The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Lord of the Rings

Episode Date: December 22, 2021

It’s Michelle’s finale! Were you surprised by Nayte getting the final rose?? Ben and Ashley share a moment that made them cringe now that we know who she chooses! We break down all the weirdness with Hannah Brown’s new sister in law! And, Ben reveals why he isn’t wearing a wedding ring!  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Eumanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble.

Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your... free iHeart radio app search emergency intercom and listen now why are tsa rules so confusing you got a hood of you on take it all i'm manny i'm noah this is devon and we're best friends and journalists with a new podcast called no such thing where we get to the bottom of questions like that why are you screaming i can't expect what to do now if the rule was the same go off on me i deserve it you know lock him up listen to no such thing on the i heart radio app apple podcasts or

wherever you get your podcast. There's no such thing. 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. Hi, it's Honey German, and I'm back with season two of my podcast. Grazias, come again.

We got you when it comes to the latest in music and entertainment with interviews 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'll talk about all that's viral and trending with a little bit of a little bit of.

achievement and a whole lot of laughs. And of course, the great bevras you've come to expect. Listen to the new season of Dresses Come Again on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 host 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. This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast with IHartRadio.

Hey guys, welcome to the Almost Famous Podcast. It's the finale recap episode. Oh my goodness. Oh, my goodness. Is right. Wow. I've never been so heartbroken for a runner-up of my life. So sad. There's man tears all across the U.S. last night. Just men and women crying for Brandon. Poor guy. Poor guy. Do you have anything to like any life updates before we jump into the pod, like the recap? I mean, the big stuff right now is obviously the holidays are coming up. when we've got to take a second just wish everybody the best family time, friend time.

If you're stuck at home and you're just hanging out because of for whatever reasons this year, I hope you can find some joy in that, some celebration in that. The Colts are on on Christmas so you can watch him. And I got a tattoo last night with my dad. Oh, that's a big family update. That is a big family update. Why didn't I write that down? So, your husband, oh, L-O-L, your dad has been married for, wait, how long they've been married?

38 years. 38 years. Okay, but he's never worn a ring. I'm like, okay, don't tell your dad, but I'm not down for that, okay? I like it when a man wears a wedding ring. I get it. I do. Yeah, you know, he has these, like, little, like, you know the people that have, like, little sausage fingers?

Well, he's got that. Then he's got a weird knuckle. And I have never known him to wear a ring. and I've also never known a man who loves his wife more. Yeah. And so after a while, I honestly just think my mom was like, whatever. Like, it's not even an issue to, like, argue with this because I'd like, I know she would like it. Okay.

She just thinks it's cool. But after 38 years, you know, some things go out the window and just kind of get. And so I don't like the idea of a ring, not because I don't like the idea of a symbol wearing, I get really, like, fidgety with rings. I've never been able to wear a ring. I've never been like, fine. I always take it off. I flip it. I would get super nervous of losing it.

And so I always knew I wanted to get a tattoo. Even when Jess and I started dating, I was like, I would like to get a ring tattoo and then have a ring to wear on special occasions. And then I thought, well, I don't I do this with my dad. I think he'd be down for it. My dad doesn't have any tattoos. No tattoos. No.

And so I asked him and he immediately said yes. He's like, that's a great idea. And then my mom, like, got emotional about it. She's like, he's never wore a ring. and now he's going to get one tattooed on. This is so special. So, yeah, we went yesterday and got tattoos. It was, it was great.

How'd he tolerate it? I don't have a tattoo, so I don't know how it feels. The finger's, like, super easy. The finger really, like, doesn't hurt at all. There's, like, very little nerves there. So he just sat there. He was funny. He acted real tough.

He kind of, like, had a little swagger walking out of the tattoo parlor because he's tatted up. It was pretty good. Hey, can we get our producers in here for a second just as, like, a poll? Do you guys look out for? wedding rings when you look at just anyone like i know that well some of you guys are married some of you are single do you look for wedding bands does it say anything about a human i think it i think it does i mean i'm so old school but when i see a ring on a guy's finger i definitely think like oh

somebody um wants to be with him you know he must be like a kind of a stand-up guy reliable loyal committed i think it says a lot um Danielle our producer says definitely looks out for one um and then one of ours says i look out and judge oh apparently they all look so my question now is like do people look at people like your dad who haven't worn a ring and been like oh that man is single do they automatically assume he's single or do they think oh he could be married and doesn't wear a ring. And does that matter? Does it matter?

What's wrong with me? I don't know if it matters. I really don't. I mean, I, you know, I think, I think it's a good pull to take. However, here's what the guy told me that was giving me the tattoo last night. He goes, sometimes it's more dangerous to wear a ring out for a guy and a girl because some people like that too. People like the challenge, right?

