The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Walking the Plank (Love Overboard S1 E1 & 2)

Episode Date: March 29, 2026

The future of The Bachelorette is uncertain, but we’re still serving up the hottest recaps in reality dating! DeAnna Pappas is here with Producer Heather to recap episodes 1 and 2 of Love Overboard on Hulu!We navigate treacherous waters, the loss of “girl code” to maritime law, and we learn the downside of Topside. But can these contestants find love? Or will they be distracted by a passion for “enhanced” floatation devices?Plus, Producer Heather has an inside scoop on one of the hopefuls, and we explore the tantric tranquility of breathing through your… you know.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. This is the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast with IHartRadio. Hey, everybody. I'm Deanna. Welcome to the Almost Famous Podcast. I am here with my producer, Heather, because we have been so busy, binging the new show, Love Overboard.

And we're here today to break down episodes one into Heather. How stoked are you? Shall we have our bikinis on? I mean, I love this show. I hate to like already come out the gate swinging about how much I love it, but I love it. And I'm, I know people are like, bum, don't there's not a season of The Bachelorette for you guys to recap. Don't you worry. We have a lot of shows coming up that are Bachelor adjacent.

Obviously, this one being hosted by Gabby Wendy. So we're going to be bringing you guys a lot of content. But this show for sure got me really jazz just from the intro. What did you think? overall watching the show. Well, I saw your text message that you were like jazzed on episode one. And I would not say that I was. It was a little bit of a slow burner for me.

But I listened, I don't jump in headfirst into anything. So for me, I needed to watch it. And I know we were just talking a second ago, but the first episode felt a little chaotic to me. Like they had this idea. It came to them and they thought, we'll shoot it. Let's stick a bunch of hot people. And they're all hot.

There are so many lips and hair and eyelashes. that it's out of control. Great bodies, too, obviously. Great bodies. So the fake boobs, we have so much to talk about. We have so much to talk about. But they take all these hot people, they stick them on a boat. And it was like, episode one, they were just like trying to figure it out. It almost felt like to me that it was like they got them all there, only a few matched up. So they were like, let's, let's throw a wrench in it and we'll make some people live downstairs and vacuum and mop. I think that, right, my takeaway, that when you're introing so many people in one episode so quickly and you have to get to that

plot twist really quick. Yeah, we were getting hit. But what I kind of loved is that we don't have really long background packages. It was like we had people just sit down in the chair. We get one or two lines about each person and that is enough for us to start to categorize who these people are and why they're here. I loved that the show is silly, guys. This is not. a serious dating show. This does not end in a marriage proposal. This is very silly and it clearly loves to poke fun at itself. So that's what got me and what I think sets it apart from maybe other dating shows that are out there. But just, you know, before we dive into the concept of the show and kind of start to break down episode one, who would you say was kind of your favorite character or

cast member so far? I can't. I have too many. I have too many. Okay. I need to begin. with my boy who loves fake boobs. David. He cannot stop talking about how he is only dated girls with large breasts who have had breast augmentation. And when I'm watching this, you know, you're talking to someone who was on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Like, I hate to even say this, but it is another level. You know what I mean?

We were not allowed to be vulgar at any sense. Like we were meant to like talk about the bachelor or the bachelorette had to be this like, you know, prim and proper and sweet little girl, you know, and she's only going to fall in love. And that's all she's living life for. So I really enjoy a show. Like my favorites are like rock of love, flavor, flavor, slave, love overboard, where you actually get to see people just be chaotic. Like chaotic, like not hold back because maybe I admire it because I can't truly be like that. I don't think I've ever felt like I could really be myself because I actually think that I'm pretty

funny. I love the F word. And I didn't feel like I could truly do that being the Bachelorette. So this, when David gets up there and he's in his little ITM and he's talking about how he likes low, he's going to choose a little something different because it's safe. But he truly prefers Bella because of her breast augmentation. And he's used to just motorboaten all day long. Like I was like, let's go. Everybody sign up. Like that's when the show. hooked me, Heather. I was like, oh, that's so funny. That's so funny. So we should let everybody know that the cast for this show is all in their 20s. There's a couple 30 year olds. There's like one or two, but the majority of the cast is low, early 20s to mid 20s. And so that is when you get

the, you know, throw caution to the wind kind of characters. Nobody cares. Everybody's here to have fun, have a good time. So let's go into the concept of the show is 16 hot singles are on a super yacht in the Mediterranean. Four couples get to live in luxury on the top deck and everyone else is forced to live below deck. Below deck they will have to cook, clean, and serve the official couples who live up top while hoping to find their own love connection. The contestants can compete in canoodle to get a shot at being on the top deck. If they are willing to risk walking the plank, one is eliminated each week. And the winning top deck couple wins a trip around the world worth $100,000.

I kind of love, we've seen this, we saw this on perfect match as well, that their show also ended in the couple getting a trip around the world. I kind of love these shows not ending in a cash prize. I think it gives some level of seriousness to... That's putting it lightly, Heather. I mean, you know what I mean? Like, they're not there for the cash. Maybe they could be there for the trip, sure.

And they're not necessarily there for the real love. Like, there's an in-between. Like, they're not there for the real love, but they're also not getting this grand prize. Exactly. So I do like that. I mean, I'm obsessed with reality TV. Anybody I think that's heard me on the show can know that. I love dating shows. I love below deck. And if anybody listening is like, oh my gosh, I love below deck on Bravo. This show is up your alley, folks, because this is a straight up mix of a dating show and below deck. And I can't even make it more clear than that because that's exactly what this is. And it's so funny. So our episode opens with Gabby. She is the host of the show and calls herself the love captain. Then we get to see the singles arriving.

