The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - The Mountains are Calling with Caelynn Bell

Episode Date: April 24, 2025

Ben is catching up with Caelynn and she’s holding nothing back! Caelynn shares what she would do to “fix” The Bachelor franchise to bring it back to its former glory.   We hear about her life with Dean in Colorado and when they might be starting a family!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone.

Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel. Writer Strong. And Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. We are back in Las Vegas and giving the people what they want, a full week of Y2K content. Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course.

We joke and say this is our second marriage, but it takes a lot of communication. Plus, it's carrot top, baby. And finally, Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you.

But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh, my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult.

But it happens all the time to people just like you. And people just like us. I'm Lola Blanc and I'm Megan Elizabeth. We're the host of Trust Me, a podcast about cults, manipulation, and the psychology of belief. Each week we talk to fellow survivors, former believers, and experts to understand why people get pulled in and how they get out. Trust me, new episodes every Wednesday on exactly right. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Do we really need another podcast with a condescending finance brof trying to tell us how to spend our own money?

No, thank you. Instead, check out Brown Ambition. Each week, I, your host, Mandy Money, gives you real talk, real advice with a heavy dose of I feel uses, like on Fridays, when I take your questions for the BAQA. Whether you're trying to invest for your future, navigate a toxic workplace, I got you. Listen to Brown Ambition on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcast with IHart Radio. Welcome to The Almost Famous Podcast.

We are here tonight with one of my favorite people in the world, one of almost famous listeners' favorite. people in the world. Kalyn, welcome. It's been a while since you've been on here. You used to be a regular guest with us giving us updates on everything happening in your life, but it's been a bit since you've jumped on the almost famous feed. It's been a bit, but I just come see you in person now, you know? I come and see you and your wife and Winnie. It's great. It's better that way. It's so much better. Life is so, the crazy part is, Kalen, out of any of Jess's friends, have met Winnie the most. You know, because for the first few weeks,

we weren't seeing anybody, and then you came and you've been here and you've got, and like, just wait till you see her again. I go on and on. She's changed. It's wild. It's awesome. Since seeing Winnie,

and because we're so close, my goal is to see her once a month. So I'm at once a month, and then in May, Jess and I are going to a concert, so that would be the third month. So I'm hoping I can keep it up. it would be incredible and I hope you do too it means a lot um that's kind of what we're here talking about today you and dean let's start with this do live close ish to Denver close to Denver you live in Carbondale which is just west of here it's a beautiful place it's not far from where the two of you got married how is the experience being you know moving from Vegas slash L.A to Carbondale Colorado

It is the best thing ever. I talk about it all the time. Like moving from Vegas, L.A., I feel so at peace. Like I'm a very anxious person, and I'm still anxious to some degree, but I'm just so calm. And I feel very grounded. Like I wake up, there's 30 elk in the backyard, and then there's 20 deer in the front yard, and we've got turkeys trying to attack Alistair. So it's fun.

I love it. It's the best thing. and it's really hard to leave. I've never been in a place where I love it so much and also I love every season. You live in Colorado, so it's like every single season is perfect, which is great. It is a unique thing.

I think it's something, I mean, obviously we live outside of Denver 20 miles. And so there are similarities with the elk and the deer. And today I had to bring. We have Buffalo. And today I had to bring Waylon in early from a walk. because a fox was like in our backyard and it was acting all funny like there's something very sacred to me and it's very peaceful I think you said it best right there that's like very peaceful to this kind of spot to live in it's different than living in a city yeah and you guys are luckier because

you are so close to a city so if you need like well if just needs a support I'm thinking like Girl thinks just needs a Sephora. I have to drive to you guys to get to Sephora. You have all the things that you need, and we are very isolated. But there's like pros and cons to both. I think for anybody making the move from a big city like Vegas or L.A. to a place like Carbondale, especially newly married. I think there, I mean, it would be for me at least.