The challenge. And so that's messed up. Yes. I'm not okay with any part of that, but I, you know, I just don't think it's that big of a deal because here's the truth, ring or not, I'm a married man, I'm a happily married man. I'm a committed married man. That won't change. Like, even if life goes sideways and we have a really hard season, that's not going to change for me. But that's the commitment I made when I stood at the altar. And so, yeah, so ring is a really good way to publicly show that. And I think that we just throw it to the listeners. Listeners, what do you think? Did I make a terrible decision by giving a tattoo? no i love your tattoo ring your tattoo ring counts just as much if not you know if not more that is temporary that is not that's not temporary that is not temporary that is super permanent can't take that one off like talk about commitment you can't have anyone come up to you like you could never like go out and not wear your ring and be like oh i'm not wearing my ring let's see if any girls come

up to me like no you got it there i love it and last night okay Last night, Michelle got a ring. A beautiful Rio Lane ring. Oh, we're going to talk all about it here coming up. Let's take a break. We come back with the Almost Famous podcast. We're going to break down the finale episode in Michelle's season. It was an emotional one.

We're going to talk about Caitlin Bristow, kind of shockingly, with surprise hosting the finale alone. We're also going to talk about Ashley's reactions. And did she cry last night watching the episode. We'll be back with the Almost News podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you 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. Heart Radio app, search emergency intercom, and listen now.

My name is Ed. Everyone say, hello, Ed. Hello, Ed. I'm from a very rural background myself. My dad is a farmer and my mom is a cousin, so, like, it's not like... What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke, but that

really was my reality nine years ago. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. On stage stood a comedian with a story that no one unexpected to hear. The 22nd of July 2015, a 23-year-old man had killed his family.

And then he came to my house. So what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage. Available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the Eye Heart Heart 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 chisement. Terrible love advice. Evil spells to cast on your ex. 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 miss it. Get in here. Today we have a very special guest with us. Our new super secret bestie is the diva of the people. The diva of the people. I'm just like text your ex. My theory is that if you need to figure out that the stove is hot, go and touch it. Go and figure it out for yourself.

Okay. That's us. That's us. My name is Curley. And I'm Maya. In each episode, we'll talk about love, friendship, heartbreak, men, and of course, our favorite secrets. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club as a part of the Michael Podcast Network available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcast. 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.

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 happened 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 Overcomfit podcast

as part of the MyCultura podcast network on the IHeartRadio 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 from 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. All right, let's start off by talking about Caitlin because Caitlin, I guess last minute, got word that she was going to have to host the finale herself.

Tasia had been exposed to COVID, wasn't able to be up there with her. It was Caitlin's first live show. She was already nervous about it being live because these other, you know, men tell-alls and the other after final rows that they did was, pre-taped so she's already more nervous about this one and I just got to say I think she did the most amazing job like given all the extra pressure I think that it was her best performance as a host I agree I mean and there's so many things about that live show that's difficult you know reading from a teleprompter and making it seem natural like you're not reading so hard harder than

you ever thought and what people don't know. Well, many people do. But what I, you know, what I was surprised by when I was the show

is mental all is not live. It's in front of a live audience, but there stops, there starts. It takes eight hours to film. There's stuff that they cut out. Afrizona Rose is completely live. And she is on,

if she messes up, it's on her, if she gets nervous and loses her train, I mean, how many times, and I think most listeners can relate with this,

how many times have you been doing something that you're super familiar with that you're super confident And you just, like, have a brain fart. Like, you just totally blank out. Like, Caitlin did great. She really showed off how good she is at this and how naturally good as she is at this.

Because, like you were saying, it's not like Caitlin had a week to prep knowing this was coming up. Like, she just had to jump into it and be like, I'm going to give it my best shot. And she did awesome. She also, like, made it her own. You know, you can tell, like, the little things that she added to make it her own. And she brought a lot of warmth,

especially when talking to Brandon. I loved her performance. Good job. Bravo, Caitlin. She should be so proud. We are so proud of her. All right. Yes, Ben. And if you want to listen more of Caitlin, we just recorded an episode with her last week that's out

that you should go back and listen to. This is before she knew she was going to be the live host alone. But she did talk a lot about hosting, kind of her philosophy going into it. So make sure you go back and check that out if you can't. All right. So let's start out with the first, you know, big moments we see that you know you know brandon is meeting the family again we already had brandon

meet the family a couple weeks ago back when they're filming in minnesota i thought you know they thought he was a sweet guy then i don't know that they were overwhelmed with love for him then um they were it seemed like his dad was her dad was a little bit shy around him then um didn't have a lot to say and this time. It was like the family was just in love with Brandon. The dad gave his blessing. Brandon says that he would move to Minnesota, which of course they loved. Her mom said that they would be so happy if Brandon was part of the family, said that she could just see in Brandon's eyes that he really loves her. Like everybody was just like, I want you to be part of the family. And then Brandon was like, I really want to be part of this family. And you're like, okay, this poor Nate has, like, just no chance now. Oh. I mean, it was really a turning point for us, too, is when Brandon started to just become another character and then actually started to be a frontrunner. I mean, he was always a front runner.

