The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - The Big Easy

Episode Date: July 25, 2023

We’re headed to New Orleans this week on Charity Lawson’s season of The Bachelorette! Find out why Ben thinks Xavier is going all the way to the final rose. Ben and Ashley can’t believe this contestant got a 1 on 1 two weeks in a row! You’ll be shocked at what they say. Plus, Ben explains why Hometowns are BRUTAL for the lead.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.

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wherever you get your podcast. No such thing. Betrayal Weekly is back for season two with brand new stories. The detective comes driving up fast and just like screeches right in the parking lot. I swear I'm not crazy, but I think he poisoned me. I feel trapped. My breathing changes. I realize, wow, like he is not a mentor.

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I'm Dr. Joy Hardin-Bradford, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. I know how overwhelming it can feel if flying makes you anxious. In session 418 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett and I discuss flight anxiety. What is not? What a norm is to allow it to prevent you from doing the things that you want to do, the things that you were meant to do.

Listen to therapy for black girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts with IHeart Radio. It's another episode of The Almost Famous Podcast. We are breaking down in episode five of charity season of The Bachelor. They are in one of my favorite cities in the U.S., New Orleans. Ashley, I want to say this, not only do I love New Orleans, it is an incredible place. I've had great memories there, great times there, there's great food, there's great culture, there's great people.

So far this season, I personally have not missed the international travel. I've really enjoyed seeing this group come through the U.S. and see and visit different cities. I actually have enjoyed it. I like the fact that it's semi-local. Yeah. Like, it's kind of like a travel agent for, like, anyone who just wants to kind of see the country a little bit more.

I've never found it to be that much of a difference when they're traveling international versus national. If anything, it kind of gives us a little bit more like hometown pride. That way, like, if you're from the area, it's exciting to see your area on TV. And then I also like the fact that, well, one, they're not, like, exhausted from the travel. Yeah. And then I have better memories or I have more memories from Bachelor locations in America than I do from foreign locations. The foreign ones kind of like blend together for me.

But then like I have memories of, well, they're my badlands memory, right? Your guys in San Antonio doing like the, the, you did like the, what did you do? The singing. Yeah, we did the Alamo. And I went to the dance hall. all there, which was incredible. And then I think about like Jojo in the middle of freaking Pennsylvania and how they went to the Heinz Field.

And then there was like the woods there. I don't know. I just keep, whenever I think about like epic bachelor moments, I kind of think about the being national. Well, I think you touched on something that viewers should understand is when you travel internationally, you're really tired. there is long travel days you typically are changing time zones you're landing maybe getting a day of like reset rest let the crew get set up and then you're right back at it again you're there

for another five six days and then you're back on a plane flying somewhere else so you do that week after week and you get really tired you never fully adjust and then for the cast it's cool to think and say hey we're going to Bali right it's not not cool. But you're not really seeing it. I mean, you're seeing parts of it. You're maybe out of your, you know, hotel or condo for, you know, two, maybe three of the six days you're there. The rest of the time, you're kind of chilling around a pool or hanging out in your, and whatever space they've set up for you. And so I always said, because when I was the bachelor, we traveled very locally. I mean, we did go to Jamaica. We went to Mexico City, but they

weren't far flights, obviously. And I said that I really enjoyed being close because none of us were ever exhausted from the travel. And so we were all on our best, our kind of our A games. And so I've liked that part. And I, and I do. I just like seeing new cities and different cities in the U.S. that I could easily get to if I wanted to on a flight. And then let's let the audience know that it's not like traveling in luxury for the cast. They're out, but they're back there and coach. They're sitting up for their 17-hour flight to Bali. Yeah, it's not, yeah, there's not private jets taking this cast around, uh, the world. They're not getting first class, but the lead does get first class, right? Most of the time, not every time, but most of the

time you do get first class, which was great. Um, and you sit up there with like all the EPs and all the people on the cat crew that have upgraded themselves, uh, for this, for these flights. And so yeah, you know, give or take, I do enjoy the international travel just to see some new places, but I've really, really enjoyed seeing charity season so far. On this episode, Ashley, we're going to talk about two main characters, Sean and Tanner. Obviously, those are the two that stand out. However, Xavier also is right there. Every other guy, especially in the opening scene here, they feel very confident, I think, in their relationship with charity. At least that they'll make it next week to hometowns.

Yeah. I mean, Aaron, he's always a little moody. He seems moody. He is. He's not my fave. He just doesn't like ever seem to be uplifting. Yeah, he seems like this is, I mean, he did say it this week. His line that made me just go, you got to be kidding me, was he said it was the hardest week of his life. What the F F? Yeah. That's just, I mean. I don't know how I didn't pick up on that. That is absolutely ridiculous. and blessed. I'm very happy that he's had such a great life.

