The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - We Don’t Talk About Brayden

Episode Date: July 18, 2023

It’s another week of Charity’s season of The Bachelorette, and Ben and Ashley are ready to break down every juicy detail. Ben does NOT hold back when sharing his true thoughts on this episode. What can the franchise do to save itself?? Ashley explains why the bloom is off the rose for Brayden, and Ben makes a compelling pitch to rejoin the Bachelor franchise!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Eumanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble.

Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your... free iHeartRadio app search emergency intercom and listen now let's start with a quick puzzle the answer is ken jennings appearance on the puzzler with a jacobs the question is what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land jeopardy truthers believe in i guess they would be kenspiracy theorists that's right to give you the answers and you still blew it the puzzler listen on the eye Art Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story. Does anyone know what show they've come to see? It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life. This is Wisecrack, available now.

Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcasts with IHartRadio.

Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Almost Famous Podcast. I wanted to start with big news, big exciting news that I know Ben is going to really appreciate. Ben, guess what? I don't like Braden anymore. Okay, I have no sympathies for Brayden. Okay, I'm not saying that I ever really liked it. liked him, but, like, I have no sympathies anymore.

Okay. You want to hear something weird? Oh, God. Now you have sympathies? I don't think he was completely in the wrong during this episode. Why? We're going to get into it now. You want to wait?

You want to hold off? We're going to wait. We're going to get into that and talking about the Golden Bachelor and breaking down Bachelor headlines. Let's start out with, yes, the big announcement that happened this week. We've been waiting for you here in the Almost Famous podcast. It was great to hear the, host of Good Morning America be genuinely excited about the concept of this show.

You could tell that they're like, this is just interesting. No matter what, like, even if this show is like really awkward and weird, it's an interesting concept. The Golden Bachelor was announced. We got our first interview with him. His name is, I believe, is it Gary or Jerry? It's Gary. Gary.

It looks like Jerry. Yeah, I know. He's from Indiana. so you're right i was right um hudson indiana which i've been to it's not very far from my hometown he um when he was sharing his story actually my mom and i were watching it and a tear came to my eye just even hearing the fact where he was like i have her picture in my closet we were like high school sweethearts she retired i have my picture i have her picture in my closet well yeah right where he gets ready in the morning he has a picture of his wife and he looks at it

because they asked, like, how would she feel about this? And he's like, we always said, whoever goes first, we want the other to be happy. And so I know she's, like, my biggest fan. And his daughters are the ones that signed him up. He seems excited. It's just so interesting. Like, I love that he has hearing aids. And I love me too.

I just love it. And good looking fella. I have high hopes. Me too. I was reading the responses from the official bachelor page once they put up his picture. And I was like, are they deleting any bad comments? Because there was truly none to be found. People are really excited.

I don't know. I don't know. You know, people can always find flaw in anything. But everybody seemed really stoked. There were a couple that were like, this will save the franchise. And most people shocked that he is almost 72 years old. He does look like. He looks great.

Looks fantastic. Now, I'm telling you this, if anybody has a negative comment, they can hate the Bachelorette. They can hate The Bachelorette. They can be upset at the franchise for all the things that the franchise has done and not done. I get that. Okay, that's fair. But if you are upset with a guy in his 70s and women in whatever age range they're going to come into, trying to have a second chance at love and doing it on a television show that could end up being one of the coolest,

exhilarating adrenaline rushed like moments in his life doing interviews with good morning america going on probably talk shows if you're going to have negative comments on that you are a human i don't want to meet is what's his occupation well i mean i'm sure he's retired i know you think he's retired we don't we don't know what his former occupation is but he's retired so you know he just he has a lake house he's fine i know whoever gets to be with him they just get to like not even worry about that stuff so it's such a cool concept we're really pumped for him um we'll hope to bring him on the podcast here very soon a good old indiana guy you need to talk to this man oh i would love to and here's the thing i cannot wait it's going to be a really interesting thing

in five seasons from now to see what people's critiques are of like you know everybody has critiques of a show that they watch like what is going to be the thing that people are annoyed by when it comes to the contestants and lead. Because you know one of the thing we have to eliminate? Nobody is there for the wrong reasons. Nobody is there to get fame. If you're there to get fame in your 70s, you are like sorely mistaken.

It would be exhausting. Like I think they're just there to have a cool experience, shake life up a bit, find love. And if they don't find love, they can tell their friends and family. I mean, the watch parties, Ashley, can you imagine like the watch parties of the kids

and the grandkids, and the families and the sisters and the cousins and the brothers sitting around watching the TV like it's going to be amazing usually it's what are my parents going to think and then it's going to be like what are my kids going to think

what are my grandkids going to think he has two grandkids and you know this is just going to be this is going to be so much fun we got to have him on here you guys I did start the petition that we mentioned on Friday when we recorded that podcast

exclusively about this show and we have over 2,000 signatures. It's only been up on Instagram for about 12 hours now. So go to my Instagram, sign the petition for Ben to become the host of this. There is still no host attached to it. There's not. You know that? Yeah, which is crazy that they did the announcement without even being like ready enough to shoot for there being a host.

So you know for a fact from production that they have not made a final decision on hosts? I don't. No, I was asking you, I don't know yet. Oh. Well, they would say... They would have it. Yeah, they would have this, hosted by Jesse Palmer. Yeah.

