The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Paint the Town Red

Episode Date: February 14, 2024

It’s a double Bachelor week so Ben and Ashley are back to recap the 2nd episode!   The outcome of the paint date helps Ben and Ashley figure out who Joey is REALLY connecting with… and we hear the theory that the winner of the challenge group dates becomes the “runner-up” for the rose.   Ben reveals that he talked to Joey on the phone to share some advice, and he’s ready to spill on every juicy detail from their conversation.   Plus, find out why Ashley thinks Joey can save the franchise!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. 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 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. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcasts with IHartRadio.

Hey guys, welcome back to the Almost Famous Podcast. Today, this week, we had two episodes of Joey Susan. So we're here to recap episode five. Ben, I don't have much to say about this episode. Like, I don't have many opinions. It's just kind of how it was to me. can you can you explain more please the past couple weeks

I've had so many opinions in so many ways that I feel like we can interpret this and then like this I was just like okay nice date okay he really likes her okay Leah is she's getting cringy but like I don't have a ton

to like interpret except for like maybe again questioning like the whole like Maria thing because now Jess doesn't like her yeah okay Well, that's fine. And this is how I think we're going to go about this episode then. I'm going to ask you some questions that I want you to answer, okay?

Okay. It's always me on the spot this season. I don't have to do. We don't have, if you said you don't have anything to say and so I feel like this is. Well, okay, fine. You're going to try to make me have opinions. It's fine. Have, go ahead, go ahead.

I don't want you to feel on the spot, though. But like, can I just say that I think he's one of the greatest bachelors ever? Oh, I think that's very, I think that's very true. He is so good. He's really good. He's so easy to watch. He's so cute. He's smiley.

He's engaging. The way he looks at the girls. Like, it's just, I'm sorry to the past few bachelors, but like, this is just such a breath of fresh air. No, I completely agree. I think that's why you see the ratings going up. I think the show is now going to take a lesson learned and said we cannot continue, like not. We have to listen to. who the audience.

That's it. You have to listen to the audience. The audience actually cares who they're going to be following each week and who they're going to be rooting for. And you just can't throw anybody in that spot and hope that you make them likable. Yeah, like he's carrying this show. The girls are great.

But you know how a lot of times they say like the bachelor season is carried by the girls? Yeah. I think that he's the star still. Oh, 100%. I was just talking to him yesterday. And I told him, well, he had asked if I'd watch episodes. And I said yes.

And I said, hey, you're doing great, man. Like, and we talked about some other stuff that I won't get into. But I said, like, now's the time. And we've talked a lot, Joey and I about what this looks like. Like, how does he want this to go forward for him? Not in terms of opportunity and fame and social media and all that, but like, who is he now to Bachelor Nation? And how does he want to have a relationship with the show or not a relationship with the show?

And how does he want to lead? And last night, I think I said the exact line to him. I said, right now, like, you have the really co-opportunity where you are the leader of this show. It is not the villain. It is not the most loved character where some seasons that, you know, that's who we're kind of watching and that's who's leading. He said, you are the leader of this show? And so what are you going to do with that? You know, how are you going to care for these people?

And he's great. I mean, I've really, I've, you know this off, you know, Mike, I've had some really bad experiences with some recent bachelor. in just terms of how they've, you know, and I don't want them all to reach out. If they don't want my advice or help or support, I don't, you know, that's fine. But just the things they've said, the decisions they've made,

the way they've talked about the experience. And Joey's like the opposite of all that. He's, I feel really good about what life looks like for him. And I think this is only going to be a thing to enhance his life. Yeah. So I've enjoyed it. I like watching him. I'm a big fan of him.

I'm happy for all of us. I'm happy for all of us that we have somebody we're cheering for. And I do have opinions about this episode. Okay. So I don't want to put you on the spot. I don't want you to feel like that, Ashley, because that is not at all. I'm kind of kidding. Okay.

Well, I want to know how it feels for you with watching an episode and now breaking it down without Sydney here. Like, is this a breath of fresh air for you or is it sad for you? Like, how are you feeling emotionally walking into this recording? Oh, I feel like I'm pretty relieved. I feel relieved for Sydney that she's gone and she doesn't have to go through watching any more of these episodes with the audience. And I feel relieved that for me and not having to, you know, dance. Try to figure out. You had to dance a lot.

What to say and what not to say. Yeah, dance is a good way of putting it. Okay. And then I just, it's interesting, the way that I do feel like Leah kind of took over for. for Sydney, but with a totally different vibe. Okay, so let's break down this episode from really the start. And so the start of this episode, I do agree with you that it didn't, it didn't have the action as maybe other episodes this season.

