The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - What If? with Jojo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers Part 1

Episode Date: June 9, 2023

 A reunion YEARS in the making, Ben faces one of the most intense emotional experiences of his life when a major figure from his past joins him on the podcast for the very first time. 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 internet com and listen now the super secret bestie club podcast season four is here and we're locked in

that means more juicy cheesement terrible love advice evil spells to cast on your ex no no we're not doing that this season oh well this season we're leveling up each episode will feature a special bestie and you're not going to want to miss it my name is curly and I'm Maya

get in here listen to the super secret Bestie Club on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Let's start with a quick puzzle. The answer is Ken Jennings' appearance on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. The question is, what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land? Jeopardy-truthers believe in... I guess they would be conspiracy theorists.

That's right. They give you the answers, and you still blew it. The Puzzler. Listen on the... 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 Podcast, 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 have Ben Higgins here, obviously, with me. And he's about to go into an interview with his ex-girlfriend, Jojo Fletcher. How do you feel, Ben?

well i'm i feel good i would say this she is an ex to me meaning like it was a real relationship i've never never in my life ever discounted or said no that was just a show relationship like she uh her like our relationship together is as real to me uh and would be like if i said okay i've dated so many people in my life like she would be one of the top people i'd say had the most impact on me when it comes to a romantic relationship it just happened to be on the show. Do you feel that way about any of the other girls from your season? Or is it just Jojo and then, of course, Lauren?

It's, you know, I think all of them were unique. I think the two, like, they would be the two that stood out to me. If somebody asked me what two relationships like have played the most role in your life or which ones have you thought about the most or which ones in your single days were you like the what ifs of, it would be those two. Obviously, you know, Kayla and I had something great and it was really special, but it never reached the depth of the other two, especially, I think, the realization at the end where I was a mess, right? You send somebody home that, I mean, I really did love and I cared about and you're watching them walk away and, like, your heart is breaking and you feel like you just got out of a breakup, yet you have to be happy in, you know, 20 minutes when the next arrives. And it was hard for me to do.

I think that's for me where I look back and go, no, I know it was real. And then post-show, as clarity came in and as time spent, it was still that real to me. It still, I remember that day. And I still remember the pain that was felt as I said, hey, I want you, I wish the best for you, but it isn't here. And it was still the relationship, too, after Lauren I broke up that I looked back on and I said, what if? what could I have done or what should I have done or you know there's just all those questions and so talking to to Jojo will be um I'm not nervous uh and there's a reason because jojo and from what I know about Jordan I've met Jordan in person twice once was really soon after our um you know

time on the bachelor and bachelor at the other one was in an airport that I'm sure we'll talk about uh with them but um Like he's great. And Jojo's fantastic. Like I'm not nervous because I don't expect this to be a, oh my gosh, this is going to be super awkward. This is going to be really hard. She's a great communicator. She's very kind.

But she's also very truthful, which, you know, I respect because there is things that I did or things that we look back on that we go, that wasn't awesome. I know she'll tell me. And it won't be this like, I want to, you know, get you a moment. It's like, I know, I'll tell you because it hurt me. And that's good. Do you have you two spoken in depth at all since you left her on the show slash, you know, the tell-all? No. And there's a reason.

One is I would have loved to. I think it was always something I desired is to have some closure with Jojo because I felt like, again, it was a real relationship. And it needed some closure, maybe on my end, selfishly. I just needed a chance to talk to her again. But I was with Lauren following the show. And it wasn't, you know, it wasn't something that was right or wise of me to say, hey, I need to call Jojo today. I need to talk to her.

Like that was never something that I could do because we were working through those same issues, Lauren and I post show. So I've never talked to Jojo in depth. I've never had a conversation with her other than this running at the airport. that's a super wild story that we'll, you know, I'm sure we'll bring up to them and give details in during the podcast. But, you know, that was a five-minute conversation. And Jordan was right there. And I wasn't like, hey, Jojo, I've had so much I want to tell you. You know, that wasn't the case. So we haven't talked. This will be the first time. And there is a, you know, years have passed.