Hosted by Pat Sejack, something like that. Pat Sejack is retiring for Real Fortune so he could host the Golden Bachelor. Yeah. Can we just, like, think about the Golden Bachelorette for a second if this show does do you well? It's, I mean, I'm telling you, Ashley. People are going to love it. No matter what, I am going to be the biggest fan of this show. it is going to be like my guilty pleasure you're going to see me more excited for like i i think

there's going to be watch parties again for the bachelor and i think it's going to be the golden i think people are going to get together together to watch this show again which has not happened in years um it's going to be an interesting thing you know what are the ratings what is the response on social media that kind of stuff but um either way we're very excited uh the golden bachelor has been announced. He is a Hoosier. He's from about 45 minutes from where I grew up. That is wild. He leaves on a lakehouse, 45 minutes from your hometown. You are made for this. And to quote what we said on Friday. Yeah, there's an inside source that it says that production is calling him the older version of Ben Higgins. So what are you thinking, not just

having you sign the papers right now. But anyway, okay, let's move on to charity. See, season. Are you ready? I am so ready. What an episode not for here's my overall thoughts in the episode. Not the most entertaining episode. Okay. So glad that you said that. Because I was like, why do I keep dazing

out? Well, the end, you know, the end really picked it up. We'll start with, they're in Washington. It looks freezing, but it looks beautiful. I mean, what an incredible spot. It's giving me fall vibes. Mm-hmm. It doesn't gets the

but the first one-on-one of the episode we were excited for Doughton to get this date. We've been looking forward for more time with him and charity together. Oh, yes. So glad that he has this date and I'm actually so glad that Xavier

gets the second date because those one-on-ones I think really saved the episode because it gave us so much quality. It did give us quality. Ashley, my take though, I've always been a fan of Xavier. We'll get into that later. But with Doughton, I really want to see their connection when it comes to conversation.

Am I crazy? Disagree with me here. Am I crazy to think that their conversations don't feel as natural as I would want? Now, it is the first one-on-one is their first time together, but it felt like a first date to me. Like I know everybody is saying, hey, this is it. this is over. I'm not there yet. I'm not saying this thing is closed out because it felt like their their connection is obviously there, but their chemistry when it comes to how comfortable they are isn't there yet, which is natural and fair. It's early on still. I think it can progress

to that. But I'm not sold out that he is, yes, 100% the guy. What conversations are you referring to? Like the bungee jumping era conversations or the later in the night? Later in the night. I know they open up but it felt like it felt like a conversation where it's like you tell me your story i tell you mine you tell me your response i'll tell you mine like it felt very much like a a first date conversation of here's who i am which is awesome here's who i want to be here's what i'm looking for it didn't feel like the hey let's you know joke around like let's have like we're comfortable with moments of silence yet they're just not there yet i don't expect to be there yet It's a first date, but that's also why I'm saying, I'm not, like, I'm not 100% convinced

that he is going to be her choice at the end because we haven't seen them get comfortable yet. Okay. I think what you mean is, like, it's not a flirty conversation. It's not really romantic conversation. I am going off a lot of my feelings about their connection because she is so freaking giddy. Yeah. And because there's a lot of substance to the conversation. and he just feels strong and loyal.

He, like, just really gives off husband vibes. I think he does. I think he's really into charity. I don't think that there's going to be any, like, red flags pop up. I don't think there's going to be, like, a massive exit for him where she's upset. In fact, I don't see that really happening for the rest of the season with anybody that we are very, like, sold out on. I just think there's some other people that are equally as connected to her.

I actually think that her time with Xavier felt more comfortable for me personally as I watch than Doughton's time. Okay. But to get into it, they did bungee jump. They're both freaking out. I would have been freaking out.

Good for them to do it, do it together. I do think that helped that they were kind of tied on to each other. Felt very dangerous. Felt like their heads could smack together for me. I was nervous the whole time. Yes. Yeah.

Yes, I was like, how uncomfortable is this to just have to, like, hold yourself against somebody else? But again, at the same time, you don't want to do it alone. No, if I'm going down, I'm going down with whoever is forcing me to do this. I know. I'm glad they got to do it the second time because the second time could actually be fun once you really trust that rope. Yeah. See, that's the difference between them and I, though. If I do it once, I'm going to say I did it.

I survived it. I'm good. Like, I can tell people I bungee jump. To do it twice just seems reckless. But the drone shot of that bridge, that bridge is so high, so far above the river. That was an incredible feat from the two of them. I know people out there are probably like, I bungee jump all time, I skydive, whatever. You guys are impressive.

I'm saying that was a cool moment. You could tell they were both nervous. They both did. I mean, Charity had tears in her eyes, poor girl. I know. I felt really bad. I was thinking that there was somebody who in their business. bios before the show started so the bungee jumping was like their biggest fear i don't think it was

yeah heights like didn't they bring oh he's oh they may should have made a bigger deal out of that well just don't tell the show that you're scared of anything yeah exactly say you love snakes and spiders and heights and you're never been claustrophobic like don't give them any ammunition right okay anyway it's a great bonding first date you can't deny it that once you do tackle that together you can do a lot physically and overcome a lot of fears 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. Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this. Attention passengers. The pilot is having an emergency and we need someone, anyone to land this plane.

Think you could do it? It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this, pull that, turn this. It's just, I can do it my eyes close. I'm Mani. I'm Noah.

