The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - What If? with Jojo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers Part 2

Episode Date: June 9, 2023

Ben and Ashley sit down with Jojo Fletcher and her husband Jordan Rodgers for an intimate conversation about her history with Ben, and her future with Jordan. Hear the moment that broke Jojo’s hear...t when she thought Ben was going to propose, and  the emotional aftermath that affected her after she was sent home. And, Jojo and Jordan open up about their own struggles early in their relationship, and how they moved past those challenges to become of the biggest success stories in Bachelor Nation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 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.
Starting point is 00:00:26 Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your... free iHeart radio app search emergency intercom and listen now hi i'm jonica lopez and in the new season of the over comfort 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 overcomper podcast on
Starting point is 00:00:59 the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, it's Honey German, and I'm back with season two of my podcast. Graziez, come again. We got you when it comes to the latest in music and entertainment with interviews with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition? No, I didn't audition. I haven't audition in like over 25 years.
Starting point is 00:01:21 Oh, wow. That's a real G-talk right there. Oh, yeah. We'll talk about all that's viral and trending, with a little bit of cheesement and a whole lot of laughs. And of course, the great vivras you've come to expect. Listen to the new season of Dasis Come Again on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or
Starting point is 00:01:37 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.
Starting point is 00:01:55 He said, you are a number, a New York State number, And we own you. Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts with IHartRadio. It's the Almost Famous Podcast. Yes, we have teased it. Yes, we have waited for it.
Starting point is 00:02:22 And we are excited for it, two really incredible people. big deals coming out of Bachelor Nation and have made bigger names for themselves now we have Jojo in Jordan with us welcome to almost famous for the first time wow I feel honored to be on this stage hold on guys jojo was actually on the podcast before but she was only with me oh what that's why I don't know why did I did I get nervous what happened yeah it was like a girl chat time it was i don't know what were we were promoting anything or we're just recapping yeah so like you know it's the first time all the boys are in our presence so okay well one of i guess i'm wrong in my assumption then because one of my assumptions was that jojo and jordan always denied the
Starting point is 00:03:16 request to come on this podcast who said that no that was my assumption because you haven't been here Is that not true? I don't think it's asked. Oh, dang. Well, I'm glad we asked you now. We should have had you on so many times before. I'm really excited you both are here. I respect you both a lot.
Starting point is 00:03:37 I became a big fan of Jordan because I watch you most Saturdays of my life. And Jojo, obviously, I think the world of. And so it's a big deal that you're here. We have a lot to break down. You are up to a lot in life. but let's start back at the beginning, if we can. If you can remember six years ago, Jojo, you participated in season 20 of The Bachelor, which I just happened to be a part of.
Starting point is 00:04:06 I do remember that. Yeah, that was a great time in life because then you became The Bachelor and met Jordan. So leading up to that decision to marry a wonderful man, can we go back to, and I think I want to ask it this way, because the listeners of this are fanatics for The Bachelor. They've listened to us talk about The Bachelor for almost seven years. How, I mean, and I think you two are the best example. How real is this experience? And let's start with your season of The Bachelor, what you were learning about yourself along the way, what it felt like to leave Jamaica and go, what in the world was this whole thing about? And let's stop there, because then I have some follow-ups.
Starting point is 00:04:50 Wow. Yeah, let's go back down memory lane. You know, guys, when I went on The Bachelor, Ben, we had many conversations about this. I was coming off of a previous relationship that I knew was not good for me. I knew it was unhealthy. I think it really chipped away at me and who I was as a woman and my confidence. And so going on to that season, there were some walls that I think I had up and nerves and anxiety. And just going through it, I think, along the way. And having you as The Bachelor in our relationship that formed, I think I grew a little bit. I think that I started to remember what I deserved and the type of guys that were out there. And so, as you know, like, that was a real experience for me. It was for you, it was for everybody that was involved. And I think that it was just kind of like a growing journey for me and a realization that, like, I don't ever have to settle, right? And Ben, you were a great example of that. You know, we ended on that last day in Jamaica, I thought I was going up to that altar and getting a ring. And obviously it didn't end that way, but, you know, everything happens for a reason.