Yeah, very happy that it's been so good. However, here's one way to look at it because we don't know his story. Either he is so in love with charity that this really has been one of the hardest weeks of his life. Or maybe he's being dramatic. Or maybe he really has never had to have something harder than this. But he says it's emotional. It's tiring. We'll get into that too. A little bit of Aaron B's story. But let's kick it off with Joey's one-on-one with charity. This is a one-on-one that I was excited to witness to see their connection, to see how they responded to each other. Actually, I do think we're in the week now

where these dates feel less forced and more kind of comfortable. You got to see the connections really blossom. What were your thoughts with the Joey Charity 101? Well, I love dates like this, where they just kind of gallivant around the city and they do things specific to the city. They got the readings and they have a poem being done

and all that. So it's just fun and it's a real date vibe. And there's nothing really shocking about this date for me because they've just been consistently good the entire time. They're always driving and like you said,

I think that they're really comfortable with each other now. And then I think the conversation probably most worth discussing is during the one-on-one night time. They talked about just being in a biracial relationship and it seemed like that it was just, it went over as wonderfully as you could assume it would. Basically, he said he's

open to learning anything about her, you know, background and, and that his family is just going to be so excited about him bringing home such a lovely girl. Yeah, this was, this was a big conversation. I think it was obviously weighing on charity to open up about this. You know, the interesting part of this conversation to me, it was all intriguing, but the really interesting part was when Charity was talking about her past relationships and how there'd be, you know, judgment or she'd feel that judgment or feel the questions from the outside. And her past partners kind of blew it off and said, hey, it's okay. It's all good. Not a problem. She goes, no, but it is something. You know, it is something I want my partner to recognize and to not just brush it off

and say it's all good. I want them to recognize that this is something that hurts or something that affects me or something that affects us. And Joey, you know, stood up to it. Now, obviously Joey kind of has the background. And I don't know if you can even come close to comparing the two, but when it comes to her question of Joey, will they accept me in? I think he says it in full confidence. Like, yeah. Like, if anybody my family knows, you know, how to, you know, what love is or that love is love and how to adjust. to those things. And so I do think he has a lot of confidence going into hometowns that his family is going to really celebrate this relationship. We'll talk later on about some of the previews that

we saw. Okay. Okay. We'll save it for later on. We're going to save it for later on. But when it comes to Joey and Charity right now where they stand, it feels very strong. In fact, in my world, their connection has gotten stronger this week and it will be hard for me to and Joey's not even my like if I had to rank him he's not even number one it's going to be weird and hard for me to see Charity let Joey go if she has to do you love Joey

you've like I think Joey's your favorite like you'd pick Joey I would pick Xavier I like Xavier yeah I've always been a Xavier fan he's always been number one on my list I think I think he's real and I think he's honest but I think he cares and he but I think Joey is right there where I'm like I think Joey's just a genuine person for like he's very he's been very interested in Cherry since the beginning and I think we've seen that but Xavier would still be

my number one after this week Joey still gives me boyfriend vibes when Dotton gives me husband vibes yeah that's something I want to lean into here in just a second but before we get there, there's a lot of stress at the hotel this episode. Sean and Tanner are definitely feeling the stress of this whole experience. And you and I last week and the week before had mentioned Ashley that we, it's pretty clear who her top four were, right? It's pretty obvious that Tanner and Sean kind of snuck their way through and that the connections with the two of them weren't at all close to what, you know, the Aaron Bs and Xavier's and Dotens and um, joys were. So there's a reason they're stressed out. Joey obviously gets the rose after

his date and Sean and Tanner get told they're going on a two on one. Which is exciting. Which is exciting. I feel like we haven't had a two on one in the past couple seasons. They like always take breaks from two on ones. There's no real animosity between these two, which is nice. Yeah, that was my question. One of my questions for you was, is it weird to watch a two-on-one where the both guys are kind of feeling a similar way, but they don't hate each other and just like, gosh, dang it. Like, this is just clear to me that we're way far behind.

We already felt it. We already kind of assumed it. But like, this is just a very obvious, like, you know, sign that we are not in the same place as the other guys. Yeah. Yeah. And she just couldn't make up her mind throughout this episode about really both of them. she wanted like multiple shots with

with hanging out with them throughout the week I think it's nice to answer your question like I think some you want if you're gonna have a two on one you either want to be an epic showdown or just kind of like all right we're just gonna get along here they go on the crocodile hunting thing

which is amazing I used to love pretty cool date so I used to like love swamp monsters I used to watch that show like religiously I loved Alligator so much. You obviously know that you bought me an alligator that still sits on my desk. I just love plastic alligator from Amazon. Yeah, I love alligator so much. And I love like alligator

hunters and or just alligator sightseers. I just think they are the most fascinating people. This guy was amazing. This guy was great TV. So glad he added to our time. And there's like nothing. Obviously, they just had a good time. Tanner's watching Sean. though, and being like, I think she, well, actually the crocodile hunter, what's the difference true to crocodile and an alligator again? Well, they're two totally different animals. You know, when you're talking like physical crocodiles have their eyes more on top. They are typically a little more aggressive.