This is Devon. And on our new show, no such thing. We get to the bottom of questions like these. Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise. And then, as we try the whole thing out for real. Wait, what?

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I 100% can see how in just a few months you can have this much credit card debt when it weighs on you. It's really easy to just like stick your head in the sand. It's nice and dark in the sand. Even if it's scary, it's not going to go away just because you're avoiding it, and in fact, it may get even worse. For more judgment-free money advice, listen to Brown Ambition on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A foot washed up a shoe with some bones in it. They had no idea who it was. Most everything was burned up pretty good from the fire that not a whole lot was salvageable. These are the coldest of cold cases, but everything is about to change.

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the Houston lab that takes on the most hopeless cases to finally solve the unsolvable. Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So then, yeah, the conversation later was around a campfire, and he was talking about immigrating to America

and the fact that his, get a lottery and his aunt had set him up um the family just they she found a certain lottery and said like i have a gut feeling that you should do this and that's how he became um an american citizen which is really awesome and then charity was discussing how she the way she the area that she grew up in she always felt like maybe she was a little bit different because i feel like there's probably not as many black people in that area and she said that she became very achievement-oriented. She had to be the best at everything.

Yeah, and you can see that in her, right? My wife is very achievement-oriented. Like, she was a college athlete. She was, you know, 4-0. She has this, like, drive to be, not, I don't want to say perfect. I don't think that's her expectation. I don't think she can,

but she has a drive to be really good at everything she does. And it's exhausting, right? Now that I live with somebody like that, she's tired often and there's also confusion that comes with that because truth is you are going to be great at everything and when you do the kind of fall short and whatever that is you really get upset about you beat yourself up over it a lot and so i and i see that in charity right you see it and just you know so far like even how these moments of of drama and arguments in house they you can see them crushing her because she i think takes it on herself she holds that

very personal. And I'm hoping she can get freed of that here as the season goes on. But I do think those are two big things for the two of them to get out there. Now, again, now we can see them start to get comfortable and connect. Charity understands his backstory. Don't understand who Charity is as a person. Now you can see them flirt a little bit. We can see like some just like talks about dreams and whatever their futures hold.

I still have them obviously in my top three. There's no question about that. I'm just saying devil's application. Yeah, I'm just not convinced that Xavier wouldn't be my number one over, Doughton, right now. We'll get into that here in a second. But their date goes well. We can say that it is a very healthy date. He does get the rose.

He's safe to the end. Final thoughts on Doughton for me, Ashley, is I'm very glad right now. that he is he when all this drama goes down the house you just don't see him around oh my gosh wait you don't see him at all to the point that like i forgot that he was even a part of those moments i bet he's sitting on the couch having a cocktail being like you fool you go do what you've got to do i'm going to sit here yes that's very attractive right the best yes especially me you know in life you want to protect your partner you want to stand up for them but like in this situation in this environment i think he's socially aware enough to be like this isn't my role like i don't have to

right now there's a bunch of dudes like trying to puff their chest up i don't need to be that guy yeah that's aaron yeah if i ever needed to be that guy i can be that guy but right now i don't need to be that guy they seem to think they have this under control so still like the guy still think he's around for a long time. And very excited that Charity seems very smitten. I'm very excited that she has a couple guys

that she is just like I'm into. Okay. So then we get to the group date. Ashley, you go what? Okay, so the guys are supposed to go find food in the forest and they're led by these scouts. They're not exactly Girl Scouts. What kind of scouts are they? Are you familiar with those?

I don't know exactly what kind of scouts they are. they were very charismatic and very good on camera. I wouldn't be surprised if they were like a made-up branch of the sketch. Okay, yes, they were. They took their job very seriously. And the girls, like, could not with Braden, which was actually hilarious. So they all go out, try to find, you know, foods that they be able to survive.

They're really supposed to prove their masculine in a year and their provider instincts. And, yeah, Joe even says, that he's kind of terrified of them. I love these girls for this moment. They're so good. Yeah, they're great. They're great. So what I think of when I think of this,

this scene is that Braden comes back and he shows the food that he brought back and he had a bite taken out of it, which is absolutely no shock. And I'm also thinking in this moment that Braden is becoming Chad Johnson. I'm pretty sure that he had seen those episodes and he wanted to slowly become a Chad Johnson character. Because remember when Chad would be like, milk's delicious. And then he was being like a grizzly bear basically when they were

on their, their cabin Woodsy date. Yeah. Yeah. So I feel like he's totally becoming Chad. And then I would think of how Tainer... This is a weird move who wants to be a Chad, you're saying?

Yeah. Well, Chad is memorable. Here we are like seven years removed. Still referring to Chad. Yeah. If you're going to be on TV, I guess create a character of yourself. I'm not, I mean, I think you're not that person. Well, no, I just, I don't know if Bragg's actually trying to do anything other than be himself. Again, I'm more in favor of Braden towards the end of this episode than I think I've ever been before.

But during this moment, I really think he is one of those people who gets sucked into the moment. And he kind of loses himself in the moment. and he thinks he's funnier than he is he definitely thinks he's funny and he and he and I think it comes from a good place I think he thinks the louder he is the more fun he's having the more he's engaging in the experience the more he is being um his biggest and fullest self the more fun charity probably will have and the other guys will have because they're like this is so much this is the best like we're all enjoying this I think he's trying to show very out and very annoyingly, that he's enjoying this or that he's in it.

