The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - The Bachelor from A to Z(ach) with Zach Shallcross

Episode Date: January 21, 2023

Before the world follows Zach on his Bachelor journey, Ashley is sitting down with the man of the hour to get to know him better on the final days leading up to his premiere!   Find out some intimate details from his romantic life that will help you understand his search for love and maybe Ashley can get him to reveal WHO stole his heart from the cast!  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 I Heart Radio app, search emergency intercom, and listen now. Hi, it's Honey German, and I'm back with season two of my podcast. Grazias, come again.

We got you when it comes to the latest in music and entertainment with interviews with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition? No, I didn't audition. I haven't auditioned in like over 25 years. Oh, wow. That's a real G-talk right there. Oh, yeah. We'll talk about all that's viral and trending,

with a little bit of cheesement and a whole lot of laughs. And of course, the great bibras you've come to expect. Listen to the new season of Dacius Come Again on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Let's start with a quick puzzle. The answer is Ken Jennings' appearance on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. The question is, what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land? Jeopardy Truthers believe in, I guess they would be kenspiracy theorists.

That's right. They gave you the answers and you still blew it. The Puzzler. Listen on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Super Secret Festi Club podcast season four is here. And we're locked in. That means more juicy 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. My name is Curley. And I'm Maya.

Get in here. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast with IHeart Radio. Zach, we're just jumping into this because I didn't know how else to start. Because I'm truly nervous about interviewing you. it is it's not very often that I get nervous anymore but I've been a little bit dreading this today because we have railed on you a lot okay and I'm like I don't know whether he's heard this but I feel like in general your fan feedback on becoming bachelor has been um yeah okay you said it not me

no yeah it is it is uh it's been a unique uh like reception i guess uh which i completely understand funny enough like no one really knows who i am uh a lot of like last season like i'm just kind of this big tall dude with the deep voice and that's about it they're like who the hell is that guy so i get it and i've seen most of it well on your season a lot of the guys didn't get a ton of screen time because you know there are two bachelorette's to cover previously we had clayton who didn't have much screen time become the bachelor and i think we were like oh well we really know nothing about this guy so maybe he'll be a big surprise but i feel like the fandom felt like they knew enough about you since you got to top three on rachel's side that they could determine whether or not you'd be a good

bachelor but like what are i say this with all the sweetness in the world what are we all missing that casting saw from you that they thought like this is the guy of everybody that's a good question um i think it really came down to it's really about with me it's about finding an actual forever person and not giving a shit about you know the fame or the clout or the social media stuff like to me i'm at that point in my life where i'm ready to settle down and i'm a romantic guy and bring it back to that now you know if fans want the just unnecessary drama then yeah i'm probably not your guy but if you want someone that takes it serious and like leads everything i do with intention and honesty then it really brings it back to the core

of the show, right, of the love and actually wanting this to work because I know this whole Bachelor Nation, there's been not a lot of successful relationships, and that was my fear. And I was like, I'm not going to do it unless it's taken seriously. And that's what

fans can expect. But also, my personality wasn't really shown last season at all. And there's a lot of I guess like my sense of humor was not brought up at all.

And I think I have a pretty good one. My dad jokes are pretty terrible, but like, just like everything in general, like, it's like personalities will be shown. And I think people will be pleasantly surprised. Okay. Well, I think that was a really good answer. And now I want to actually ask you some questions that I feel like could show your personality and make the, uh, the viewers a little bit more excited for Monday night's premiere.

Sure. Are you ready? Fire away. Fire away. Give us a weird interest of yours. A weird interest. Could be anything. Um, I have a really weird food thing that I like.

Okay. What's that? Grew up. Oh, God. Grew up? You grew up eating this? Eating mustard on pancakes. That's really weird.

