The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Love After Paradise with Alli Jo Hinkes

Episode Date: August 22, 2025

Alli Jo Hinkes only spent about 36 hours in Paradise but she’s ready to spill it all for Ashley! We find out if Kat’s iPad was an open secret on the sand, and Alli Jo shares her personal insight on why Grant and Julianna broke up.Plus, we hear everything about Alli Jo’s new boyfriend and how their love connection developed after she got home from Paradise!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel. Writer Strong. And Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. We are back in Las Vegas and giving the people what they want, a full week of Y2K content.

Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course. We joke and say this is our second marriage, but it takes a lot of communication. Plus, it's carrot top, baby. And finally, Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys.

Then everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA. terminal, just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, terrorism. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the on-purpose podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Djokovic.

He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak, Djokovic. When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How long can I push my own limits? Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Jumanzor. 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. This is the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast with IHeartRadio. Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Almost Famous Podcast. It is Ashley holding a... down today because Ben is on vacation in Italy. And I'm excited because today, my guest came in fast and furious into Paradise. And she didn't stick around long enough. But what happened

since she's left has probably been more exciting than anything. Please welcome Ali Joe Hanks to the podcast. Hello. Thank you for having. Hello. Thank you for being here. Um, so basically, Paradise just didn't really, it didn't pan out for you. How many days were you actually there? like two? Did you film for two days? Literally not even two full days, actually. It was like 36 hours, I think. That sucks. Was there anything with your relationship with Dale that didn't make air that you wish did? Um, I think just like our conversations of things that we had in common and just like where we wanted to see our futures. And I think they were a little bit more like intimate conversations off the jump, which I think is totally fine, especially for this scenario. But I did, you know,

asked him about his relationship with cat, where his head was at. We were there only for a couple of days, right? Because I came in on like a Tuesday and they all started filming on Saturday. So he was only there two days before me because I think he had came late. So I was just very curious to how they got to where they were so, so quickly. Yeah. How did, what did he say? How did they get there?

He took her on the date with the boat and or the catamaran. And I guess they had a lot in common. and they wanted similar things in their futures, but yeah, it was like, I feel like everyone still wanted those things in their futures, too. So I guess it just happened pretty quickly. Right. When you were in that rose ceremony, did you think that there was hope for you getting a rose or was it, you were pretty certain that it was going to go to Kat? Yeah, I mean, like I said, I laid all my parts out there. I thought he was interested me based on the conversations we had. It was never like, I'm only picking cat. He even said, like, my head is

somewhere. My heart is somewhere. I'm confused. And this was before the rose ceremony. So there wasn't like enough clarity for me. But like deep down, I was like, I feel like I am going home. But there could be a potential. There could be like that I'm staying. But unfortunately, I obviously got sent home. I'm sorry about that. But then you go home and you, what happens? What happens? So you and Sam are together. This is Sam McKinney from Jen season. He was also on Paradise for a short stint. And you guys, you said recently that you didn't want to really get into it via DM with him because you wanted it to be an authentic connection if you were to meet in paradise. But then it just, you didn't cross paths there.

Yes. So you came home and what happens? Yes. So I came home. I got my phone back. It was before, like, I was getting on the flay and I had reached out to him via DM. And I was like, I heard you were here just a couple of hours ago because he was. By the time you, like, wrap up filming and get back.

like we had just missed each other by a couple of hours. So I reached out to him because I wanted him to know that I was there. He wouldn't have known if I was there or not. So I wanted it to be known that I was there. I wanted him to know. I was disappointed. So I'd reached out to him and he gave me his phone number. And it's so funny because I'm not the type of girl that likes to reach out to guys first.

I don't think there's a problem with that after a while, but like definitely not initially, but it's a different like set up. This is different circumstance. So I texted him and I was like, hey, it's Allie Joe. And he hopped on the phone with me. He's like, we definitely have to plan. something like let's get together soon. And then I was going to Jersey and time had passed, but we still stayed in touch and we talked like every day where there was a quick text,

a quick face time. He met my mom on FaceTime like the day before Mother's Day. So we stayed in contact. And then he finally was like, I'm coming to Florida. I'm booking a flight. And the rest was history. I'm booking a flight to intentionally see you. Yes. Very nice. So what's the status now? Are we official? Yeah, we are official. We've been dating officially, you know, for a couple of months and he's come to Florida a couple of times. I've been to South Carolina a few times. We just booked a trip to Nashville in October with my friends who are engaged, who he's met. So he's gone along with like all my friends, which is amazing. My family, especially, that's like a huge thing of importance for me. So yeah, we are official and we're making plans. We're making

trips. And yeah, I'm excited. Oh, that's awesome. This is kind of making me, it's kind of reminiscent of Brandon and Christina? Yeah. You guys, because Christina wasn't in Paradise, but Brandon was. And if they had cast Christina for Paradise, then they would have had another bachelor. They would have had another bachelor couple. And now with you guys, I'm like, wow, another missed couple that could have been on air. That's unfortunate for them.