So first we've got Gia. She's 23. She wants to find love, but she's not going to give everyone a chance. So she's going to be a little selective. We've got Lexi, who's 26. She wants a confident man who's obsessed with her. Don't we all, Lexi, don't we all? Can we not just have our cake and eat it to Lexi?

Me too, girl, me. Oh my God. We've got Lowe, who's 29. She's looking for a genuine relationship. And then we've got Bella, who's 22. She says that scares men by how overboard she goes. I will say I have a very soft spot for Bella. I think she is hilarious.

She had me laughing multiple times. And I think that she is a perfect reality TV star in so many ways. just absolutely, I would, just perfect. You said it so perfectly. She is casting gold. She is gold in the, in the scene where she is crying because she has to live below deck. And then you've got Lexi, whatever name is, staring at her. Lila.

I can't handle the tears. Like, get her mommy. Where is her mommy? I just was like, this is the best made television show in a really long time. I mean, you know, obviously we love Ashley. Ashley is known for being a quince. quintessential crier on TV. What did you think seeing Bella's cry face?

I think we're going to have to put this up on our socials of who did it better, like Bella or Ashley. Listen, I love Ashley. Okay. Bella cried in the most beautiful way. When we're looking at that scene, Heather, and she is staring in the mirror, like she knows exactly what she's doing. Her makeup is not tortured in any way.

And she's got that one tissue. And she is dragging tears coming down her face. And she's just blotting her face, but also crazy at the same time. I was like, and it's genius, the pan to the girls behind her who are like, oh, honey, you're okay. That's what makes the show so funny is the breaking of the fourth wall that all of these characters get to do. They're constantly, when they do something cheeky, they're looking at the camera and they're winking. I love it. Somebody does something crazy.

They're like looking at the camera and being like, like, it's so funny. And I love that in a television show because it just takes away the seriousness. We're on a boat. We're hot and we're single. And we're like now forced to clean up after each other. Like it's just very funny. I think that's where some of the dating reality shows miss the mark. They're too serious.

You know what I mean? They don't necessarily show the contestants personality. People love humor. They are attracted to it. And exactly that, the breaking of the fourth wall. It just is genius to me. It's like they took all the elements and wiped him away. And we were just like, let's just have at it.

Exactly. Well, then we got our single men that arrived to the boat. We've got Bo who's 25. He's going to do his best to fall in love. We've got James, who's 26. He says the woman he's going to marry has a nice personality and a flat ass. And a healthy dose of toxicity, the good kind, not the slash your tires kind. The good crazy, not the bad.

Heather. Good crazy. We've got David. He's 30. He says he likes enhanced women. We talked about that. He's your favorite, Deanna. He's trying to date more seriously after he says the enhanced comment.

This is what got me. This was within the first five minutes of the episode. Tim, who's 30, calls himself a respect boy. He says he's ready to settle down. The fact that he referred to himself as that just made me laugh. And I knew this was the show for. me. I absolutely love somebody who is toxic, but also semi-self aware of their toxicity. I think it's hilarious and I think it's a great conundrum to have. And I can't wait to see what happens to Tim

on this show. I'm really intrigued by anybody that calls themselves a respectful boy. So all the contestants, they're mingling. They're on the top deck looking around, loving life. They're on the super yacht. They love this. This is great. And then Gabby comes out and she tells all the contestants, you know, go to the sundack. She tells them they'll be competing in challenges to test their commitment and compatibility and that the strongest couple will win that trip around the world worth $100,000. And this is when James yells out that he's horny in the background, which everybody turned around and was like, mm, not that guy. Like, we've only been here for five minutes and this guy's already in the back yelling that he's horny. Did you notice a lot of the

girls were like, ew. Like they were like immediately turned off. Listen, they were, ooh, but they were also kind of liked it. They kind of liked it. Yes. They were definitely like, ooh, you know what I mean? But they were definitely like, oh, I kind of like that. I got it. Like their faces, you know what I mean? I liked James. I mean, I thought he's a little weird over yelling that. But I also, like, from the get go, I was like, oh, he's going to be good. Like when they brought him in and they showed his face and they introduced him, I was like, well, he's going to, he's going to be a high contender. I love that he goes in an interview. He goes, Well, I only said that because I've been celibate for the summer.

How far into summer do you think we are when we're filming this show? What do you think? Seven days? I mean, seriously, James, how long were you celibate? Like, five seconds? Like, James has got to turn it over to Jesus, I think. Oh, my God. So we get into our first little challenge, which is toast or toss.

And basically, this is where they're going to get coupled up. So there's like a divider between them and get. Abby is going to randomly pull names and then they'll have to have the divider between them and they'll either have to toast if they want to couple up with that person or pour their champagne into the bucket. And they'll keep like doing this until it's like, you know, they both toast and then they'll be coupled up. And so we get to four couples. Our first are Lexi and Reese, which did you see they, we've been on this boat for five seconds, guys. They get coupled up and they immediately make out eating each other's face. Eating each other's clean. Heather, those were my initial thoughts. They have literally not even started to sweat yet. And they barely match up and they just eat each other in front of everyone with no shame whatsoever. I thought, okay, here we go. Lexi goes, I liked it. I liked how like forward he was and like he took a risk. And I was like, okay. Well, well, okay. You shot his shot. Yeah. And it worked for him. The next we have is Chadee and Keefe. They do a

little cheek kiss. Keefe, that's a name I've never heard before. It's a mixture of Keith and Kish, it feels like almost Keefe. Yeah, I thought it was an interesting pairing between the two of them. I didn't see it coming at all. Like he definitely strikes me as like a Midwest boy. Oh yeah. Low talker. Absolutely. I didn't see it. I didn't see it. I was kind of surprised by that for sure. Then we have Anna and Tim and they go in for a makeout kid. as well. Now, this is the one I was going to say that I have history with. So, Anna is somebody that I fully took through a very long audition process for one of my dating shows. It's probably been three or four years now. And she made it very far and then kind of like lost her phone.