It is. I know. How did you get to start? that. I don't know. I mean, it started from my grandma. I don't know, like, what her taste buds were telling her, but she did it. Like, whenever she stayed with us, she's like, wouldn't let us eat pancakes without mustard. No. And I was like, isn't this supposed to go on hot dogs? And she's like, no, pancakes better. And I was like, all right, cool. And actually, it's really good. I'm telling you. I'm assuming it tastes like a canish. Have you ever had a canish? I've not had a connection.

Okay, that's like a very, like, New York Jewish thing that they have met Giants games. And it's like potato it's like a potato pancake and you put you smother it with with mustard and it's delicious well if you think about it in it's mustard and then a carb yeah a thick carb it doesn't really have any flavor and then boom you're putting syrup on it though still which is a little weird oh what you did now this is interesting yes zach you are witting us over word like each word that comes out of your mouth because i was like thinking that mustard was very strange but the one you just added the whole syrup thing, we all think you're a wacko now and we all love wackos.

Extra syrup. So when girls discover this taste of yours, what's the reaction usually? Do you eat pancakes around women? It's a deal breaker if they don't like it. I'll tell them that. No. It definitely gets mixed reactions.

My thing is try it once. Like you have nothing to lose. You might hate it and maybe throw up. Who knows? but you probably won't, and it's actually a weird combo of good flavors. All right, all right. Hi, my name is Enya Eumanzoor. 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. Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this. Attention passengers. The pilot is having an emergency and we need someone, anyone to land this plane. Think you could do it? It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land. the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this, until this.

Pull that. Turn this. It's just, I can do it my eyes close. I'm Mani. I'm Noah. This is Devin. And on our new show, no such thing. We get to the bottom of questions like these.

Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise. And then, as we try the whole thing out for real. Wait, what? Oh, that's the run right. I'm looking at this thing. Listen to no such thing 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. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training. These programs aimed to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months.

The first night was so overwhelming, and you don't know who's next day. 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. Hola, it's HoneyGerman, and my podcast, Grasasas Come Again, is back. This season, we're going even deeper

into the world of music and entertainment with raw and honest conversations with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition? No, I didn't audition. I haven't auditioned in, like, over 25 years. Oh, wow. some real G-talk right there.

Oh, yeah. We've got some of the biggest actors, musicians, content creators, and culture shifters sharing their real stories of failure and success. You were destined to be a start. We talk all about what's viral and trending with a little bit of chisement, a lot of laughs, and those amazing Vibras you've come to expect.

And of course, we'll explore deeper topics dealing with identity, struggles, and all the issues affecting our Latin community. You feel like you get a little whitewash because you have to do the code switching? I won't say whitewash because at the end of the day, you know, I'm me. Yeah. But the whole pretending and coat, you know, it takes a toll on you. Listen to the new season of Grasas Come Again as part of My Cultura Podcast Network on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Next question. When was a time that you got in big trouble? so growing up i i was actually a kid that had a really bad guilty conscience um so most of the time i would rat myself out so there's several instances now i had a friend take a test for me on like the online book thing and i went to my parents room that night and it was just like crying and saying it's my fault and my parents said i was actually a pretty easy kid to raise but it wasn't until high school that I was at a party and one of the kids decided to take a picture of our beer pyramid and send it to our math teacher right. So, so intelligent of you all. Like obviously a great

idea. And I, you know, I had a football scholarship at the time and I was about to graduate. And I was like, dude, why the hell did you send it to the teacher? And he's like, don't worry, he's one of the cool ones. And that next day, I was brought into the president and the principal's office for a conversation. And the punishment ended up being, since I had a few beers at a party, I had to go to a few AA meetings. This was a requirement through the school. I had to meet with a priest weekly. And I had my own supervisor following me around school to make sure I wouldn't leave campus to go, I guess, I don't know, get a drink. And I'm like, guys, I'm like 17. Take a break. Wow. Was it a Catholic school? Of a Christian school? Yeah, it was a Catholic school.