Yeah. But we were really like, oh, my gosh. Like, this guy, he connects, they like him. And then last week after she got rid of Joe kept Brandon around, I was really like, I think this might be the dude. He might be a shocker to us. Yeah, I thought last week, that last week was the first week I started thinking like, okay, I think their like is unequal. Like, I feel like he is so in love, head over heels with this girl. And I think she, she likes him and loves him.

Do you know what I mean? She really likes him and she loves him as a person. And this week, he was saying with so much certainty, I can't wait to marry her. Just, like, I'm spending the rest of my life with her. It was with such certainty, and then at the end of the night, because, you know, oh, no, no, no. Whoops, I forgot. First, we meet Nate meets the families, and then they have the one-on-one dates. Okay, so let's go into Nate meeting the family.

He does not exactly show up the way that Brendan does. He's obviously far more nervous. He has less, like, flowy, flowery language, right? And it seems like the family likes the flowery language. They like how open and vulnerable he is, which of course, like every family is going to want to hear all those, like, amazing things.

Like, I think your daughter is the most incredible person. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with her. Like, every family wants to hear this. But Nate's, like, not really good at verbalizing it. But at the same time, like, how weird is it to say that stuff to a family that you're meeting for the very first time? Yeah, it's a different font.

Now, to kind of go on Nate's side for a second, we saw it with his own family. It's not like he's putting on a show here or not, like he doesn't, he doesn't have the, it doesn't seem like he has that family dynamic where he knows what to say because there hasn't been that openness and that vulnerability. We saw that and can kind of draw the parallels now between Michelle's family and how he dealt with his family. Like he never said, I love you to his own dad. like he's not going to be like saying like I love your daughter the second that they meet

no and I mean my biggest not criticism of Brandon to go back to Brandon for a second has always been that I felt like he's always chasing after like he's trying really hard not saying it's this ingenuous I mean obviously we now we see like how much he does care about her but like I was always like you know I just want this dude to relax a little bit like I want to see him just be him and like not be not say the right thing and not be always like super excited just like be him. And Nate, you know, was the guy that definitely was a little bit like more calm and collected through this whole season. Um, but, but he lost his footing here. He definitely wasn't like, he wasn't collected here. You can see that he was out of loss for words. He was

visibly nervous, but it's okay. You like, I wanted to keep defending him because like I think meeting the parents is already a nerve-wracking thing, let alone in this environment. And, And they didn't let him down easy at all. They were asking him to have questions. They were talking about moving to Minnesota. He was kind of vague about that. They didn't like that. They didn't like that.

Then even his, her mom said, like, we didn't get, like, the warm vibes from him right off the bat, like we did with Brandon. The mom initially says that Brandon was a warmer personality right off the bat. she then tells Michelle that she doesn't think that Nate is ready for engagement and Michelle gets really emotional about this. She faces Nate afterward, you know, they leave the family and she, he tries to reassure. He says he's very much ready to get down on one knee. He just doesn't like, like, basically, I totally understand what he's going through. He doesn't want to count his eggs before they have.

patch, right? So the family is like, well, what about this? Like, what about that? Like, what if you aren't the last one, the last guy standing? And he's like, I don't really want to, like, think about that. Like, I'm trying not to put any negativity out there. And me, as somebody who, like, is all about the power of positivity, I also wouldn't want to put that out there. Like, you want to project what you want. And, like, I don't know. So I feel like he just gets awkward about talking about certain things because he's just like um i am just hoping that that's not how it goes uh so like he just yeah i don't know i mean actually here's the thing i know it's confusing but and i i'm not like not understanding where nene comes from because i do get it

and it's a weird circumstance but when you fall in love you do throw all your eggs in one basket like you're ready to do anything to make that happen okay so you're right ben darn it because you know i mean you would just think i'm trying to offend him but now you can and i'm not saying like i don't trust the dude or believe in him or think it's real i hope they work and i'm like i'm super happy but i liked all these guys that were down in the final couple weeks like i think they're all like good dudes but like when you fall in love actually when you fall in love like you throw all your eggs in one basket when you fall in love you commit to whatever the good and the bad is going to be that comes to you and so I I was a little surprised with

Nate instill his reservations around the family and around this week because in my mind and not everybody is going to handle love the same way but in my mind Brandon just was so all in that it made me nervous for where Nate stands. Okay. And that's what I'll say. You're just right. You're right. Because I'm thinking about how I've handled my experiences on the show.