We do start with a one-on-one date. It wasn't boring. I'll say that. It was not boring with Kelsey A. In a quick note here, you know how you know the bachelor knows it's going to be a good season. How does The Bachelor know it's going to be a good season? Is when they do two back-to-back nights. Because there's been seasons where they've never done that

because they don't have enough content to share. I do feel like they had enough content. This did not feel like they were stretching out stuff a lot longer than they should have. It felt like, yeah, it makes sense on why we needed two nights of The Bachelor this week. Well, they were only eliminating, he only eliminated two girls at the Rose ceremony

for the past two weeks, two episodes now. So, yeah, it does feel a little bit stretched out. And, yeah, everything's great. Okay, Kelsey A has the first one-on-one. He's obsessed with her. Yeah, this is one that we've been looking forward to. She has been the quiet, confident, you know, top three or for us since the beginning. You know, there's been the music playing, the sparkle in their eyes.

But we haven't seen a lot from her. But we see, obviously, her and Joey going on one-on-one. this week. They are in Spain, another beautiful place. If you want to talk about somebody being lucky, talk about Joey having the two so far best travel spots of any bachelor ever. Well, you've never been to Malta. You're just now obsessed with Malta. I think it's awesome. I want to go. Spain is obviously beautiful as well. I went to Vegas. Yeah, I know. You didn't have the best one either. But Zach had a really good one last year too. Yeah. He did. But this is two great spots. Very beautiful. Kelsey and Joey go on this date.

It is, I would say, exactly what I thought it would be. Meaning there is, in compared to yesterday or Monday's episodes one-on-one with Lexi, this night and day. Night and day when it comes to connection in my opinion, right? Yeah. Night and day. I was directly comparing them when I was watcher. Sure. Just because at first, I put those two girls very close together in the rankings. Yeah. And now after saying this, this is just totally different. There is a comfort, there's a flirtation. There is that, hey, I can't keep my hands off of you kind of thing. It's a very beautiful date. It does feel like a frontrunner date to me, where she obviously shares the story of her life and the story of her mother. And I know her mother means so much to her. You can

tell just in the words that she's saying and the things that she's feeling and thinking, there isn't for me a lot of like, you know, I always tend to analyze into these conversations way more than most people want to or they care to listen to. There wasn't a lot of analysis here for me other than these are two people that probably really care about each other having a really nice date together. See, that's what I meant at the top of the episode. Okay. I said there wasn't much to interpret. Like there just wasn't much to analyze because everything was just nice, good. A lot of courage for her.

Besides the sadness of the story, of course. Isn't it interesting, Ashley, that every season, you know, I just spoke at a church in Charlotte last week. And one of the things that I spoke about because of kind of the structure of what the event was, was every human has a story. And you say that with words, and sometimes it doesn't fully compute or feel real. and then yesterday, obviously, we talked about the messages Sydney was receiving, and obviously those messages are coming from people also experiencing some sort of pain

somewhere somehow in their life. And these contestants, every one of them, every season, they sit down and they share their life story. And there's like, it just reminds me of the depth of life, the good and the bads, the complexities. Everybody has something that's shaped them to be who they are today. And I think it takes a lot of courage to share those things on national television. But I also think it's pretty incredible to watch because I'm assuming there's a lot of people out there who are probably watching Kelsey explain this to Joey and being like, I'm right there with you. Like I, you know, I've lost my mother.

I've lost my father. I've lost somebody I love. And I'm watching you do this with confidence, but also still trying to make the best out of your life. And I feel less alone. I think it's really an incredible piece of the show that I enjoy that I would argue we got away from for years. we did not get the expanse of human story that I want to watch on this show. Yeah. It was replaced with drama.

Yeah. But we've always gotten the story. Like, they never let these kinds of stories slip, I feel. No, but we would get like maybe two or three of them a season. Right now, every date Joey's been on, these women are courageous. They are sharing their hearts, and we're getting to watch it. I'm not saying that they haven't been courageous in the past. the show just hasn't been showing them.

Every year, remember we watch and we say, I feel like I'm not connected to any of these characters because I don't know them yet. We're four weeks into this thing, and I feel like I know. I know, I do. I feel like I really love it. Yeah, it's pretty awesome.

