getting a new example to the Bachelor world about what friendships can look like

coming off the show? Absolutely. I completely see, I mean, you know, I'm going to Florida. I'm going to see April. I want to go out east and be with Joan. I mean, We've made plans. I know a couple of the girls are going on trips together in the next couple months. I totally cannot see these women out of my life. Like that would feel weird to me. And yeah, I think that we're just, you know, I guess maybe it comes with age. And at the end of the day, women should lift up women.

And I mean, I'm not saying men aren't important, but we should always have each other's backs. And I think that just comes with age. we just know what matters most yeah yeah i've always been you know how Courtney Robertson wrote a book about uh i didn't come here to make friends i think that was her tagline yeah and i always thought but why not yeah like i love my friends and they're like my chosen family yeah and it is true like as you get older you realize what really truly matters right and if you don't have the like significant other part of it obviously you're searching for that and I hope you still find it. But I think that the friends are just a great

like icing on the cake and they can make life worthwhile. And these are girls that like if I met outside the show I would want to be friends with. They're not just, oh, we're forced together. Totally. We just, I think they did a really good job in casting the show because we are all really different but yet we just um have just the same kind of you know mindset on all that so yeah the the uh i'm with you make friends um you know katelyn even like i see kately last day and we heard we're sitting next to which i was like katelyn is it weird ever to you that like we're like i enjoy coming to see you and hanging out with you and having a drink with you like after you're the bachelorette you know And she's like, no.

I said, isn't that cool? Like that were that place? That's like when we were in Tahoe and Max, we did another one of these I-Heart things. And Max was there with us, my son. And I walked him up to Ben, or Bob. Yeah. And I was like, hey, Max, do you want to meet one of my exes? Bob's a person.

That's funny. That's a good one. There's no other place that you could actually do that. No. Normal about it. And that he would shake it off. Okay. Well, before we.

send you have to have breakfast um you know for our listeners here they've watched you on the golden they've watched your story unfold and then um you know they saw you last night they're probably very intrigued i'm glad you got to explain to us kind of why you came and what you want to do there what closing words would you have for those people listening just kind of wondering about your life now starting you know tomorrow as this chapter kind of closes and um yeah just fill them in on what they can kind of expect from you. Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I think sometimes people were thought, oh, I'm broken, I'm this, I'm that, but I'm actually not. I just, of course, I want to find love. And I have maybe had some bad luck, but I have a very full life. I have

been blessed beyond by my children, my grandchildren. I have amazing friends. I love Minneapolis. It's my hometown. I'm always happy to get home and just be. I just. I'm really, really good. I mean, I don't need a man, but I would love a partner. I would love to grow old with somebody, but it's not like, if I didn't, it would break me. Because I really have a lot of love around me all the time, and I'm very blessed. My children, I have three children, you can ask any one of them, and you'll say, who's your best friend, and they'll all say me. I love it.

Yeah, so I'm blessed that way, and I, you know, you know, I'm just, I never take it for granted. We're excited to see you. Continue to shine. Thank you. And it was great to see you here. It was really fun being here with you guys. And our dance band is iconic.

It's iconic. I'll never, I will never forget the moment. Wait, I watched a part of it today and we both did the body roll. Yes, the body rolls. Yours was better, by the way. Well, I really loosened up my hips yesterday. I'll just never forget the moment where Leslie goes, are we dancing? It's like, Leslie, I've been dancing for two minutes.

How you don't know, that's what this is, is concerning to me. This is not how I normally ask. My body rolls. I just don't. It's not over here percolating in the corner. Leslie, thanks again. Thank you guys so much. Thank you, love.

Really fun. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcasts on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to 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. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different.

What do you get when a true crime producer, walks into a comedy club. Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story. Does anyone know what show they've come to see? It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life.

This is Wisecrack, available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get fired up, y'all. Season two of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway. We just welcomed one of my favorite people, an incomparable soccer icon, Megan Rapino, to the show, and we had a blast. Take a listen. Sue and I were, like, riding the lime bikes the other day, and we're like, we're like, whee!

People ride bikes because it's fun. We got more incredible guests like Megan in store, plus news of the day and more. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner. of IHeart Women's Sports Network. I'm Simone Boyce, host of the Brightside podcast, and on this week's episode, I'm talking to Olympian,

World Cup champion, and podcast host, Ashlyn Harris. My worth is not wrapped up in how many things I've won, because what I came to realize is I valued winning so much that once it was over, I got the blues, and I was like,

this is it. For me, it's the pursuit of greatness. It's the journey. It's the people. It's the failures. It's the heartache. Listen to the bright side on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.