And I have been like, I was more out there than ever when it came to like me being like, I need this, I want this. Like, I'm not going to give up on this. Even though like in real life, I probably would have been a little bit more. reserved. So this process, in my experience, made me more vocal about everything. It looks like it made Brandon more vocal about everything. And it made Nate, well, maybe just stay the same. I didn't see a lot of, and listeners, please argue with me. It's part of this. But I didn't see a lot of advancement emotionally or romantically.

from Nate from the start of the season to the end well Michelle says that she did and then she says we didn't see it okay we didn't see it okay we didn't see it no we didn't see much we didn't see much I do think that like at the proposal we did the proposal was yeah turning point and then she says on after the final rose that now like he's just as vulnerable and communicative as she has been if not more so that's that's great and and you would hope the proposal would be a really good romantic emotional stamp place where you say hey i love you and i want to commit to you i trust her i mean i always have michel i think is one of the been one of the best all around leads this show's ever seen i think she did it really well i think she handled the controversy well the drama well i think she asked

good questions so i do trust her obviously with this and and i have to believe that i I'm just saying as a viewer standpoint, because that's the only place I can come from is I didn't see it. And that's why I was more reserved on Nate than I was with Brandon when it came to how they felt about Michelle. I completely concur. All right. Let's get into Brandon and Michelle's last date. The big thing is that Michelle starts out by saying that she is really falling for Brandon but doesn't want to go into an engagement. Falling in love, she wants to be in love.

And the big moment is that she legitimately tells Brendan while sitting down on the couch during like their final, you know, alone moments together. It says, I'm not falling for you. I love you.

And in that moment, I think as an audience, we were like, okay, so she's going to pick him. Or she's going to pull a Ben Higgins and say, I love you to two people. Which so many people.

have done since. Which so many, I mean, it just seems like it's became a good, a really good, like, at least people now are saying it. This, this was intense because I think you can make a lot of parallels with this in my experience where you don't know, I think she was conflicted. I think she was confused. I think there was a lot of emotions running around. And I think she had two incredible people standing in front of her.

she had really strong feelings from both and so I get it I have I saw you know Twitter last night and I saw the not the hate I don't think Michelle has gotten a lot of hate but I saw the the differences of opinions uh on what she did and why she said it but when you're in the moment you feel like hey if I'm going to at least for me say goodbye to somebody and I don't know quite who and that feels weird to me I at least want them to know how much I care that's pretty much what she says on after the final rose yeah she's like I just didn't want to hold back like that's how I was feeling and I wanted you to know that's how much you meant to me I think in five years you know hopefully she's still with Nate things are going great she can take a second and breathe and look back and say that maybe wasn't the wisest thing that's what I would say about myself wasn't the wisest thing I was definitely letting my emotion speak for my mind but in the moment it's so hard to know what the right thing to do is. You really just have to start saying,

I'm going to say whatever I feel and whatever I know is true. And I'm just going to say it. And hopefully it works out. And if it does it, I don't know what to do about it. Yeah. Yeah. I understand. I wonder if Michelle, like, knew, though,

in that moment that she was going to pick Nate. Like, I wonder how long she knew because, you know, Yeah. It's just one of the, it's another one of those first impression rose things, you know? We have a long list. I think at the end of the episode, we're going to talk about all the leads that have picked their first impression. And it's like love at first sight, right? Well, I think you're going to have the opportunity to talk to Michelle, aren't you?

Yes. Pretty soon you can maybe ask you this question. Yes. Let's do. I'll do that. But that reminds me of just like I'm thinking maybe going off of the family date. the family meeting, maybe Michelle was like, I really should be with Brandon, Brandon.

I wonder if she felt a lot of pressure from that. That is something I'm going to ask her to. And how relatable is that on this, when we watch this show, for those that are listening that have been fans of the show and the podcast for years, how many times? So many times.

It really stands out to me was the, and one that almost is last, Well, yeah, but laughable now is the Jojo season with Robbie and Jordan, where the family loved Robbie. They did? I didn't even remember that. Oh, my gosh. You know, so sometimes the family doesn't always know the whole story or, you know, they just get bits and pieces when somebody can turn it on for a couple minutes and really be likable. So I don't look too far into that. But yeah, I, this one was hard because unlike, I mean, I would like to think this, but unlike maybe Jojo season, Brandon, I think is really through the whole episode too

and through the live show, like he drew a lot of fans because they can tell he was ready and he was open and he was just being himself the best he could. And he didn't want anything out of this other than Michelle. That's why I think so many people react so strongly, emotionally, a lot of people to, his conversation with Caitlin and then his conversation with Michelle. Yeah. And he continues to call Michelle like his future wife with certainty throughout the episode, throughout the date.

