The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - The Most Shocking Bachelor Moments of 2025 - #4

Episode Date: December 27, 2025

Our countdown continues with the most shocking moments of 2025 for Bachelor Nation! Moving on to #4 with a Golden scandal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Please enjoy responsibly. I'm investigative journalist Melissa Jeltson. My new podcast, What Happened in Nashville, tells the story of an IVF clinic's catastrophic collapse and the patients who banded together in the chaos that followed. It doesn't matter how much I fight. It doesn't matter how much I cry over all of this. It doesn't matter how much justice we get.

None of it's going to get me pregnant. Listen to what happened in Nashville on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Have you ever listened to those true crime shows and found yourself with more questions than answers? Who catfish is a city? Is it even safe to snort human remains? Is that the plot of footloos? I'm comedian Rory Scoville, and I'm here to tell you, Josh Dean and I have a new podcast that celebrates the amazing creativity of the world's dumbest criminals. It's called Crimeless, a true crime comedy podcast. Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get. your podcast.

I know he has a reputation, but it's going to catch up to him. Gabe Ortiz is a cop. His brother Larry, a mystery Gabe didn't want to solve until it was too late. He was the head of this gang. You're going to push that line for the cause.

Took us under his wing and showed us the game, as they call it. When Larry's killed, Gabe must untangle the dangerous past, one that could destroy everything he thought he knew. Listen to the brothers Ortiz on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast,

wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast with IHartRadio. Okay, hello, everybody. This is Trista on the Almost Famous Podcast and I am just here solo. I'm bringing you the fourth most shocking or should I say number four

in the most shocking Bachelor Nation moments of 2025. So we've been careful. Counting down the most shocking Bachelor Nation moments, and this is number four, this moment was not only shocking, but I feel like we talked about it forever afterwards, like months and months and months afterwards. And if you haven't guessed by that, because I guess there are a lot of shocking moments this year, but the number four most shocking moment this year was Golden Bachelor Mel Owens' podcast comments

before his season even started. Okay, on April 22nd, Mel Owens was announced as the lead of season two of the Golden Bachelor. Right off the bat. We didn't know a whole lot about Mel because he wasn't from Jones season, but he was a professional athlete. So people may have connected with him over that, but we didn't know him as a, as someone who had already been in Bachelor Nation.

And of course, that's how most of us get to know each of the leads. Most of, of course, of Bachelor Nation fans were expecting for it to be somebody from previous season because, like I said, that's usually the case. We usually pull somebody from, I say we. It's not we. The casting department and the producers usually pull someone from the previous season. and so that we all have a vested interest in their love story and their continued love story. And Mel just wasn't that person.

So we learned that he is a 66-year-old former NFL linebacker. He played for the Los Angeles Rams. He was divorced and a single dad of two sons. And actually, I kind of connected with that part because his sons are around the same age as my kids, actually. Mel is obviously very attractive, so even though he wasn't from Bachelor Nation, I think overall fans were intrigued to get to know him until he was a guest on a podcast. So by June, clips went viral of Mel talking on a podcast about what he told producers of the show, what kind of women he wasn't interested in dating. As a refresher, he said, during an appearance on

the M-Go Blue podcast with John Jansen, the former NFL player-turned-lawyer 66, touched on what he's looking for this season and what he's not. He said, if they're 60 or over, I'm cutting them. And that's in quotes. Owen said bluntly, recalling a conversation he had with one of the show's exec producers. This is not the silver bachelor, he said. This is the golden bachelor. So, in addition to being picky about their age, Owens said he also expressed to the

exec producer that he wants the women to look good. Quote, they've got to be fit because I stay in shape and work out and stuff, he shared. Quote, and I told them to try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs. Oh, boy, this takes me back to this moment, just reading. his quotes. I never listened to the podcast itself, but of course I heard about it because I am part of Bachelor Nation, happily, proudly. And oh gosh, when I heard those quotes, I am 53 years old, well, probably at the time I was 52. And just being right around the corner from being 60 and being someone who could probably be on Golden Bachelor, if I wasn't married, happily.

I took great offense to it. And I think, actually I know that most people took great offense to it because he is being chosen to be the golden bachelor. And that is the age range. I don't think it was appropriate. I don't think those comments were kind. I'm, I think, much more invested in kind people than I am with superficial people, unfortunately. And, you know, I didn't, because I didn't hear it, I didn't know if I was taking you out of context, if they were joking, if he was being sarcastic. It's just, that is a slippery slope people.