Crocodiles can, I believe, swim in both saltwater and freshwater. You can research me on that. And alligators are strictly freshwater. okay so alligators are more florida and crocodiles are more new orleans no these are gators oh they were yeah so does oh interesting okay why do i always think like florida alligators i don't know you got to take that up with your you got to get up with your house totally off topic all right so the guys are you know they have a great time there the the crocodile hunter himself is thinking that sean is ahead of the game she's definitely more physical

into Sean or like they're more physically comfortable with each other. Has she even kissed it? Yeah, she's kissed Tanner. But like it's not like we ever see them really make out. No, it's not like that. I know, I don't know. I totally vibe that Tanner is behind the game in this two on one. But I also think it's kind of shocking that someone who just comes across as like a character

and not a serious love interest like Sean is just creeping his way into top poor territory. He is. I will say this episode, he showed more of, he showed less of the character vibe than, hey, I'm into this vibe. Like,

I didn't think he played the character role. Not so much this episode. Yeah. Now, you know, these two are obviously, as we mentioned behind the times. Ashley, I have a Bachelor trivia for you that I don't know the answer to.

And so I need you to help me with this. But it was a question that came up as I watched the episode. Has there ever been somebody that's been put on a two-on-one that ended up either as the lead the next season or the person with the lead that season. Or has this always been a mark

that, hey, you're behind, you might get this two-on-one, you know, through. But after that, you're going home. Like, you're not making it very far. You're so right. You are so right. I think that Ashley Hubert. Okay.

was on a two-on-one with another Ashley. And they were really close friends. And then Ashley, Ubert, obviously went on to become the Bachelorette. Okay. Well, that's... That's the only one in my memory from when I started watching with Bradwell-Mack's second season. Well, listeners who are listening to this podcast, if you know of another situation where there's been somebody from a 2-1-go-on-one,

go on to either have a leading role or be with the lead. Let us know. It's going to be a tough thing for us to research. We will research it. be some digging through each season in the cast and who on the dates. My point to this says, Ashley, if you're in the cast in future seasons and all of a sudden you get the card that says you're on a two-on-one, like you are going on a two-on-one. Is it, would it just be best to be like, I get it, I'm going home anyways, like, it's not

worth another week of my time. Let's both piece out. Like, this is just an easy way for you to make a decision that you obviously want to make. I don't know. thinking about my experience and the few people that come to mind with other like epic two-on-one dates I think that usually like one will kind of go into more of like an obscurity and the other one will kind of become a staple in the franchise and we'll do multiple spinoffs. Nobody knows that better than our own Ashley, I. Kennedy. Yeah.

Right? Yeah. Yeah. It's usually like the villain alongside somebody who's been quite outspoken and maybe has, um, people out there with multiple opinions on them. Like somebody who's like a little bit more controversial. Okay. And then somebody who's just a straight villain.

So this obviously just doesn't apply to this two on one. Would you actually then say that your two on one during Chris Stoles' season of The Bachelor was the best thing to happen to you on that season? Oh, 100,000 percent. Interesting. One of the surest answers I can give about like. a moment in my past that really set me up for the future. I'm sure I would have been casted on Paradise. Yeah.

But it certainly made me more of like a household name amongst Bachelor Nation. One of the most epic two-on-ones ever. Hi, my name is Enya Jumanzoor. 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. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a relationship. I'm Emily Tish Sussman, and on she pivots,

I dive into the inspiring pivots of women who have taken big leaps in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweeten, Monica Patton, Elaine Welteroff. I'm Jessica Voss. And that's when I was like, I got to go. I don't know how, but that kicked off the pivot of how to make the transition. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Every episode gets real about the why behind these changes and gives you the inspiration and maybe the push. to make your next pivot. Listen to these women and more on She Pivots. Now on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The U.S. Open is here. And on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain, I'm breaking down the players from rising stars to legends chasing history. The predictions will we see a first time winner and the pressure? Billy Jean King says pressure is a privilege, you know. Plus, the stories and events off the court. And of course, the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very fancy, wonderfully experiential sporting event. I mean, listen, the whole aim is to be accessible and inclusive for all tennis fans, whether you play tennis or not.