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, 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? 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. 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, 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. 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 back. 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 Authrum, 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. The Super Secret Bestie Club podcast season four is here. And we're locked in. That means more juicy cheesme. 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. Listen, get in here. Today we have a very special guest with us. Our new super secret best see is The Deva of the People. The Deva 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, heart breaks, men, and of course, are favorite secrets listen to the super secret bestie club as a part of the microtura podcast network available on the iHeart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast you know what's interesting that i've noticed watching the past couple episodes is that like the bachelor is just always the conductor in these conversations i kind of wish that like I know it happens at the dinner table, but I wish that we could see him share some of his life with the girls as well.

It's kind of assumed that we already feel connected to him. But I would love to get a story from Joey every episode. I agree. Like him be vulnerable. Especially since we like him so much. Yeah. And maybe we see that towards the end this year. As he gets down to the final two or three,

maybe he starts to open up about his life's experiences. I don't know yet. but I think they're also just banking on the fact that people love Joey and they don't really care if they know them or not. They find them attractive and they have his shirt off a lot. So it all works out. He's so tan. The tan does him really well. Yeah. So the date with Kelsey goes great. Then we have a group date. Important note for me in this moment is I really want to see Kelsey have a one-on-one. Why? Because I think she is awesome. And she has been. And I think Joey recognizes it. I'm assuming we'll see a one-on-one next week with her. I think so. But she's been a front-runner.

She's beautiful. She's charismatic. She's vulnerable with him. She's trying her best. And I really do think she's getting that like raw under the deal where she's just getting pushed back weeks and weeks and weeks because I think he's confident in the relationship enough to say I don't need to go on a one-on-one yet to know if I want to keep you or not. But I really wanted to see her this week. I'm excited to see her on a one-on-one. She is a front-runner for me. She's definitely a front-runner. It might be one of those situations where it's like he really likes her. but then by the time he gets to her, it's like too little, too late. That would be sad. I know it'll be sad because I do feel like when you look at the group and I feel like half the group hasn't had one-on-ones.

She's the one in the wings. She's on deck. Definitely. She's the most obvious one next. I was thinking that she possibly was going to get it over Rachel this episode, but I think Rachel getting it at first makes sense because we saw his connection with Rachel first

and I think the past couple weeks we've seen the Kelsey one. continue but it definitely looks like she's getting a one-on-one next week soon if she doesn't i think think it's very confusing for everybody involved um i would agree with you i think you have said some of these women haven't had one-on-ones she's definitely the one that stands out i know jess feels like she desperately needs a one-on-one she's not going to get one i don't think she's going to get one she's not going to get one she's no she has not getting a one-on-one written all over her this was the start of her spirally this is it yeah i saw that he isn't there

He's not feeling it in this episode. I could tell based on his facial expression when she was the one that won the art date. Yeah. So obviously they had this group date. Rachel is left back at the house. Everybody else goes on a group date. It's a cool group date.

They paint again, I think these dates this year have been fun. They haven't been super awkward to watch. I would let my teenager watch a lot of these dates. There isn't like these aren't just like weird. obnoxiously, like, gross dates. These are good dates. So they do the painting and Jess does win it.

It's a great painting she has with a great story. And then they have some alone time together, you know, painting each other up. It does feel like this was one of those like grit and Barrett kind of moments for him, not because he's not into her, not because she's not great. But it just doesn't feel as comfortable as some of the other days. dates. Between this and last the week, the night before is autumn getting picked as the winner of the group date. It really made me feel like, oh, the person that's hosting the date is choosing the winner for him. There's nothing about him whispering to producers being like, I want it to be

her. I never got to do that. Really? I never got to say, hey, I mean, sometimes it was obvious. It would be an athletic performance. Well, sometimes it's a win. Like, yeah, because when I won the tractor date, I actually won the race. Yeah, but when it's subjective, like, it's up to somebody else. I don't even know who would have chosen. Really? Yeah, it kind of stinks.

You're like, this is a big- I always considered the winner of the challenge on the group date to sort of be like the runner-up for the rose. No. The group date rose. Not even close. No.

Not even close. But, I mean, I knew with Autumn, that wasn't the case. And then I knew with Jess, that wasn't the case. So, well, thanks for clearing that up. Yeah, I never, I never, I never remember getting any say when there was a judge or somebody else. You know, sometimes I always felt like they were, the judges maybe were influenced because it would play into a storyline.

But then there were moments where I'd be like, no, there was no influence there. This makes no sense. How is this person the one winning this day? This is confusing. So, but Jess does win. They go to the cocktail party, which is really where the kind of the climax of the episode occurs.

because Jess just starts to get like I'd say like annoyed that she's not getting more time with Joey, right? At this cocktail party? Yeah.