And then it was very hard to get in touch with her. And basically, the casting process had to close. and she ended up not being selected for that season. But I have always considered Anna, my great white whale in the cast of the world. I have wanted that woman so badly to be on TV. And when I saw her in the promo for this show, you best believe I sent it around to everybody that I worked with. And I said, somebody got my Anna. They scooped her up.

If you're listening, honey, I absolutely adore you. I'm so excited to see you on. on TV and that it finally happened, I am slightly jealous. It wasn't on the show that I did, but this is honestly a perfect situation for you. And the show that I had her in the running for was very similar in tone to this, very silly, very fun, very hot. And so this is the perfect environment for her. Our other couple that we have is Lo and David. They do a little kiss. And this is the one that, you know, as Deanna was saying, was a little surprising because Lowe's a little bit more on the natural side. And David is a very forward about he likes the

enhanced look. So he's trying something different is basically what he's saying. If you were confused up until this point in the show as to what the show is, when they switch to David's personal interviews, it lays it up pretty clearly. Oh yeah. I mean, he has no shame and saying like, I went one way my whole life. You know, I was really into big, fake boobs. But this time, I'm ready to settle down with a good girl. And I'm like, okay, now I know. Now I love black and white. I do not like the gray. Just tell me how it is. And I thought that David laid it out pretty clearly. And he even is just like, you know, we'll see if it works or not. I don't know that I can go the all natural side. He doesn't once talk about a personality that he's looking for. No. And David should be old

enough now that he's at 30 years old, that he should know that breast size does not correlate to personality and connection. It's a personal preference. Other than that, it does not mean if somebody is a good girlfriend, wife, relationship. But David, we hope that you get there on this journey. Or a very cute couple. So we're only at four couples at this point. And we're only at four couples at this point and we still have so many singles just standing there thinking that their chance to get coupled up is coming up. But this is when Gabby kind of congratulates the first four and then tells everyone the twist. She says that the four will be couples will be living together on the top deck and the rest of them are below deck working. This is when the singles get extremely pissed. They were not prepared for

this and they are told that they have to now get ready to serve them. The bottom deck people have to serve the top deck people during happy hour. This was genius to me and the fact that they were able to keep it under wraps until literally Gabby tells everyone what they're going to be doing. The guys kind of handled it well. You know what I mean? Imagine you signed up for this reality show, this dating show. You think you're going to live this lap of luxury on a yacht out in the Mediterranean and come

to find. Listen, I'm with you, Heather. I love below deck. to me it is the closest thing as being a flight attendant. Like it is so similar in the way that we travel, the way that we prepare our food, the not so pretty side of our job. Now, there was not as much like communing going on like it doesn't blow deck, but I'm all for it.

So when they added this portion to the show, I'm like loving life right now. It is literally the best of both worlds being collided into one television show. And we're going to take these kids and stick them in a little tiny twin bed, feed them, give them a bunch of alcohol, and let them loose. Into the wild. The best, too, is like the way they shoot the bottom deck. It, like, is like a horror film.

They're like, what's that smell? Oh, my God. This is where I have to sleep. And they just, like, make it look like an actual horror movie, which makes it so much funnier. And then all the movies. Guys, too, Andrew was like, I don't clean. I have people that do that for me. Like, it was so funny.

But then this is when we get the best. line ever from Bella, who is extremely emotional. She is just bawling over this. And she says, why would I clean up after people that I'm sexier than? And then as she's crying and she's crying to the girls, the girls go, oh yeah, you're the one who smells, Bella. We need to get you deodorant. I was crying. I was like, and then she starts crying even more because she stinks. Like, She even like lifts her arm just like a normal human being and takes a good whiff of her armpit, Heather, and then it's like, oh, shit, girls, it's me. I'm mortified. It was, it was so funny. It is so funny. So then Gabby gives the bottom deck their first assignment. The only way that they can actually get to the top deck is by breaking up another couple through challenges. So again, We've got great twists happening here.

So they're all prepping for the happy hour. Happy hour happens. Now, let's just break it down really seriously. They're not really serving. They're not really making the food. They're not really cleaning. Like they do like a couple little shots of them like with a platter of food and like rubbing a towel on something.

Cleaning the hardwood deck. That's it. Like these people, it's really about the sleeping quarters and like the level of like luxury food, I think, that they're eating. Like, the bottom people are definitely sleeping in these little bunk beds and the people up top are sleeping in bigger beds. I think that's the main difference. So Bella, you know, this is when she decides, you know, I'm going to make a move on

David. And Lila, who she tells, she's going to do that too, Lila goes to low and is like, yo, watch out for Bella. She's trying to come for your man. There's like a whole little blow up between them. But it's like, Lila, that's kind of the point of the show. And also, I'm sorry, but David and Lowe have known each other for three seconds. Okay.

So it's part of the show. We know we got to break somebody up to get up to the top deck. So she kind of, you know, blocks her. Do you know what I appreciate, Heather, is that each person on the show has literally slid into their character, their persona. their persona. Like each person, like we did not waste any time in this episode

letting everyone slide into their character of who they were going to be, their persona, right? And each one of them has played it very well. We get that funny scene with Bella and she has no shame.

Like she is like, I am not made for this. I paid a lot of money for these boobs. I'm too good for this. Look at them. When she's like bouncing them around on camera, I'm like, oh my God, like where do these people

come from? You know, and when Lila does that, she ain't trying to make friends. She, it's been, they've been there 15 minutes and she walks straight up with this girl. And she's like, yo, Bella is crawling to the top. She is after your boy. Guard your goods, girl, guard your goods. And then go straight to Bella and is like, listen, girl, he's taken.