And our lives are in two incredible places. But there is still that this is just a cool person that I got to meet and I don't want there to be anything but I don't want her to know that I feel any way other than I've always just like desperately dreamed of both of us doing really well post show you know that's always been and and that might be the biggest what if coming off of the Lauren relationship and kind of the thing was like yeah but there was one human here that always wanted me to thrive and that was Jojo she's never publicly she had every opportunity you to slam me. She had every opportunity to make me hurt and to make me feel like the bad guy and she never

once did. And that's just speaking to her character and who she is as a person. Like I've never doubted that Jojo has my best interests. Like she wants what's best for me no matter what that looks like. And maybe that wasn't shown on the show all the time. Was like her just always wanting what's best for me. And that was one of the coolest parts about you know uh having her a part of a season it's all it's it's great to have that person there but it also was again the thing that brought up the most what ifs of wait now i'm off the show

now i'm hurting you know and there was somebody on that show that always made me feel better what's going on one of the biggest moments in bachelor history was the fact that you were kind of the first to say i love you to two different people of course we're going to have to broach this today what do you what do you predict jojo will say about you telling her that i think she'll know i think she'll i think she'll say of course you did like i don't think that was ever i don't think jojo ever questioned how i felt about her at least i hope she didn't and that was also part of my reasoning back in the day again i've you know said many times it probably wasn't wise to communicate uh openly but i had already gone that far with her like the the love you part was

kind of the icing on the cake or the hey i finally said it moment but there were so many conversations that i had already walked way far into with her on what life could look like and what um what we could share together like we were way past you know i think it was already assumed and so i don't think she'll be um i don't think she'll be mad that i said it i think she'll just look back and like if she's reliving that time say yeah that hurt it was it was so real to us and that was a it was a confusing twist because I knew you did like that was the weirdest part about this thing was I knew you did I know you did and then you said goodbye to me so yes it hurt I think she'll say it hurt her but also she'll look at me and be like what was that like

for you like because you're saying goodbye to somebody I know you cared about and so I don't there's anger i don't think there was ever any like resentment i think it was more just like what happened like what what was going on because again we never had closure i never got the opportunity to explain myself or to take a breath and be like yeah but this is what's going on in my life um but i don't think should be mad it's it's it's a weird conversation because uh you know so many years have gone on and i think we both look back on that and be like that was a pivotal point in showing us like who we wanted and what we wanted in a relationship like you know when i met jessica i met somebody that has always desired what's best for me supports me no matter what

like is has my back at every turn and that you know i learned or at least i saw that in jojo and said i want to find this in somebody you know in my life and then i found it in my wife in an incredible way and uh and that's huge it just happened to come from a show 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. The Super Secret Bestie Club podcast season four is here. And we're locked in. That means more juicy cheesement. Terrible love advice.

Evil spells to cast on your ex. No, no, no, no. We're not doing that this season. Oh. Well, this season we're leveling up. Each episode will feature a special Bestie and you're not going to want to miss it. Get in here! Today we have a very special guest with us.

Our new super secret bestie is The Deva of the People. The Deva of the People. I'm just like text your ex. My theory is that if you need to figure out that the stove is hot, go and touch it. Go and figure it out for yourself. Okay. That's us. That's us.

My name is Curley. And I'm Maya. In each episode, we'll talk about love, friendship, heartbrates, men, and of course, Our favorite secrets. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club as a part of the Michael Tura podcast network available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 my name is Ed everyone say hello Ed from a very rural background myself my dad is a farmer and my mom is a cousin so like it's not what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke but that really was my reality nine years ago.

I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. On stage stood a comedian with a story that no one expected to hear. The 22nd of July 2015, a 23-year-old man had killed his family. And then he came to my house. So what do you get when a true crime producer

walks into a comedy club? a new podcast called Wisecrack where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage available now listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts now speaking of time passed it's been six years since you've been doing the show and you have never had this conversation with JoJo thus far, even with the platform. Do you think that that Jordan possibly has something to do with that? Like he would feel awkward her talking to an ex publicly? No.