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I don't write songs. God write songs. I take dictation. I didn't even know you've been a pastor for over 10 years. I think culture is any space that you live in that develops you. On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us podcast, I sat down with Warren Campbell, Grammy-winning producer, pastor, and music executive to talk about the beats. the business, and the legacy behind some of the biggest names in gospel, R&B, and hip-hop. This is like watching Michael Jackson talk about Thurley before it happened. Was there a particular moment where you realize just how instrumental music culture was

to shaping all of our global ecosystem? I was eight years old, and the Motown 25 special came on. And all the great Motown artists, Marvin, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Diana Raw. From Mary Mary to Jennifer Hudson, we get into the soul of the music. music and the purpose that drives it. Listen to Culture raises us on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So, Ashley, walk us through this. Tanner and Sean obviously are feeling differently about each other than you felt going in to your two-on-one. But how awkward is it? Like that elevator

ride where it's just the two of you, there's nobody else in there with you, the car ride to the date the date itself what what are the emotions and the feelings uh going on do you think for most contestants on a two-on-one well for me personally i was just annoyed that i was going to have to like spend the day with somebody had so much tension with okay in the case of these two it's going to be less awkward because they just generally get along and they can just chit-chat in awkward moments like car rides and elevator rides and all that With me, it was just like, all those moments where it's just the two of you. And in these dates, there are a lot of moments where it's just the two of you.

It's just awful. And then it makes it more awkward because it's not like you can have group chats because at least if you get along like these guys, you can have like group camaraderie, not when you're with somebody that you hate. So all the time that you're going to have with the lead is that like is worth something is going to be when you have one-on-one time. Yeah. It is, it feels like to me something that would be really hard to be a cast member on.

As a lead, it's very awkward because you realize how awkward it is. And you also realize that at least in my situation, like I knew I was sending a signal to both of them that I knew I was sending a signal to both them that was like, who's your chewing with? Emily. And Olivia. Becca.

Oh, Olivia, duh. Yeah. The island. Yeah, left her on the island, unfortunately, and their storm came in. It was really hard, really weird and very awkward for everybody. But long story short, they go, this going back to charity season, Tanner and Shang go to dinner with charity. Charity, charity at this point, they're both looking for validation. Neither of them are going to get it.

She said, she actually makes a line, which I think was great. she said, hey, this is a sign of where our relationships are at and what I need in this moment, I'm not going to give the rose out, which at that point, both of them should have been like, hey, we can fight, we can try, but this is done. But Ben, I was so weirded out by how she was having such a hard time deciding. I was like, I think she's having a hard time because she knows that neither of these guys are going to be her pick in the end. Well, and charity has a heart.

And so, you know, when you're in this moment and you're like, neither of these guys are it and I'm going to have to send them both home. And now they're both in the same room as me. She's probably just sick. At this point, you're very sick of sending people home. You're tired of breaking up with people. You're tired of disappointing people. You're you're tired of telling somebody they're not the one for you, even if they're going to be fine afterwards. It's just you get tired of it. And it starts to hurt more and more. as you know your connections grow stronger and I think at this point she's starting to feel that yeah but I think all she did was buy herself a little time and keep one of them around as a safety net just in case one of the main three Aaron Joey Xavier and Doughton yeah okay the main four so those are the main four obviously

so what if the main four became more weary in her mind she was like I'll keep one of them around for the rest of the week or keep both of them around for the rest of the week and then I'll put one in that slot, if need be. I really thought this entire episode that she was going to end up just having a hometown of three guys. Yeah, well, I've been fine.

I mean, I actually think it probably would have made more sense. So, Ashley, this conversation with Tanner and Sean in this two-on-one, obviously your theory of her wanting to keep somebody around in case somebody went home rings true for the Aaron B. Aaron B

kind of came out of the gates as everybody's top person and Aaron B seemed to be the one that had the most chemistry from night one with charity seemed to be there really interested in charity

Aaron B has not grown He's not elevated himself, yeah no since then. In fact, I feel like he's kind of hanging on by a thread because he has been

you know, there for the right reasons guy he has also shown a lot of even with Braden gone which I think Aaron B thought oh his ride was going to get easier with Braden gone

it just seems to get harder and this week is a good example of that where for me Aaron B is having the hardest time when he's in the same situation as all the other lead guys that Charity's just trying to figure out

who's not going to go to hometowns and he has his ticket punched if he just settles down. Mm-hmm. There's something about him just doesn't shine to me. Yeah. When they're together,

I don't see sparkles around them. Well, I think initially, you know, he had that first one-on-one and we thought, okay, like this guy is there for the long haul. I think that one-on-one has definitely pushed him to the point that we're at right now.

But, I mean, I think these other, the other three have rose far above him. Well, 100%. Well, in terms of the sparkles and the chemistry and the connection and the memories and all the good things that we point to when we say, okay, these people will be the final three. Mm-hmm. But we had a huge ding with Xavier in this episode during the date.