I think that's where isn't that where this kind of starts her expressing her just issue with not more time, wanting more time, needing more time. Yeah. Blanking on her moment though.

I think it was just, just kind of the ITMs and the undertones of her. Okay, okay, okay. I don't think there was like a moment where she freaked out, but Maria does receive the rose, which is not shocking to me, because again, I feel like Maria, outside of everything else, okay,

take away, you know, what we think's going on behind the scenes, if there is some stuff being said that we're not watching or seeing, when it comes to Maria and Joey, in an isolated event, she is doing a great job at making sure she is known and seen

and they are connecting. I know. She's really good at it. She is likable. She is likable. She's very likable. And Joey remembers her. Yeah.

The story that she shared about getting the car crash with her mom was like really heavy. You know, something came to mind that I don't know if we've ever talked about. And I don't know how to like word it in a way that maybe makes sense. So I'll just say what I was thinking. At this point in time. again, a lot of courage, a lot of vulnerability from these women right now. But we also have to think about how hard it is for Joey. I remember sitting in those moments.

And you care so much about the women that are there. And I know Joey had a very, like, good attitude saying, hey, these women are giving up a piece of their life for me to try this out. But at this point in time, he's five weeks in, four weeks in, whatever we are. and every day of his life for four weeks he's getting these stories that are like pulling at the heartstrings that are opening up a whole new space of you know care in his in his life and he's sitting in these i'm assuming and i remember like you get pretty tired not that you're over it you're still in it and you still care and you still want to care but how many times can you go to bed at night

and be like, I cannot believe that Maria went through something like that. I cannot believe Kelsey went through something like that. I can't believe Rachel went through something like that. Like, it's hard. It's very emotional. Especially for somebody like you, like so empathetic. You must have been caring so much on your heart. Well, and Joey, I know Joey, we've talked about it.

Joey cares a lot. And you don't want to dismiss these conversations. You don't just want to be the person, not the bachelor, but the person that just sits there and shakes their head. And it's like, that's had to be so hard for. you and you don't really like feel it with him like how do you respond he does a great job at it well i think it's just giving him the space it's almost like you can't like even start to like react to something as emotional as some of these stories well i think for joe it's i mean i think it's eye

contact and i think it's him being in the moment it means a lot he's great at it yeah sitting and listening um not necessarily trying to fix it but just understanding that this is a sacred moment, but it's taxing on somebody who, what's the word that when they like, they like live, like they feel deeply for other people. Like an empath? Yeah, like an empath. Like it's really hard for him, I'm assuming. And it does get tiring because you don't know how to hold space for everybody in all these

stories. Yeah. Yeah. I can't imagine. So, but Maria does share her story. She does receive the rose. Not shocking to me. I think I think she probably deserved that rose. Outside of everything else, she very much gave her best effort. And she got the rose. And then we move on to Rachel's date, which is a one-on-one. Rachel's been somebody, Ashley, you've been really high on, really since the beginning. You think that she has a great connection with Joey. You've seen their joy around each other. So you're probably looking forward to this date. of what was your response? Well, yeah, ever since that date where it was the group date and they had the wedding dance. And they had honestly barely talked at that point, but you could like really feel the connection there.

Yeah. I had thought of her as a frontrunner. And this day was kind of like more of the same. They danced again. And that was cute, that was cute, him with his boots. And you could just, it's kind of the way that he looks at her too. and then during the dinner conversation about her being an ICU nurse

you can just tell that I think he's really considering a future with her. I think it was a very cute date outside of everything else, right? It was a very well-done date. The two of them obviously have a great connection. They're obviously very attracted to each other. It's not the same as the Kelsey date, though.

No, but it was good in its own way. Yeah. It was good in its own way. I enjoyed it. I think Rachel is still up there at the top of my list. We'll do rankings here at the end of the episode. But this date is very much for me overshadowed kind of by the end of the episode cocktail party where the Jess, Maria, Leah situation kind of goes down. Not to mention that Leah during the group date couldn't stop saying like,

this group date would be better if Maria wasn't on it. I can't stand Maria. La, la, la. And again, I'm just like, I need to know why you guys hate her so much. Like, we got like a little bit of a taste, though, with the cocktail party. Because it didn't make me hate Maria anymore. Maria says, I know. She just, she says grow up to Jess because Jess gets really annoyed because Maria interrupts

Caitlin's time and she already has a rose. so Jess is like why are you going after time with him if you already have a rose and I haven't had any time with him this week everybody there's always a scene where somebody gets annoyed over that it's understandable I'm always to go back and forth

on the appropriateness of it I feel like I probably wouldn't if I had a rose I'd probably let everybody else talk first even though I know that some people have different interpretations they're like oh but then you don't

then you're like prioritizing your friendship with the girls over your relationship with Joey, blah, blah, blah. I don't know. So then when Jess brings it up, Maria seemed a little dismissive. Then she was like, you got to grow up, Jess. And then Jess didn't help herself, though, when she said, you got to grow up, bitch. You know? I know.