Starting point is 00:05:58 And I remember leaving that day. And the exact feeling I was like, wait, what? Like, it was just such a, I couldn't even process. It was like a shock moment that lasted for a bit. I can stop there or I can keep going. No, I mean, I think that's good because it is a, it's, It's a weird thing when you're on this show. And so, obviously, if people can't remember that far back, I did end up with Lauren.
Starting point is 00:06:27 I am happily married now to somebody that was not anywhere close to my season, nor has she ever watched it, which is so good for me. But then when Lauren and I broke up, and I wonder if these were the same feelings. And Jordan, you can't relate with this because you just skipped out of this thing real happy and never got your heartbroken. Yeah. I had a long period of time, maybe over a year of my life where I was like, what was this whole thing for? Like, what was this whole thing about? And so obviously, Jojo, you became the Bachelorette soon after. But in that limbo stage, did you have those same feelings of what was, what is this whole thing? You know, I think I took a lot away, even though it ended in heartbreak for me and it was something that I kind of dealt with, I knew without a day. out that I grew. Like I knew that I was coming back home, although heartbroken, I knew I was never going to fall back into those unhealthy relationships that I maybe let into my life before. And I think, and I say this to this day, like going through that experience on The Bachelor, it changed my
Starting point is 00:07:36 life in so many ways. It changed my life for my personal self-development, my growth, what I wanted, what I knew I deserved. So I didn't ever look at it like, why the heck did I go through that and it ended this way i just think that it was i was shocked that i was able to feel all those things in such an unusual way and setting you know jordan when this is going on with jojo what are you doing are you watching her getting heartbroken on ben's season hoping that she's the bachelorette no i'd never watched any of it so like completely oblivious to the entire thing happening um and you guys know like a lot of the way you end up on that show is there's casting. They go to different cities or somehow you get in the mix.
Starting point is 00:08:20 They fly a bunch of people out to L.A. They kind of dwindle it down to 25. I wasn't part of any of that. So literally 10 days. 10 days before. 10 days started for The Bachelorette. I got a call from Bennett out of the blue, completely out of the blue. Executive producer.
Starting point is 00:08:36 I had like a date show and they kind of reached out to my agent because I was doing sports radio stuff at the time. And I think it was Pete's wife actually. was Pete, one of the publishers, was working on that show. I didn't go on that show. They didn't want me. My name got passed along to that side. So Bennett calls me, he's like, hey, you single?
Starting point is 00:08:54 And I'm like, yeah? Like, he's like, you ever watched the show? I'm like, no. I mean, I know what it is, but I've never watched the show. And he's like, well, I got this great girl. He's like, look, I'm not going to tell you're going to fall in love. But if you want to go have some fun for a couple weeks, travel a little bit, I think it'd be really cool. And I kind of hung up on that.
Starting point is 00:09:09 I'm like, I don't know. I was living in Nashville at the time, training quarterbacks doing sports radio. and I was like, I'm flexible, I could take time off. So sure, you know, why not? But I made that decision a couple days before. And to the point of you and Ben, I flew out to L.A., stayed with one of my best friends, Brandon. And he's like, hey, let's just watch an episode. Like, let's see, you know, because we didn't even know who The Bachelorette was going to be at that point.
Starting point is 00:09:31 It was either Jojo or Kayla. And they were kind of like, didn't know. My name had never, at that point, it was only Caleb. Yeah. Everyone thought it was Kayla for so long. So I flip on an episode with, and I'm watching Ben and Jojo. I think you guys were like in like a waterfall, at a waterfall.
Starting point is 00:09:47 You're sitting on a rock at a waterfall. Like, not sure how much. But again, it's all. It's all water under the bridge now. So I'm watching and I'm going, I think it's Kayla.