Well, first off, should we talk about how they have the, how Dodden goes on another date? Well, I think it's important too. Before we get there, yeah. I think it's important to talk about how he gets the one-on-one back-to-back weeks. That is a wild decision from charity. I don't say it's a good or bad decision. It's just a wildly aggressive decision on her part, meaning that you don't see it often.

I don't know if I can remember the last time. I never see it. But back-to-back weeks, I think you're sending a message to not only the person you ask on the one-on-one, but also the group that I want to spend as much time as possible with this human, and I don't care how it looks or how it's going to go. if you are a member of the cast that is staying home in a situation like this though i bet you you're trying to talk yourself into the fact that maybe she needs another date with him before going into hometowns because she wasn't completely sure after like before that's just you know the way that you make yourself feel better yeah that's what you're saying in your head i think this date in itself prove that theory to be very false because they have a great time they have an incredible uh i think it's a fun date they do the crescent city classic there.

How many miles is that? I don't know how many miles it was, but it was a fun run. I doubt they took it very serious, but they had a good time doing it. It looked when you watched it, like this is a couple that's just doing a random Saturday activity together. Like they signed up for a fun run. They did it. They thought it was great.

They'll go out to launch afterwards or dinner afterwards and hang out and talk about how funny it was. Their connection is strong. I think all the guys probably at this point are understanding. the evening portion of their date is as good as what we would expect. It's deep, it's true. There's, I love you, there's tears.

You know, charity since the beginning has never shied away from us really seeing who she's into and who she's not into. I think after this date, though, I do feel like their relationship is obviously very strong. There was a moment though during this date, said oh no what because she's like two zoned in no I think she's gonna have a really hard time at the end I think she has a couple because I think she has a couple guys that she's really into

and I think right now he is still the one that you would say yeah there's the best connection obviously they've had two on two one-on-ones but I think the other I think there's three two other guys Joey and Xavier that she might almost feel equally as into after next week's episode. Okay, well, obviously we do know she's told us that she fell in love with two people and that's the hardest decision she's a lot of drift to make at the end. I still think that he's so far above everybody else. I just think that she doesn't have, she doesn't, like, eliminating people doesn't come easy

to her, hence the whole two-on-one thing. Yeah. Which we never even really said. Like, she said, I'm not giving you guys a rose. We're going to take either out the rest of the week and see. how it goes. And self-admittedly, Charity says that her indecisiveness has been an issue in the past. And there's no more difficult time when you're indecisive than in the final three weeks of this show when you have multiple people that you're into and multiple people that you're going to have to

hurt in order to get to the end. And if she's indecisive, if she self-admittedly says, I'm indecisive, then this is going to be really hard for her. It's going to be exhausting. I think that she would leave right now with Doughton. See, I don't know. Really? Like, I really think she would just end it right now. At the end of this episode, after the weirdness of Xavier,

the fact that he's, like, scared of commitment, which we'll get to in a second. And then the fact that Joey, yes, Joey is the other one that I predict that she falls in love with because it's easy and fun. I just think the Doughton thing is just, it's really intense. and they are like in a more soulmate connection.

Ashley, if a guy can sit down with you and tell you, hey, I have a fear of committing to one person. And that fear is fair. Fear is a very fair fear. That is not a crazy fear. That is not something that we should, that at all, I'm watching that being like, Xavier, why would you say that out loud? No, I think it's a real fear for somebody, especially on this show, especially when you

don't know the person super well, and especially when you're dating while. to people one time. But if he can say that to her and she still says, like, I want you here, I think that relationship is going to be a late bloomer. I think we're going to see it really come out and shine. Oh, I was not sure. I don't know. I should not like hearing that.

I was concerned. I'm not concerned when somebody doesn't have a real. relationship going to the show, like hasn't had a serious relationship because I was obviously that person, but I was never afraid of commitment. I was like dying for commitment. And I don't have any reason to think why Xavier would be scared of commitment. His parents have been married for 40 years. Well, because actually it's a wild thought, right? And I think it shows that he's taking it serious that he's looking at saying here, charity, if we end up together at the end, I'm looking this at this, like we're going to be together forever. And yes, I've never had a forever

relationship. I don't know necessarily how to even do that. I want to try my best at making it the best thing possible. However, it's concerning to me. I'm scared because I don't know how I'm going to be in that. I think it's a very honest admission. It is an honest admission. I like that he's telling her this up front. He doesn't want to take her by surprise if he does get a little bit further in this, which he obviously is, I think it's his first, I think he's the first warning to her that he may not be ready to propose. I think that what he may be saying is that I take commitment very seriously and I do, I don't want to take that proposal step if I'm not 100% sure. Which, again, I always find to be respectable because knowing somebody for eight

