The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Love Never Ages

Episode Date: August 7, 2024

It’s time for Ben and Ashley to break down the latest in Bachelor Nation headlines. We react to the shocking loss of Bachelor alum Hailey Merkt from Nick Viall’s season, and we share resources for fans to help her family during this tragic time. Another Bachelor fan favorite is pregnant and Ashley has an expert prediction on the gender. Plus, we have an update on The Golden Bachelorette!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.

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. The U.S. Open is here and on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain. I'm breaking down the players, the predictions, the pressure. And of course, the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very wonderfully experiential sporting event. To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain,

and IHeart women's sports production in partnership with deep blue sports and entertainment 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. Why are TSA rules so confusing? You got a hood of you. I'll take it all!

I'm Manny. 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 this,

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 podcasts no such thing hi my name is enya umanzor and i'm drew phillips and we run a podcast called emergency intercom if you're a crime junkie and you love crimes we're not the podcast for you but if you have unmedicated ADHD oh my god perfect And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you.

Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. I'm Dr. Joy Hardin-Brand-Bratford, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. I know how overwhelming it can feel if flying makes you anxious. In session 418 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dr. Angela Nielbornette and I discuss flight anxiety. What is not a norm is true. allow it to prevent you from doing the things that you want to do, the things that you were meant to do. Listen to therapy for black girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcast. This is the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast with IHartRadio. It's time for Bachelor headlines. This is a big episode with a lot of headlines. We want to start with one that has, well, it came across our phones this week, and it really shook the almost famous family up a lot. We, I didn't know her personally, but she is a part of the Bachelor world. She was on Nick Vile's season of The Bachelor. Haley Merck has passed away at 31 years old. She had kind of documented her cancer journey.

The quote is, her beautiful spirit has touched countless lives. Now, before we get started here, kind of talking about Haley. one, she was beautiful inside and out, just as we've seen the tributes and as we've kind of learned about her story and also followed her story. She's a beautiful human inside now. The almost famous podcast has donated and we encourage all of you to donate. Ashley, myself, have gone out and donated to the GoFundMe. The GoFundMe has links. You can kind of find it if you Google it or you can go on the social media and find it. But we ask you to donate. to for for many reasons and uh i think there that's one small way we can show support during this

really tough time for somebody who was only 31 years old and obviously had a huge impact in a lot of lives actually i just mentioned that she was on nick vile's season um i actually don't even know how long she was on the season four me neither it's only it was very brief i know that nick said something like he didn't get to know her well but what he could held from her is that she was beautiful inside and out. There have been some girls from her season, the way Daniel Maltby said that I can count myself so lucky to know your laugh and grateful to have met and loved the realest, warmest and most beautiful soul, and the weirdest of places, forever grateful for your friendship there and in the real world. What have forced my

girl rest easy and so much love to your people. That's what she wrote. And then I know Raven spoke really highly of her. She said, oh, my gosh, so sorry to see this. I was so hoping for her recovery. Rest easy, Haley. You'll never be forgotten. Yeah, this is just like the saddest, saddest news. She had leukemia, and we are just, we're so sad to hear this news.

Yeah, it definitely sat with us. And, you know, it's tough to continue on with the headlines episode after this headline, do just want to take a second and tell everybody listens. If you do nothing else, go to her social media and leave a comment because I know the family is watching. I know during this time the smallest of things, even from a distance in support and just saying, hey, we're thinking about you or, hey, we saw this and this broke our heart, but we recognize how beautiful she was inside and out could mean a lot to probably somebody in that family or somebody close to her, a friend that's keeping tabs on it. Or go out again to the GoFundMe and don't

donate if you have the ability and the desire. The GoFundMe will be open until August 10th, and the proceeds are going to her mom and the family for all the costs that they've gone through with her treatment. Totally switching gears. Completely switching gears here. And I think it's the only way to do that after this type of headline.

A guy in Bachelor Nation who continues to shock Bring shock and all to many, to many people. James McCoy Taylor. James McCoy Taylor has made headlines recently for outing. Your favorite person. Just a, you know, somebody just seems to always pop up. And somehow he is popping up in all the wrong places, including this time, he's in jail. Wait, that's right.

Bachelor alum James McCoy Taylor Taylor as arrested for assault. says this. The Bachelorette alum James McCoy Taylor was arrested Sunday on charges, including assault. Page 6 is confirming this, and they reveal that 38-year-old James McCoy Taylor was handcuffed at a bar in Northgate Entertainment District of Brazos County, Texas. The College Station Police Department's public information officer David Simmons tells us. Simmons is quoted here, says the former reality star was taken into custody on warrants issued by a nearby Brian Police Department. So we don't have any more on that except for the fact that, you know, he was arrested on Sunday in Texas for assault. We don't know what kind of assault it was or we have no further details. This is just what we've been getting in from People Magazine and maybe we'll find out more.

But this is not the first of legal troubles that that he has had. He had some legal issues with Ben himself. And in 2022, he also was arrested. for driving while intoxicated and unlawfully carrying a weapon. We also recently reported about him having an issue with like an 18-year-old college freshman companion when he was driving her back to her dorm room. There was some sketchiness with that. So, yeah, Ben, I know that you had an issue with him and he wanted to sue you for like slander or something.

Liable. Yeah. So the guy gets in legal trouble a lot. and somehow he's still making headlines. It's wild. 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. My name is Ed. Everyone say, hello Ed. 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 expected to hear. Well, 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, couple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. 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, Jody Sweeten.

Monica Patton. Elaine Welter-A. 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.