My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspect. Well, wait a minute, Sam, maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy?

That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor, and they're the same age. And it's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. 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.

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. 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. Hi, I'm Janica Lopez and in the new season of the Overcomber podcast, I'm taking you on an exciting journey of self-reflection. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time?

I wanted to be successful on my own, not just because of who my mom is. Like, I felt like I needed to be better or work twice as hard as she did. Join me for conversations about healing and growth. Life is freaking hard. And growth doesn't happen in comfort. It happens in motion, even when you're hurting. All from one of my favorite spaces, The Kitchen. Honestly, these are going to come out so freaking amazing.

Be a part of my new chapter and listen to the new season of the Overcumper podcast as part of the MyCultura podcast network on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Your entire identity has been fabricated. Your beloved brother goes missing without a trace. You discover the depths of your mother's illness, the way it has echoed and reverberated throughout your life, impacting your very legacy. Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro, and these are just a few of the profound and powerful stories I'll be mining on our 12th season of Family Secrets. With over 37 million downloads, we continue to be moved and inspired by our guests

and their courageously told stories. I can't wait to share 10 powerful new episodes with you, stories of tangled up identities, concealed truths, and the way in which family secrets almost always need to be told. I hope you'll join me and my extraordinary guests for this new season of Family Secrets. Listen to Family Secrets Season 12 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Here's the weirdest thing right now. Because I am sensing that yes, Maria is, is rubbing a few people the wrong way. And I just don't think they're showing it. I think it must exist. But it's Leah. It's just, it's Sydney at this point that we know of, okay? It's those three.

That's the people that we know are very annoyed. And those people are very annoyed. Like to the point where they're breaking because of whatever is happening. Yeah. But here's the weirdest side to me. Is you're in the same room with these women all the time. Everybody's seeing pretty much everything else that's going down. a lot of these women seem very much not annoyed, very okay with Maria, very friendly with

Maria. They don't seem as hurt. Now, we've seen it in seasons where there's been somebody that's really rubbed every single human the wrong way. And it's very obvious. So the confusing part to me is I don't think we've ever seen a situation where one person has really disrupted a few and the rest are really cool with it. So what is happening? Like what is your assumption based on living in this house going through this experience? What could be happening where there is only a few

that are very, very upset? And others who don't seem to care. I don't really know. It's not like she has the top connection with them in the house. So it's not like they're going after her because she's number one. Yeah, okay. Maybe they think she is at this point.

I mean, I don't know who they would think would be above her. They just keep saying, like, what is it that he sees in her? Like, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, again, there's a select few that are so disrupted that they cannot go through this experience. Like, they're losing their minds. They're losing their minds. And then there's how many others left

that are very comfortable in this environment and seem very unbothered by Maria. And so I don't know what's happening. I can't even hit at what's happening. I don't have any experience with something like this. Because usually, if there is a disruptor in the house, that spreads pretty quickly. You can feel it amongst everybody very fast. I don't know any example where there's been a villain or there's been a someone who has just done it in an isolated experience with just a few.

well do you think that maybe it's just a sensitivity thing and some girls like can handle a personality that has a little bit more edginess yeah i think that's probably what we got to point to um where it's it's a unique personality trait that is very much bothered by maria they feel threatened they feel um hurt they feel disrespected and as a result that keeps being the word yeah and they can't they can't function then because they're being disrespected i do think it's a sensitivity issue i don't know again these are assumptions that we're making but i think that's probably the only right now um like thing that we have it's the only hint that we have the only clue that we have to what's going on it's yes maria is a unique force in the house she's a big personality she has the big personality she has the big

his personality. And there's a few people of the whole house that just don't handle it well. And they take a fence to it. So I'm watching this episode. I still think Leah, who takes kind of a backseat to the drama here, I think watching her conversation with Medina, if that conversation doesn't happen,

then I think I'm even more confused. But her conversation with Medina was so kind of mean, really, and mean-spirited. Yeah. that I kind of say, okay, I don't, I don't think I can trust that opinion. Yeah. And then we move on to Jess, who's been a very fun, bubbly personality through this season. And she's breaking.