weeks and in spending as very little time as we get on the show, it's pretty normal to say that you're afraid of proposing. I think that's the point is what Xavier's saying is normal. And he is fully fair and he is fully right to admit these things. Now, two guys that do start to admit things is Sean and Tanner. We can wrap this up into kind of one big storyline. They both kind of pour their hearts out to Charity. And as expected, I don't think any of us are shocked. Both Sean and Tanner are going home this week. Charity says, hey, the feelings just aren't mutual. I can't give you what you're telling me. You feel about me. So you're both going home. It's not shocking to anybody. This was not an episode with a big exit. We saw this coming two weeks ago. Yes. However, I do want to mention that

when Sean like pulls her aside and basically is like, I really want to let you know how strongly I'm feeling he's trying to get an upper hand before having to wait to the very end of the week and not go on the group date. Yeah. And then whenever somebody does that, it totally backfires. Whenever somebody pushes to get the rows at a time like this, never, never ever works. Well, I think he was, I mean, I'm not, Sean doesn't seem like an unintelligent man. I'm sure he was sitting in his room being like, all right, I got one Hail Mary shot here.

I guess so, yeah. Like, let's go for it because I know that I'm either going home in a day or I'm going home now. So let's just see what happens. And because I never really felt like their connection was intense, it does come across to me. And maybe I'm wrong that it's just like, I need to win. I want the rose and not like I want the girl type situation.

Well, fair. I'm not saying he doesn't like her. He definitely likes her. I can see that. Yeah, like I can see the competition side of it. Which you hate. I know you hate when this is viewed as a competition. Doesn't everybody? Yeah, I think so. I think that's fair. But yeah, I can see that. And I don't disagree with you on it. Well, Ashley, Tanner and Sean are going home. Xavier was the only other person that was kind of up in the air on if they were going to go home or not. And charity really wants them to stay. So we go into hometowns next week. But Ben, you didn't have any, like, hesitance when she was sitting there with that row. in front of him, and she held the rose. I was like, oh, we're going to get faked out.

He's going home. No. You didn't have that feeling at all? No, I think what we've seen from Charity so far is that she really respects honesty and really respects words of affirmation. I think she really is drawn to people who say what they feel. feel. And I think she is somebody that only likes somebody to say what they feel when she also trusts what they have to say. And I think for, in this situation, maybe I was just off. I viewed

Xavier's conversation with her as one that was honest, not hurtful. It wasn't saying he's not into it. It wasn't saying that he doesn't want to pursue it. He wasn't saying that he isn't. That she, I think she looked at it and said, I get it. Like, I understand what you're saying. I understand your fears. You haven't said that you want to go home. You in fact want to stay. And so now when you tell me something, I know that you mean it. And so I never doubted it. Because I would have been more shocked if you would have gone home because I would have said, you know, I would have at that point said, Charity, what did you want from him? Did you just want him to sugarcoat this whole thing and never tell you the truth? And then at the end be like, hey, yeah, by the way, I was really scared

two weeks ago because I didn't think I could commit somebody. I think she enjoyed or not enjoyed. I think she appreciates somebody being genuine in this wildly unfamiliar experience that it's hard to be genuine within. I was so thrown off. I was watching on my computer with a mirror behind me and I caught my facial expression. And I was like, huh? I was so shocked that he was saying when he was saying because to me, my interpretation was just giving you a heads up.

I'm not 100% sure about you. you right now. I really thought that. So we'll see how that plays out. And who's right? Who's instinct is right about, I love Xavier. I want him to be around. He's my second favorite for her after Doughton. But I do think it's a warning. We'll see. And of course, it was the right decision to keep him because, I mean, you have another week as mine as well take the opportunity to get to know all of them as well as you possibly can, even if you're meeting family, which you know it's overrated to show meeting family situation it's not like as serious as it probably would be it's not as overrated my book that thing was intense goodness that is the most intense week

for the lead for sure i feel so bad for the lead going into hometowns because like it's not fun at all battered yeah you just come out of it feeling beat up like you're leading everybody on you feel like the worst human in the world then you're like hey don't worry fantasy sweets is next week so hey we'll be all better like no it's hard it's weird yeah okay yeah you know better than i though yeah my bad so going into next week ashley uh your top three are uh my top three are uh my top three are still uh i'm putting Xavier in my top three even though like i wouldn't be surprised if he does chicken out once he gets to that top three and then doten and then joey and i definitely think erin b gets eliminated in next week i agree i think that's my top three as well

I'll have Xavier's number one. I'll have Dodd is number two. Joey's number three. I think Aaron B will be going home next week. And I have a theory that it's on his own accord. Why is that theory? I just think that this is going to get too tough. I think he is going to start really expressing feelings towards her.

She's not going to be able to reciprocate. And as a result, he goes home. I don't know. This is my theory yet. But I just see it playing out that way. because I feel like he's at a breaking point. And if he doesn't get something soon from charity, then this whole thing is going to erupt.