I don't think so because I think they're very confident in their relationship. Maybe at the beginning. I think that was part of it. Maybe, you know, when it was all so fresh and new, again, we ran into them right after, kind of her time on The Bachelor, I think it was too fresh, too new, there's too much happening, and I don't think either of us

probably felt comfortable having that conversation. Now, obviously, you know, it's funny once you meet the love of your life, your past loves, yes, still significant and still meaningful and still have taught you a lot,

but the awkwardness goes away because of the confidence and because of the season that you're in with your partner. And so it's a little, easier, I think, now to sit down and have this conversation and be like, you remember when? Like, what did that teach you? I think it was still fresh. I think it would have been harder for us. And especially, you know, if one of us had a partner, I think it would have, there would

have just been emotions and feelings probably still there. And so you're kind of trying to navigate how do we have this conversation in a healthy way, knowing that we still care so deeply about each other but once you find your forever person um i think it much that that feeling matures into it no i just i still think you're the best and i want to see you your life go so well and i want to see you thrive um but i don't i'm not worried about like feelings and romantic feelings coming back up you know um and i think that's i think that's probably a healthier place for us to have these conversations i also think and people are like why didn't you ever have this conversation then in the last five years when they were healthy and you were, you know, out of relationship, not on a

podcast. I think the podcast is the only platform that we would be able to have this conversation because if not, it means me in my life now reaching out to Jojo being like, hey, can we talk? Like, we're six years removed and seven years removed or whatever it is. And I just feel like we need to talk. Like, I think that would be weird, right? Yeah. The podcast gives us this, this platform to have this conversation, be it publicly, but it makes it less weird because there's a reason that we're having it. Yeah. So that being said, Jess doesn't mind that you're about to basically FaceTime with your ex for an hour. If, if, uh, well, I didn't tell her this morning because, um, we were running in circles around each other. Uh, but if I was like, hey, I'm going to

talk to Joja today. She'd be like, okay. Yeah. Yeah. This is good luck. Have fun. Like, go do it. I don't Like, you know, again, I think, and Jessica and I've been very clear with each other about this. And like, past relationships are really good when they're really good. When you look back on them with a, you know, with a smile and with a, that was awesome that I got to spend this season of life with this person. They were really great. But just like the wedding song we danced to by Cody Johnson, the road led to Jessica. Like, the road led to her, even all the ups and downs and the heartbreak. and the good times and the things that, you know,

maybe I wish I would have done differently, that it all led to her. And because of that, like, no, Jessica would not have any issues with this. She'll probably listen and she'll be curious because she's never watched this show. But anytime, you know, and again, going back to Jessica wanting what's best for me,

one of the coolest parts about my wife is any time I can have closure or healing to even if it's not like haunting me and even if it's not an everyday thing on my heart like I don't think about Jojo very often at all she wants that for me like she would say take advantage of the opportunity to have some closure and healing in your life

and to build rebuild a bridge that isn't broken but just has been abandoned for many years like close that it was the same thing when Chris Lane and I played in the golf tournament you know I think Lauren's amazing I want what's best for her I want her to thrive and do amazing things in life and seeing her husband and being able to hang out with him and really like him in a way was this like closure and healing for me to say, yes, she's doing great. And that's healthy for me.

I think. I mean, I think it's healthy for me now to say, okay, it's always great when a past relationship can be healed and a past relationship can be respected and you can look back on it and go, no, that was good. Well, if this interview goes well, which I'm sure it will, maybe Jojo and Jordan, Chris and Lauren, they'll all be attending our next I heart retreat. Wouldn't that be wild? I don't know. I mean, I think the husbands and I could kick it. I'll let the ladies do their thing. That might be, yeah, that might be, that might be crossing the line.

It might be a little weird for me. Okay. Well, it definitely probably be weird for just. So, you know, all right, well, guys, our interview with JoJo and Jordan is coming up on the next episode, but we did want to have this little intro just to, like, vibe Ben out. There's nothing but excitement in my heart. Oh, good. A little anxiousness, not nerves, but I'm excited to talk to the two of them because I know they're great and I know this will go great.

Let's do it. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Humanzor. 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. Listen now. Every case that is a cold case that has DNA. Right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime.

On the new podcast, America's Crime Lab, every case has a story to tell. And the DNA holds the truth. He never thought he was going to get caught. And I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha. This technology's already solving so many cases. Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 where I'm you get your podcasts. Let's start with a quick puzzle.

The answer is Ken Jennings' appearance on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. The question is, what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land? Jeopardy Truthers believe in... I guess they would be conspiracy theorists. That's right. To give you the answers and you still blew it. The Puzzler. Listen on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts. or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast.