The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - The Oddest Couple of All Time

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

Ben and Ashley are breaking down the latest Bachelor Nation headlines, and love is in the air!Find out which Bachelor in Paradise favorite is finally getting his “Bachelor romance”, while another superstar from BIP is FINALLY engaged.Ashley shares her passionate opinion on the rumors around Tom Brady and Alix Earle. The Bachelor that Almost Was is now officially off the market!Plus, more Bachelor baby news!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. This is the Ben and Ashley I I, Almost Famous Podcast with IHart Radio. Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Almost Famous Podcast. We've missed you very much, and I've missed my co-host so much.

Ashley, the holiday season, I think today we could officially say it's like over. It's so sad, Ben. Is it sad? Why are people wanting to go back to work? Yeah. I've had four meetings today. Let's average a two people on each meeting. I'd say it's a 50-50 split on how people are feeling about the holidays being over. Moms of teenagers are very much in favor of the holidays being over. They said the kids ate through their house. They slept in all day. They were around too much. Now, I'd say people like you and I with like little kids were like, this was the best couple weeks ever because I spent so much time doing nothing during the day with Winnie. It was awesome.

Yeah. My TikTok algorithm, though, is all moms being like, hallelujah, they're back. Or like, can you please send them back now? I'm going crazy. I'm like, this was awesome because I got to spend time with the kids without me stressing that I had to get something else done while being with them.

I still have a strategy. Here's what I do. I wake up every morning. I get my coffee and I come and sit at my computer for somewhere or between 30 minutes in an hour, even on days that nobody else is working, just to stay ahead so that days like today don't feel like you're getting like hit in the face with a bombarding amount of emails. I actually still do that on vacation. When Jess and I take a vacation, I will spend and I limit it. It's not, I'm not going to get in the weeds of anything, but it's like 30 minutes

to an hour at some point during the day just to try to stay on top of stuff. And I do think that helps because once that's done, I'm done for the day. And I have nothing else. I have been doing that too. I had a couple days in between that long break. And I did, it was a long break, which people were like, oh, it was too long. I still don't understand how you can have too much time off, but okay, where I like got on the computer and I did stuff so that I could be caught up and not feeling crazy with today as well. But anyway, Ben, during that time, we got lots of bachelor headlines, like actually huge headlines about marriages and babies. It all happened.

So you're ready to kick it off? Let's dive in. Let's start with something that will not be a trend. This is not going to be the marriages and the babies. This is going to be a breakup. Bachelor in Paradise alum, Kat Izzo, cryptically teases 2026 status with Dale Moss after breakup. So we know that they've been broken up as they have not posted of each other,

mentioned each other since September. And she got on her Instagram. TikTok. And she did this voiceover to taking Minaj. And she said, I took some time off to rest. And now it's game time, bitches. And with the caption, she says, all the DMs left in 2025. So our interpretation of this is, you sent me some DMs, boys. And I may not have gotten back to you. But now it's game time. Whoa. See? Oh, and when she says all the DMs left in 2000. in 25. We think that possibly it's like a double entendre because it's DMs, right? But then it's also D period M period as in Dale Moss's left them in 2025. This is how I know I'm not that smart. It's because I see TikToks like this all the time and I'm like, I have no clue what she even meant by the first DM. Like all the DMs love them. I'm like, I don't get it. I don't understand.

I need you in my life to explain it. And then you throw in the fact that it was a double meaning that There's a Dale Moss thing in there. I'm like, that makes sense to me. This becomes very intriguing. Also, when and how in the world, the cat sit down and go, I'm going to post this video and it's going to have all these hidden meanings in it. Brilliant. It is brilliant.

Brilliant from Kat. Hey, before we also get into some of the engagement headlines, the wedding headlines, I want to just give a shout out to my Indiana Hoosiers as we record this. they are entering into the final four the college football playoffs. They play Oregon in Atlanta. Really proud of the Hoosiers. It's where I'm wearing my hat. I'm all in. Let's go Hoosiers.

Congrats. Thank you. Also, we're all in when it comes to Peter Krauss getting married. You just got married in a stunning outdoor wedding to his now wife, Hannah. Yeah, we are obviously so happy for them.

They're gorgeous, stunning couple. And the photos are unbelievable. They got married in Jupiter, Florida on December 27th, and she's pregnant. I don't know how many months she is. I want to say, like, he said that they found out she was pregnant like a month after the engagement. Yeah.

Just around there. So if I'm doing like detective work, she's probably around like seven months. Wow. I know. But yeah, they were, they were, they were, they got engaged. before they found out that she was pregnant. Guys, just, like, check out the pictures. So pretty.