But it also teeter totters just as an audience member, it's kind of funny because he's being super obnoxious to the point where it's kind of funny. It's just not attractive, though. No, it's not attractive. Like, I don't want a date a guy like that, but I may want to watch him on a reality show. Sure. It's like watching a middle schooler run through the woods. Like, I mean, that's what my buddies and I did when we were middle school and the

camp counselor was like, hey, guys, calm down. You're being weird. stop like take it back three steps and like start over uh i found this you know this day intriguing because the show didn't set them up with food and these guys are eating everything and i spent a lot of time as a kid i live in denver now i spent a lot of time in the woods you should not be eating everything that goes on a tree or every mushroom that's popping out of the ground that's not a good that's not smart so i'm hoping they're a food expert there where the guys would like pick it and be like good or bad and they'd be like that's fine you can chew on that but we don't see it so it just

looks like to me that these dudes are just you know tearing away um the other side the the funny part for me was Aaron B was going to try to catch a fish I don't know what he's thought I thought he think he thinks he was going to do with their hands that would have been awesome never see now and successfully pulled off before but I would have loved for him to catch a fish because I would love for him to see how he's presenting a cold raw live fish to the girls and a charity yeah and what stands out to me is tanner's presentation of his charcutory board that was really a kind of adorable i find tanner to be kind of adorable he has absolutely no shot in this thing but like i like him and he's a good like and you feel big romance from him they're not even presenting him like that yeah you can tell

in the show like how they present somebody but i enjoy like when he's on my screen he's like lighthearted and it feels like it brings levity uh what else was worth mentioning besides the questions so the girls ask questions and they go to braden and what does brayden say he's like i just want to find a connection be content be content oh my dude dude he just keeps rubbing it in he's like i just want you to know very clearly that i am not necessarily here for commitments at least he's honest i know that's what i've been saying she wants honesty she's getting it um it just really feels like to me brayden is he he hasn't made like a good choice since like really he stepped out a limo i mean he did do fine on night one but i had my

concerns the guy just continues to do um the the wrong thing or the most annoying thing or the thing that's going to make the house the utmost upset. I don't know if he realized how upset all the guys were at Braden. Until the moment we had Braden, Braden, Braden, Braden on all the boards. Yeah, what a weird question.

Like, if you had to survive, who would you eat first? Like, what a weird way to phrase that. It just made me the Yellow Jacket show. And that kind of freak me out because that show freaks me out. Perfect way to pinpoint the villain in case charity wasn't already aware, which I think she was. But she was also, I think, a little bit sad to see that like everybody

was against him. Everybody was against them. Well, we go and then to the nighttime portion of the date right away, right? This all escalates to the moment we've all kind of been wondering when it was going to happen. The guys are talking to Brayden. Braden is trying to defend himself while at the same time, kind of digging himself into a bigger hole. He's still being very honest. So he's still being very clear about his intentions and it would be great to get on the show at some point and understand exactly what he was there for then because if he was there just for a good time

and to have a good experience and to be really happy that he did it that's one thing but if he was really ever there for charity that's a question I still have on my mind but she walks in on it confronts it right away pulls him aside

and that's where their conversation starts and to me what encapsulates it all is when he well he tells her I like you but I don't know where this is going basically

and it's just like okay that just okay I like you but just eliminate him right here but like he also put himself in the position and the power position I think that he wanted to self eliminate in that moment because he knew that she was going to eliminate him if not in that

moment that probably later in the episode later in the week and that was a dick move right did you find that he was doing that i did i mean i think it's again he he was definitely trying to defend himself and he definitely felt at this moment like hey my my leash here is short and i don't have a lot of room left in this experience so let me go out however i want to go out we can get into later on when he comes back and why I think that the how he exited was exactly why he came back um to kind of apologize and to say hey I don't know I've had a few days or a few hours to think about this I was I was wrong I did some stupid stuff here that's why I don't blame him for coming back I think it's a very fair thing for somebody to do especially somebody that has caused so

much chaos um and so much confusion for her um we'll talk about that here in a second but yeah he definitely was but he has eliminated it he goes home he He does give the great little cliffhanger that we all love where he says, is this over? I don't know, man. That's what he says. I don't know, man. It's over. Braden, it's over.

You're very much going on. Hi, my name is Enya Emanzor. 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. Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this. Attention passengers. The pilot is having an emergency and we need someone, anyone to land this plane. Think you could do it?

It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this, until this. Pull that. Turn this. It's just, I can do my eyes close. I'm Manny. I'm Noah. This is Devon. And on our new show, no such thing.

We get to the bottom of questions like these. Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise. And then, as we try the whole thing out for real, wait, what? Oh, that's the run right. I'm looking at this thing. Listen to no such thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison

or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training. These programs aim to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting his. him the next six months. The first night was so overwhelming and you don't know who's next to you. And we didn't know what to expect in the morning. Nobody tells you anything.

Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeartRadio 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. So when it comes down to it, Brayden signed up for a show where the main point is to get engaged at the end in every single week.

He was like, ah, don't really know. If I like the point of this show, you know, like, I really just want contentment at the end of this. Maybe just want a date, like, see if I like someone. You know, if I like someone, that's cool. Yeah. I was just waiting for him to be like, you know what would be awesome. Charity, I think you're awesome. But what I'm really here for is like more of a selection.