Do you think that perhaps they should mix up the situation where there's less people missing each other, whereas, like, maybe there's a time where everybody's there together. Yeah. So Sam and I talk about that often because, and I keep saying it, we're so happy we're together. I'm really happy that I had the opportunity to go on Paradise, but, and I've said this multiple times, like, you put so much on hold to do this, thinking you're going to be there. And, like, him and I are a couple. So I really truly think that's a really, like, it's unfortunate that people weren't able to

see it and that we weren't able to, like, experience that in this setting. So I definitely think it's something that America and, like, produce. really missed the ball on, especially because he was the only name that I really dropped. And I know he, I was the only name he dropped. So to bring us in like that. So back to back, I really feel I was really hurt, especially because now that we are dating and now there's like this cash price too. And like, we genuinely like, like each other. We are together. This isn't for show. This isn't for whatever. Um, so I definitely think we're a little like, I feel slighted to be honest with you. Um, it is what it is. Like we're so, so.

like I said, but it's definitely, we're definitely a little disappointed. Yeah. I did. And still keep commenting our stuff, too. Like, we would have loved to have seen this. And, you know, he had, like, his edit on the show. He was there for a while, was a big name. I was only on a couple of episodes, but, you know, I still was on it.

And I just feel like it would have been really fun to see. I think we would have really shook things up. We're both, like, similar in certain aspects. And I just think it would have been funny. And it would have been cool to say. How would you guys? have fared if you were to get to the competition part

of the show. I think we're both competitive. It's so funny because I was watching that episode where they had to dress up in birds and I like texted him and I was like, if you dressed up like this, I don't know if I could look at you after. Right. What if you knew it was for money? I was like, yeah, that's true. What did you think when you saw like

this bomb drop that there was going to be money involved and there was going to be gameplay? Did you have any inkling that that was where it was headed? I had no clue where it was heading because I knew the goldens were coming in and it was basically like, because there was some chatter about couples not being there for the right reasons or that other people had relationships back at home and a couple people were like, well, it's going to come to light eventually if this becomes a thing because it's all going to come down to like who you trust or who you think is a good couple. So there was like whisperings of things, but I had no idea what like the actual thing was until I got home and spoke to a couple of other people who were on the show and found out. what it was all about. Who was the person that you were closest to on the show from your season?

From my season, well, like, naturally, Pris and I were good friends before going on the show. But I really did talk to everyone. Like, I really did speak to Zoe often. I spoke to Alicia often. Obviously, her and I missed each other. But definitely, like, I spoke to Priesa Zoe and Alicia a lot before going on. And Bailey and Alex as well. Alicia said she dropped some bombs on Nick Viol's podcast this week.

Yeah, I heard. said that cat's not an honest person, that she went into the hotel with an iPad to talk to her boyfriend, former boyfriend, whatever the heck it was. What do you know about this? I heard the same exact things. And I know people like online, because I actually still haven't watched this last episode. I was traveling home from Jersey on Monday. And then I've just been so busy getting caught back up into like the swing of thing.

So I wanted to watch it tonight. But anyways, yeah, so it's funny because this was. all talked about like when filming first started like what I got there on a Tuesday so we all talked about this on a Wednesday and some of the cast knew and I don't think it was like a thing to bring it up just yet because we were all new we were all forming connections but I definitely you know people knew about it for sure I left I feel like if I was to stay I would have brought it up if it became an opportunity to or if I feel like I had to but yeah Zoe like new things she spoke she brought it up cat said things to her so

Oh, I heard things. Yeah, Alicia's not making it up. And I know people are like, oh, Zoe and Alicia are just saying it because they want it to be with Dale. And now they're probably saying it because of me. But that's not true. I want to say it anyway. But that's not the truth. We did hear things.

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 credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast. So we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her.

Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor, and they're the same age. And it's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him?

Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend, really cheated with his professor or not. To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then, at 6.33 p.m., everything changed.

There's been a bombing at the T.W. the UA terminal. Apparently, the explosion actually impelled metal glass. The injured were being loaded into ambulances, just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, and it was here to stay. Terrorism. Law and order, criminal justice system is back. In season two, we're turning our focus to a threat that hides in plain sight.

