The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - That's A Great Question

Episode Date: March 14, 2025

Wanna know who Ashley & Ben would bring back for another shot at love and who holds the title of the worst season in "Bachelorette" history? The duo are leading a Q&A and give their thoughts on navigating the future of the franchise during what they call a "rough patch."Follow Almost Famous on Instagram @almost_famouspodcast!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your... free iHeartRadio app, search emergency intercom, and listen now. Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult. But it happens all the time to people just like you. And people just like us.

I'm Lola Blanc and I'm Megan Elizabeth. We're the host of Trust Me, a podcast about cults, manipulation, and the psychology of belief. Each week we talk to fellow survivors, former believers, and experts to understand why people get pulled in and how they get out. Trust me, new episodes every Wednesday on Exactly Right. and wherever you get your podcasts.

I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story. Does anyone know what show they've come to see?

It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life. This is Wisecrack, available now. Listen to Wisecrack. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And here's Heather with the weather. Well, it's beautiful out there, sunny and 75, almost a little chilly in the shade. Now, let's get a read on the inside of your car.

It is hot. You've only been parked a short time, and it's already 99 degrees in there. Let's not leave children in the back seat while running errands. It only takes a few minutes for their body temperatures to rise, and that could be fatal. Cars get hot, fast, and can be deadly. Never leave a child in a car. A message from NHTSA and the Ad Council. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcast with IHartRadio.

This is the Almost Famous Podcast. Today we are trying something new, not trying, doing something new. This is the Almost Famous Podcast. Today we are doing something new. We have taken in your questions. You've sent us a bunch of questions. We're going to answer them today because they're, Some of these questions could be answered by both Ashley and myself.

Our producer, Hannah, is jumping on to ask us these questions that she feels are most juicy or interesting. And then Ashley and I will both answer them or one of us will answer them. This is exciting. Thank you for sending in these questions. Please don't stop doing that. With that, I'm going to introduce Ashley and Hannah. Come on in. Hey, guys.

We have 26 questions in front of us. I don't even want to take a look at them. I just want Honda to throw out what she thinks is the most interesting to both Ben and I. Let's do it. There are a lot of questions. We got a lot of good ones, but I'm going to start us off with this question. It reads, if you could choose any former bachelor or bachelor to come back and be the lead again, who would it be and why? I'll go first.

So there's a couple side questions that I have for this. Does this person have a significant other now? Or is this is like a dream land? Dreamland does not matter. Okay. Well, in a dream land, I think I'd still want Caitlin Bristow to be the lead again because she is so entertaining.

Even if she had the most boring cast ever, she would make a great TV show. And of course, she didn't find her happily ever after through the actual show. So I think she would be worthy of getting another chance, Ben. I would have to say Caitlin Bristow as well. I'm biased there. So I'll try to pick somebody other than Caitlin. I think Andy Dorfman's season was fun to watch.

And Desiree was a good one as well. Like those two stand out to me as iconic seasons. I'm surprised you didn't say Emily Maynard, Ashley. In my head already had two seasons. I'm not sure why. I think it's because she won Brad's season and we never see the winner end up becoming the lead. So in my head she had two, but she did.

I, uh, my bachelor pick, uh, is like so good. I have two. Andrew Firestone because I just love being around him and watching him. And I have the same. I love being around and watching just this person operate life, Bob Guinea. I think those two coming back for a season would just be, be good television and uh because i like them as humans if i had to pick bachelor again i would be

not in a dreamland it would be right here in solid reality and it would be chris souls i just really want him to have his happily ever after and now that he's sober like he might just be he's just such a different place in life i just really feel like that man needs to be a father and a husband because he'll be so good at it. That is a great choice. I didn't even think about that. But yeah, Chris Sol's coming back would be a lot of fun. There's a sweetness about him, too.

All right. Next question. If you could change the ending of any season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, which one would you choose and tell us the outcome you wish had happened? You go first. I'm going to say Jen's season. I think it was the worst. Oh, me too.

Okay. Yeah. I think it was the worst ending to a season we've ever seen. and I think we're seeing the ramifications of how that season ended now with The Bachelorette not coming back and people kind of checking out. I think Jen had a very poor cast. So how I wish that season would have ended was she would have given the P sign to all of them, said, you ain't worthy, I'm out.