You can't have him. But like I didn't say it. It wasn't like that. Like I was clinging to, but at the time we got halfway through the episode, I was clinging to what was going to happen next. And that very rarely happens for a person like me. I'm always waiting for like, oh, that's crap, that's crap, that's crap. And we have a full cast, right?

And we already are really great at remembering everybody's name and who they're coupled with or if they're single. So it's a really well done show. And you can tell when you're able to like recount things super quickly and follow along and not everybody looks the same. James also takes happy hour as a chance to kind of shoot his shot. he pulls Lexi for a chat. Now, Lexi is, you know, on the top deck with Reese. And, you know, he's like, listen, I got eyes for you. You're my vibe. Whatever. And she's like, yeah, like, I would have been interested in you a little bit more if you hadn't like scream that horny thing, right, as we got here, you know, and he's like, oh, like, I need to chill on that. Whatever, whatever,

and then she's like, okay, cool, sign me up. Exactly. So she's like, okay, you know, let's, you know, see where this goes. And that's when we find out that after every happy hour, Gabby is going to kind of reward somebody from that experience who kind of took the big, bold risk. And so after that, Gabby rewards James and says, he gets to go on a date the next day off the boat with whoever he wants from the top deck. So obviously James chooses Lexi. They go on their little date, massaging mud on each other. You know, that's something I love about these. dating shows too when they're wacky and silly as they do wacky dates you know you would never on a first date on the bachelor or bachelor at be never let's strip down and rub mud all over each other that's like

something maybe they do towards the end with like the final but like again these people have known each other for half a day and they're like you're going to go rub mud on each other's bodies and then you know take a shower together and wash it all off um i really got got my ears perfectly worked up when they were sitting and having their moment on their date, chit-chatting. And James asks, Lexi, if she's an effective communicator. That really, I was like, from the guy who said that he was horny yesterday, and that was how he chose to communicate, he's now asking if she's an effective communicator. I wonder as someone who casts shows, I know for me having had experience on reality TV. Sometimes I'm like, okay, I have a hard time with lines like that because you know

there's a producer in their ear going, like, there was probably dead space. The two of them just kind of want to make out. And they're like feeding them lines to give them something to talk about in case they need some quality to air. I think the opposite. Oh, do you? I don't think somebody would have fed the words effective communicator to a guy like that. I think that's really him pulling out the dictionary and being like, okay, I got to really make up for that horny comment. I said yesterday. So I got a show this girl, I have a brain. Like, that's what I took. It has. She's so young, too, that you can see the wheels spinning. And she's like, well, I brought you here today. I am entertaining conversation. I mean, she's stunning, obviously. They did a great job with the casting.

You know, when you look around everyone on that boat, they're all really, really hot. Like, every single person. Like, there's usually one or two that you're kind of like, everyone is super hot. They're all super hot in their own right. And they all know it. They all know that they're super hot, which is also what leans in and makes this show fun. So after this little date, Lexi and James, they return back to the boat. And that's when Gabby tells them they have to report to the bow for the plank ceremony. And this is a very funny moment that we find out is happening in basically every episode.

Now Lexi has to make a huge decision. Would she like to stay with Reese? or would she like to switch with James? Whoever she doesn't choose will be eliminated on the plank. And so Reese this whole time was thinking, oh, she's going to come back. She chooses James. I just have to go to the bottom deck. And they're like, you have to walk the plank and she has to make a choice.

So it's so dramatic. They both walk out on the edge of the plank. And they basically plead with her as to why they should stay. And she eliminates Reese. and the plank breaks from underneath him, and he literally just plummets into the ocean in front of everybody, which causes them to scream because they had no idea. That's what was going to happen to him.

I was a little like, are we really doing this? Is this really what has happened here? But it's also really awesome. It's also just like, what else were they going to do a rose ceremony, a champagne, whatever? You know, it was like, for me watching that and seeing it, it's not even in that moment that they made it a truly serious moment. It was still pretty funny where they're like, hey, remember that? Yeah. Keep me. I just rubbed mud all over your body.

And like, Reese is like, we toasted, like we said we were going to do it. Please keep me. You're so hot. You know, like it's, it's, they don't make it anything that it's not. Exactly. That ends up being the end of our first episode, which is so funny because like we said, this episode was jam-packed. We're meeting the cast. We're getting the synopsis of the show, the twist, and we're getting a full elimination all in the first episode. So that's a lot to cover. We then get the preview of the season, which is clearly a lot of kissing.

And people being mischievous, which I love, we'll get into on this episode two, because that's when it really starts, the mischievous acts. We see challenges, and it's like scaling walls and like big challenges, not like doing something silly. We obviously see the favorite thing to do on these raunchy shows, which is licking each other. Lots of making out. Lots of making out.

Somebody's got to get some action, Heather. You and I are just lucky enough that we get to watch. Exactly. And then the twist is that we see new arrivals showing up on another boat. So that is all my mind was blown. Here I was one episode in thinking I'm just going to have to watch these people dating. And then you add in more attractive. people. I was like, thank you. Thank you. This is the best thing I've seen in a long time.

It's the key to keeping these people on their toes is to bring in more hot people. So episode two kicks off with obviously Lexi and James being the new topside couple. And the next day, the top siders are living their best life, having breakfast. And people are like, hey, Lexi. So like, how is it, how is it being like without Reese and whatever? She's like, I actually don't even think about it anymore. She's like, who? Who are you talking about? It's been like 12 hours.

She's like, oh, over it. We chummed the water with that one. And then we get a shot of what's happening on the downsiders. It's so funny, I want to call them the below deckers, but they call them top siders and downsiders, right? That's the difference is. Downsiders is such a funny term, I think. And this is when we see Bo and Gia.

and that they're into each other. But they're both on the bottom deck. So they obviously know that their goal is to get to the top. So they decide that Gia is going to try and con a man who's in a relationship up to up to bring her up. And then she'll kick that guy off and bring Bow up. And I just thought, this is so genius. So genius.