Starting point is 00:09:59 Like she's cool. She's attractive. She seems really funny. I was like, but this jojja girl, she's like smoke show. And I'm like, you know,
Starting point is 00:10:06 maybe I just like shoot her a DM and I don't do this whole TV thing. And I was like kind of like thinking like, oh, I could DM or she'll probably respond. You know, like just the typical overcom. confident guy that thought he had a following on social. But I'm like, you know what? I committed to want to do this thing because like it was just an experience. So I was like, you know what, whoever it is, I'm going to go do it. So obviously I was locked in a hotel room at the time that Jojo got announced. But I didn't really know much about the show. Didn't know much about anything
Starting point is 00:10:30 other than seeing one or two dates with Ben and Jojo and thinking Jojo was pretty cute. But that was kind of, that was it. So I was new to what was about to happen to me. I had no idea. Jojo was a surprise Bachelorette because usually the runner-up doesn't get picked to be the Bachelorette because the heartbreak is apparently too intense and too recent. Oh, and it was. Yeah, it was super, super there for her. I know. That's what I'm saying.
Starting point is 00:10:56 It was. Like, I remember when Jojo was announced and I remember exactly where I was at. I was so jacked that Kayla was going to be the Bachelorette because, and we'll get into this in a second. but I was so excited because I was like, okay, this is just something, nothing I have to watch now, right? And then I was with Lauren at the time and she didn't want to watch it because typically, and Jordan, thank you for this, the people coming on that season usually come out of the limos and they're like, Ben's such a terrible dude. How could he do this to you? You know, oh gosh, like I'm not going to be the Ben to you or all these things that happen every season. I was like, I don't have to hear that and Lauren doesn't have to watch it.
Starting point is 00:11:36 And we were both like, good. I think JoJo's amazing. But I don't want to see her on TV again. That would be too real for me. Yeah. Well. And I think at the time, too, because Ben, you know, I don't know if you even know this. Like Lauren had reached out to me a couple of times after you guys got together
Starting point is 00:11:51 because I think she was struggling with some with the whole, the choice. I let's have her own thing, which was hard for me because I was also kind of grieving the loss of our relationship, but also wanting to be a good friend to Lauren and comfort her. And so there was this weird kind of dynamic that was going on. You're exactly right. Because again, I remember exactly those conversations of her saying to me, this is just too real. Like there is just too much.
Starting point is 00:12:19 And it was heavy on our relationship. And I think for people that don't participate in it, and I don't know if this is the case every season, but from the more and more people that we talk to in the years that we've done this, it feels like there is a lot of kind of heavy. over that final day and what that meant and how it was done and if it was done well and if there was closure or not and it was heavy on our relationship it was a conversation we had many times and there was never any healing from it i think i think even today if you were to ask
Starting point is 00:12:52 Lauren was there ever in that season of life until the day you broke up ever healing and from those conversations i don't think there was because there was just not a good way to to close it like there there wasn't um and so that's i mean it's a good place to dive into you were a surprising bachelorette because caleb had kind of been the one that was chosen then you get announced as it behind the scenes obviously yeah behind the scenes um i want to kind of stop there and talk about now your experience on the bachelorette and then also relating it with something that's been heavy on me ever since then when people ask me and obviously they still do this day because it's just the nature of the show about the final days of me being the bachelor and telling
Starting point is 00:13:37 two women I love them and doing it out of a place that I thought was good and healthy and was all going to work out. And now looking back saying it was probably a very unwise decision. Did you as a bachelor at any moment go, I get it now? Or at least I can understand it now. A hundred percent. I mean, and I talked about that. Like I think, you know, Ben, I don't even really know if it was the two I love yous that messed me up the most. I think it was the conversations we had after that about like us being these best friends and like not being able to envision a life without each other every day. And it was kind of like, because I do believe you can love more than one person.