But the next day, Michelle has her last date with Nate, in which he really does have like that conversation for the first time. It's probably that scene when they were on the bench. So let's take a break here then. And when we come back, we're to talk about that conversation on the bench. Because it is one that seems to be a turning point for Michelle and Nate and for so many watching. So we'll come back with the Almost Suisse podcast. 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 a 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. 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. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training. These programs aimed to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the head. hell awaiting him the next six months. The first night was so overwhelming, and you don't know who's next to you.

And we didn't know what to expect in the morning. Nobody tells you anything. Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 from 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. My name is Ed. Everyone say, hello, Ed. I'm from a very rural background myself. My dad is a farmer, and my mom is a cousin. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke, but that really was my reality nine years ago. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different.

On stage stood a comedian with a story that no one expected to hear. The 22nd of July 2015, a 23-year-old man had killed his family. And then he came to my house. So what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage. Available now. Listen to Wisecrack 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 miss it. Get in here! Today we have a very special guest with us. Our new super secret bestie is the divo of the people. The diva of the people. I'm just like text your ex. Okay.

My theory is that if you need to figure out that the stove is hot, go and touch it. Go and figure it out for yourself. Okay. That's us. That's us. My name is Curley. And I'm Maya. In each episode, we'll talk about love, friendship, heart breaks, men, and, of course, our favorite secrets.

Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club as a part of the MyCoutura podcast network available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Before this bench conversation, we see him super awkward with a shaman. And the shaman's like, you have walls up. And I'm like, oh, gosh, Nate's really, like, shit in the bed here. I feel like Brandon is the shoe in. Michelle's not going to be able to, like, go into finale day with this guy that just seems, like, too uncertain about everything. But then they have this bench conversation. And he goes, like, I came on the show with two suits thinking I was not going to make it to the end.

And now here I am. I'm madly in love. This could be like, you could be like the person I'm going to be with for the rest of my life. He says that he's scared that he's going to get heartbroken. And Michelle is like, this is what I wanted you to be saying the entire time. She's like, I'm scared as well. And then he was like, this could be like my last conversation before a proposal. He worries if he's expressing himself enough.

Like, I think he's like, I keep trying. Like, I've never wanted to be more expressive in my life. Michelle says that she's, like, really stressed out. And Nate says that he's happy that the conversation with her mom, you know, that the conversation with her mom in which she said, I don't think that he's ready to get engaged was actually what started this. bench conversation so therefore he's happy that it like they had it so like now they can like really hash this out but he says that he's now never been more certain about somebody he's ready for a proposal um he all he does all day long is think about the rest of his life with her and he's scared that if he walks away tomorrow that when he wakes up tomorrow it could be the last

day that he ever gets to see Michelle and then they tell each other that they love her that you know they love each other and it's a turning point it is it is it's something that was needed I think leading up to that last proposal it was a turning point for us can I pause you for a second sure and get your feedback on something this shaman deal why do they love shaman so much Yeah, that was my thing. It seems helpful. It seems cool. But it comes up every season now.

Is this little like either intimacy coach or shaman, you know, it just, it doesn't do much for me as a date idea. Because typically, in my memory, maybe somebody can correct me, the shaman usually just brings up insecurities or negativity around the relationship or the person. That's usually what happens here is like the thing we all expect. this person by the way I'm sitting outside I'm sorry it's the only place I have in the house but uh so if you can hear a mower going that's why but uh typically the only the only thing that comes up is negativity and it doesn't ever seem helpful for a relationship maybe here it was because it did allow them to start talking but I don't know if I'm a fan of them it's probably of those dates of those dates I know it's probably just the producer's way of a topic being brought

up that maybe it wouldn't have been natural for either one of the couple to bring up. Fair. All right. That's all stop. Okay. So then they get back from their date and Michelle has a note from Brandon. It's like the most over the top thing. It makes me just cringe now thinking that she's going to pick Nate because at the end of their date, she says something like, my heart is telling me that Nate is my person. And now she just has. has to get hit with this guilt in a way, you know, just this guy who just is talking so much about his love for her now and forever. And even if it's not him that she needs to follow her heart and that like he's never loved like this ever. And like it's such a selfless love. And it's just

like, oh my God, this guy is like, he's going to be broken. I can't watch this. guy be so broken? All I want is that is like well I guess this is the bachelor lead in right? Like his future bachelor application but it's just like all I want

is this guy to find somebody who loves him the same way that he is capable of loving another yeah both guys but he's not our bachelor he's not which doesn't make any sense

I mean, not that it couldn't happen down the road, but still, it just seems like it would have made a lot of sense, but I guess it would have, if it was spoiled, you know, like, if Brandon was The Bachelor, there's no way, it's, I understand why, I understand why this has happened, you know, you can't hide the filming of Clayton, you know? Like, you just can't hide it. So they couldn't have had Brandon be the Bachelor, because then, the entire season of Michelle's would have been totally ruined and spoiled. Anyway, okay, both guys pick their Neal Lane rings and this is the moment that Michelle meets Brandon at the altar with the ocean waves way too loud, way, way too loud. Couldn't hear her at all. Did you see? Rob Mills tweeted last night. and apologize about it.