If you ever go on reality television, this is one thing that I want you to know. try to keep the sarcasm at bay because sarcasm comes across as just being cruel and mean with your comments because people can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not. So I feel like I've always thought just try to not be sarcastic when you are on these shows because they will record you and they will use it against you. So I have always felt like, and I'm really sarcastic actually. So that's why I think I've always had a radar up for that.

But just be yourself, but sure I did not be sarcastic. So I don't know if he was being sarcastic. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt of that. But I think coming into the season, as you saw when all of the ladies got out of the limo and pretty much every single one of them, mentioned in some way, shape, or form that they were not so happy about his comments. I mean, I think he got slapped.

So good on the women for calling him out for that. That business idea you've been sitting on this new year. Stop waiting for the perfect time. GoDaddy Arrow uses AI to build your website, logo, and marketing. in minutes, not months, no tech skills, no excuses. Just your idea, made real. Get started at godaddy.com with GoDaddy Arrow. I'm investigative journalist Melissa Jeltson.

My new podcast, What Happened in Nashville, tells the story of an IVF clinic's catastrophic collapse and the patients who banded together in the chaos that followed. We have some breaking news to tell you. Tennessee's Attorney General is suing a Nashville doctor. In April 2024, a fertility clinic in Nashville shut down overnight and trapped behind locked doors were more than a thousand frozen embryos. I was terrified. Out of all of our journey, that was the worst moment ever. At that point, it didn't occur to me what fight was going to come to follow.

But this story isn't just about a few families' futures. It's about whether the promise of modern fertility kids, care can be trusted at all. It doesn't matter how much I fight. Doesn't matter how much I cry over all of this. It doesn't matter how much justice we get. None of it's going to get me pregnant. Listen to what happened in Nashville on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Stefan Curry, and this is Gentleman's Cut. I think what makes gentlemen's cut different is me being a part of, you know, developing the profile of this beautiful finished product. With every sip, you get a little something different.

Visit gentlemen's cut bourbon.com or your nearest total wines or Bevmo. This message is intended for audiences 21 and older. Gentleman's Cut Bourbon, Boone County, Kentucky. For more on gentlemen's cut bourbon, please visit gentlemen's cut bourbon.com. Please enjoy responsibly. Have you ever listened to those true crime shows and found yourself with more questions than answers. And what is this? How is that not a story we all know? What's this? Where is that? Why is it wet?

Boy, do we have a show for you? From smartless media, campside media, and big money players comes crimeless. Join me, Josh Dean, investigative journalists. And me, Roy Scoval, comedian, as we celebrate the amazing creativity of the

world's dumbest criminals. We'll look into some of the silliest ways folks have broken the laws. Honestly, it feels more like a high-level prank than a crime. Who catfish is a city? And meets some memorable anti-heroes. There are thousands of angry, horny monkeys. Clap if you think she's a witch.

And it freaks you out. He has x-ray vision. How could I not follow him? Honestly, I got to follow me. He can see right through me. Listen to Crimless on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. if the unthinkable happened. I just fell and started screaming.

If you lost someone you loved in the most horrific way. I said through you got 22 times. The police, right? But what if the person you're supposed to go to for help is the one you're the most afraid of? This dude is the devil. He's a snake. He'll hurt you.

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Not long after these comments went viral, Bachelor Nation fans demanded that Mel be recast and not hold the title of the Golden Bachelor. Even Reality Steve tweeted that he heard Mel was fired and being recast. So who knows if he actually had been considered for being pulled off of the lead or, you know, getting his title revoked. He did, in fact, stay as our second Golden Bachelor.