And Aaron B will be going home. But who knows? We'll wait and see. It's going to be week six of this season of The Bachelorette. It's going to be week six. Really? So freaking fast. Okay.

So what do you make of that guy who we don't have a label for that says, have you really seen the other side of Joey? I thought that was Joey's dad. Oh, okay. Probably is. He looks young. But, you know, probably is as young. I don't make much of it because I don't think a parent,

like that's a big thing for a parent to say on national television about their son. Like, hey, I know the real Joey. Do you think you've really seen the real Joey? Because what is the follow up there? We didn't see the follow up to his statement. Like, the real Joey is caring and genuine. And this is how he spends his life. Like, I think that's probably where it goes.

Because if not, it's like, have you seen the real jury? Because he sucks. Like, he's terrible. Like, I don't see a parent doing that to their child on national television. I just don't. Okay. This is how I see it. I think that he is going to tell her that he's more of a free spirit than she knows.

He moved to Hawaii to be a tennis coach. He kind of just does what he feels. And he's not sure if, like, he's totally ready to have, like, a, that's settled down life. Sure. And that's fair. And she can go, I get it. That's a silly theory. but that's my...

I don't think it's a big deal. It's nothing to fret about. It's nothing to, like, start thinking about. I think it's a really great line and a preview for an episode that is going to play out exactly like we expect. And then, in my opinion,

it's all up in the year. Once we get done it on the final three, I can't tell you how it works out or how it happens or what goes on. I just will be shocked if anybody but Aaron B does not go home that next week. I think he has to go home.

I think it's his time to go home. I think he's holding on by a thread. Ashley, we do have to get the headlines here. Let's do it. But I'm very excited about next week. I will say that next week's teaser, it looks like one of the more juicy teasers. Yeah.

So far, I've enjoyed this season. I've been hooked. I've enjoyed watching each episode. I don't think the drama is as high as past seasons, which has been enjoyable. I have missed. Totally fine. I have missed some of the cliffhangers that like really get my heart pumping

or I'm like, how could somebody say and do that? I've missed that a little bit, but not enough. to not want to watch the next episode because I do want to see how Charity's you know story plays out but I have missed a little bit of the drama this has been a very drama free season in my opinion you've you haven't had a lot

they've pulled out I think they've shown us all drama that has existed and it's been very little did you were you sad that you missed the Braden interview last week yeah very sad how'd it go I think it went very well I think you would have liked him more afterward.

Really? Yeah, well, a lot of it has to do with the fact he was at work, like, in his scrubs, doing the interview. Uh-huh. And he works in the psych ward. Oh, wow. Okay.

Yeah. Well, thanks for doing that. Yeah, listeners, if you haven't listened to the Brayton interview, go back, listen to it actually does an incredible job. I would have loved to be there, but I was driving through the heartland of the United States on my way. back to Denver.

With a dog. With a dog. A man in his dog and his dog and his truck. That's right. Were you in a truck? I was. Yeah. What a country song.

What a country song. What a country song. 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 ADA, 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. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a relationship. I'm Emily Tish Sussman, and on she pivots, I dive into the inspiring pivots of women

who have taken big leaps in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweeten. Monica Patton. Elaine Welteroff. I'm Jessica Voss. And that's when I was like, I got to go. I don't know how, but that kicked off the pivot of how to make the transition. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Every episode gets real about the why behind these changes and gives you the inspiration and maybe the push to make your next pivot.

Listen to these women and more on She Pivots. Now on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The U.S. Open is here. And on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain, I'm breaking down the players from rising stars to legends chasing history. The predictions will we see a first time winner and the pressure. Billy Jean King says pressure is a privilege, you know. Plus, the stories and events off the court and of course the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very fancy, wonderfully experiential sporting event. I mean, listen, the whole aim is to be accessible and inclusive for all tennis fans, whether you play tennis or not. Tennis is full of compelling stories of late. Have you heard about icon Venus Williams' recent wild card bids or the young Canadian, Victoria Mboko, making a name for herself? How about Naomi Osaka getting back to form?

To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an IHeart women's sports production in partnership with deep blue sports and entertainment on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of I Heart Women's Sports. I don't write songs. God write songs. I take dictation. I didn't even know you've been a pastor for over 10 years. I think culture is any space that you live in that develops you. On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us podcast, I sat down with Warren Campbell, Grammy-winning producer, pastor, and music executive to talk about the beats, the business, and the legacy behind some of the biggest names in gospel, R&B, and hip-hop.