And he was saying, like, you know, he's 39. So I guess he's, like, on the older side to get married. Or he's alluding to that. But he's like, but everything works the way that it's supposed to be. 39. It's like, come on, dude. You're fine. Beautiful.

Congratulations, guys. He might have been a little behind schedule, but then he really found a way to speed things up and good for him. He's going to have a blast. They're going to have a blast. Congratulations to both of them on their beautiful wedding. These next two engagements, Ashley. Hells, yeah.

We're so stoked. We're a shock. And I think they're going to be a shock for listeners. Not a shock. One was a shock. And the other one was like, F yeah. This is really exciting. Listeners, just turn up the radio, put in the headphones.

We have two engagements that are going to blow your minds. Chris Bukowski and Anna Redman got engaged. The headline is this, Bachelor Nations, Chris Bukowski and Anna Redman, get engaged in romantic pre-top proposal in Costa Rica. Yeah, so we know Anna from Matt's season. She was the girl who, she had like some funny facial expression. She may have been called a villain of her season, but a lot will say that she was misunderstood. Chris, we know as the dude who has done like seven seasons.

seasons. I made appearances on like seven seasons. And Chris has like, he kind of had a reputation. I've given him some shit before, but actually love him. He is a great guy. And we've been all following their relationship dating for, I want to say close to four years now. And they finally, he sealed the deal. He proposed to her on New Year's Eve in Costa Rica on like a tree top type balcony was all decorated with rose petals it was the it was a ritz carlton resort and that it happened he said best friend fiancee future wifie and you know what's funny is like chris broussackey also 39 like everybody thinks chris prokowski would be like older because he'd been on like seven seasons but he actually just started very young and what i love about chris's

story is that everybody makes fun of how often he appeared. But the thing is, the man ended up having a bachelor romance and he's marrying a girl that he met through the show. If it weren't for his prevalence on the show and her being on the show, they also wouldn't be getting married. So it was all definitely meant to be. Yeah, we love a good Chris Bukowski reference during this podcast. We do. In fact, we probably need to bring them on. It's, oh my gosh, Yes. That's a big deal. Here's the one that I think surprised me, mostly because I didn't even know what's happening.

But that's not like any dish, this towards her. It's just I'm usually behind. Bachelor in Paradise's alum, Daniel Maltby, is engaged to Hallie Bergford. He spells his name H-A-L-L-I. So that's why I'm having a little hard time with it. Yeah. so Hallie and Danielle have been dating since March and she even said she's like if you had told me the beginning of 2025 that I would meet a guy in March than be engaged to him by December like I would be mind blown but it happened and we were just so freaking excited because we have watched Danielle over her two seasons of Paradise and also being on next season just want love so so much and seemingly like I don't like using the expression so deserving of love because I do. believe that everybody is deserving of love. But Danielle is just kind of like one of those girls

where it was like, how is this not happening for her? Like she is the whole package. And we saw her break up with Michael. And that was, you know, a messy one. And I have been following Michael on Instagram and Michael Aalio, guys. He is with this girl, Jade. And he's been with her for, I want to say, like close to two years. She moved in about a year ago. And I, I've been expecting that proposal to show up on my Instagram feed, but to see this proposal instead, like, I'm just so happy that the two of them, they broke up, but I think both of them so well know that it was meant to be with other people now. And it really, um, it all makes me so happy. So he proposed to her, I think it was also on New Year's Eve or was a couple of days

that they got engaged, not New Year's Eve the day before, December 30th. And her captions said something so sweet and that made me feel a lot of things, said, you are my peace. I love you forever. Oh, love it. We're going to move on to baby news. We have some new babies that are coming into the franchise. Former Bachelor Ben Flanick welcomes first baby with wife Christina. Yeah. So congratulations, you guys. He, they had a baby on Monday the 22nd. And it's a baby boy, baby boy Flannick. So we don't have the name yet. Um, has made us a family of three on December 22nd. He has shown us a new level of love that we didn't know was possible and our hearts are forever changed. So sweet. Also, this is an exciting.

one, for me, it's always fun to see people that were a part of the journey that I was on, you know, find love and start families. It's just, it's heartwarming for so many reasons. And Jojo Fletcher says she's in the newborn trenches as she shares first update on life with her baby girl. So I was actually just talking to Becca and I hope that they don't annoyed that I'm sharing something a little bit private. I don't think they will. But Jojo wasn't due until the middle of January. And she ended up having Romy on December 23rd.