Oh, really? Yeah, he's like, sorry, there's nothing we could do. The waves are a lot louder than expected. They owed up to it. Yeah. You couldn't hear Michelle at all. But, you know, it's fine.

That, like, makes it kind of, like, real life, you know? It's like, oh, they kind of messed up. They were really close to the water. Anyway, so, well, Brandon later, after the final rose, says, like, you can't lie with your eyes. Like, I can see. I can tell everything you're feeling through your eyes. Like, I knew when I got up there that it wasn't me.

Yeah, which is pretty heartbreaking. But at least, like, you had a little warning. He says he found his missing piece with her. And they have something special that he will never find again. Please, Brandon, go find it again. You must find it. He says he doesn't want to spend another second without her. That he hasn't met anyone.

And she says, like, I've never been. anyone like you and I do love you but I promise myself to follow my heart and my heart is pushing me in a different direction they both start crying she says I love you again as walking him out which you know I think is actually like quite nice uh she really does love him as a person and then we just continue to see him sob and sigh and oh it was really one of the most emotional you know, finale exits I can ever remember because a lot of people get defensive and a lot of them get angry in that final moment, but he was just straight up sad. Some people you're like, oh, you know, they're going to be fine. Just, Brandon, I did not. I know he's going to be fine,

but there wasn't that like that sense there. He loves her. He does. He does. He does. He does. obvious but you got a feel for the guy you got his heartbroken that and we all none of us like to see that i mean it happens on this show it happens in life but it's just always hard he's he's gonna be fine but i do feel with brandon it's gonna take him a while i remember in uh meeting with a runner up a few years ago actually and i won't say who but i remember meeting with a runner up and he had very similar feelings to this he was was heartbroken. This was months after the breakup, months, and he was heartbroken. He really was. He was crying on my couch, and he didn't know how to navigate life without her. And so I get it. Now

they're fine, right? It's been a few years, but there's still this, you know, love is love. And it's, it's a hard thing, but it's not worth it if you don't, you know, if you're not willing to take it some pain. So feel for Brandon there. It's one of those moments. that like it kind of sucks because sometimes I feel like these finalees are overshadowed by the breakup like the engagements get overshadowed by the breakup beforehand where you're left thinking more about that than you were the engagement and the happy couple

I think this is one of those seasons yeah yeah because more people are going to be talking about Brandon today than Michelle and Nate I feel like even though Michelle and Nate's I think it happens both seasons you think so yeah I think it happens most seasons. Yeah, I think it just does. I think it's part of the beast.

So, well, let's move on now to celebrate the happy couple. Michelle and Nate, they would have wished them the best here because I think this top four that Michelle had was some of the best top four we've seen a long time. I thought these guys were all charismatic. They all had incredible storylines. They all connected at some level with Michelle. And so for Nate to rise above those guys and to have Michelle's heart and for Michelle to have his heart, something we got to celebrate. So we're super excited for them. And here's a deal. I feel for this couple, even though they won't be the ones talked about. There's been some seasons as of recent where you and I are like, this is just weird. The ending felt odd. It fell off.

It felt like we didn't connect with it. This season, we really felt like at least for me, I connected with this couple me too me too just to go back a few seasons katy and blake we fell off with that for sure and then we with matt and rachel we were also like where is this going to go but here i feel like they are truly happy uh they are like really glowing together there's no issues i thought that because of the teasers there was going to be some sort of twist there really wasn't no uh i thought that maybe yeah i thought maybe that would be evident at after the final rose like that's where the twist would be but nope they like showed up they're so happy together and i i'm just excited to hopefully get a bachelor couple that lasts a while if not forever now

uh i think i think we have a good shot with them i really do i think and i just feel you know like i said with michelle being as good at this whole process as she was leading uh i think she made a decision that she knew was right and it seemed like it just was solidified on the final episode and on the live show. But again, for as much we want to celebrate them, too. We also just want to say, you know, Caitlin Bristow handling this whole thing so well

and really helping us connect with this couple as we want to celebrate them on after the final rose. I think she crushed it and she did a great job. I think so too. All right. Well, I'm going to have Michelle on the podcast. later today, another episode, and I'm going to ask her a whole bunch of things

that came up at after the final rows, including that down payment on a house, lucky duckies, and how she felt about choosing somebody that her family was not as down for her to choose. Wow. All right. Well, hey, we're coming back with a resident expert. There are some bachelor headlines this week,

even though it was the finale of Michelle's season. We're going to talk to Ashley E. Kennedy about these headlines coming up after the break. Hi, my name is Enya Emanzor. 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 ADA, 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. 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 from 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. My name is Ed. Everyone say, hello, Ed. I'm from a very rural background myself. My dad is a farmer. And my mom is a cousin. So, like, it's not like... What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy. I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke, but that really was my reality nine years ago.