We'll talk later. And that's how it would have ended in my mind. And I would have loved it. So when you get an annulment, apparently you can put fraud as a reason for getting an annulment. I just know this from when Renee Zelliger checked off that box when she was getting divorced from Kenny Chesney. They were only married for like six weeks. And I feel like that's Jen.

She experienced fraud. Yeah. Yeah. It just, I think looking back, there's no other seasons. Like seasons have had dramatic endings, right? We think about the RE situation. We think about the Peter Weber season. But those made, like, I know it seems dramatic and chaotic,

but they make sense on how it happened. They make sense on that good people were involved. Feelings were mixed up, a lot of chaos. You know what? Great television, we'll call it good. Jen season felt like just a letdown at every level and then continued to be post. with the finale. So I would say that season, for sure, out of all the seasons would be the one

I would change. Yeah. Good, good answers. All right, next question. If you could remove one thing from the show that you think negatively impacts the relationships, what would it be? This is a good question. I was going to say tell-alls. But then again, like, we just talked to Zachary Reality, and he loves tell-alls. So, yeah, I know. See, like, fantasy sweets, as we talked about in our previous episode that we just recorded with Gabby Elnicki is that like they're called Disappointment Week

or you could call them like regret week or whatever but I do feel like what you get from a fantasy suite which is actual privacy for the first time is so vital yeah how can you do it in a way that's not so sloppy it doesn't have to be sloppy

I don't think there's I think that is up to the contestants and so we'd have to say like that you can't change that part of the show i will say this this would be my answer the thing that brings no drama to the show really it brings nothing interesting to me from the show and it just feels unhealthy at every level is the amount of exposure or how the show allows others uh to watch like the one-on-one relationships meaning like especially when there's kissing involved there's typically like people watching or sitting on a couch watching and they've set that up so that they can see it.

And I would just say we could get rid of that on the show. It doesn't really ever make a storyline. And it's more just awkward. And it's hard to move forward when you're seeing like the frontrunner doing that with the lead. So I would just get that up. It just, it's a non-factor. That's a good answer. All right.

This next question is fun. I love this one. It says if the show brought back a second chance season for former contestants to find love again who would you be interested in being a part of it that sounds paradise no but if if they chose a lead and all of the contestants that came back were on the show again let's say that it's the back they just redid the entire show again with the same castes that stand out to you yeah a few contestants that stand out to you from the past from the past who would you want to see come back as part of a main cast on one of the main shows not paradise yes i think i can think of a few peter webber

Chris Souls you just mentioned I would love to see the two of them coming back A lot of the women Jen, I don't want to see Jen Jen would come back I think that would be great As you mentioned like a Caitlin Bristow would be an amazing cast member

because we still don't have any confirmation in this world on where she stands romantically She could be single She could be single Jason Tardick I think would be great to throw in there

just because he's single and he comes to mind and he was a big character during those seasons. A lot of the people from the show and it would be interesting to do a little research

and find out like who is still single that came off this show. Like an all-star cast is basically like is your paradise on on steroids, right? Yeah.

Those are good. Those are good answers. Rachel Rechia. I would love. Sam. She'd be a top for us. Rachel Recky on another season would just be fantastic. She's great TV and she's so lovable. 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. 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.

The Super Secret Bestie Club podcast season four is here. And we're locked in. That means more juicy chisement. Terrible love advice. Evil spells to cast on your ex. No, no, no, no, we're not doing that this season. Oh. Well, this season, we're leveling up.

Each episode will feature a special bestie, and you're not going to want to miss it. Get in here! Today we have a very special guest. us. Our new super secret bestie is the diva of the people. The diva of the people. I'm just like text your ex. My theory is that if you need to figure out that the stove is hot, go and touch it. Go and figure it out for yourself. Okay. That's us. My name is Curley. And I'm Maya. In each episode, we'll talk about love, friendship, heartbrates, men, and of course, our favorite secrets. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club as a part of the

Art Cultura Podcast Network, available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, high-term high-levels. Regimented Correctional Programs that mimic military basic training. These programs aim to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs.

Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months. The first night was so overwhelming and you don't know who's next to you. And we didn't know what to expect in the morning. Nobody tells you anything. Listen to shock incarceration on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 the backlog will be identified in our life. A small lab in Texas is cracking the code on DNA. Using new scientific tools, they're finding clues in evidence so tiny you might just miss it. He never thought he was going to get caught, and I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha. On America's Crime Lab, we'll learn about victims and survivors, and you'll meet the team behind the scenes at Othrum,

the Houston Lab that takes on the most hopeless cases, to finally solve the unsolvable. Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right. Next question. I think this is kind of fun. Would you be open to a version of The Bachelor slash The Bachelor at where no one gets eliminated until the very end, forcing the lead to really get to know everyone? No. I would not be okay with that, but I would like there to be more stages. where it's like, okay, we're going to do the first night and we're going to eliminate anybody that I feel like nothing with. And then I'm going to have this group of 20 and I'm going to get to know them for three weeks

and then I'll narrow it down to 10. And then from 10, I'll go to four, three weeks after that. I don't think I'd be okay with it because I think the way it works now works. It's very rare that somebody that's eliminated in like week two the lead is like, I wish I wouldn't have. I know. Right? And so it all kind of plays its way itself out the way it should over time.

I mean, I'm sure there's some like, I wish she would have been there or he would have been there another week. But it's very rare that you're like, can I bring that person back from week to just to see if there's something? So I like the way it is. I don't think it needs to change. You're right, Ben. And this is coming from you in the lead perspective.

I guess I'm just thinking about ways we can mix up the show. But it probably would actually be more boring that way because it would feel like less consequence if there wasn't an elimination every week. Next question. If you could choose one controversial moment from the show to revisit in a reunion style special, which one would you choose and why?

I would love to see Sean Lowe and Nick Vile sit on a couch together again and just start talking about the situation that happened on Caitlin's season because I know the two of them would still get back. No, not Sean Lowe. Oh, Sean Booth, sorry, Sean Booth and Nick to sit down again because I know the two of them would still like talk about it.

Like they would both be willing to like revisit it and hash it out a little bit. And I think it wouldn't be like a pretty perfect outcome. I also would say this. I would love if Jen could have a second chance on the couch with Devin just like now without re-airing that moment or they could re-air it again, the emotions are gone and just see what happens. Yes, good answers.

Okay, I'm thinking Nick with Josh Murray because that would be a really funny showdown as well because they had it on TV and I just think in real life they also just do not want to be in the same room together. And then the ultimate red couch moment, whatever, was with Vienna and Jake Palvaca, and I would love to just see

if they still hate each other too. That'd be good. These are good ones. Okay, next question. If you could have a conversation with your younger self before going on the show, what would you tell yourself?

I would tell myself pretty much do exactly what you did. Maybe close your mouth just for a few more moments. Just like say a couple, a few less dumb things in the interview room. But besides that, all the big things do those again um i actually i'm going to add to my the last question

i didn't think of i would love to see ashley and kelsey on a couch oh my yeah that'd be fun because i know that would still be that would still be good it would still be good yeah um i would say have more fun like lighten up a little bit loosen up enjoy it soak it in uh have more fun with it next question do you think Bachelor or Bachelorette should be allowed to look at social media during the process? Why or why not? I don't have a strong opinion on this. You think yes? Yes. You think the social media tells you that much about somebody? I think it tells you more than what you see on the show. And I think it would help. I don't think it would change the elimination process, but I think it would help the clarity

of everybody if you had that kind of insight on what was being shared before. I think it would have answered a lot of questions. And I think the drama could still exist. But I would love to see a little part of an episode at like week five where the lead sits down with like an investigator and they go through social media and like, who do you want to look up? You get four people out of your eight. Look up four of them.

Who do you want to look up? want to find. I think it would, I think it would be a fun element. Okay. I don't want to my own horn, but like I feel like I'm pretty authentic to myself on social media, which is probably why I'm like, I don't know if it would make a difference. But yeah, you're right. Like, it could tell you a lot about somebody, especially when you're in the bubble. Yeah. Next question is, do you think Bachelor in Paradise is a healthier environment for finding love compared to the main show? I do. because you are more

in a real life living environment you're not getting just fantasy dates and just time to like be on your well best behavior this person is watching you just be for up to 25 days

and you have so much more time to talk to them and so much more off camera time to talk to them like you could talk for up to 16 17 hours a day. You get to know somebody so well, which is why I think that you see the more successful couples coming from that, Joe. I don't really have an opinion. I've never really been, so I don't really know. Yeah, that's a hard one for Ben to answer. Okay, we're going to end on this question,

super blunt. This question's from Emily. She says, be honest. Do you think this is a dying franchise? I mean, I think there's, it matters what you mean by dying. Do I believe that the show is on a path to probably throwing up the white flag, yes. Do I believe it has to be? No, because I don't think it's dying compared to other shows that are on network cable television. I think it's hitting a really rough patch. I think they need to spark it up a little bit. I do believe there's still life there, and I think there's enough interest in kind of that following to make this a very healthy network show but i do believe changes will have to be made uh in a way that makes it a little more relevant a little more exciting a little more more talked about and so i think there's

two sides to that um i do think that we're on the fringe of the show not getting renewed but i don't believe that will be the end of it if that makes sense pretty much believe and have believed for a while with the spark that I got from Gary's season and Joey season aside that it probably seems to be better suited on something like Hulu you know ABC Disney owns Hulu I think that people would maybe want to see it in a binge format and I think that they do need to tweak some of it because some episodes really drag on the two hour format might be a little bit

antiquated these days Um, I think that they need to focus more on one-on-one dates and less on group dates, especially group-date activities. Is there, if there's good drama from, you know, the cocktail portion, that's always fun to watch. I think if they added an element of realism, there would be, that would be good. Um, whether that's like going to hometowns earlier, um, getting to see the people like kind of like what they do with Meredith first site where they have to go and like kind of live regular life together. That would be interesting. I guess I do that in love is blind as well. I think that there needs to be a more interactive way to choose the lead. I think that they need to listen to the fans more. And if that's like a nationwide dancing with the stars like pole, that would be really cool. But yeah, something needs to be just twisted a bit to make it a little bit more relevant. But I think that I could go on for quite some time, just maybe not on ABC Monday nights. So to answer the question, do you believe it's dying? No, I don't think it needs, is dying. I think it needs

be reiterated. So you think it's you think at some level it's going to exist for the next five, 10 years? I think it's hard to imagine a modern television situation where the bachelor's not included in it. It's such a staple. I don't think it's going to leave. No, I don't think it's going to leave. I think it's going to be like reborn in a way. That's the final question today. We're going to continue to answer these questions as we go throughout the year. It's obviously We're coming up a few weeks away from the off season, which is where we get to talk to past contestants, have new guests, go through Bachelor headlines.

We're also going to do some question and answers with you all. We enjoy the off season for those elements, and we hope that you stick around for that. This is an exciting time in the Bachelor world because we're coming down to the final weeks of Grant season of The Bachelor. Make sure you tune in next week and this week as we break down every episode from the tell-aws to the final moment. But until next time, I've been Ben.

I've been Ashley. See ya. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcasts on IHeartRadio, or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect.

And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult. But it happens all the time to people just like you. And people just like us.

I'm Lola Blanc and I'm Megan Elizabeth. We're the hosts of Trust Me, a podcast about cults, manipulation, and the psychology of belief. Each week we talk to fellow survivors, former believers, believers and experts to understand why people get pulled in and how they get out. Trust me, new episodes every Wednesday on exactly right. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. 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. And here's Heather with the weather. Well, it's beautiful out there, sunny and 75, almost a little chilly in the shade. Now, let's get a read on the inside of your car.

It is hot. You've only been parked a short time, and it's already 99 degrees in there. Let's not leave children in the back seat while running errands. It only takes a few minutes for their body temperatures to rise, and that could be fatal. Cars get hot, fast, and can be deadly. Never leave a child in a car. A message from Nitsai and the ad council. This is an IHeart podcast.