That's harder to predict and even hard. harder to stop. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, it's Danielle Fischel, writer Strong, and Wilfredel from PodMeets World. And we're bringing you Viva Las Content. That's right. We are back in Las Vegas, the city of sin, and giving the people what they want. A full week of Y2K content. Wait, we're back in Vegas. Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course.

We sat down with Kevin Richardson and A.J. McLean just minutes before they took the stage, and our very own Wilfredel basically became the newest member of the band. Boy band, please. Plus, the man who has the longest running comedy show on the strip joins us and gets his props. It's carrot top, baby. And finally, we all L-O-V-E-Hur, Ashley. Simpson Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. It's a full week of nostalgic interviews you don't want to miss.

Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the on-purpose podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Djokovic. The world's number one male tennis player. He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak Djokovic. You've been through so many injuries, loss. Oh, oh, oh, oh, I showed himself. What has Novak Djokovic done? What goes through your mind when you lose?

I just want to be left alone. What has it taken to become Novak Djokovic? It's a consistent practice. It's prayer work, mindfulness, meditation, conscious breathing. It requires more responsibility from you on a daily basis to prepare yourself for the biggest battle. When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retreat. retirement. I'm 38 this year. How far can I go? How long can I push my own limits?

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a relationship. I'm Emily Tish Sussman and on she pivots. I dive into the inspiring pivots of women who have taken big leaps in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer. Monica Penn. Elaine Welteroff. I'm Jessica Voss. And that's when I was like, I got to go. I don't know how, but that kicked off the pivot of how to make the transition. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Every episode gets real about the why behind these changes and gives you the inspiration and maybe the push to make your next pivot. Listen to these women and more on She Pivots, now on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, I have to put you on to these leggings I've been obsessed with lately. They're from this brand called Tona, and get this, the designer behind them also created Lulu Lemon,

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free shipping. Did anybody see her with the iPad? Because you guys are sharing rooms. I did not see her with the iPad, so I can't speak for that. I'm assuming you're not super close to her. You don't follow her on Instagram. Yeah, honestly, I don't really know her. So going to Paradise, I didn't even know who she was. I found out after. But yeah, we didn't. I mean, we talked here and there, but it wasn't anything like, you know,

like it was surface level. Okay. So would you say that, well, I can't, I guess, no spoilers, but I'm so tempted to be like, did Dale ever get wind of this iPad situation? I don't know. And that's like what I think is crazy

because I don't know if they're still dating. I don't, again, I didn't watch the episode the other day. I don't know if maybe somebody told him. I know, like, maybe Sean had something, but I don't know for sure because I have to watch the episode. But I think he might have known things, but I'm not sure. Maybe he didn't care enough. Maybe she was just saying that she was like reading a book on there and that she wasn't texting an ex or a current flame or whatnot. No one.

You know, where you go is for the short for that. You are also friends with Juliana. Yeah. And she just had her. first interview post split from Grant. Do you stay in touch? Yes. I mean Julianna talk every day. Oh, good. Okay. So you're that close. Yes. So then why did they break up? I just think, you know, two different like wants in lives and different personalities sometimes don't mesh the best together. I think they just wanted like maybe different things and there are different

people at the end of the day, right? Like you've been on the show, you know, like you're in this moment, you're in this like amazing thing and all you see is love and all you see is that. person, but then when you get into reality, things, things do change. It's like, can I see myself living with this person? Do I want to live where they live? And how can they fit into my life and my friends and my family? That's why, like, I am so blessed. I am so happy with Sam because we talk about it too. Like, yeah, it's all great if we were to get along on the show, which I know we would have, but it's like, how do I see you with my family? How do I see you with my friends? So I think that plays, like, a important role. And she's like me. She's so close with her family.

Yeah. Not to be invasive, but like, are we at the love stage with Sam? I don't know. Okay. We're not, we're figuring things out. Okay. Juliana was saying that she's back on Raya. She wants to start dating. Is there somebody that you and Sam could picture her with from Bachelor Nation? I don't know. We haven't talked about it. They've faced, like when Juliana face times me and I'm with Sam, I'm like, oh, I'm sad to Sam and we talk. But no, not really. I don't know. I have to like meet some of these people in person. Like, yeah, I see them on social media. But I'm like, what are they, what's their vibes in real life? Mm-hmm. So. All right. Get that. Grant handled the breakup in a weird way, right? He was like, I'm not heartbroken, and then he deleted all the pictures from social media.