I didn't even think that this was going to be part of the show that people would be strategizing on how to both get up there at the same time. I thought maybe one person strategizing, but being like, no, we're both going to get up there. We're both going to get to the top. I was like, this is actually a really fun element of this show. This is why this show is amazing. We're getting elements from a bunch of different shows and putting them in one. I too did not expect that. But when they show, you know, and I love, I love the look from their little tiny room with their little tiny bunk beds. Like there's, that's, I mean, those quarters, that's how it really is. you know what I mean? And they're down there and they're conniving and they're like,

how are we going to get to the top? That they are cut throat. They're going to play whoever they can to get to a good room on the top deck. You know what I mean? That they're willing to just do whatever it takes to get there and they have a whole plan. I was like, this is the best thing I've ever seen. It was, I was like, this is a great moment. This is so not something I was expecting. We also see Anna and Tim, she's kind of opening up to him. And then she says in her, her interview that she was previously in a relationship for six years that really destroyed her because the guy cheated on her. And we see Andrew is, Andrew, who is in the Downsiders, is only interested in Sophia. This is the only person he cares about. He is telling anybody

and everybody that he only has eyes for Sophia. And then we see Sophia and she's like, I don't like it. He's a weirdo. I want nothing to do with him. I don't want to date him. I don't want to talk to him. And even as a viewer, you see them all down in the room eating together. And she's not even flirting with him at the table. I think he says something about being hot or something. And she's like, being strong, working out.

Andrew loves to talk about being strong, working out about himself. Like, this is all that we see clips of him doing. And even as a viewer, though, that's the funny part to me is that we see it, that she's not interested. And he, like, is not reading the room. He is not reading it clearly. Not one bit. We then see our girl Bella.

And she's now shifting away from David and she's trying to talk with Keith, which this annoys Chaudet. And Chaudet doesn't like this because it's breaking girl code. Chaudet, babe. I don't know if you understand the concept of the show. There is no girl code on this show or guy code because the whole point is that they can only get up there if they break you guys up. So like, there can't be girl code. You met this guy yesterday. You have spent one night with him. Also, on the most basic level, is there really girl code after that short period of time? Like, I have girl code with women that I have known forever,

but like someone I don't even know her last name. We don't have girl code. I'm going for the gold, baby. Like, I'm go big or go home. Why else are we here? Literally. So what is Bella supposed to do, right? Like there's only four men up top. What is she supposed to do? Like that's what I'm like, Shade, babe, I don't think you understand what the show is. You can be irritated by her talking to your guy, but she's not breaking girl code. And this is when we find out that Tim, who's with Anna, is attracted to Gia. And Gia, we know, is with Bo. And they had this whole, you know, plan that Gia is going to con somebody. So Enna walks by and sees, you know, Tim and Gia canoodling. And this really starts to send Anna spiraling because she's already told us that her ex cheated on her.

Now again, babe, Anna, you've been there for a day. It's not cheating. It's we don't know everybody here on the boat. We got to get to know everyone. But again, it's like nobody wants to lose their spot up top. It's not, that's what's so fun about this show is it's not even about the relationship. It's that some of these people really just don't want to go live in the bunk beds down the They are just not trying to schlep it down on the bottom deck. It has, that's the fun thing. Is this like part game show, but it's also part like, oh, we're so hot should we make out? It's like combining the both.

They're not really trying to schlep it on the bottom. They really want to sleep on the nice part at the top and see the waves from the ocean side. But like they, it's just, I'm, I'm. I'm thinking about auditioning for the next season, Heather. I'm just, you know, keeping my options open. So after we see all of that, we find out that the next thing is a challenge. It's sink or swim. The top side ladies jump into the ocean where they are waiting with life preservers, right?

And then all of the men will race to rescue them. If the downsideer wins, the topside boy will have to move down to the bottom deck. And then the women will have to choose, right? do they recouple or will they follow their man to the downside? I loved this. I loved this challenge. This is so funny because it goes back to what we were just saying. It's like some of them really just don't even like these guys.

They just don't want to give up their bed. Heather, we get all those side conversations too where people have no shame. They're like, absolutely not. No one likes this guy. I'm darting for him. I'm going to swim as fast or swim as fast as I can for her. And I'm going to rescue her that way I can kick her out and bring someone. and so up. You know what I mean? There's just no shame. It's all strategy, which is just so funny,

except for Andrew's strategy is Sophia. He has eyes for no one else. But Sophia is not a top decker. So she's not in the life preservers. So the only people in the life preservers, the women, are Anna, Lexi, Chadee, and Lowe. But all the men are jumping in and swimming towards these four women. So only four guys will win. So we see it. We see all the guys racing towards these women and we end up with the Andrew and Anna, which is a whole thing right there. We'll talk about that in a second. Bo and Lexi, Coray and Sade, Chaudet, Chaudet, David and Lowe. Now, we have to talk about Andrew and Anna. What happens? I just, I just like wish that I could be there. And a lot of the part of show, I felt like I was a part of the conversation, the audacity of this man to say the things

that he said. And even Anna, she's blown away. You know what I mean? Like, she doesn't have a whole lot of shame herself, but she is like, did, did you really just say this to me? And she doesn't even stop there. She swims back to shore with everyone and says, this is what this man says to me. He's going to kick me out and bring Sophia up. She doesn't even like him. But like, I need to stay so that I can stay. I'll just sleep on the floor. Exactly. So the choice. right is up to Anna at the end of this competition. Does she go and follow Tim, who's now having to go below deck, or does she stay with Andrew? And Andrew is like, if you stay with me, I'm sleeping on the floor. I only want to be with Sophia. And then he's basically telling her, like you just said,

you keep me, I will be kicking you off at some point and bringing Sophia up because she's the only one I care about. So Anna, you would, I don't know. If I'm hearing this and I'm Anna, screw this guy. I'm going to follow Tim, who like doesn't talk to me like that. Or doesn't talk to me at all, Heather. But Anna is really caught up in the fact that Tim and Gia were talking. It's like she just doesn't want to give up being on the top deck. So she stays with Andrew.