So I would, I would love to go in Paradise. Like, if you want to keep me around long enough for that, that'd be really cool. I'd appreciate it. And then you can say goodbye to me whenever you want, but just keep me along long enough to come to Paradise. I believe he will be in Paradise. I believe he fulfilled his mission by going on a show and causing enough stir up that he will be sent to the beach

and who knows what he's like on the beach. I hope it's a good redemption story for him. We wish that upon everybody. Right now, Brayden is going home. Everybody in the house is excited. I think viewers are excited because it didn't feel like the show stretched out the Brayden storyline one week too long. It felt like this week that he needed to go home.

We didn't, you know, he didn't consume our television all the time. We did have great moments with some other guys, including Xavier, who gets the next date. Now, for the rest of the group date, Ashley, no really memorable moments for me other than a few of the guys do make a connection. Like, you know, Joey continues to be really good at kissing charity. And, you know, Sean's, you know, continue. to kind of be there i don't like what was sean right sean is still around and like to fast forward to the end of the episode he like gets to the top six six left right sean there's something like too caricatory about this guy to take seriously yeah i don't i don't disagree with brayden

when he says that he kind of like reminds him of uh the like the prince from shrek or whatever the guy's 100% well he doesn't does he remember that's like that's like that's like really not a compliment because people always say no but because everybody makes fun of like when their hair prince farquod yeah so like when your hair when you're a girl and like your hair is like really limp and like just to your shoulders and it's the very the center part and you feel like it's not styled like that's when you make fun of yourself and you say like you look like prince farquod but he but the but the thing is so like he's like never there's lord farquod lord farquod Lord Farquod. Thank you, Hannah.

Thank you, Lord Parquad. Yeah, but, like, I guess, like, he's, but he is Lord Farquan at the same time because he's just, like, ridiculous. And he does kind of have, like, a character face where he looks like he's more of, like, a cartoon, right? Not, like, in a bad way. Like, he's an attractive guy, of course.

He's an attractive guy, and he's, but, yes, I mean, he does, he's definitely playing that role. He definitely isn't doing anything to help himself from looking like lord farquod um he has the haircut he has every i mean he has everything that you would expect and he still wears a scarf yeah which is cashmere you know that's why his scarf is different than brandon scarf it's he does lean into it so as long as he's self-aware i'm cool with it if his hair wasn't swoopy i'd also be able to take him more seriously like if you just had like a normal like haircut like you or jared i'd be like oh yeah like this

dude, but, like, he's such a cartoon character with his swoop. I want the, the moment where we see him, um, hair, uh, using the hair dryer and, like, doing the flips. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know it happens and it's on camera. Yeah. That stuff doesn't come naturally.

Yeah. No. So the, Xavier date. Yeah, Xavier date, um, when I was excited for all season, I've been a fan of, I've been a fan of Xavier since really week two. So I liked Xavier since his opening package, I knew that he got into science because his mom has an autoimmune disease. Of course, that's like awesome that he would want to get into it to see what he can do to help people, including his mom in the future. So I've been keeping an eye out for him because of that.

But I didn't remember that was the reason until he brought it back up on this date. yeah he's always kind of been that sneaky like frontrunner here for me where ever since dodgeball he was really like good at dodgeball but he was also very like fond and competitive i think he um showed a great side of himself because he didn't win the MVP um and i think uh he should have uh obviously and so that was kind of there he held handled that well i i didn't remember about uh about the autoimmune disorder that uh that uh has mother had until he did bring it up. But he, you know, there's this, there's this element of people, I think, when you sit down with them and they've gone through that kind of pain. I remember a few seasons ago with Sarah, who's dad had a L.S. Like, there is a, like, you grow as a human, especially when a loved one is sick and you're caring for them. And then when you choose to do something about it, I just think it's, you know, it's not only respectable, it's admirable. and it's then it's just like I watch these leaders in life kind of in awe

and I think he's always kind of been that I believe he will stay that that's why you know he has always been up there for me because because if charity doesn't choose him I don't think it's going to be for any reason other than maybe she likes like has a connection with somebody more but he will be the type of guy who could be this next bachelor who could be the lead of a season and and be fantastic And I think that's kind of where he's sneaky at. He's either the pick or I think he's the next bachelor, and I'll say that right.

Yeah, I would not mind that at all. He has such a good heart. And it's funny because the first part of this date, we're not thinking about that. We're thinking about him being a flirt. We're thinking about him over-complementing her. That's an issue with her. And I'm thinking for a second and over-complementing her physical appearance. That's an issue.

and then I thought, okay, would that annoy me on a first date? And I guess to a certain extent, like if you're just giving so many compliments about how pretty you are, then you're like, okay, okay, all right, I thank you. But yeah, you do really want them to compliment your inside, your personality as well, your intelligence. I think that it was probably just a way of making her feel comfortable. but for her it was raising a red flag, which I think, you know, a lot of people it wouldn't really raise a red flag on a first date, but it was because I think that this

deep-rooted fear of infidelity for her, which reminded her of her past, her ex, and like maybe she thought that, oh, compliments me about my physical appearance. Is he just going to be so like physically oriented? And I do have to worry about him cheating on me. Did you understand that thought process of hers? Because they didn't. really spell it out. I'm just assuming that was kind of what she was thinking. I think it's exactly what she was thinking. I mean, I think there's like I have my pet

piece, right? There's they're very clear and after you've listened to this podcast long enough, you know what those are. You have yours. We all have those like little things in our mind that kind of set us off and like make us, yeah, take a step back. And for her, I'm sure some guy was like very complimentary

of her. She said a lot of great words, but failed her in, you know, some way And she's spoken to that. And she hasn't spoken in enough clarity about it. We really know the storyline. She just kind of like mentions it. Probably doesn't want to get into the depths of it, or at least not yet.