The U.S. Open is here. And on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain, I'm breaking down the players from rising stars to legends chasing history. The predictions will we see a first time? winner and the pressure. Billy Jean King says pressure is a privilege, you know. Plus, the stories and events off the court and, of course, the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very fancy, wonderfully experiential sporting event.

I mean, listen, the whole aim is to be accessible and inclusive for all tennis fans, whether you play tennis or not. Tennis is full of compelling stories of late. Have you heard about Icon Venus Williams' recent wildcard bids? or the young Canadian, Victoria Mboko, making a name for herself. How about Naomi Osaka getting back to form? To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an I-Hart Women's Sports Production, in partnership with deep blue sports and entertainment

on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. 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 IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Back to better headlines. Bachelor Nation alum Kendall Long reveals she secretly married Mitchell

sagely. We eloped, she says. Yes, well, she's actually going to come on the podcast. We're recording it on Wednesday and get all the details. She says that they eloped before they moved to Germany and if I remember correctly, they moved to Germany quite some time ago. So this has been they've been secretly married for a while.

We'll find out, but they did this. They got married in Santa Barbara, California. Yeah, before they moved to Germany in 2022. So, like, they've been married for over a year, and they're just announcing it. That's pretty cool. And this is not surprising to me, because, one, Kendall and Eloping just sounds right. And two, they were perfect together.

We met them about six months before they got married, it seems, and they just were soulmates. And everything happens for a reason. It's amazing to see her. her and, you know, Joe Amablay, both having found their spouses after what seemed to be like just maybe a bit of a messy breakup and feeling, like, I felt so bad for Kendall and having to go on and watch Joe meet his fiancé turned wife, Serena, on the show. But then you see Kendall find this guy that was just so much more right for her and hilariously you know they blamed their breakup jo and serena i mean joe and kendall on the fact that they couldn't decide on where to live

and neither of them wanted to leave their families but we see them both with their spouses now leaving the city that they intended on staying in yeah isn't that interesting love love uh when you're in love i think moving um means different i think kendall actually has as a quote that says when you find the right person, you'll do it. And so obviously, this is the right person for both of them. We're happy for both them. But to focus on Kindle here, we will get all the details, as Ashley mentioned, Wednesday, when we have her on the almost famous podcast.

Next headline is this, Bachelor alum, Sarah Heron, friend of the podcast. Her twins finally come home after four weeks in the NICU. She says her quote, I think it's a great quote, let the games begin. I know. I feel like I've been following Sarah's pregnancy more than my, And I'm so glad that her girls are healthy and they are now home. They were, like Ben just said, in the NICU for four weeks. And she documented so much of it on Instagram.

I cannot believe those four weeks really flew by. And now she's documenting all about how the heck you wash enough bottles for two newborns. And they both have oxygen tanks at home. but they're doing really well, and the two of them, her husband, Dylan, and her are really running on absolutely zero sleep. She said that their most used item from the registry is the coffee maker because it just takes them so much of the night to feed two babies who, you know, they try to get them on the same schedule, but that's pretty hard. Yeah, and it doesn't happen right away, I wouldn't assume. You would know more to me. no it doesn't so you know they're just they're really surviving on coffee uh well it's still

exciting and super awesome to see so happy this all happening uh for the two of them it's something they dreamed of and wanted for a long time next headline is this andy dorfman is pregnant this was an announcement made uh just a few hours ago on social media very exciting actually tell me if i'm wrong but she's pretty far along oh is she going that based off the The sonogram right here? Yeah. Or did she say what she is? I don't know if she said.

Are you looking at her belly and saying that she's far along? No, the sonogram. The sonogram. Okay. Yeah, it looks like a real baby in there. That is not, that is a full, full baby in there. Well, she says, we don't actually know how far along she is, but she says on her, on her Instagram, future mom and dad, to say that we are over the moon as an understatement,

baby heart coming. Oh, yes. later this year. So you're right. She's definitely fully into her second trimester. We're less than four months away from the end of the year. So she's less than four months from having. No, we're not four months. I guess September, October. Oh, God. Oh, God. This is the eighth month, Ashley. There's 12 months in a year.

You're right. I always think of like we're in the middle of the year at August. No, we're clicking along here. Okay, you're right. Okay. So she's far along. Good for you. assumptions were correct. Next headline is this. We have an official launch date or debut date for the Golden Bachelorette. Joan will be coming to our screens when? September 18th. So it pretty much exactly year from Gary's premiere date. The tagline is love never ages. Very cute. It's really sweet. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch this season. So September 18th, we will We'll be here breaking down the very first episode of the Golden Bachelor.

We can't wait to see how this season plays out. We love Joan. And it sounds like the group of men is a great group. It'll be really interesting to see the dynamic of them. We haven't gotten the men's names released yet, though. That seems... But soon. Soon.

Because we're in August... It means we're about less than six weeks away. So we'll get those guys soon. And hopefully we'll see Kelsey's dad's bio amongst them. That'd be awesome. People will be very excited for that. Well, that's all the headlines we have for you today. Make sure you come back and listen to the Almost Famous Podcast

because we have a lot of content coming your way. So until next time, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley. See you next time. Bye. 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 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The U.S. Open is here and on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain. I'm breaking down the players, the predictions, the pressure, and, of course, the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very wonderfully experiential sporting event. To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an IHeart Women's Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment 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. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzor. 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. Why are TSA rules so confusing? You got a hood of you. I'll take it all! I'm Manny. 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. You know, lock him up. Listen to No Such Thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. No Such thing. I'm Dr. Joy Hardin-Bradford, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. I know how overwhelming it can feel if flying makes you anxious. In session 418 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett and I discuss flight anxiety. What is not a norm is to allow it to prevent you from doing the things that you want to do, the things that you were meant to do. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.