And then Andrew apologizes like five seconds later. But I mean, the writing is on the wall. He has basically said, I only want. Sophia. So now all of these new couples. So David and Lowe, they were already a couple. He's the only one who went for his own girl in the life preserver and got her. But now David has a medical emergency after this swimming competition and needs oxygen. And he's down bad, this guy. And so Lowe is rubbing his back. A nice supportive. being very supportive and he's like, you know, this is what I really want, like somebody who's

going to support me. So they end up having to take a boat off to shore to go get him checked out medically and they leave the competition. And then Lexi chooses because Bo got to Lexi. So Lexi chooses to go to the downside with James because she just met James yesterday. They had this amazing date and she's into it. Listen, I'm calling it. I think that Lexi and James make it all the way to the end. I just do. It is bold and listen, I know how to show up and admit when I'm wrong if it happens, but I just think that Lexi and James make it to the end.

Are they going to live happily ever after? Probably not. But I do think that the two of them make it to the end of the show together. Interesting. I'm going to say, I'm going to say David and Lowe go far, but I think that something is going to happen. because they're already setting them up and all the other contestants are saying, they're the strongest couple here.

They're the strongest couple here, which means inevitably they won't be at some point. He's going to get back to his comfort zone and realize that he cannot play it safe. We already know. New people coming in. He is going to be like a kid in a candy store. Something's going to flip. Something's going to change for that one. I think Gia and Bo could go pretty far.

I think their kind of vibe together. And I love that he will get to it in a little bit, but he sits her down and is extremely clear with her and is like, I only have eyes for you. I want you to know so that there's no like uncertain feelings that like I like you. I do think that Bo and Gia, out of all of the people in the boat, they are the most realistic. I definitely think that they're great characters.

you know what I mean? Like they're both attractive. She, for me, is like a brunette, Jennifer Lawrence. I cannot unsee it. Oh, my God. I thought that too. I can't unsee it, Heather. I thought that too.

And then I don't know how inappropriate this is for me to say. That girl's got a booty that is so cute. Right? I could not stop being jealous of it. Same. Same. She is just aesthetically, like her whole thing. her hair, her face, her symmetrical thing.

You know, she's gorgeous. They all are, but she is, I think, feels like the most naturally beautiful. But just given their conversations and the way that they speak to each other, they're just the most realistic to me. They have very realistic, normal conversations. And it seems promising. I don't know. I don't necessarily see the chemistry.

but I just think that what they are looking for seems the most promising. I like, and we obviously see that their strategy comes to life that they had set earlier in the episode, but reverse because Bo gets up there first. Lexi chooses to go down with James, which means Bo gets to bring Gia up to the top deck with him because he, you know, won this competition. And then we see Chaudet. She, you know, was with Keefe. and Coray is the one who got to her first, so she chooses to stay up top with Coray.

You're not shocked by this. She is not a belowdecker. A bottom sider. She's not. She's not a bottom sider. She is not. And she's also extremely beautiful. But I think what's funny about this is we get the interview moment from Corray.

right away who was like I was hoping she wouldn't stay with me like I don't want her here like I want to choose Lila and bring her up so it's so Chadee your days are numbered at that top deck I think honey because because Coray is not

into you. He ain't having it he is not. I think that's what I love I love the most about this show is just that there's no like kind of like back and forth people do not mince words in these interviews they are very blunt and very straightforward of, I do not like you, or I am going to manipulate this person

to the best of my ability. Like, it's, it's so funny and so honest. And I, I just absolutely love it. So Anna chooses to stay up with Andrew, like we said, because she's not a down sider. She's not a downcider either. That did not shock me. Tim says in his interview, he's not even bummed. He goes, if it were me in that situation, I'd have done the same thing. So like him and Anna. Anna are not like tight by any means. And like we said, Andrew apologizes right away to Anna for the comments. And then after the challenge, Andrew tells everyone that he only cares about Sophia. Again, only eyes for Sophia.

And Sophia decides she is going to use the fact that Andrew has a crush on her to her advantage to get to the top deck. Here we go again with another contestant on the show, not messing around. And just the whole piece of the side stuff that is going on on the show, every single moment, I am here for it. I was watching it. I love it. The whole game side of it is like, it's truly magical. We have our happy hour, again, this episode, which is when we see Bo and Gia, they go and have their little romantic moment. And he says, he's only got eyes for her and he wants her to be reassured about his feelings, which feels really genuine and sweet.

cute and I liked that moment. And then Andrew and Sophia, they chat and Andrew says, you know, he wants to take Sophia on a date. And this is where she kind of really is like leaning in and working her plan and says like, oh, Andrew, you're kind of my type, you know. And then saying an interview literally the opposite, just saying like that she does not like this guy. And, you know, and she's like winking to the camera when she's saying things that are cheeky. I give it to these people for being able to do this, Heather, because I could not do it. Being a woman who dated 25 other guys at the same time, I could not differentiate. I could not fake it.

It was incredibly hard for me. It made me feel gross. And maybe it's because the scenario is different. This is somewhat of a game show like you're trying to stay on. And that wasn't the competitive piece when I was on television. But I just give it to them the way they're doing it flawlessly without a second thought. They don't give it a second thought. And this is what I like about this very overt gameplay element that we're seeing in this show is that if anybody's watched Love Island, anybody knows that the gameplay and to stay in the villa is something that happens, right?