I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. On stage stood a comedian with a story that no one expected to hear. The 22nd of July 2015, a 23-year-old man had killed his family. And then he came to my house. So what do you get when a true crime producer, walks into a comedy club a new podcast called Wisecrack where stand-up comedy

and murder takes center stage available now listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts The Super Secret Festi 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 at 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 miss it. Get in here! Today we have a very special

guest with us. Our new super secret bestie is the diva of the people. The diva of the people. I'm just like text your ex. My theory is that if you need to figure out that the stove is hot, go and touch it. Go and figure it out for yourself. That's us. That's us.

My name is Curley. And I'm Maya. In each episode, we'll talk about love, friendship, heart breaks, men, and, of course, our favorite secrets. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club as a part of the My Cultura podcast network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 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. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, highly regimented correctional programs

that mimic military basic training. These programs aimed to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months. The first night was so overwhelming and you don't know who's next to you. And we didn't know what to expect in the morning. Nobody tells you anything. Listen to shock incarceration on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, headlines this week in Bachelor Nation. This is a wild one. Hannah Brown's brother. I had no clue this was even happening or going on.

Patrick is engaged to Jen Wyatt's ex-Haley Stevens. Dude. He says, in quotes, my best friend, this according to us weekly. Ashley, what's going on here? This is the weirdest thing ever. Okay, Haley Stevens, if you guys don't remember, is the girl that Jed was apparently with up until the moment that, like, he landed in L.A. to be on The Bachelorette. And somewhere in the mix, Hannah's brother met Haley, and now they're engaged.

I do remember when they started dating, but never would I have thought that they would have gotten engaged. And now Hannah is going to spend the rest of her life being related to the girl that, like, was dating her fiancé? This is a whole bunch of craziness. Hannah did share her approval though last month she said I love my brother and I'm just so thankful for all the changes that he's made in his life because of that just really impacted the way our family dynamic is both of us have kind of gone on our own journey of healing he had an overdose last year about his love life I don't choose who my brother loves and who he wants to be with but I love him

and I want him to be happy so that still sounds like she doesn't like this I mean it's got to be weird for her right but I'm sure she's met you know Haley multiple times now I'm sure I'm sure they they've had their time and I actually feel like

not that any of this is a one-up but you know for Hannah and Haley and Patrick you know the one that kind of gets the shaft to get is Jed, which is fine, because, you know, Haley and Patrick are in love, and you can't really do it. But I feel like it's more weird for Jed probably, where he's like, I just like, I got hated on, kicked out, booted up. And then she ends up marrying the brother of the

girl that like I didn't get with. I don't know. It just, it's a wild, it's just like a wild storyline. That is, it's a weird, weird storyline. All right, what's the next headline? bachelor nations astrid and kevin's newborn hospitalized after testing positive for covid this according to e i saw this on instagram just a few days ago yeah oh no i did not know this okay um kevin captioned a series of photos on instagram saying tough week for the went gang this is an appreciation post for the best mother and teammate there is our family has coven and it's not taking it easy on any of us astrid has a terrible flu followed by oggy getting a fever which he's also tested for COVID as well. August was admitted to the hospital

and seeing him sick and in pain at just four weeks old breaks our hearts. He got very sick yesterday and today is the worst yet so I couldn't go to the hospital not even bring Astor dinner because of the new variant and unknown and the unknown around the transmission. I've been staying clear of my little man until my symptoms are gone. We are in isolation until after Christmas. He also said that Astrid's being such a champ. She is, she just snapped into Mama Bear mode

and never skipped a beat. That is so sad. Yeah, it's, it is. It's a hard story to read and wish of the best for that family because this cannot be easy. But no doubt, Astrid

did jump into Mama Bear mode. It is an incredible mother. Well, the next headline is this, transitioning to, Tasha Adams, calls out Colton Underwood, says he lied about sleeping in sweatpants during Fantasy Suite date. This is according to Us Weekly. Oh, this was interesting, especially after you and Nick last week, said that both of you, in addition to other Bachelor Nation members, did reach out to Colton after he came out on Good Morning America when he denied

that anyone did. He said that Chris Harrison was the only person in the Bachelor family who did. and now Tasha comes out and says he was not wearing sweats in bed with me as he claims during his in his Netflix show she says she says that

he it was way too hot for that and he I don't even think had he didn't have a shirt on she also hates the fact that she made it seem like he was like pitying her so these are the exact quote