I was like, wait a second. This just feels like a little harsh for something that was kind of like mutual. How did you think that he handled it? Yeah, I think that he could have handled it differently. I think he needs help in his social media aspects. He likes to start a little bit of a social media war. Yeah, I feel like, I don't know, you could have just like left. pictures up you could have left those pictures up too i feel like it's like going back yeah like in my

space like oh you did me dirty i'm taking you off my top beat like i'm taking you off my pins profile i'm taking you off all this so i think could have handled it differently but if he wants hurt that's okay but i feel like you could have expressed that more like if it wasn't mutual then then then say that like you know so i thought it was a little bizarre yeah i agree i agree it was a little harsh Jared and I were just talking about the next Bachelor and how we don't think that they're going to pluck somebody from Bachelor's past we were like who is a BC list celebrity that they could stunt cast you have any ideas BC Celebrity I don't know can they borrow somebody from like another

reality show me yeah I don't know what about the guy Kendall from Love Island I wonder if he would do it I don't know I don't know any Love Island but I think I know that name so he must be kind of a big deal on the last season i don't know hmm what about one of the people from like the montana boys i feel like those guys wouldn't even like do anything like the bachelor related who's the montana boys am i like such a mom and so out of powerful you know the guy who did me christin cavaliery but he has a girlfriend oh that guy not him but like he's the crew of guys oh okay okay i feel like he's like the main event of that crew but what do i know okay okay i didn't know that they were like a thing they have a group

Montana boys and when I say they do TikToks they just like out words from other songs and they're yeah but do we want like a social media star that obviously yeah I know I want like an athlete who's just retired or an actor who like used to be big but like maybe isn't like huge now is there any from bachelor from bachelor nation that you think would make a good bachelor I don't know I mean I feel like all the guys from gen C's are kind of just like oh can you please tell me as somebody who's dating Sam what actually went on with what's his name like literally i don't even remember his name the evil man oh devon devon thank you ben and i always joke about how like we don't remember his name because like it we erased it from our memory because we should erase him from our memory yeah literally like and i know some people like we're like the hugest fan of sam but like what i appreciate is that at least he like calls you out like in the moment i feel like devon was just like fake like in front of Jen this type of person like different in person but yeah Sam just said like you know he ran his mouth he said things like he would make fun of like Sam's

vans like how old are you like aren't like almost 30 years old you're making fun of the sneakers that he's wearing like come on weird yeah I just think too it's like the edit like Sam was made to be like this type of person and what I think is really funny not funny but like now in paradise all these guys are getting some heat and none of those guys had Sam's back in like the men tell all. So now all of a sudden it's like, oh, now you guys are getting heat and Sam's not going to have your back because you didn't have his at that time. Not that Sam's spiteful like that, but like the only person he was genuinely good friends with was like Thomas and I feel like that was shown on TV because Sam's a type of person that will like speak up for somebody

even if they won't speak up for them. But it's just funny to now watch these guys who are like shitting on Sam now get the eat and blame the edit. But when Sam did it, it wasn't okay. Interesting. Yeah. I definitely read the characters. wrong, thinking that Sam was the one in the wrong and Devin was the fine one. Yeah. It's okay. And I think it's cool, like a comeback story, like find out what's like people are really about. I know.

And it would have been nice to see the two of you date in paradise so we can get to know both of you a little bit better. Listen, you're preaching to us, girl. I get it. Anyway. Ali Joe, thank you so much for joining us. When's the next time you're going to see your boyfriend? He was supposed to come this week.

weekend, but I think we're just going to push it till next week. And then it's like Labor Day weekend and we'll have some fun. If he comes here, maybe we'll go on a boat. If I go there, we said maybe we'll do it Charleston. So we're still here. Yeah, we have fun. And we're trying to make our time together like really, you know, together. We're not like on our phones. But yeah, we always have a good time. It's always fun whether we're like doing nothing or doing everything. Okay. Well, I hope you guys are together for a while. And then we'll bring the two of you on. And we'll talk about how love has formed and blossom. off screen. Perfect. Sounds good. I can't wait. Thank you. See, Allie, Joe. Follow the Ben and Ashley I. Almost Famous Podcasts on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone.

Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel. Rider Strong. And Wilfredel from PodMeets World. We are back in Las Vegas and giving the people what they want, a full week of Y2K content. Tell me, Y. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency, it's fear, of course. We joke and say this is our second marriage, but it takes a lot of communication.

Plus, it's carrot top, baby. And finally, Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal, just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, terrorism. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host. host of the Unpurpose podcast. And today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Djokovic. He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak Djokovic. When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How long can I push my own limits?

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Humanzor. 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. This is an IHeart podcast.