It would be these concerns of, okay, do we really like? each other enough to be this isolated in the world? I mean, because you are pretty isolated out there. So how has being out there impacted your marriage? Because this is where Dina's from. It's kind of where his roots are, at least at some level. So how has it been for the two of you together as you do move, you know, to his home? It has been, it's been really great. For me, selfishly, like all of his high school friends are there. I've met all of their wives and get along with them. So I already have like a built in great group of girlfriends. And it's been great for our marriage. Like it's been great being isolated, but also living in the valley that we do. There are so

many community based events. Like more, there's like a bigger sense of community than I've ever felt in LA and Vegas because it's just so big. But there's constantly something going on. So every Wednesday, We go to trivia, like the bartenders know us, like the whole restaurant owners know us. And like every single place we go, it's so intimate that we kind of know everyone, which is fun. I'm curious because I don't know many people that are better at it and more known for it than you and Dean. And I don't want to see the influencing space because that feels like it diminishes exactly what you do. But you two have done a really great job at kind of showing. going off your life through social media and through other platforms to the public.

In my opinion, and you tell me if I'm wrong, this is where my curiosity comes from, it would be a lot easier to do that when you're in Los Angeles or Vegas because there's these big, fancy events that you're getting invited to. And you're running into people who are like, oh, there's Kalin. Let's hire her on to do this brand deal because she's so great. Now you're in Carbondale. Has it changed that at all? Does it feel harder?

Does it feel easier? Kind of talk through what it's like to influence or to show off your life from a completely different city that this isn't super common in. It kind of, it feels easier and harder. It does feel harder. Like you're not like going face to face with brands. But it feels easier in the sense of like I feel way more comfortable sharing my life. Like it's the happiest I've ever been. It's true.

Like I tell everyone, it's the best place in the world. So I'm just like so much happier and feel like I'm way more open. open in LA there's a lot of show boating in the influencer space particularly so it's tricky and and I'm just like I feel whatever if I don't get a brand deal because I'm not at an event that's fine because I'm happy just like being here with my wild animals in my front yard you know yeah I mean it's why I stayed because the the race to stay relevant in Los Angeles was eating me alive and so I had to stay in Denver because if anything it gave me the mental excuse to be like I wasn't invited to that because I don't live there.

Right. And so like, I'm good with it. It's better for your ego. It's better for my ego. It's what I need it. I have a big ego and it gets hurt too. So when I'm away. No, I get that actually. I'm like, no, I wasn't invited because I don't live close. They got to buy a plane ticket or it has to me to travel in. I protected my ego by staying here. I think that's really like, if it comes down to it, I was protecting myself. Like, I don't want to go to Coachella, stage coach, but the fact that I wasn't invited.

I've never been invited to either. So if that makes you feel better, I've never been to either and never been invited to either. But the reason is because I live in Denver. Yeah. It's just not convenient for anybody to invite me to hang out with them. You get it. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly,

and now I'm seriously suspicious. Oh, wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK story time. podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now hold up, isn't that against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person,

this is her boyfriend's former professor and they're the same age. It's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not? To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then, at 6.33 p.m., everything changed.

There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Apparently, the explosion actually impelled metal glass. The injured were being loaded into ambulances. Just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, and it was here to stay. Terrorism. Law and order, criminal justice system is back. In season two, we're turning our focus to a threat that hides in plain sight.

that's harder to predict and even harder to stop. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, it's Daniel Official. Rider Strong and Wilfredel from PodMeets World. And we're bringing you Viva Las Content. That's right. We are back in Las Vegas, the city of sin,

and giving the people what they're. want. A full week of Y2K content. Wait, we're back in Vegas? Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course. We sat down with Kevin Richardson and A.J. McLean just minutes before they took the stage, and our very own Wilfredel basically became the newest member of the band. Boy band, please.