says, I don't know if this was in his book, which I haven't read or his show, which I haven't seen, but obviously everyone in Batchel nation talks. He had said, you know, he went in to the, you know, Becca Kufrin is on the podcast in which she just says these things. And she goes, well, he said that you guys went into the fantasy suite and that he kept his sweatpants and the sweatshirt on and then you guys talked and that was it and that he felt bad. And then Tasia goes, Tasha calls. Tasha calls that extremely rude she said he felt it's like he felt bad for me it's like don't make

me seem like this like a pity case he felt bad for me anyway if I'm not the only person you should be feeling bad for there were other women that were trying to fall in love with you and they're really putting their hearts there on the line so if you feel bad for sleep it if you feel bad in that regard then sure um but no to answer the the the blatant question question here. He did not actually sleep in sweatpants and a sweatshirt shirt that night. Yeah. Well, we did, I did watch a clip of that. I don't think Colton's responded to any of it, but that's, that's, that's fine. Well, next headline is this. Greg Grippo recalls quitting the bachelor at calling producers left and right to get Katie Thurston update. That's according to us

weekly. He does say that the feelings that they, that they did have for each other were real, but he actually truly believes that she had stronger feelings for Blake when he quit. And he said after he left, he was calling producers, DMing, Caitlin, Burstow. He said nobody was answering, but he was truly wanting to know, is she with him? Did they end up together? Is she coming back, to New Jersey. Like, I think that may be a little bit in his head. He was like, oh, is she going to follow after me? He said, yeah, Colin producers left and right, I was telling my family, I think there's a

better chance than not that we get back together. I thought that she was going to go after him in New Jersey, too. I definitely thought she was going to halt the season and just be like, all right, well, if I can't get him back, then the other two, like the feel. aren't on par with. So then I'll have to leave alone. But we all know how this story ended. It was with Blake and then it was with John.

And actually speaking of John, Katie said this week that she did not give Blake a heads up about her relationship with John. When asked about why she didn't give Blake a heads up, she said people are always like, well you should have told Blake we talked about giving Blake a heads up but here's the thing that people forget we're just normal people trying to live normal lives and when have you ever had to tell an ex that you're seeing someone new I feel that I feel that um but in bachelor world it is a little bit different just because like all the relationships are so public yeah fair enough well actually that's all the headlines we got for today it's another season in the books Michelle Young's season is over.

We want to wish her and Nate the absolute best. And to all the contestants that were on this season, what a great season. What a great thing we got to watch. Now we head into Clayton's season of The Bachelor. We did see him come to the after the final rose. He read through some mean tweets, which felt really uncomfortable for me to watch. But I am going to be excited. to see him as The Bachelor, because there is a lot of speculation around it.

And if you remember, right, a lot of the leads that we've gone on to leading into their season with the most, like, confusion about. I would say Hannah Brown was one of those. I think we were all like, what in the world? Where did this come from? Except for me. Yeah, well, we ended up finding some of the most endearing, some of the most positively rated. So we'll be excited for this next season. of The Bachelor of Clayton.

Yes. It'll be, it'll, uh, the previews give me hope. I'll say that. There we go. Well,

that's all we got to today with the almost famous podcast. We'll be back, uh, very soon. Next week. We're going to break down the girls, the women. That's right.

Oh, let's do it. Oh, one of my favorite episodes every year is when we just get to talk about these people without ever knowing them. Uh, and, uh,

so we'll do that next week, uh, here on the almost says podcast. With that, I've been done. I've been Ashley. Bye guys. Follow the Ben and Ashley I. Almost Famous Podcasts on IHartRadio 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's the podcast for you Open your free IHeartRadio app Search Emergency Intercom And listen now Why are TSA rules so confusing You gotta hood of you want to take it all I'm Mani

I'm Noah This is Devin And we're best friends and journalists With a new podcast called No Such Thing Where we get to the bottom of questions like that Why are you screaming? I can't expect what to do Now if the rule was the same

Go off on me I deserve it lock him up listen to no such thing on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcast no such thing hi it's honey german and i'm back with season two of my podcast grasias come again we got you when it comes to the latest in music and entertainment with interviews with some of your favorite latin artists and celebrities you didn't have to audition no i didn't audition i haven't audition in like over 25 years oh wow that's a real g-talk right Oh, yeah.

We'll talk about all that's viral and trending with a little bit of cheesement and a whole lot of laughs. And of course, the great vivras you've come to expect. Listen to the new season of Dresses Come Again on the IHeartRadio 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. Hi, I'm Jenna Lopez, and in the new season of the Overcomfit Podcasts, I'm even more honest, more vulnerable, and more real than ever. 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? Join me for conversations about healing and growth, all from one of my favorite spaces, The Kitchen. Listen to the new season of the Overcomber podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.