The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Welcome to the Real Housewives Family

Episode Date: November 26, 2025

Ashley is making a big leap from Bachelor Nation to the world of the Real Housewives when she debuts as part of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island! But before we find out how her inaugural season unfolds, some of our favorite Housewives have some valuable words of advice to share.Come along with Ashley as she connects with Bravo superstars like Teddi Mellencamp, Tamra Judge, Kelly Bensimon and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast, Guaranteed Human. On this week's episode of Next Chapter, I, TDJ, sit down with Denzel Washington, a two-time Academy Award-winning actor and cultural icon. I don't take any credit for it. I just didn't put me first. I just put God first, and he's carrying me. Listen to the next chapter podcast on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. New episodes drop weekly.

Hey there, Dr. Jesse Mills here. I'm the director of the men's clinic at UCLA, and I want to tell you about my new podcast called The Mail Room. And I'm Jordan, the show's producer. And like most guys, I haven't been to the doctor in way too long. I'll be asking the questions we probably should be asking, but aren't. Every week, we're breaking down the world of men's health from testosterone and fitness to diets and fertility. We'll talk science without the jargon and get your real answers to the stuff you actually wonder about. So check out the mailroom on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.

What up, y'all? It's your boy, Kevin on stage. I want to tell you about my new podcast called Not My Best Moment, where I talk to artists, athletes, entertainers, creators, friends, people I admire who have had massive success about their massive failures. What did they mess up on? What is their heartbreak? And what did they learn from it?

I got judged, oh, horribly. The judges were like, you're trash. I don't know how you got on the show. Check out Not My Best Moment with me, kept on stage on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcast. On the podcast health stuff, we are tackling all the health questions

that keep you up at night. I'm Dr. Priyankawali, a double board certified physician. And I'm Hurricane de Bolu, a comedian and someone who once Googled, Do I have scurvy at 3 a.m? And on our show, we're talking about health in a different way. Like our episode where we,

look at diabetes. In the United States, I mean, 50% of Americans are pre-diabetic. How preventable is type 2? Extremely. Listen to health stuff on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Big Take podcast from Bloomberg News keeps you on top of the biggest stories of the day. My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day. Stories that move markets. Chair Powell opened the door to this.

first interest rate cut. Impact politics, change businesses. This is a really stunning development for the AI world and how you think about your bottom line. Listen to the big take from Bloomberg News every weekday afternoon on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast with IHartRadio. It's the almost famous podcast.

Ashley, myself, are here with you today and since the news is out. And we are excited for our Ashley. That sounds very weird, but I like that's sweet. I like that. Yeah, she's our Ashley. The Real Housewives of Rhode Island is going to be airing. And my co-host is going to be on this season. We've asked some of our listeners to share some messages with Ashley.

We're going to listen to those and she's going to respond. I'm going to take a step back. But before we get into it, Ashley, I know there's a lot right now that you cannot speak about when it comes to the show, and we're going to respect that here. However, and I want to also preface, the messages that you're going to be hearing, Ashley, are from other housewives, from some people that we definitely know the names of and our fans of. But before we kind of kick this off, I just want to ask you, why did you say yes to it? I think you could speak to that. Well, I can't go into casting, which is, it sucks.

I will say this when asked, it was quite the debate in my head and a conversation between Jared and I that continued months. It wasn't a fast decision that we came to. It actually took like two months. And we were like pretty much on the same page, which was, if we don't do it, we'll regret doing it. if we don't say yes, we'll always wonder what if. And I've said many times on the show that I try to eliminate as many what ifs in my life as possible.

So I said, I'd rather say yes and then later down the road say no, then say no and then never be able to say yes. And I believe that I stay true to myself throughout the filming process. And we will see how Bravo and that audience. takes to me because I do find I felt myself to be untraditional in the role. That's good. So, yeah, we'll see how it plays over with this audience. Maybe they won't like me.