Plus, the man who has the longest running comedy show on the strip joins us and gets his props. It's carrot top, baby. And finally, we all L. O-O-V-E-Hur, Ashley Simpson-Ross, joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. It's a full week of nostalgic interviews you don't want to miss. Listen to PodMeets World on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 career. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweeten, Monica Penn, 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, well, 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 IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you at your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Caitlin, you have made, the reason I ask about this is E-News, has had an interview recently

talking about your fertility experience. Now, they described it as fertility struggles, but I am not going to put that word on you unless you use that word yourself. So for anybody listening who doesn't read e-news, but listens to the almost famous podcast, I guess the assumption here that I'm making is that you and Dean are at least considering starting a family and expanding your family, and then you take it from there to wherever you want to take it to. Yeah, so we've been trying for not quite a year, but we're like coming up on that cusp. and it's harder than I anticipated because I have many, many siblings. My mom got pregnant super easily, and I thought that would happen for me. She, like, first try every single time, every single kid.

So I, like, anticipated that. But I'm still not pregnant, and I'm not putting too much pressure on myself. And Dean and I were just talking about this. Two of our best friends are getting married next year in Ireland. And so it's like, if I get pregnant right now, we won't be able to go. but Dean's like if we there's always an excuse to put it off you know so we're going to keep trying if we get pregnant that's awesome if we don't then we can go to Ireland and I don't know we're not putting pressure on it yet and we're just going to keep like taking it easy and it'll happen when

it happens and you guys are proof of that because you have a perfect little winnie and you guys that made me so excited for kids because anytime I see when she's just so great and talking to Jess just is like the happiest mom ever which you don't see that often I feel like yeah just and like that's a genuine authentic experience for her she was just telling me this on the walk yesterday she said if i can do one thing not everybody's baby is the same as winnie um easier or harder not everybody's mothering experience is the same you know not everybody's postpartum is the same but she's she said if i can do one thing it's just encourage moms that it's not bad it's good no matter what it's good uh it could be hard but it's good and to encourage that but i'll tell you

what jess um you're right she's thrived in this role like it's been incredible and i would tell anybody like it's awesome it's the coolest most fun thing um but the other side of that is it took us time it took us a lot of work it took us a lot of doctors appointments and checkups and tests and figuring stuff out to make it, you know, make us both healthy enough to make this happen. But it took time and not putting pressure on it, I think, is the best advice I could give and the best, like, insight that you're sharing. Yeah. I also think it's cool that you said, like, Jess is being intentional about wanting to encourage,

you know, women to become moms because that literally anytime I talk to her, text her, see her, that's what I feel. And it's really cool to see you be a dad. I've only seen you twice now in that role. But I remember the first time I came over. I don't know if Winnie was, I can't remember if she was 14 days old or 20 days old, but she was very, very small. And you took her out of Jess's arms and you were changing her and you're like, is that my daughter? It was so sweet.

It's really cool to see you both be parents. Yeah, it's a weird change in life. But it's an exciting change. But it is hard. And it's a really weird. weird season where you are prepping and planning and trying to do all these things to make,

you know, to bring something new into this world. And I would just say this. I don't, you're not asking for advice, but it's just like, yeah, don't put pressure on it. Because here's the truth to it too, the dirty truth or the good truth. The more pressure, the heart of the whole thing becomes. Uh, that's when things get really weird is when it's

all pressure packed and you're like, perform. Yeah. You know, it's too much. Like friends with Chandler and Monica, you know? That's what I want to avoid. You know, as we close up here, I'm going to make a complete pivot away from the family and from the move. We're going to finish talking about this show that we were both a part of. There's been some big changes with the show as of recent. And the Almost Famous Podcast, if you listen to the feed, there's a section called Infamous now.

There's these episodes called Infamous that are highlighting these stories that are very iconic within the Bachelor franchise. and we're getting more of the behind the scenes of what exactly happened in these moments. Now, let's do a little infamous here for just a few minutes. The productions team that we knew, the editors that we knew, the camera crew that we knew, the audio that we knew, are pretty much gone at this point. There's a few remaining. And so if you were hired on as the EP of the Bachelor franchise tomorrow, what would be your insight to the team on what needs to happen to make this show? so maybe what it was, or to bring it back to relevancy in the future.