Starting point is 00:14:19 And after going through the Bachelorette, I think that I started to experience that in my own way. But I was so cautious of not saying I love you because of my experience. but I really don't know if it was the word I love you more so than the coupling it up with all the other promises, I guess, if you will, that I had expected. You know what I mean? That makes sense. Yeah, it does.
Starting point is 00:14:44 I think you can love somebody, but the comments of like, you know, can imagine that life without you and like every year. So those things are, I think, what you really start to think about when you think of your future, right? So I was envisioning the future and what that life looked like. So I think that might have been the hardest part for me. Yeah. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:15:03 Maybe. And you can give me advice. You were an incredible bachelorette. You are one of, if not, the most beloved bachelorette of all time. You did it really well. And you did it with humor and grace. And you just navigated the process really well. If you look back on that season, you were like, hey, Ben, here's some advice for you.
Starting point is 00:15:24 Here's what you should have done. What would you tell me? honestly i wouldn't tell you to change anything you know because i think it's such a unique experience for everybody and i think more than anything you really have to just be true to yourself and the second you start like overthinking and like trying to guard yourself or to put up these i wouldn't have told you to change anything right because i think that experience and how it was done it ultimately led me to where i needed to be and it it attributed to all that self growth and and you know all those realizations that I had so I mean people are going to knock you all day for saying
Starting point is 00:16:00 I love you to do two girls but like that was your truth and you decided to speak on that and I wouldn't tell you not to do that yeah I mean and it's weird because I think and and you know first off Jordan it's great that you have to go through the casting process there's two people I know that's never had to go through the casting process and there's two things that those two people have They're incredibly good looking. You and Sean Boone. So some of us, we have to grind to get on. And that's why I'm saying this because what, and I'm glad that it's this way.
Starting point is 00:16:37 And I'm glad it was that way during kind of the season of the Bachelor and Bachelor at that we were both in, they were we all in. It was very real to me. And I think, I mean, obviously it was very real to the two of you because you're sharing a life together now. But leading up to it, you don't really know what you're getting into. You're very unequipped. And I think the audience watches this and goes, why are they doing it this way? How are they not more wise or careful in their decision making?
Starting point is 00:17:07 And for me, in my experience, I was coming from pretty much being unemployed, living in a little house in Denver with no friends because I just moved to this city. And then all of a sudden being asked to be the bachelor and showing up and having an incredible group of people there that were, you know, date with that I was dating and trying to figure out to do that. And then at the end, having some of the best women I've ever met in my life standing in front of me and me trying to navigate how to do this well. And it's really, I mean, what I really wanted to answer in interviews back then when people were like, how could you do it? And I was like, I just didn't know how to do it. Like, I'm, I'm not stupid. I won't say that I about myself.
Starting point is 00:17:53 But like, I'm just not smart in these situations. I have no clue how I could have done this. You couldn't have because no one has ever had to do that in their life, period. You know what I mean? So you, I had no clue how to do it. I think I just had an awareness because of what I had just gone through. Otherwise, like, you have no way to gauge how that experience is going to play out. No one can't.
Starting point is 00:18:17 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.
Starting point is 00:18:45 Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search emergency intercom, and listen now. My name is Ed. Everyone say, hello, Ed. Hello, Ed. I'm from a very rural background myself. My dad is a farmer, and my mom is a cousin. So, like, it's not, like...
Starting point is 00:19:01 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. Well, 22nd of July 2015, a 23-year-old man had killed his family.
Starting point is 00:19:28 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.
Starting point is 00:19:46 Listen to Wisecrack. on the IHeart Radio 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 host 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.
Starting point is 00:20:13 Trust me. New episodes every Wednesday on Exactly Right. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Hola, it's Honey German. And my podcast, Grasias Come Again, is back. This season, we're going even deeper into the world of music and entertainment with raw and honest conversations
Starting point is 00:20:32 with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition? No, I didn't audition. I haven't audition in like over 25 years. Oh, wow. That's a real G-talk right there. Oh, yeah. We've got some of the biggest actors, musicians,
Starting point is 00:20:45 content creators, and culture shift. sharing their real stories of failure and success. You were destined to be a start. We talk all about what's viral and trending with a little bit of chisement, a lot of laughs, and those amazing Vibras you've come to expect. And, of course, we'll explore deeper topics dealing with identity, struggles,
Starting point is 00:21:07 and all the issues affecting our Latin community. You feel like you get a little whitewash because you have to do the code switching? I won't say whitewash because at the end of the day, you know what I'm me? Yeah. But the whole pretending and cold, you know, it takes a toll on you. Listen to the new season of Grasas Has Come Again as part of My Cultura Podcast Network On the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Starting point is 00:21:31 Maybe the thing here that's weirdest about the show, too, for me, was that tip, like a few of these relationships, not many of them, felt like real relationships, right? Like they're, you're dating somebody. It just happens that you're dating somebody else at the same time. But these are real things. They're changing your life. They're changing your perspective. As you say, they're giving you a better look at either who you're going to be within the end and share life with or what you're looking for in a partner long term.
Starting point is 00:22:03 And so typically in life, when you have a real relationship and it ends and there's a lot of emotion to it, there's closure. And there's maybe some fights afterwards and there's maybe some, how could you do this to and some texts and some calls and then at some point everybody moves on and you feel like okay at least i've been heard they've been heard and now we can move forward jojo there i've only i think seen you one time since the show and it was you and jordan an airport in national tennessee and like passing we saw you and lorne at iHeart an event member all of us together oh my god that's right And you guys were talking about how it was a little awkward
Starting point is 00:22:46 And that leads perfectly into this question Ben, when things were a little rocky with you and Lauren The relationship was going south I think there was probably a lot Of people around you being like Oh, he should have picked Jojo And I'm sure Lauren was insecure about that How much did Jojo play a role in your relationship?
Starting point is 00:23:11 with Lauren after the show. Oh, I mean, mentally. A ton. And it's unfair. It was unfair, too, because I think it, um, again, going back to, I don't know. I would argue strongly that I had the best cast of women that any bachelor's ever had from the start to, from the start to the finish.
Starting point is 00:23:33 I would say that, you know, there was just incredible people on that season. And, and I would fight for that. and so with the show itself when you have that many incredible people there's comparisons that are done and the comparisons aren't fair they're not healthy they're not right but they happen and and they usually you know people like the person that got hurt it's it's easy to you know to try to push down the person that should just be living a really happy go lucky life but those conversations never left and it would come up at random random times maybe we'd be in a really healthy season of our relationship things would be going
Starting point is 00:24:12 well and we go on an interview and you know somebody says Lauren what did it feel like to have been watching it back and see Ben say I love you to two people and is like funny maybe or as like light is like is maybe people didn't realize the gravity and the weight of that question on our relationship like and so people wouldn't realize yeah this is just another good question from a from somebody getting a headline and for me I would sit there and like my insides would crawl because I'd be like Like, we haven't had to talk about this in weeks. Like, we haven't had to broach this in weeks. And at that point, Jordan and Jojo were together.
Starting point is 00:24:47 And I thought that was going to be something that moved everybody forward. Like, everybody's doing their thing, right? Everybody's good now. Like, we can leave this and step, and it never did. And I think Lauren would say the same thing. You know, and it was me and her both dealing with this. But it never left us, I think, until the very end. Is that fair?