Because they're constantly recoupling. And you never know if that recoupling means the one person that's left single is going to be able to stay in the villa or if they get the boot at that exact moment. Like Love Island is always keeping it on your toes like that because that's just how that show is. But they never really overtly talk about like, oh, hey, I'm just, you know, staying here to like, you know, I'm just flirting with him so that the next recoupling. You know what I mean? They don't ever overtly say that. And I kind of just like love that they're saying it on this show because that is what happens on these shows. People just don't want to leave.

They don't want to leave the show and they don't want to lose. David and Lowe returned from his medical drama and David wants to tell Lowe how much, you know, he's really appreciated this, her caring for him. And he actually starts crying while he is saying this to her. Did you think that those tears were real or did you think that that was a little put on? I thought it was a little put on. And I'm trying to be the nicest person possible. But it, it, it, it, It is almost like we're getting two sides of him. You know what I mean? We see the person he is with low. And I imagine there's probably genuine connection and attraction. But then we get the other side when he's just in his personal interviews. And that almost feels like the real version of him.

So yeah, when he's having this conversation, it's almost like he's got two personalities. Like he likes her. He feels very touched by it. But the whole extra piece of turning on the tears felt a little gross to me. It just didn't feel, it felt disingenuine. Did it feel like he knew he wanted to get some that night? Because fast forward to that night, we know that they get it on. Like, that's what I felt.

Like, I felt like it was like, I'm going to show that I'm a sensitive man. And then when we're in bed tonight, I'm going to get some. I have so many thoughts about this because they all have to know that there's cameras everywhere, right? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Some of them are a hard pass. Like you can see them, we're not going to do this after we get off for the boat, but not on the boat. And he has no shame. He's like, I'm going to lay it on this girl thick tonight and we're going to get down. And part of me wonders was he also trying to do that to see if the physical chemistry was there because he is so used to this other physical appearance in women. So part of me is trying to, like he's also trying to figure out

if the physical chemistry is there between the two of them? Oh, for sure. This is definitely not a guy who commits to a serious relationship without test driving the car. Prior to test driving the car. For sure, for sure.

Right. We also see Coray and Leila. They, you know, Coray is now at the top deck. Leela's, you know, below deck. And, you know, he's expressing, you know, that they're interested in each other. But Leila is saying, like,

she will not be a. second choice. So, AKA, don't mess around with somebody up here and then expect to get me up here and we become a thing. Like, you better, like, work your magic to get me up here, ASAP. And then this was the little bit of a curveball. We see Tim and Gia. Tim pulls Gia for a chat, because now Gia's up top. Tim is down. And so he's, you know, he's got to work his magic. He's not going to work Anna again because Anna is the one who sent him down there. So he pulls Gia and, you know, we just saw Gia and Bo have this really beautiful kind of connection that they're interested in each other. And Tim is basically like, yo, shoot it straight with me.

Are you interested in me? Because I don't want to waste my time, aka, I will go talk to somebody else if you're not that interested in me. And she reassures him that she's open to both him and Bo. I'm going to go back to what I said that I believe now that Tim is in the picture, these are the only three people with a genuine connection. That's what I feel. I mean, I think Lexi and James, whatever, but I believe that the connection between Tim, Gia, Gia, Bo, this, at this point feels like the only, the only true connection.

I believe that they are being honest. The three of them, the little situation that they're in, I believe that Gia really likes Tim. And I believe that she also really likes Bo. I believe that that is a genuine connection. Interesting. Interesting. Okay.

So then we see after the happy hour, Gabby gives her reward to Sophia for being the sneakiest. Because Sophia is being very overt with Andrew that she's interested when we know she's not. And then that's when we also get to see the camera footage of David and Lowe getting it on. And I will not repeat also what's captioned on the screen about what they talk about after. But it is not PG. And the next day, again, starts like similar episode. Top Siders are having their breakfast. Sophia comes up and says, you know, she gets to go on a date with somebody she chooses.

She chooses Andrew. And then they go have an extremely awkward tantric yoga date off shore. I couldn't. First of all, I've never done tantric yoga. Neither have I. Okay. I can't believe that tantric yoga is somebody. somebody just saying balls, ejaculation, vagina, breathe from your vagina over and over and over

again. That had to have been some weird editing that they were doing. Like every other word out of her mouth was vagina, balls, penis. I actually think it's kind of like that. Like I actually think it's maybe not to that extreme, but I do actually think it is very much like, get centered within your inner core of your vaginal cavity. Like I actually think it's really like that. I think they over sexualized it for sure. He was saying breathe through your vagina. Was she not? She also told her to breathe through her nipples. I remember. But then I got sidetracked because because Andrew is very concerned that he's in his swim trunks and he's afraid someone's going to see his dinosaur walking around. That that's where everything went off the rails for me in that date

because she asks him to spread his legs to which he does. But he is very concerned with the fact that He showed up to this date in his swim trunks. And he clearly, maybe there's no mesh net in those shorts. I'm unsure all they make them these days, Heather. But he's very concerned that he might be walking the dinosaur during the date. Please tell me you noticed what they did to hit him in the scene after their date when they're like debriefing sitting on that little wall. It was very quick if you didn't see it. I didn't see it.

They're sitting across from each other being like, whoa, that was such a weird date. Like weird, weird, weird. They pan out and he's sitting there in his shorts and they pixelated his penis. I didn't see it. They pixelated his penis as if it was hanging out of his shorts in that moment, which just was so funny. It was a blink and you miss it moment. It was very fast, but it was so funny. Guys, this show is hilarious.

That's what I love to is not only when they make the concept cheeky, but when they make fun of the contestants on the show, I absolutely adore it. So they then have this weird thing where at the end of the date, Andrew leans in for a very awkward kiss and she like, Sophia like grabs his face after he's already made contact and like, turns it away. And what did he say? I'm not a mind reader, but I think that was good or something. Like he thought it was good. I'm telling you, Andrew missed the mark from the second he stepped foot on the yacht.