Okay, that's a really good question. My heart is racing because Dean and I have both been in many infamous headlines. I was like, where is he going with this? I don't think I've seen any of them. I just refuse to read them. If I see it, I'm just like, not for me. Is it like, are we really doing this the last couple minutes? Wow.

Gosh, it does need to be more relevant because there's way too much. competition out there. And I think the biggest thing, like I would love to get back to like old school year season, Jojo season, you know, like those were prime days. But the contestants are so guarded and they're so cautious of like looking bad or not getting enough followers. I personally think that's a huge, huge hump. And I don't know how to overcome that. So I don't really think I have an answer. I think we just need to get rid of it for a few seasons and come back and revamp. That's insight right there. If you were hired on the, as the EP, you'd say, hey, I'm firing myself and everybody else.

We're going to take a break. See in three years. We'll hope this thing comes back in three years. We'll see you then. And we hope people watch. That's the insight. I like it. I think it's a great move.

I think people would be so ecstatic. Be like American Idol all over again. Take a few years off. Come back with the old host and you'll rock and roll. Kaelin, as we close, here is there anything about your life your life with dean um i don't know these infamous headlines that's not what i would put you in a position to have to answer to but i'm glad that you thought i would um but is there anything that you would love to share with anybody as we close up that i didn't ask

no i think you did a great job um i love you and jess and i know dean loves you and jess and it's great to it's you know it's a rare thing to like love a couple equal you know like the wife loves the wife the husband loves the husband so it's really great we love you guys and i know dean's really looking forward to his golf trip with you next month i know he needs to get down here and meet uh winnie as well though that is something that he won't come to denver it's so hard the guy has literally gone from traveling in a van across the u.s to being a home body i'll text you after this i'll text you this video he's cuddling with carl right now carl is like wrapped around him and he won't leave the couch so he's a cat dad

That's, I mean, that's good for him. It's good for us. We love you so much. It means so much that you've came and visited Winnie. You're going to see her grow up. I could talk about her forever, but I refuse to because nobody wants to hear an hour long of me just talking about how cute that little girl is. But here's the cool part, Caitlin, four days ago. Here's the update for anybody listening in you.

Four days ago, she started to mirror me. So when I smile, she smiles. When I stick my tongue out, she's. sticks her tongue out. No. And it breaks me into, in a way that she never did before and that I've never had happened to me in my life. Oh, that's so special. It is something to behold. Does she do it to Jess too or just you? Jess as well. She'll do it to anybody. Just wait. You come here, you stick out your tongue. She starts giggling and she'll do it back. It's something. Kaelin, thanks for jumping on with us tonight. And we appreciate you. Best of luck in everything.

And I can't wait to see you soon. Thank you. See you soon. With that, this is the Almost Famous podcast we had Kalen here tonight. Until next time, I've been Ben. We'll talk to you soon, everybody. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly and now I'm seriously suspicious.

Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate.

Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel. Writer Strong and Wilfredel from PodMeets World. We are back in Las Vegas and giving the people what they want. A full week of Y2K content. Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course. We joke and say this is our second marriage, but it takes a lot of communication.

Plus, it's carrot top, baby. And finally, Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzor. And I'm Drew Phillip. 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. Every case that is a cold case that has DNA, right? now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime.

On the new podcast, America's Crime Lab, every case has a story to tell, and the DNA holds the truth. He never thought he was going to get caught, and I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha. This technology's already solving so many cases. Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult. But it happens all the time to people just like you. And people just like us.

I'm Lola Blanc. And I'm Megan Elizabeth. We're the hosts of Trust Me, a podcast about cults, manipulation, and the psychology of belief. Each week we talk to fellow survivors, former believers, and experts to understand why people get pulled in and how they get out. Trust me. New episodes every Wednesday on exactly right. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast.

Thank you.