But I do think that's probably what's happening. And so she hears that and she's hesitant. And she's like, okay, this good looking guy, who's really charismatic, he's really smart, is showing very similar signs to a guy dated in the past. And that didn't go well for me. and I bet also she went on to this season thinking I'm not going to date people that I've typically dated because that's never worked out for me

so I want to date somebody different but he's not different he's the type of guy I always go for until the dinner part and then she was like total change of mind when he started talking about his parents who have been married for 30 years

her parents remember have been married for like 47, 43 some crazy number for their age and her age an impressive number and 30 years for him and his parents and his dad is the main caregiver for the mom and that obviously shows so much and that's the kind of marriage that you want and it's it's nice that they both can bond over their parents relationship being so strong and I think that always do you do you think it's wrong for me to say that I think that two people that come from

to healthy parental marriages, they can go into a serious relationship easier? Oh, yeah. I mean, I think they've had it modeled for them. I think, you know, you've seen it. You know it can happen. Like, you've seen the difficulties, but you've also seen the beauty of it.

Yeah, I think it's definitely something to look at. And then I think, in their case, from what it sounds like, their parents really like each other still, right? Like, they've still very much. in love and like with each other. And I think that's something to strive for because if you spend 43 years with somebody who has literally seen you naked and unashamed and seen every side of you and every part of

you and you still like them, you're still the biggest fan, I think it's something like we all could dream for, right? So yes. And so he does show a different side or a side that maybe proves to her, hey, he isn't like everybody else. And the date ends in a rose. Xavier's going to be there a while and that gets to the cocktail party

actually. The cocktail party is really not a cocktail party. It's all about Braden again. It's all about Braden again. It's his last stand. He comes into the room, kind of just walks by the guys, interrupts a moment with John

who unfortunately goes home, which is wild to me because they're making out. Okay. So my issue was that John was like you interrupted my time like he was so offended which i understand you should totally be offended by braden this guy who was eliminated early in the week taking your time but my question to you john is truly truly were you going to talk to her anymore or were you just going to continue making out because

normally the making out portion of time alone when you're dating is like what ends your time together right you never like talk and then make out and then like you know what Let's go back to this talking thing, especially on The Bachelor. You just don't do it. That's the way you wrap up your time. And you don't have that much time. We saw, what, 45 seconds of their time together? I mean, that's at least one third of what he would probably get either way.

Somebody else is going to interrupt. Yeah, he's lucky to get any moments. It is interesting, though, that she was making out with him like this, and he still goes home. I was thinking that. I wanted to ask you. I'd be like, Ben, would you ever make out with somebody like that and then eliminate them? I don't remember. You've had to have.

I had to. But like you don't, like you don't want to. You don't like to. It's usually because you have nothing to talk about and there's no connection there. So you're like, we call it here or we just start kissing for the next two minutes and then somebody comes and interrupts it. I know. I was like, John, if you're really that offended by your time being taken over, you definitely should have been spending your time talking. Braden is not the reason that John went home.

Let's just make that. He's not the reason that John went home. Braden does come in. They sit down and talk. I don't necessarily have a problem with his conversation with her. I don't have a problem at all. I do think it's always weird when somebody comes back, but I do feel like he left and probably felt pretty guilty,

wanted to clear some air, wanted to kind of make this all make more sins. It's still Braden. So like none of this is going to be like, not a little bit annoying and not a little bit weird. But he did it. And the response to the other guys is what I say is when we were talking about last week. And I said, hey, I don't really like, I'm not like in love with this cast because they just seem to want to heighten the moments of drama and chaos.

Like, these dudes are there. All they had to do is sit back on that couch and let him walk out the door and get in the bus and leave. Instead, I don't know what they're wanting to do. Were they wanting to apologize? Were they wanting to, like, fight him one on 15? Like, I don't get it. They go, I've never been this mad, this upset in my entire life. And I go, guys, you, like, really need to get some respect to.

Because I'm already for marriage then. I want to know the guy. Like, what do you mean you haven't got that mad at anything? There's no injustices in this world. I know. That's what I was thinking. I was like, you guys really need to prioritize what's important in this world. Some dude is.

is living rent-free in his head. And I know Aaron B says that it's not. It is because that dude had every opportunity to, like, be the front-runner, to have the best connection with charity, to really be the man in all of this since week one. And he has came really close. Now he hasn't yet. But he came really close to letting Braden ruin that all because Braden did live rent-free in his head.

I don't know what they were doing. It wasn't a good look. I don't think for any of those guys who went out there and yelled at him. I get that he's annoying. I get that he's on your nerves. I get that he came back. I understand all that. I understand it's frustrating.

But like I said, the Doughtons of the world. And I don't remember seeing Zia. He wasn't there. I don't remember either of them present. Joey. Was Joey not there? He wasn't in the forefront of my mind when I'm thinking back on that scene. It's just, it's frustrating that they did that because it's, it just doesn't make

lot of sense um but they didn't and and i that's why i think we could literally right now say okay who wrote who walked out to that bus who was yelling into the bus that like we can eliminate that those guys are here at the end because i don't think charity'd probably be into it if she was standing there she wouldn't be like yeah get them boys yeah i agree she they definitely seem more bothered than than she does and and he was the one who basically eliminated himself on her Aaron B loves to freaking hate Braden

he he secretly loves he does love the drama or you know proving like he's a big man that's what Braden said and I do feel like he's got that like he wants to prove that he's kind of macho it was only it's been the only time

since we since the show started that I've been like okay I get Braden here like I see I'm on Braden's side like I would be in the bus being like hey can you shut the door so I can leave. Like, I'm ready to go. I've gotten everything out of me that I need to.

He just, I think at that point, it felt weird. And again, I don't know what they were wanting to do. Were they wanting to beat him up? Like, is that really what they thought? Or are they just all trying to get, like, their voices heard? Well, okay. So their interpretation is that their interpretation was that charity eliminated him, not that he, like, kind of self-eliminated.

So maybe they were riled up with the fact that, like, he tried to come back when she didn't want him around anymore. Well, on the other side of that, too, is I think they were a little upset that they felt like John didn't get the time he deserved. And I think they were wrapping their anger up and their frustrations that John they get the time he deserved, which again is weird to me. Yeah, that's what it was. They were trying to defend him, yeah.

I sat on The Bachelorette. I remember very clearly. And similar situations erupted, right? where somebody didn't get the time that they wanted to have with Caitlin the time. And as bad as I felt, I was pretty thrilled. Like, why would I want any of these other dudes?

Like, I am so happy that it wasn't me, but I'm sitting there going, like, why is anybody protecting John? Let John stand up for himself. Do you know why? Because they wanted to get fire air or something. They just wanted to, they wanted to kind of enjoy drama for a second, but mostly

they defended him because they knew he stood no chance. He kept saying, I'm on the chopping block. And everybody else knew that he was on the chopping block. So, yeah, they'll just, they'll get riled up for that. But what if that happened to Don't? What if that happened to Xavier? What if that happened to Joey? There's no way that they're going all after him. No, they're like, that's the best. Thanks, Braden. See you later, man. Thank you. Have a good one. Yeah. Uh, does there anything else I want to say about Braden before he actually makes his final

goodbye? I mean, the earrings this week where those were outrageous. Yeah, what was his final stand? He needed to do something big. But no, he is now eliminated. Breeden is no longer with us. Along with John

who else got to... Caleb, the wrestler and Michael, who I truly looked at Michael this episode. I was like, who are you? We haven't seen you once. We have not seen any connection there. I'm wild now at the fact that we have

six guys left. Let's count them now. We have Doughton. We have Xavier. We have Joey. We have Sean and Tanner and Aaron B. We've never been down to six

by going into week five. Never ever. Kind of love it. Kind of love it. Yeah. We're going to get to know these guys very well. Ashley, who's your top to let's say your top three at this point in order don't number one i think she likes joey over

zavier but those are my three okay i'm going to go zavier doton joey um i really don't know if there's anybody outside of those three there's nobody even close in my mind right now that's another thing that's unique to this season i'm looking at these guys going into week five we still have so many weeks left and I'm like nobody stands a chance outside those three this is this honestly couldn't call it so it's a weak cast uh these guys might be really nice but it's think about your cast compared it's a weak it's a weak cast but i think it's a strong top three that's what i mean like that's fine that's what i said last week like i'm i feel bad because to the majority but all that really matters is that she has her few very strong contenders

yeah because i mean we're saying sean aaron b and tanner don't don't really have a shot and i think that's i mean it's true i don't even see any of them making a run at this thing i think tanner still has the potential um but uh but we'll be interested in see she goes on a one-on-one with sean you can see that in the scenes for the next episode I don't think it goes well. I'm assuming he's not going to get a rose at the end of that. I love the fact that we're going in with such few people, though, because this is kind of what I've been asking for

so that the ending can be really focused on the ones that matter. Yeah. Hi, my name is Enya Jumanzoor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime, 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. Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this. Attention passengers.

The pilot is having an emergency... and we need someone, anyone, to land this plane. Think you could do it? It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this, and pull that, turn this. It's just, I can do it my eyes close. I'm Manny. I'm Noah.

This is Devin. And on our new show, no such thing. We get to the bottom of questions like these. Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise. And then, as we try the whole thing out for real,

wait, what? Oh, that's the run right. I'm looking at this thing. Listen to no such thing on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your entire identity has been fabricated. Your beloved brother goes missing without a trace. You discover the depths of...

of your mother's illness, the way it has echoed and reverberated throughout your life, impacting your very legacy. Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro, and these are just a few of the profound and powerful stories I'll be mining on our 12th season of Family Secrets. With over 37 million downloads, we continue to be moved and inspired by our guests and their courageously told stories. I can't wait to share 10 powerful new episodes. with you, stories of tangled up identities, concealed truths, and the way in which family secrets

almost always need to be told. I hope you'll join me and my extraordinary guests for this new season of Family Secrets. Listen to Family Secrets Season 12 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth. Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training.

These programs aim to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months. The first night was so overwhelming, and you don't know who's next to you. And we didn't know what to expect in the morning. Nobody tells you anything. Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. It's been a great season so far. We're really happy with this season and watching it. We've been entertained. We've been intrigued. And I think the love stories now are really going to blossom. And I think that's always the most fun part and always the most intriguing part. And also the most heartwarming and wrenching part of the show.

So we'll be back next week, breaking down another episode of this season. We don't miss a week. But we do have Bachelor headlines to get into, actually. And there are some big ones this week, including this one. Sean Booth has announced that he is going to be a dad that the woman who will be the mother is 18 weeks pregnant. He is beyond thrilled. Sean is 37 years old. He is quote is he's always wanted to be a dad.

He said he's ecstatic that she's going to be a great mother. And everybody is really excited. So again, big headline in Bachelor Nation. Sean Booth has announced on his podcast that he is going to be a father. Bachelor nation's Claire Crawley expecting first baby Be a Syrogate with Ryan Dawkins Maybe this brings them together, who knows, but this is pretty big Bachelor baby news Sean Booth is going to be a dad at 37 years old

Bachelor Nations Claire Crawley expecting first baby Be a Syrogate with Ryan Dawkins We're so excited I kind of felt this was coming Claire didn't really say anything when we were in Santa Barbara with her. She didn't say anything. She didn't say anything. But I had this feeling that there was news like this coming. We were talking about baby products and stuff like that. And I'm just so excited to see it's for real, for real. It is happening. They are

expecting. We don't know if it's a girl or a boy due in January, I think. And yeah, the baby's being carried via surrogate. I'm so excited for them. They're going to be the most amazing parents. Claire is like the most maternal person that I can think of. And I'm just really excited. They're doing it with the egg whisper, the whole surrogate process. And that's who Sarah Heron has been working with on her fertility journey as well.

Super excited for the two of them. We mentioned it last week. didn't really know what was going on but we have more clarity this week we told you looked into it and we did and here is the update Kim Kardashian tricks Chris Jenner into calling Disney VP

over fake the Bachelorette gig. It's a prank according to us weekly. Yes it is a prank so Kim just played a joke on her mom Chris pretending that she was going to be the Bachelorette on the new episode they basically have

that tease that they show where she's like telling the whole family she goes i have some very important info i talked to rob mills um but she they said that you know chris was not thrilled by the news this is not the right move for kim and she calls the chris jenner calls rob mills and says that she's like i just need to wrap my head around something like this because it's not really the space that i saw kim in she does have four kids in a very busy life and then she goes i i watch the show i love the show but did i want my daughter on it oh hell no it's funny because i mentioned this on friday i'm pretty sure she was for chloe doing it a couple years ago um and then the joke continues he goes we're working

on all the scheduling now we're like 90 percent there for kim but the budget is subject to negotiation we'd probably need to work that out with you that's that's Robbill's responding and eventually it gets revealed that it's all a big joke so good that's a good joke I love that Chris Jenner was fully confused for a second and thinking that Kim Kardashian would actually be a Bachelorette on the show you know I bring a show back just give it you know one of the world's biggest celebrity golden bachelor's then Kim Kardashian. We are back, baby.

We are back. Speaking of being back, final big headline is Nick Fyle. Surprises Mom by buying Back Family Lakehouse 32 years after losing it. I know he's been working on this for a while. I knew this was something he dreamed of. I didn't know it had happened, but it's a big deal. And congratulations to him for making this happen. It's a really cool gift.

Okay. So let me just read verbatim what Nick says. after losing the house 32 years ago, I finally bought it back into the family. I had recurring dreams my entire life since we lost the house in 1990 about somehow the house being back in our family. I always woke up from this dream. I'm living a literal dream now. No more waking up from this one.

Then he has the tattoo of the lake house that his father, his grandfather built in 1965. He was nine when they lost the house. He says that this place was always the version of heaven in his mind. And he just bought it back and he gave it to his mom, surprised his mom with a letter letting her know that he bought the house back after 32 years. And now he's going to share those memories with Natalie and their kids and all the other nine kids that his mom has and their families. This is like the most special thing ever from a on a personal note. Yes, I've known that Nick's been trying to work to get this house for a while. I don't want to like throw info that I vaguely remember out there. I'm just going to let Nick tell his story and he has on TikTok and

Instagram. You can watch them on his podcast. It's really, really special to him. I'm just like so stoked. It was cool because I texted him last week just randomly just being like, hey, talking about you, love you, miss you. What are you up to? And he goes, I'm at the lake house and I go what you got it and he that was a couple days before he announced to everybody that he had bought it back it's really really exciting yeah that's a big deal I mean he cares about it because he got a tattooed on his arm before he even owned it so that's you know you or on his chest maybe you know that you know this is something special so congrats to him and Natalie and the whole family making this happen well this has been

another episode of the almost famous podcast we are always so thankful and so Happy to be here. We will be back next week talking about The Bachelorette, talking about all the headlines, everything breaking down. We will be continuing to update you on the upcoming Golden Bachelor and everything happening within Bachelor Nation. But until then, I've been Ben. I've been Ashley. See ya. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcasts on IHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor.

And I'm Drew Phillips. 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. Hi, I'm Jenna Lopez and in the new season of the Overcomfit Podcast. I'm even more honest, more vulnerable, and more real than ever. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time? Join me for conversations about healing and growth.

All from one of my favorite spaces, The Kitchen. Listen to the new season of the Overcombered podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. 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. What would you do if one bad decision forced you to do? choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth. Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.

Thank you.