He missed the mark. It is sometimes really fascinating to see someone miss, be so unaware and miss all of the signs. She does not look attracted to him at all. Like some of the other contestants play it really well. Play it really well. She does not look into it, not in the slightest bit. And that kiss, you hear Gabby's voiceover when she says that that is the most awkward kiss of all time. Like it truly was.

I mean, they should have just screeched halt on everything. His face was turned. And the fact that he walks away and he was like, it was amazing. It was amazing. We're in love. We're going to get married and we're going to have 17 children. But he's very clueless. It was so strange.

But back on the yacht, Anna is having an absolute meltdown because she already knows how this goes. Like she knows that she's walking the plank tonight. These girls. I think it's so funny. And she's like, she's like losing it, right? Like she, it's not that she's into Andrew. She just doesn't want to go home. And like, I wanted to be like, Anna, babe, why didn't you just follow Tim below deck?

Like, you wouldn't be in this situation. You know what I mean? This is the point in the show, Heather, where I got hooked from this point. I mean, I was really. Five minutes in on this thing. This is just so funny. I was enjoying myself, but I wasn't so sure. I was enjoying myself.

At this point, when Anna starts to spiral out of control, the way that she starts planning from this moment, how she's going to figure everything out, it is like life or death, save or be saved. How are we going to do this? The way that she starts to spiral out of control and how she's going to save herself in this moment, I clung to every single word from this moment.

So she starts to tell everybody that's still up top or that she can speak to that like Sophia, who was her homie up until this whole situation, Like, right? We saw her and Sophia earlier in the episode just like... Dancing, chasing each other. She is like my other half. Like, they're very close.

Everything moves very fast on this boat. Your besties or you're in love. And so she's really liking her. And now Anna is like this... Out for blood. Dabbed me in the back. This chick is like she is being conniving. Da da da da da, da.

So she's telling everybody on the yacht. Sophia doesn't like this guy. I'm going home. This is insane. And she's just really starting to tell everybody. So Sophia is feeling really confident that Andrew is going to choose her based on their little date and everything that she's told him. And so they walk the plank, both of them.

And Enna says, she's been honest with Andrew and tells him that Sophia is a master manipulator. This does it for me. She is not interested in him at all. And she says that Sophia is going to turn him into a joke. And he is not a joke. She says you and you are not a joke. The way, just the whole thing, these two women are hanging off the ledge of a yacht, however many feet up. And the way she goes at it in that moment, it is not cute.

They are not like, please, I love you. Pick me. We're going to live happily ever. to run into the sunset. It is not that. This woman goes for blood in this moment and tears Sophia down. And you can, when they pan the camera to Sophia, she is blindsided. Like she's like, oh, absolutely not me, not me.

You know, oh, my God, she doesn't know what to say. And Anna doesn't stop. Her whole spiel in that moment, as she's over the ledge of this yacht, when she throws Sophia under the bus and looks this man dead in the face and is like, it doesn't have to be me, bro. but it's not her. Don't do it. Exactly.

She's not being like, let's be in a relationship. She's just being like, don't choose this chick because she doesn't like you at all. She's playing you like a fiddle. Sophia goes, but I do like him. And everybody watching goes, a girl, be so for real. Which only backs up Anna more that like everybody knows it, bro, but you, Andrew. Nobody, you know what I mean. but what happens is then the episode ends.

And we don't know who goes overboard. So I mean, for the first two episodes, if you're not after listening to this guys, I don't know, but this is hilarious. And Deanna's already jumped ahead and watched more episodes. I couldn't stop, Heather. I couldn't stop. Once I got in, you were like, hey, we're going to give it a go.

And I was like, yeah, sure, I'll give it a shot. I couldn't stop. I had to see what was happening. I had to know who went home. I had to know what happened next. I just, I couldn't stop. I had to, I literally had to turn my TV off. I had to stop myself.

And that rarely happens for this woman. I hardly ever do that with television show, especially reality TV. I love it. It gives me so much hope. And so, I mean, this was a great first two episodes for me. I'm so excited that we're going to continue to recap this season. And hopefully you guys watch it this weekend and, you know, follow along with us as we bring you these episodes. Because all the episodes of the show are already out and most people binge,

we will be bringing you these recaps really, really quickly. All right, Heather, you have not seen the next episode. Who do you think he chooses? I think he's reluctantly going to choose Anna. Why? Why? Because I think Andrew is hearing the comments and hearing the reactions from everybody else on board that is then going to make him have to rethink that weird kiss that they had. And I think that he is probably, I don't think he's an egomaniac and he loves to talk about himself. And I think the last thing he will want to do is to look stupid. And so I think he will reluctantly choose Anna based on what she said and hope that somebody

else hot shows up because he doesn't have eyes for Anna, which is crazy because Anna is gorgeous. I'm like busting at the seams here. I'm so glad that you said that. I was so hoping you were going to say, he's pretty, but he's not stupid. I am just like, I'm hoping, I'm hoping for the same for him. You know what I mean?

I need to see more of him. And I need to see Anna. Like, I can't have her go home yet. I'm not ready. I'm not ready to let her go. This is the thing. I love you, Anna. And I knew you were a star.

And I just don't think you go home, episode two of a show. Sophia, we've had less camera time until this episode, which makes me think that also she goes home. Yeah, she's our star. I need to see Anna and Tim and that whole thing kind of like play out because I have a feeling that Anna is probably going to go back to Tim because I don't really think she's interested in anyone else.

This is what I'm thinking. I'm so excited. Yeah. Amazing. Well, Deanna, thanks for going overboard with me on our news. favorite show. And I can't wait. We'll be back with more episodes. Thanks, Heather. Bye. Bye. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast on IHeart Radio or subscribe wherever you listen to

podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.