So she was a couple of weeks early. And she was breach. So she knew that she was going to need a C-section, but she had no idea that the baby would want to come out earlier than the scheduled C-section. But it all turned out fine. and on Christmas, I believe, the two of them posted that they had Romi, Romi, two days earlier, said, hi, mom and dad and baby are all good in the newborn trenches over here, so haven't had time at all, but wanted to say thank you for all the love and wishes and recovering well.

And then Jordan, she, Jojo has said, has been literally dad goals. It's crazy how fast he took to it and has been a total rock star caring for me and Romi. And we just think that the name Romy Rogers is just the cutest thing ever, right? Yeah, it's awesome. I mean, it's just, it's all so good. I mean, it's just so freaking adorable.

And Jojo has been posting these cute, cute pic videos of her just snuggling and how it's her whole world. And I think whenever I see them post about Romy, then I'm just like, wow, that is a very, lucky baby very very lucky yeah there's no shot that that baby is not good looking no i mean we know the baby is going to be sundanning but we also know that she's got two really great nurturing parents there yeah awesome uh sarah vindal gives birth to her first baby sarah was on the 21st season of the bachelor she was on nick season and she met her husband a couple years ago and they are they

announced that they were expecting and now we can see that baby girl sill has arrived sill that's interesting you've already blown us away was born on december 3rd uh final baby announcement of the holidays goodness it felt like everybody i don't know what was happening nine months ago around that so crazy Kayla Quinn welcomes her third baby and shares funny story behind his name. So the baby's name is Grayson Paul Borrello and came in at a big boy, nine pounds, five ounces. She said that after a smooth C-section, we had been soaking in all the scrunchy cuddles with baby boy, took us a moment to share the news as we couldn't decide how to spell his name.

Oh, Grayson, probably Grayson with an E or Grayson with an A. They went with an A. but I get that one you know what actually funny funny story over here is that when Dawson was born we gave him two middle names it's Dawson Dimitri Brady Haven and when they handed me the gift the gift the gift receipt the birth certificate I was going to say gift certificate the receipt of purchase yeah I I wrote Dimitri with Demetri, I don't know how I ended up to do it. I did D-E-I, D-E-M-I, like Demi, Demi-D-M-T-R-I, I don't know, with a Y.

Oh, it was Demetri with a Y. Like an E and a Y, whatever. Nobody needs to know this. And then I get home from a hospital and everybody, like Jared, my parents, and Lauren, we're all like, you spell Dimitri, D-I-M-M-D. I can't spell out loud, dude. You're doing great. This is a funny story. Dimitri.

Okay. They're like, you spelled Dimitri, D-I-M-I-T-R-I, right? And I go, no, I spelled it with an E and a Y. And they're like, you absolutely cannot do that. So I call the hospital. And I'm like, do you still have his birth certificate there? And they're like, yeah. They were like, you can come in and change the name before we submitted.

Yeah, so I went in a few hours later and I had to change the name. Oh, my gosh. That actually is good. Final romance headline of the holidays is Tom Brady spotted with Alex Earle and St. Bart's sparking romance rumors. Okay, wait. Why is this a, you're just adding Brady's Brady things in there? Can you believe this is wild?

I know that he's so upset with Giselle getting married. I can't believe that Giselle ended up marrying the trainer. And then, of course, having a baby with a trainer that she obviously fell in love with when she was still at Tom. Yeah. Well, all that wrestling. But, you know, Jared, yeah, all that kung fu or whatever, it was, um, she's a jizzitsu or something. Um, yeah, Jared is like, they were, they were not going to work out either way, even if he, she wasn't with the, you know, you know. Yeah, but what about Alex Earl?

What do you think about Alex Earl? The Alex Earle thing? No, I mean, is this like a retaliation? It's like, who can I hook up with that is going to make huge headlines? Our producer is saying, yes, it is retaliation for Giselle's marriage just happened this month. They say that it was instant chemistry in St. Barth's or whatever the heck they were in. And I'm just like, this is the oddest couple of all time. But also Alex Earle and Braxton, her, I guess, he was.

a jet and then he was in Miami Dolphin. I guess he still plays. They broke up after two years of dating this like this month. They announced that they broke up. So what a perfect situation. They're like, let's get two people jealous right now. Yeah. And how dominant of her, how dominant of Alex to be like, oh, Braxton, whatever the heck you are, wait to you watch me hook up with Tom Brady. I would like to assume that people at some point in life choose love based on love and not headlines. This is not that situation.

They're just headlines. These are headlines. Well, I mean, they're both hot. I mean, she's like a hot girl, obviously. But like, I want him with, I want him with a Giselle, you know, like just a gem of the world. Now, I don't know, Alex. I don't follow her.