And the show began, it premiered in the end of September of 2025, of course, because these are 2025 most shocking moments. In the premiere episode, they addressed Mel's podcast comments, and Mel apologized to all of the women on night one about his comments. you know and I it seemed like the ladies on the show were feeling like he was being genuine in his apology and I hope that's the case and they weren't influenced because the cameras were around the women on the show constantly defended him throughout the season and said he was a nice guy even at the women tell all so I believe it to be a truthful and genuine apology but it's

sad to me that he would even have to make an apology the first night. You know, I always go back to Jones' comments on the first season of Golden Bachelor and how women at her age, she had begun to feel invisible. And I feel that that's a very, very common feeling for women who are, I mean, I'm starting to feel it a little bit. in their 50s, 60s, 70s, where you feel invisible, you don't feel like you're worthy enough for people's concerns that you're not part of a group. And I feel like what was beautiful about the first season of Golden Bachelor

is they really made these women and men feel like they are still worthy. They are not invisible. And I felt like Mel's comments just hit right at the course. of that argument or discussion or concept is that he basically just said, you know, if they're 60 and under, they're great, but if they're 60 and older, then they're invisible to me is kind of how I took his comments. And that really, I think, was very hurtful for a lot of people. We watched Mel's season where he ultimately chose a contestant Pegg and gave her a promise ring

instead of getting down on one knee and proposing. Of course, that was very controversial and shocking, I feel like, to a lot of Bachelor Nation people. But I am so happy for them. They seem very, very genuinely happy, and I'm so happy that they found each other and happiness in their relationship. With lower ratings than season one,

Bachelor Nation fans wonder if there will be another season of the Golden franchise. I have to guess that after Taylor's season, because Taylor Frankie Paul, of course, is our next Bachelorette, and her season will begin airing in either February or March next year, I feel like that Bachelor Nation is going to get a whole new bevy of fans because of all of her following that I believe. are going to be very invested in her season.

So I'm hoping with that insurgents of people to watch the show, that they definitely will want to do another Golden and potentially bring back the wholesomeness of the Golden franchise. That's what I loved so much about the first season of Golden. And with Joan's season, I feel like it was just people were... were wholesome. They were wholesome relationships. They were, you know, when you get older, I feel like you realize what truly matters in life. And they were honest about the fact that, you know, they wanted relationships. They wanted to be able to share their lives with someone

instead of feeling invisible and alone. So anyway, yes, there were lower sit ratings for the second season of Golden Bachelor, but I am very hopeful that after Taylor Frankie Paul's season of Bachelorette, that we are going to be able to bring back Golden because there will be lots, there will be much better ratings. I am predicting with Bachelorette, and so therefore hopefully they'll bring back another Golden. All right, because of this long saga of drama with Mel Owens as the Golden Bachelor, number two, this was our number four. Most Shocking moment of the year. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcasts on IHeartRadio,

or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. New Year's Resolution. Own how you show up online. It's easy with a domain and matching email from GoDaddy. Now just 99 cents per month for new customers their first year. Ring in 2026 with a domain and matching email at goDaddy.com slash New Year. That's goaddy.com slash new year to own how you show up online. I'm Stefan Curry, and this is Gentleman's Cut. I think what makes

Gentleman's Cut different is me being a part of developing the profile of this beautiful finished product. With every sip, you get a little something different. Visit Gentleman'scutbuburn.com or your nearest Total Wines or Bevmo. This message is intended for audiences 21 and older. Gentlemen's Cut Bourbon, Boone County, Kentucky. For more on Gentleman's Cut Bourbon, please visit gentlemen's cuthuburn.com. Please enjoy responsibly.

I'm investigative journalist Melissa Jeltsin. My new podcast, What Happened in Nashville, tells the story of an IVF clinic's catastrophic collapse and the patients who banded together in the chaos that followed. It doesn't matter how much I fight. It doesn't matter how much I cry over all of this. It doesn't matter how much justice we get. none of it's going to get me pregnant.

Listen to what happened in Nashville on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have you ever listened to those true crime shows and found yourself with more questions than answers? Who catfishes a city? Is it even safe to snort human remains? Is that the plot of footloose? I'm comedian Rory Scoville, and I'm here to tell you, Josh Dean and I have a new podcast that celebrates the amazing creativity of the world's dumbest criminals. It's called Crimeless, a true crime comedy podcast. Listen on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know he has a reputation, but it's going to catch up to him. Gabe Ortiz is a cop. His brother Larry, a mystery Gabe didn't want to solve until it was too late. He was the head of this gang. You're going to push that line for the cause. Took us under his

wing and showed us the game, as they call it. When Larry's killed, Gabe must untang with dangerous past, one that could destroy everything he thought he knew. Listen to the Brothers Ortiz on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.