Starting point is 00:25:06 Does that make sense? Yeah. that's heavy would you expect that i mean jojo like the two of you jojo and jordan would you guys can you relate with that at all like hearing that and and understanding the questions from the show and understanding that the navigating the unhealthy things that come out of the show for you did you guys have any of that i don't think that we had the same like you know what you were experiencing with lorne and how it relates to me i don't think i felt that you know with rob who was my runner up right we didn't feel it with you and Robbie either yeah so I didn't I didn't
Starting point is 00:25:45 that wasn't our struggle I think the really hard part for us was just that that whole year after you know we had a hard year um fought a lot wasn't good almost broke up a couple times and we're very kind of open about that yeah the struggles for us were just trying to figure out now we're two people that have just met in a really weird way, trying to live together and be together coming off of this crazy show. And you know, at the time, you know how like presses and articles and like every other day. It was something that created a stressor for us to try and navigate. And we didn't know how to. And we just were different. We communicate very differently. We handle conflict very differently. And so that was a big learning process for
Starting point is 00:26:39 us. I think, too, a lot of it has to do with your storyline on the show as well, right? And pitting me and Robbie together, behind the scenes, Jojo was kind of getting primed that I was the one that you don't know what's going to happen when he gets fame or whatever. You know what I mean? Like, I was the one that she had to worry about who's he going to be. Can I trust him? And so after the show, there was that you have to break those. Yes, you met and you know each other for nine weeks, but you guys know this. Like, then real life hits you. you really start to like really know somebody. And also like when you read something on a magazine, yeah, you know it's a magazine,
Starting point is 00:27:16 but you also haven't ever, is that true? Is it not true? You've never even had those conversations. You don't know this person beyond the bubble that we were in. So building trust and building the real aspect of our relationship was kind of difficult because of what it looked like and the storyline and what she was feeling and what kind of our storyline on the show was. Like I was the one that I don't know.
Starting point is 00:27:38 She didn't know if I was going to propose because I didn't ask her dad when I was supposed to ask her dad. Like, you know, so I was always the one there was a question mark about. I kind of had to like fight really hard to like, no, that's not like, you can trust me. Like, and so that was just a part of our relationship. I think that with the communication, with the real life, with the pressure of it, it just, it spiraled and it was very tough for that first year, period. Like it wasn't super fun.
Starting point is 00:28:01 There were fun parts, but it was, it was hard. Do you remember the hurdle that you guys crossed that kind of led you then to, being like, no, this is right. And I do trust you. Is there a moment, a time? Yeah, I remember this so vividly. We had moved into this, the first house that we obviously were living in together, a small, tiny little house.
Starting point is 00:28:22 We had been fighting and we would have, we had this like blow up fight. And it scared me because it reminded me of a toxic relationship I had in my past. And that was, I told myself the day that I left Jamaica, I would never allow that into my life again. that was not not it for me and i remember that one fight had gotten to that level and i was like oh no i think did i leave or did you leave i think i left we both there were multiple times we both like left the house watch out like i needed to get away and we were like man this is not good good um so that day we came we both came into the living room and we were like we have to figure this
Starting point is 00:29:04 out it was in a very like you know in those fights not in a fighting way no it was Like we were broken. We were sad. It was like, this is not good for us as individuals. Like either we need to be, I love you and go our separate ways because it's going to be better for each of us as human beings. Or we need to figure out like why we chose each other in the first place, those good parts and also realize that we got a lot of shit to grow up on. We got a lot of shit to grow. And we have a lot of work to do to get to a point where this is healthy and it's supposed to be what we both wanted out of it.
Starting point is 00:29:36 And that was about a year in that it was kind of that crossroads. We're like, okay, like, we can take this road and we'll still love each other and respect each other. We tried. We really did. And it was sad and we were broken. Or we can say, hey, no, we're going to lean into this and, like, actively make that choice on a daily basis, be intentional about it.
Starting point is 00:29:54 So that was tough, though. Do you think looking back, like, you both came into that wanting it to work still? Or were either of you like, no, this is not going to work? I'm trying to say, okay, for a listener out there who is not in a toxic relationship, but is trying to navigate, hey, can I make this thing work, right? I've been married now for almost two years, a year and a half, actually, as of like next week. And it's not easy, right? And my wife is an incredible human who has the purest soul, but it's not easy to navigate.