I don't know anything. You know, it's all just like reputation. Well, Tom Brady was recently spotted on a yacht with Leonardo DiCaprio. And we know Leo's dating history. Yeah. So maybe Tom's going to fall into like kind of the Leo phase here where he's, you know, dating young, dating attractive. Who knows? I just wanted your opinion on it.

Young and attractive things, Ben. Way to like perk me up because I did have some feelings. Like, I told Jared, I was like, Jared, did you see Tom with Alex Earl? And he's like, yeah, like, who is she? Like, these types of things don't get him hot and riled up like me. Yeah, I just wondered, Jess and I have been talking about it. That's why I was curious about your thoughts. Well, what are your thoughts?

I think it's not cool. Because she's too young or? Yeah, I mean, but that's like a thing now. I think it feels weird to me. It does feel like a headline grabber. anytime that comes out when somebody's like dating I feel icky about it because I just don't love the idea of spending time or um dating someone strictly for the idea of a headline so you think it was like strictly strictly strictly for a headline because like I see her motivation and being like I want to hook up with Tom Brady because of to make him jealous but at the same time like can't they just be too hot people that were just like let's hang out on a boat together instead of like we're like we're I'm sure there was a part of intentionality, but also when you're just too hot people,

you're just like, hey, we just think that we each other's hot. And like, we would have done this headlines or not. It just kind of works out well. That's been the human experience at the beginning of time. So maybe. Maybe. I hope that is the case. I don't know enough to make a judgment call other than if they are doing it

because it is a headline, then it feels like the cheapest way to objectify. somebody else. However, if they're both agreeing to it and they're still in St. Bart's living their yacht life, go for it. You know, Alex, go for it. Tom. Tom has to have a kid like almost Alex's age though, right? I think that's where things get weird for me. I think he's 19. Yeah, I don't know how old Alex is. I don't think Alex is that young. Hold on. How old is Alex really? Now I got to look these things up. She's 25. So, yeah, it's six years.

It's pretty close. It's also, I just, I don't know. Like, sometimes it goes through my head where I'd be like Tom Brady's son. And I, you know, a 19 year old dude knows who Alex Earle is. Yeah, that's weird. And then all of a sudden your dad rolls up with her and you're like, oh, gosh. See, that's what I want for Tom, though. Like, he's 47 or something.

I want him with somebody upper 30s, early 40s, like super sophisticated. like sexual like very like I don't know I just want him with a jazelle we used to have a name form on here what do we call him like sex panthers or something yeah I used to call it sex panther yeah I used to have a name for that on him like Kim like Kim exactly because like he was like rumored to have like a thing with Kim and we don't know if that was ever or anything but like that's who I imagine him with oh like a Kim Kardashian yeah yeah somebody like brains beauty just like dominance Okay.

Yeah. We've covered her Danish deception at length on this show. You can go back and listen to that. If you aren't familiar with what we're talking about here, but Anyika is back on her social media. She isn't really left, but this is a big announcement. it. She gets her first tattoo on what would have been her wedding date to the Danish Deceptor. So she gets a tattoo. It's in a different language, but the translation is strength comes through pain.

There's something about this TikTok that makes me feel weird. It almost feels like she's like kind of hamming it up at this point. Like she doesn't have like much else to say about this situation. So she's like, watch me go and get a tattoo to document like how shitty my ear has been. and then she's also like if I could get through this like I can get through anything and like I didn't know if I was going to make it through this year and I guess it does feel heavy like I don't want to put anything on her mental health like she may have been obviously like so rocked by it

but I'm also just like thinking okay Kim there are people dying you know yeah I think this is all been a play to get this on television somehow some way and when it's not picking up the steam or holding the steam that you want it to i think you do whatever you can but it would be i mean here's the thing everything we learned from the danish deception i was kind of shocked the whole time like goodness this was hard this was weird there was questions that we asked in that episode along the way like how did it get to this point and why wasn't there something stopping it and why did you keep saying yes?

And all those things were questions that I think so many of us have been wondering as we've watched the TikTok. Yeah. You know, a lot of this is also that self-reflection of was this like how, like was this like something that I should have seen way early on? Like should I've said yes to a marriage to a guy

that was lying to me and I knew he was lying to me the whole time? Yeah. But no matter what, like questions or not, it had to be painful. It had to be confusing. It had to be tough to see your family members give money away and for you to give money away

and for him to steal this money and for you to think you're in love and to fall in love with somebody like this. Like that has to be pain. And so getting a tattoo to market makes sense to me to remember this pivot point. But I think the story's done. Her first and only tattoo.