It's a good chance they won't like me. Here's the truth, Ashley. If you stay true to yourself and they don't like you. That's okay. It's okay. It's a different audience. We do have some messages from some stars from the Real High Spies franchise. We're going to start with,

Messages from Jennifer Fessler from the Real Housewives of New Jersey, and she is with Kelly Binsomen, who from the Real Housewives of New York, who is a part of our I-Heart family, both very great, very sweet people. Let's listen to the message. Hi, Ashley. It's Jen Fessler from Real Housewives of New Jersey. Hey, Ashley. It's Kelly Ben-Simon from the Real Housewives of New York. Hi, Mike Cal, Cal. Hi, Beauty. Hi, we are so excited for you, Ashley. we are so excited we watched the trailer it looks unbelievable we are so excited to watch it so congratulations my new friend and welcome to this crazy crazy housewives world so one thing we all know is that you are going to go to a crazy dinner party so here's a piece of advice eat first i can't preface that enough because by the time dinner is over you are going to be so exhausted and And if you're me, so completely starving because you will have expended so much energy. So I would suggest to you just to eat first and it'll help you with stamina and you're going to need stamina.

That is great advice. And you know what's so interesting is that I would always eat like chicken and vegetables and rice before every single big scene. I felt like an athlete. I was like, I am eating. I'm going to be hydrated. I had my coffee before. So I was like all ready to go. And an ultimate girl's trip, it's like you're eating only when you're having the meals with the other housewives, which I did not eat a lot and I did not eat enough. And I regret that. That's really good at us. I already knew you were going to be on this show because we talked about it. I love that you called me right after we were on almost famous. And you were like, oh my God, what's going to happen? And what did I say to you? I said, be your gorgeous, fun, kind self. And the world is going to be your gorgeous, fun, kind self. And the world is going to.

love you again and again just like they loved you in bachelination as you're going to do so great jenn and i are here for you we love you dolores is there with you and we love our dolores we absolutely do we really mean it reach out anytime happy to be your big bravo housewife sisters not your mother your big sister yeah your i heart team we are here for you we love you and we're so excited to hear about everything team ashley baby team ashley so sweet oh my gosh guys that's so nice it's so funny because they don't have to tell me to eat i am the girl that if they show it will be eating in every single scene one of the best things is that there's like always a charcutory board there and i think we all eat but i uh i use that

as a distraction in a lot of moments be like oh you guys are you guys are having a thing over there okay, I'm just going to like wander over and emotionally eat over here. The, these messages are going to be great. On to the next one, we got Emily Simpson from the Real Housewives Orange County. Hi, Ashley, it's Emily Simpson from the Real Housewives of Orange County. I just wanted to say congrats on joining the Real Housewives. The best advice that I can give to you about being a housewife is just always staying authentic to who you are, to what you think, to your opinions. And also, I think Housewives

really starts to decline when they try to drive the narrative or get a specific outcome. And I think you just need to stay away from that. You just need to have an opinion, not think about what the audience reaction would be, not think about how you want something to turn out in the end. Just whatever you think in that moment, just say it. Because you can always apologize guys later. But it's just, I think it's best to just be authentic, open, and raw about what you're feeling and what you think right then. Interesting. Okay. Oh, there's so many things that I would love to respond to, but I'm like, I don't want to get that call because it's so early. If you guys were to give me this advice, or if I wanted to be listening to these while the show was airing,

I think I could give you almost famous audience a little bit more feedback. But right now, I don't, but this is all so interesting to hear after having already filmed. I think a lot of this right now is like a tease to what we're going to be able to get into together as the season starts and when you can start to openly discuss some of the stuff that's happening. This is like the tease for people to foreshadow and wonder what is going to happen? How does this all work? And I think that's healthy in its own way.

And it's also great that these. ladies who have been through are giving you this advice. Up next, we have two icons in the Real Housewives franchise, people we know and appreciate, and I know, know, know, and appreciate you. A decade ago, I was on the trail of one of the country's most elusive serial killers, but it wasn't until 2023 when he was finally caught. The answers were there, hidden in plain sight. So why did it take so long to catch him? I'm Josh Zeman, and this is Monster,

hunting the Long Island serial killer, the investigation into the most notorious killer in New York, since the son of Sam, available now. Listen for free on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Hey there, Dr. Jesse Mills here. I'm the director of the men's clinic at UCLA Health, and I want to tell you about my new podcast called The Mailroom.

And I'm Jordan, the show's producer. And like a lot of guys, I haven't been to the doctor in many years. I'll be asking the questions we probably should be asking, but aren't. Because guys usually don't go to the doctor unless a piece of their face is hanging off or they've broken a bone. Depends which bone. Well, that's true. Every week, we're breaking down the unique world of men's health, from testosterone and fitness to diets and fertility and things that happen in the bedroom. You mean sleep?