Starting point is 00:30:27 And it's not always roses in our household. But the reason it works is because we both have the spirit of, no, we're in this now. Like we're going to make this work. And so going back to that conversation after a year together, what was the spirit behind everything that kind of helped you move forward? Well, I kind of just want to make a quick clarification on the toxic part because I wouldn't say like we never had like this is what when I say toxic and how it related to our relationship wasn't like really bad things or how like I was doing something or he was doing
Starting point is 00:31:00 something. It was the inability to navigate and work through conflict and allowing it to just kind of escalate. There was never a de-escalation that we were able to figure out. And it could have been something so small. And so I knew, and we both knew, like, that's not sustainable. Like, that's not healthy. It's not, it's not going to be something we can do long term. And so when we came into that conversation, we both knew how much we loved each other. But it was a real, like, do you want this? Do you believe this is, do you believe this is? what's best for you and who I am as a person and who you are as a person. And I think we both went into that like you said, Ben, it's like we both agree that this was what we wanted. And we both knew
Starting point is 00:31:40 that it was going to take a lot of work on each side, a lot of compromise. And just a lot of kind of kind of, I think, self-awareness and a lot of situations that maybe we both didn't have. But I will say, after that moment, we actively and intentionally works in all the things that we knew were our struggles, which I think the biggest one at the time was communication in conflict, right? Like we're best friends. We have the best time together day to day. It's like we love being with each other. But when we have conflict, we didn't know how to argue. We didn't know how to argue. We don't do that in relationship. But what I think is interesting that you guys can probably relate to this. And I think in a way like anybody can relate to this is when you come off the show, there is an immense
Starting point is 00:32:19 pressure to be together and be happy. Be perfect. Not because you want to. And you obviously should want to, but because that's what it's supposed to look like. And so I think that moment when we came to that point, it was almost like, okay, screw that pressure because that pressure was what made us solve some issues and come to agreements and compromise because like, no, no, we have to fix this because we're expected to. We're expected to be happy.
Starting point is 00:32:44 We're expected to be a good couple. In that moment, we came to it, it's okay, we need to choose this because we want to, not because there's a pressure to. I think that was a big difference because for a long time we put on a good face when it wasn't super great, which you kind of have to at sometimes. And we fixed things because we felt like we needed to. And there's the immense pressure of everyone saying, how good of a couple you were.
Starting point is 00:33:04 When behind the scenes, you're like, well, it's not that good. And so we chose. They were like, in that moment, it's like, no, no, yeah, I get the pressures there. But that, like, we need to do this because we want to. And if we want to, then we actually will make those changes for us, not for anybody else. But I wouldn't also say that we made the decision to stay together for other people. No, not at all. was that pressure that we added to the stress in our relationship.
Starting point is 00:33:27 I didn't want to go to my mom and tell her all the issues that I'm had. I didn't want to go to my best friend because I never wanted them to look at him in a poor light, you know. And so I didn't feel like I had this outlet to like vent because it, right, we had just gone engaged on this crazy situation, scenario, whatever you want to call it. And we fought for that relationship because we believed in it. But we didn't have those outlets that we felt like we could normally have, right? Because we felt like eyes were always on us or we didn't want people to like misconstrue something or run with it. So it was just that was an added pressure. When did you feel like it started to get good?
Starting point is 00:34:05 Honestly, like right after. And I can't say, I think right after because it was the most real moment that we had that we knew if we were to ever end up in another conflict. We were both so like in that moment, we... I don't think we've ever had a more... We felt like a true team after that. So like, as opposed to arguments where like someone was trying to be right, prove their point, it was like, we still do that, right? Everybody does.
Starting point is 00:34:31 But like we felt like we were in it together at that point, not for any other reason, not for any other purpose, but just because we wanted it that bad. And I think that we looked at everything through that context from there on out, which I think really helps. Yeah, that's, and I think it's very relatable. Because I think, you know, in my relationship, I'm sure Ashley has that moment, too, where you have something, either good or bad, but all of a sudden you look at this person, you go, we're a team. Like, we're in this together. This is good.