And yeah, this is kind of like, all right, this is the wrap up scene. Yeah. You know, what? are you going to do like what happens now yeah we don't have another tic-tok or tinder tinder swindler show coming out probably and that yeah what we got is the danish deception on ticot and goodness gracious it gave us hours of entertainment um and thank you for that unyika that was uh definitely i'm glad you shared not to really tie this into on yika's story but i did just kind of like bring

it up let me know if you've done this since becoming a parent i should feel like i'm like not i'm kind of sensitive towards people exaggerating about how awful something is do you know what i mean because like i used to be like um i used to probably complain more often or just like that's awful that's horrible that like how did you get through it and now as a parent i'm just like if you're kid if you're healthy as a family you're fine you're so blessed. And I don't know. Do you feel how I feel about this? Yeah. I mean, I think it's the rage bait. It's the social media. Like if we don't post something that it's overly dramatic or a story that probably grabs the attention, then people aren't going to watch. And so I think it is this

trend where we do become more dramatic. We do react harder to certain situations. However, yes, I would say I agree with you 100%. I just have so much more perspective. I think perspective is a thing that happens with parenthood, but at the same time, I remember being captivated by the stories that my grandpa would tell me, my grandpas would tell me, and I know they were lying to me along the way. I know they were like stretching the truth a little bit on how big the fish was that they caught and where they actually, like what they saw when they were up hiking in the mountains.

I know that was true, but we, I gravitated towards those stories. because they're interesting, and I think that's still what people are doing today. I just don't think our generation is the greatest storytellers, so we result back to, like, being overdramatic. And that's kind of our thing. And really what I would love is just everybody to be really authentic, to share their pains together in whatever ways we can. But you're right. If you have breath still on this earth, you're not done yet. And that's something to be grateful for. And if your family has breath, they're not done yet. Yeah.

But didn't mean to get the Tuesday series there. I get it. I get it, Ashley. It's a new year. It's perspective, you know, building. It happens in January. Jess Edwards and Spencer Conley officially move in together into a new home. Yeah, so cool.

New home, new home, new home. She posted on Instagram, her. him hugging in their brand new house so these two spent christmas it looks like at um her families in north carolina he took her to the built more which is like the most stunning mansion ever and then the week after christmas they moved into their new house in his hometown of dallas texas so congrats guys the house looks so cute and we're really happy for their successes. I mean, this is kind of six months and then moving in together. How do you feel about that?

You think it's a little long? Do you think it's a little short? Six months? I mean, maybe, but then again, they do have this expedited dating experience on Paradise that I do think propels people to feel a little. Yeah. You were like already living together. Yeah.

Like, that's kind of my thought is it feels like you've spent so much time. together because of Paradise that it makes sense on then making a move in the real world I would say yeah that is a very quick timeline however I do think you come out of these shows and goodness gracious can any of us doubt Ashley when we watched Paradise and when we've met them in person that those two don't absolutely adore each other we're like yeah you're made for each other yeah yeah that's so true so it makes sense she was living in San Diego by the way but she's a southern girl at heart So makes sense I just think they're the best

I think they're one of the cutest couples to come out of Bachelor nation Definitely adorable You met them in real life And I haven't met them So you saw Can't keep their hands off of each other They're just those like

Yeah just absolutely in love Adorable Man's adorable Hey those are the headlines we have for you Since the holiday season is wrapping up We had a lot of babies Some engagement some marriages Some twists and some turns

as always. Make sure you go back and listen to the episodes we put out for the holidays. They're Evergreen talking about things we're looking forward to in the new year along with all the things Ashley and myself are doing for Christmas. It's a really exciting time. We have a huge year for you here at the Almost Famous Podcast in 2026. We got the launch of Taylor Frankie Paul's Bachelorette season. We'll also be coming out with Frankie Fridays along the way leading up to her season.

We also have some interviews with, past contestants, more headlines, more breaking news. And also we, Ashley's always up to cool stuff in life. And so we have to continue to interview her and see what Ashley is up to. I may have just been in a makeup room with Taylor Frankie Paul. What? Come on. Asking her about if she's happy, you know that question that we're all allowed to ask after

a bachelor, bachelor, bachelorette season. So I know you can't tell me anything, but are you happy? Yeah. We know Ashley. I just, I can see Ashley now too. giggling out of like the excitement and the nerves of being able to ask her these questions just just a little giggly monster uh hey uh stay tuned to the almost famous podcast until next time i've been i've been actually see you follow the ben and ashley i almost famous podcast on i heart

radio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts this is an i heart podcast guaranteed human