This is like watching Michael Jackson talk about thoroughly before it has. Was there a particular moment where you realized just how instrumental music culture was to shaping all of our global ecosystem? I was eight years old and the Motown 25 special came on and all the great Motown artists, Marvin, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Diana Ross. From Mary Mary to Jennifer Hudson, we get into the soul of the music and the purpose that drives it. Listen to Culture raises us on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. it's time for headlines uh bachelor nations raven gates and adam welcome second baby let's go woody woo i can't believe she had another baby like it feels like yesterday that that raiden and i were going back and forth via voice message and text and all that when we gave birth because we gave birth

like 10 days but of each other she showed her she told her she told her story she's just the best. I love her so much. She's just the cutest little thing in the entire world. And such a strong mama. She gave birth yesterday on her 32nd birthday. We don't know whether it's a girl or a boy yet. They never did a gender reveal. I don't know why I'm so invested in I want to know. But it was her birthday. The C-section just landed on that day. And it was a scheduled C-section, multiple reasons. You can go to Raven for all the explanation on that. And it went very, very well. Her first birth was extremely traumatic. It ended in an emergency C-section. I'm just so glad that this one went easy-peasy. They went to the hospital like 5.30 a.m.

It's kind of like your routine surgery. And the baby was born eight pounds, six ounces, which is around the weight that Gates was born. And he's 21 inches long. They kind of had some fun on social media about how big the kid would be, especially since Gates is a very large 18-month-old. That kid looks like a full-blown two-and-a-half-year-old. Anyway, congratulations to the couple. They are so amazing. We're so happy for them,

and I'm just so happy that it was a smooth delivery this time. Very happy for them. What a great couple. One couple that, you know, doesn't get, you know, talked about, I don't think, as much as they should from the Bachelor. But part of that is because they've enjoyed. Yeah, they lived their life and they're doing great at it. Well, Abigail and Noah, another Bachelor in Paradise couple, are moving to Oklahoma.

The quote is, half y'all are so concerned. Ashley, what does that mean? Okay, so they've been living in San Diego together for the last two years and they just announced a couple weeks ago on social that they are moving to Oklahoma. They bought a house. They're ready to plant roots there. And even people are just going crazy asking why Tulsa and Abigail wrote, half of you all are so excited for us and half y'all are so concerned fair i didn't know anything about tolsa until two

years ago but here's some reasons why we chose tolsa for our home base she said won the cost of living it would have been um they would have had to spend two to three times more on house to get everything that they wanted in california and we kept renting and they were ready to just be homeowners She said, friends and family, we wanted to be closer to people, our people, and for a couple of reasons, we decided that we didn't want to settle down in Oregon, which would be where she's from. She said, my parents are visiting me in September, so Operation Get Them to Move to Tulsa with me, starts now. She also says she likes this slower-paced living. I love living in the Portland, New York City, L.A., San Diego area, but I'm so fortunate for those experiences. but I realized that

what I did not like she says she loves a slower pace a small town feel of Tulsa reminds her of a lot of where she grew up and where she's happiest and she's excited to show the following all about their life in Tulsa.

I do believe that Noah is from the Tulsa area. Yeah, I think so too. Yeah. Matt James and Rachel addressed breakup rumors. We've been through so much, according to Bachelor nation. She said, I think that we've been through so much at this point that nothing really phases us. I get it because we're together so much whenever our schedules don't line up or whenever we have things going on solo, people start speculating. I do think that it comes from a place

of love and like people just worry about us as a couple because they're so invested in us. But yeah, she just said, you know, when they do have a few weeks off, doing separate things, everybody worries, but they're very much together right now. happy for them. They're still doing great. Well, that's all we have for you today. This has been another episode of the Almost Famous Podcast. We'll be back next week. I'm breaking down week six of The Bachelor. But until then, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley. See ya. Bye. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Humanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called

emergency intercom If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes we're not the podcast for you but if you have unmedicated ADHD Oh my God perfect and want to hear people with mental illness

psychobabble Yes yes Then emergency intercoms the podcast for you Open your free IHeartRadio app Search emergency intercom and listen now Why are TSA rules So confusing You gotta hood of you on take it all

I'm Mani. I'm Noah. This is Devin. And we're best friends and journalists with a new podcast called No Such Thing, where we get to the bottom of questions like that. Why are you screaming? I can't expect what to do. Now, if the rule was the same, go off on me.

I deserve it. You know, lock him up. Listen to No Such Thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. No Such Thing. I'm Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. I know how overwhelming it can feel if flying makes you anxious.

In session 418 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett and I discuss flight anxiety. What is not a norm is to allow it to prevent you from doing the things that you want to do, the things that you were meant to do. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Betrayal Weekly is back for season two with brand-new story. The detective comes driving up fast and just like screeches right in the parking lot.

I swear I'm not crazy, but I think he poisoned me. I feel trapped. My breathing changes. I realize, wow, like he is not a mentor. He's pretty much a monster. But these aren't just stories of destruction. They're stories of survival. I'm going to tell my story and I'm going to hold my head up. Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts.

or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.