And I want to say she's breaking, Ashley, because of what we see most seasons. She's breaking because she's not getting enough time with Joey. She feels like she's falling behind. She wants to catch up. She doesn't feel an opportunity to catch up. And then Maria steps in and in her. It interrupts time, and I can't have a problem with it. Yeah, I mean, I don't have a problem with it.

I just don't think that I would do it, but again, I'm not really sure. I can't have a problem with it. It's the game. You have to play the game. And I think it's kind of like with Jess, you know how, like, I don't know if you know. I'm sure there are people out there that understand this. You know, when you're, like, crying over something and then, like, you're crying, then just all of a sudden you start feeling sad about all the other things.

And, like, something else crushes your mind. and you start crying about that. Yeah, I think that's kind of what's happening. Yeah. And it just happens to be pointed at Maria because Maria was the, she's the culprit to the interruption. She got more time. She stole Joey's time and Jess doesn't get any.

But again, my question is, why isn't Jess getting any? Is it only Maria that took up time with Joey? No, there's a lot of other people there. Now. Yeah, but she had the roses. But take that out of consideration. because again, do you really expect Maria to say, okay, Joey's five feet away from me. And just because I have a rose, I'm not going to talk to him the night because I want to give everybody else the opportunity to also connect with him. That's ridiculous. That's not how this works. That's not, there's one person standing at the end of this. And so I can't see a problem with it. I don't think it was disrespectful. I even feel like the way Maria, and I know I'm almost like an apologist for her right now, but I can't, I don't have anything negative right now. to point to because even how she interrupted was very kind.

I know. She was and Caitlin admitted that she was. So do I, that's why I'm getting confused because obviously there's something happening. Obviously there's words being said. There's things being done that these women are so hurt by, but yet we're seeing none of it. And so it makes, and I wonder if the show wanted this, but it makes some of the women look crazy. And I don't think that's fair to them.

I don't think that's fair because we're not seeing everything. I know. And I still stand by the thing that the fact that I think that we're not seeing things in Maria, even though I can use the alternate excuse of these girls are just a little bit more sensitive

than the others, trying to see it from both sides. And again, I have nothing wrong with... I personally, as a viewer, watching just face value of what we're seeing, don't have any problem with Maria. She... I think that they want her to be the Bachelorette

because she has the purpose. personality of someone that they enjoy being the Bachelorette, somebody who's spunkier and strong and la la, la. And I feel like they just are like, this is, this was our pick than like the moment we met her. So it's more important for us to make her look good than some of these girls that'll get eliminated early and make them look good. So interesting. I don't know. I, I, I right now, I'm sitting here confused. Uh, there is a last. of explanation for Jess to freak out and say the thing she said, there had to be a lot building up because I just don't think, I haven't seen that from her yet. But I will say

this. My prediction is this is the spiral and the downfall of Jess. I think, I don't think it gets any better. We see nothing about Maria or any tension around her. the scenes for the next episode. So I'm thinking Jess is going to get eliminated and then all, and I think Leia will get eliminated. And I think then it's done. Yeah. And then, and then maybe we do find out because if there's somebody else that pops up out of this whole thing and it's like, yo, I have a problem too.

Then we're like, okay, something's happening. Then we have got to just understand that there's something. Yeah. It's wild, Ashley. It's wild. Well, it has been a great season so far. It's two episodes this week. We believe there's an episode next week.

I would like to think there's an episode next week. Me too. Also, if you haven't listened yet, please go back and listen to almost good advice. This is a segment that we've been doing now for a couple weeks. It's been really fun. Write in your questions. Write in any curiosities that you have about life,

in general, relationships, work, friendships, family, etc. Ben is so good at it. And then I'll give you like pretty shitty advice. That's not true. I think together, together we're helpful Together we're good

We give Yes Together we're helpful Isolated We're just talking heads But please go back And listen to that Again two episodes this week

So we do have an episode That we came out With yesterday Breaking down episode four This has been episode five So until next week I've been Ben I've been Ashley

See you guys Thank you Follow the Ben and Ashley I I almost famous podcast Oniheart Radio 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.

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, psycho babble. Yes, yes.

Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeart Radio. 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.

Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story. Does anyone know what show they've come to see? It's a story.

It's about the scariest night of my life. This is Wisecrack, available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the Eye Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.