Yeah, something like that, Jordan. We'll talk science without the jargon and get you really. answers to the stuff you actually wonder about. It's going to be fun, whether you're 27, 97, or somewhere in between. Men's Health is about more than six packs and supplements. It's about energy, confidence, and connection. We don't just want you to live longer. We want you to live better.

So check out the mailroom on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. What up, y'all? It's your boy, Kevin on stage. I want to tell you about my new podcast called Not My Best Month. where I talk to artists, athletes, entertainers, creators, friends, people I admire who had massive success about their massive failures. What did they mess up on? What is their heartbreak?

And what did they learn from it? I got judged horribly. The judges were like, you're trash. I don't know how you got on the show. Boo, somebody had tomatoes. I'm kidding. But if they had tomatoes, they would have thrown the tomatoes. Let's be honest.

We've all had those moments we'd rather forget. We bumped our head. We made a mistake. The deal fell through. we're embarrassed, we failed. But this podcast is about that and how we made it through. So when they sat me down, they were kind of like, we got into the small talk, and they were just like,

so what do you got? What ideas? And I was like, oh, no. What? Check out Not My Best Moment with me, Kevin on stage, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcast. On the podcast health stuff,

we are tackling all the health questions that keep you up at night. Yes, I'm Dr. Priyanka. Wally, a double board certified physician. And I'm Hurricane Dibolu, a comedian and someone who once Googled, do I have scurvy at 3 a.m. On health stuff, we're talking about health in a different way. It's not only about what we can do to improve our health, but also what our health says about us and the way we're living.

Like our episode where we look at diabetes. In the United States, I mean, 50% of Americans are pre-diabetic. How preventable is type 2? Extremely. or our in-depth analysis of how incredible mangoes are. Oh, it's hard to explain to the rest of the world. Like, your mangoes are fine because mangoes are incredible, but like, you don't even know. You don't know.

You don't know. It's going to be a fun ride. So tune in. Listen to Health Stuff on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The force is shaping the world's economies and financial markets can be hard to spot. Even though they are such a powerful player in finance, you wouldn't really know that you are interacting with them. And even harder to understand. Donald Trump's trade war, 2.0, is only accelerating the process of de-dollarization, which in a way is

jargon for people turning away from the dollar. That is where the big take from Bloomberg podcast comes in to connect the dots. How unusual is a deal like this? Unprecedented. Every weekday afternoon, we dive deep into one big global business story. The biggest story of the reaction of the oil market to the conflict in the Middle East is one of what has not happened. Katie, you told me that ETFs are your favorite thing. They are. Explain that. Why is that the case? And unpack what it means for you. Our breakfast foods are consistent consumer staples, and so they sort of become outsized indicators of inflation. Listen to the big take from Bloomberg News every weekday afternoon. the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Up next, we have a message from Teddy Mellencamp from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and also Tamara Judge from the Real Housewives of Orange County. Hi, it's Teddy Mellencamp and Tamara Judge. I want to give a congratulations to Ashley, the new housewife, and just let her know that just be yourself don't let those girls push you around be authentic have fun and make sure that whatever's on your mind you speak it all right it's very similar to what emily says yeah it kind of feels like this trend actually that i'm hearing somebody that's not familiar with what happened with your season and also the show it just like authenticity that feels like is what they're trying to tell you because

they're like this could get crazy uh don't get yourself involved it says they're like talking about like letting your opinions be known, though. And that's something that I've heard a number of times from different sources. I'll be excited to see if you do that. Alexia Napola from Real Housewives, Miami has our final message for you. Hi, Ashley. It's Alexia Napola from the Real Houseways of Miami. And I want to say congrats on joining the Real Housewives family. Welcome to this crazy housewife world where we have the best fans ever and you're going to see that and you're going to love it we do have the best fans ever but you know it's also a little scary so I hope you're ready for it just embrace it it's a lot of fun your life is about to

change and I wish you all the best things in life and just have fun it's a wild experience and I want you to enjoy every moment of it actually the best advice I can give you about being a housewife is own your storyline you have to say your story before somebody says it for you because once the girls say the story for you it's not going to be the same story that you have to say and you know there's usually rumors and confessionals and then it turns into a big mess so just own your story and tell it be authentic to yourself be authentic with the public you know don't try too much i feel like a lot of the rookie housewives come in and they want to take over and they try too much. So, you know, just be authentic,

be real and everyone will love you. I love that. That was good. And I will admit that there are many times throughout filming that I said, I'm scared. Hi, guys. I'm Ashley and I'm really nervous to be here. Yeah, I'm sure. I would say that her advice seems to be the one that I feel most connected with. Her and Jen's, I want to say thank you to everyone. Jennifer Kelly, Emily, Teddy, Tamara, and Alexia for your calls. That's so, so sweet of you. I am excited to see the fandom that is the Bravo universe because it's possibly more intense than even Bachelor Nation. Sounds like it could be.

I'm excited for you, Ashley. Here's my advice for you. I have no clue what I'm talking about. And so my advice for you is just to keep being you. um actually is there any anything closing here i know it's a weird time uh we heard about standing up for your own opinions uh we we heard about staying true to yourself we heard about the the fear or how scary this whole new world could be uh actually is there anything even a nugget that you could share with us about some of the advice that you

heard and how it made you feel or I guess even when you hear it are you like no I don't really know what they're talking about or when they know I know exactly what they're talking about and I guess opinions is interesting opinions on things because your opinion on things means so much as a housewife and it was something that wasn't front and center on bachelor because bachelor's friend center is literally love and that was my hardest adjustment having a show that didn't have a focus beyond chatter I guess I think that's great I think that is uh that's your nugget that's my nugget and I'll take it I'll take it Ashley our producer is asking whether this felt like a game like Bachelor did.

And I will say it doesn't, it's not a competition show. And so that element not being there was also a new thing for me where it was like, kind of, you didn't know where it was going to go because at least on the Bachelor, you have a formula. You're like, you're going to have a, there's going to be two one-on-ones this week. There's going to be a group date and then there's going to be a rose ceremony. And you kind of knew what to expect as like an outline every week. And here you have no idea what's on your plate.

And that was intimidating for me. All right. Well, again, thank you to all the housewives who sent little messages of hope and support. I appreciate you so much. And I'm excited to get to meet everybody. And just as a side note, it was so lovely. getting to know Dolores over this summer as well. She's such an amazing woman. And it was cool to see her at BravoCon and all that talking about Rhode Island and what to expect. So thank you guys

for all the love and support from Instagram over the past week. And yeah, I'll be able to say more soon, hopefully. Until next time, I've been Ashley. I've been Ben. Bye guys. on iHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. On this week's episode of Next Chapter, I, TDJ, sit down with Denzel Washington, a two-time Academy Award-winning actor and cultural icon. I don't take any credit for it. I just didn't put me first.

I just put God first, and he's carried me. Listen to the next chapter podcast on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you. you get your podcast. New episodes drop weekly. Hey there, Dr. Jesse Mills here. I'm the director of the men's clinic at UCLA and I want to tell you about my new podcast called The Mail Room. And I'm Jordan, the show's producer. And like most guys, I haven't been to the doctor in way too long. I'll be asking the questions we probably should be asking, but aren't. Every week, we're breaking down the world of men's

health from testosterone and fitness to diets and fertility. We'll talk science without the jargon and get your real answers to the stuff you actually wonder about. So check out the mailroom on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. What up, y'all? It's your boy, Kevin on stage. I want to tell you about my new podcast called Not My Best Moment, where I talk to artists, athletes, entertainers, creators, friends, people I admire who had massive success about their massive failures. What did they mess up on? What is their heartbreak?

And what did they learn from it? I got judged horribly. The judges were like, you're trash. I don't know how you got on the show. Check out Not My Best Moment with me kept on stage on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcast. On the podcast health stuff,

we are tackling all the health questions that keep you up at night. I'm Dr. Priyankawali, a double board certified physician. And I'm Hurricane Dibolu, a comedian and someone who once Googled, Do I have scurvy at 3 a.m? And on our show, we're talking about health in a different way, like our episode where we look at diabetes.

In the United States, I mean, 50% of Americans are pre-diabetic. How preventable is type 2? Extremely. Listen to health stuff on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Big Take podcast

from Bloomberg News keeps you on top of the biggest stories of the day. My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day. Stories that move markets. Chair Powell opened the door to this first interest rate cut. Impact politics, change businesses. This is

a really stunning development for the AI world and how you think about your bottom line listen to the big take from Bloomberg news every weekday afternoon on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts this is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human