Yeah. I was just ridiculous. So went to AA a few times as a kid. Wow. Okay. That's a good story. Good story. Give us a dating catastrophe off camera. Ooh. Okay. I did have a very unique date. Actually, out in Austin, I had met someone, I think it was in line at like a taco shop. And we set up a first date and we went to this like nice Italian restaurant and conversation is pretty normal. Nothing crazy, getting to know each other. And all of a sudden she starts talking about psychedelics and trumes. And I was like, oh, okay, cool.

Like you're into that. She's like, yeah, like I'm actually, you know, all like all of my friends shamans. And I was like, oh, a shaman. Like, what did? Like, she's like, oh, I help my friend's trip on psychedelics. And I'm like, okay, this is not what I expected on a first date. Uh-huh. And then I'm like, okay, so like, you were really into it.

She's like, I'm so into it. I'm actually on shrooms right now tripping. No. I'm like, wait, what are you? I'm like, am I, do I look funny? Is everything? And she's like, oh, no, you're good. But I'm like kind of freaking out right now.

And I'm like, let's just eat our spaghetti and go. no way could she eat oh i she was yeah she was eating i think like i was just so in disbelief i'm like choosing a first date and doing shrooms like hell of a combo there was no second date never want to see that again what year was this probably two years ago okay so relatively recently yeah yeah What's the most embarrassing moment of your life? Most embarrassing moment of my life. You know, for recent memory, it was the announcement of me being The Bachelor.

Oh, my gosh. Yeah, having the five women come on stage and me forgetting all their names. And I remember just, like, blabbering to Jesse during the announcement, so much so that I think he had to cut me off to go to a commercial break. And when I tell you, like, I left that stage, I was in just pure disbelief. I was like, like, I just botched it. Like, I am like about to be The Bachelor or I'm just now announced The Bachelor. And it never really settled in because I was literally told day of that it was going to be really me.

And I thought I looked like a complete idiot on stage. And I was so embarrassed for so long about that. Well, to make you feel better, I don't remember that at all. and I think a lot of that's in your head because I think people tend to be smoother on TV than they actually feel like they are. I feel like everybody gets off stage and doubts themselves. I think you're fine in that moment.

So then do you want to talk about like you got off stage and then you're going through Twitter and Instagram and seeing the fan feedback? How did that feel? Did you just feel like you had the coolest moment of your life getting called The Bachelor and then you were just like feeling miserable? So that was interesting because I think at that point, I did not have my phone, but, uh, because we, like, we went

pretty much straight to filming right after that. But it was pretty shocking because throughout filming, you know, I, I'd see or hear a little bit about the, the feedback of, okay, is the boring bachelor or like, who is this guy? Like, this is going to be like, this is going to be a terrible season. And initially, like, oh, like, that's a gut punch because it's like these people don't know who I am, yet they're making assumptions about me. And I'm like, this like really hurts like people have to really go out of their way to be able to do that but then it kind of circled back to me in like a calming sense of like two things like they don't know what they don't know and this the show's going to come out and like they can watch it or not um but the second thing is it's

often if it's really hurtful stuff like i get like opinions like opinions are like assholes everyone has the whole fact of it's like a lot of the time if it's really hurtful stuff it just means that they're going through their own shit or they feel like they need to get that off which I'm okay to to bear that like as long as my family's not involved great but like for me like I can handle it sucks but it took time to get used to because it's like no one likes to be told that you're you know you know boring or you're less than so it's like it sucks but I guess it's part of the territory, and I think people will be pleasantly surprised. Well, that's the other upside, is that you could only surprise people.

Yeah, I was starting at the bottom, I'll tell you that. You seem like a lovely, wonderful man, though. I feel like nobody has that out against you. I think people just think, is he bachelor-leading man? Not that, like, you don't seem like a wonderful catch. I think people definitely assume that with how you've, how you handled your on Gapie and Rachel season. Well, thank you.

And I think it comes down to, like, yeah, there's the leading man title. Like, that means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, I think, where it's like, why are you watching the show? Are you watching it for the absolute bullshit drama? Then, yeah, then I'm not your guy. Like, don't watch that. But if you actually like the show because you like to see actual romance and actual love occur, then, I think I'm your guy and I think people will be

surprised that there's a bunch of other facets to me but I also think there's a lot worse comments than being called boring. At least I'm not like an asshole or something like that. So that's how I see it. That's so true. Now Jesse Palmer

did some interviews this week about the season and he said that this is one of the honestly like he for lack of like for like me not having quotes in front of me he basically said like this season is tame and not that dramatic do you feel the same and do you think that that means that like there's more love stories that are going to be displayed so there's definitely no shortage of drama but it's not

like a shrimp gate type thing okay there's no dumb stuff everything like kind of has a reason behind it. Yeah. Yeah, I'd say that. And yeah, there's certainly like a few dumb instances that happen and things that could have been handled differently or better. But I think really were the actual like show and the drama is centered around actual relationships. And I don't want to say it's like real life like issues because like The Bachelor is everything far from real life but like relationship drama of relatable issues that people have gone through and stuff that might have never really been seen on the bachelor but it's not like the you know throwing glasses at each other or people fighting over how many how many pieces of shrimp they're eating like it's not

that because like that's not what i care about like because i wanted to be at the end of this like finding my best friend not like having it be a show 24-7 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 app. search emergency intercom and listen now. Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this. Attention passengers. The pilot is having an emergency and we need someone, anyone to land this plane.

Think you could do it? It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this, do this, pull that, turn this. It's just, I can do my eyes close. I'm Mani. I'm Noah. This is Devin.

And on our new show, No Such Thing, we get to the bottom of questions like these. Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise. And then, as we try the whole thing out for real. Wait, what? Oh, that's the run right. I'm looking at this thing. See?

Listen to No Such Thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Janica Lopez, and in the new season of the Overcover podcast, I'm taking you on an exciting journey of self-reflection. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time? I wanted to be successful on my own, not just because of who my mom is. Like, I felt like I needed to be better or work twice 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 Overcomper podcast as part of the MyCultura podcast network on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 So I do this thing often where I say somebody's name, I say the cast name, and then I try, because we're on video, to get a reaction out of you. And it's really like, if you give a hint of a smile, we're going to feel like this girl might be one of your final ladies, okay? I'm already smiling thinking about it. So my mom says that, I've been telling leads to this for like three years now. My mom says that you won't be able to keep a straight face if, you know, the name of the person that you really love comes up.

I'm going to say the girl's name and then you have to repeat her name without smiling. All right. Ready? Allie. Allie. Okay. A little smile, guys. Definitely check out the Instagram to see his face, okay?

Anastasia. Anastasia Oh, I think he wanted to smile more there Brianna Brianna That was more serious Cat Cat

Gabby Gabby All right, we're going to go one more He's pretty good at this game guys He looks pretty much the exact same Every time he says a name Uh Catherine

Catherine Yeah All right He's effing good at this game guys This is annoying Because every You were sweating really I was getting a little nervous

Okay Well let us wrap this up With two questions One I've been dying to ask you for a while But first Was the experience overall Positive? Are you happy now? Absolutely

absolutely okay now that smile was telling so i do think that for the first time in a while we might have a happy ending that actually remains happy for a while and there's no drama at a reunion we'll see we'll see it would actually kind of be nice you know as much as we do love that drama at the live show it's about time we just get a happy couple that we can feel good about yeah we'll have to see we'll have to see okay And finally, Zach, what the heck happened between you and Rachel and the fantasy suite? Because we feel like we're missing a lot. Yeah.

I mean, a lot did happen last season, especially with the fantasy suite. Essentially, what it came down to was there was a complete lack of communication. So with Rachel and I, like, you know, it. you know, our relationship was, was, you know, getting stronger and stronger through the show and all of our dates. And it would completely, like, kind of fall off when we wouldn't see each other and we wouldn't talk. And when we got to the actual fantasy suite and, you know, had that time to, like, fully just talk and figure everything out before the most important day of our lives possibly, she treated me like I was a complete stranger. Like, how so? It was like,

like think of it like this like um you're you're with someone like you're with a boyfriend or a girlfriend or a husband or wife and you love them and they start just interviewing you like it's like your first interview at a job like they don't even look at you the same they don't look at you like with any love or any feelings and it's like just like treating you like a stranger and like it was like, bam, bam, bam, like interview questions, this and that. And like, there was no, like, comfort there. And there was, like, everything, I can't, I don't want to, like,

divulge into the actual details for respect for both Rachel and I. But it was just, like, everything was like, like, just almost like a rapid fire. And everything was never, like, a good answer. And I was just never good enough. And then it just, like, the night was ending before going to bed of just, like, we were just both sitting there next to each other and just like this this can't be true like this can't be like how like like we see each other how we spend time together and like like does she even like care for me like in the same way I feel for her or even at all and you know after like having some time like after everything and and having to make that tough move was like looking back at it as a whole and to me the only way I could like really like justify. and like rationalize it and after talking with her at the show was you know that her heart was with someone else at that point and she couldn't communicate that to me the right way and she

you know apologized for that but it came down to just like it just wasn't shared with me in like the healthiest way and it like led me to believe and feel like I'm being blindsided so it was it was tough but you know wish or nothing but the best did that make you feel like she was acting the entire time you guys were not behind closed doors well i mean my mind went so many different directions because it was like okay if this is you then who was i with on this entire journey like who was it was it like i my fear and this is my fear for this season is like people putting it on for the camera or not like are you here for like the followers or instagram and this and that or to be famous or are you actually open at the idea of finding love and like being open to that and

i went through that with rachel thinking about that afterwards it was like wait which one was it and for this season i carried that on of just being like hey we're communicating everything good or bad like let me know like who you are or it's it's going to come out okay well i feel like that is definitely going to be something that is part of the theme of this season. And it probably makes fantasy sweets a really big deal for you. And not even in a sexual way. I got to get to know these girls in a private setting way. Yeah, of course.

Of course. And it's like the last thing I want is any of the women to be blindsided or to not feel like that they know like where I stand or like where my heart is at because it sucks. Like when you have that like heartbreak or when you're just so caught off guard and you're like asking so many questions and you're confused, like I wanted to minimize that as much as possible. All right. Well, guys, I feel like I have just scratched the surface with Zach. We're about to get to know him a lot more throughout this season. And we personally are going to get to know him a lot more because he is coming to Carmel, California, with us about a week and a half. We're really excited.

He's going to be doing interviews with Bob Guinea on our crossover podcast and with Ben. so you guys are going to feel like you know Zach so well after the next couple episodes we have him and Zach thank you so much for making the trip and like hanging out with us there we're excited we're excited to get to know you you know beyond the whatever the um projection of you is right now I appreciate that and it's so nice meeting you Ashley and I'm excited to be at Carmel thank you I've met bachelor contestants you know once I became part of the show and meeting them in person, they were so much different than what I thought they were on TV. And then when I was younger, I used to go to all these American Idol concerts and I'd meet the people who I couldn't stand on TV. And they would be the nicest backstage.

And then sometimes my favorites wouldn't be the best in person. So I always would tell myself, like, don't judge the person based on like what you've seen of them on TV thus far. And I feel like that's kind of what we need to take from you going forward. Because I think that people could be very pleasantly surprised with you as the bachelor lead. I hope so. And thank you for saying that because you bring up a good point. It's like until you meet someone, you never really know. Yeah, you really don't.

Yeah. All right, Zach, thank you so much and I'll see you in a week and a half. Sounds good. Bye. Good luck on Monday. Thank you. Thank you. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcasts on IHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzor. 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.

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. The Super Secret Bestie Club podcast season,

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

Each episode will feature a special bestie, and you're not going to want to miss it. My name is Curley. And I'm Maya. Get in here. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a, bit different. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a

chilling true crime story. Does anyone know what show they've come to see? It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life. This is Wisecrack, available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Thank you.