Starting point is 00:35:01 We're going to make this work. We're both better for it. And it kind of feels like the skies open up. Everything gets a little brighter. Like the weight of being right or the weight of the pressure is lifted because now you've got your teammate. And I think that the show does play a role in this. And, you know, for as much. as Ashley and I still sit here seven years later and talk about this show and break down the show
Starting point is 00:35:25 and interview people from the show. There's parts of the show that still keep us very excited about the show and it is these real moments and knowing that the behind the scenes of this is sometimes tough but also is worth it when it works out and I remember many moments. I mean most moments I remember are moments where yeah you know Lauren and I would be doing great and then we'd have something going on in our life and then all of a sudden we have to jump in a car and drive to an interview or jump in a car and go to an event
Starting point is 00:35:53 and it was like the weight on that is like wait we haven't fixed this there's no healing from the thing we just said to each other and now we're going five to six hours standing around each other and taking pictures and smiling
Starting point is 00:36:05 until we can talk about it again and maybe we won't even talk about it again and it'll just like compound on each other day over day over day and so I get it like you don't have the skill set sometimes in relationships and it's beautiful
Starting point is 00:36:18 when you can work that out and I think you guys are a testament because you were open about the difficulties of this right publicly you've definitely spoke about how hard this was
Starting point is 00:36:29 and so people fans and also past contestants like myself got to see that and go I get it and they're going to make it work yeah no it's so true I think it's important though too you know when people always ask about like what
Starting point is 00:36:44 it's hard to kind of give that advice if you will to the next bachelor's or the next bachelor's because you don't ever want to say like it's going to be some really hard freaking time and kind of like damper it but it's kind of the truth and I think that like the more awareness and you know comfortability with saying like yeah it's going to be tough and you have to be comfortable in the uncomfortable and work through it if it's something that you want like that's real life you know so I mean I'm thankful for that hard year looking back because I think we would not be the couple and have this relationship that we
Starting point is 00:37:18 have today, which I'm so thankful and blessed for, if we didn't go through all that stuff, you know, and didn't have to have those, that moment of feeling so broken that we needed to make a real true choice. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor. 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...
Starting point is 00:37:51 Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom's the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. A foot washed up a shoe with some bones in it. They had no idea who it was.
Starting point is 00:38:09 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. Every case that is a cold case that has DNA right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime. A small lab in Texas is cracking the code on DNA. Using new scientific tools,
Starting point is 00:38:32 they're finding clues in evidence so tiny you might just miss it. He never thought he was going to get caught. And I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, got you. On America's Crime Lab, we'll learn about victims and survivors. And you'll meet the team behind the scenes at Othrum, 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. Hey, sis, what if I could promise you you never had to listen to a condescending finance, bro, tell you how to manage your money again.
Starting point is 00:39:10 Welcome to Brown Ambition. This is the hard part when you pay down those credit cards. If you haven't gotten to the bottom of why you were racking up credit or turning to credit cards, you may just recreate the same problem a year from now. When you do feel like you are bleeding from these high interest rates, I would start shopping for a debt consolidation loan, starting with your local credit union, shopping around online, looking for some online lenders because they tend to have fewer fees and be more affordable. Listen, I am not here to judge. It is so expensive in these streets.
Starting point is 00:39:41 I 100% can see how in just a few months. 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hola, it's Honey German.
Starting point is 00:40:06 And my podcast, Grasasas Come Again, is back. This season, we're going even deeper into the world of music and entertainment. With raw and honest conversations with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition? No, I didn't audition. I haven't audition in like over 25 years. Oh, wow. That's a real G-talk right there.
Starting point is 00:40:24 Oh, yeah. We've got some of the biggest actors, musicians, content creators, and culture shifters, sharing their real stories of failure and success. You were destined to be a start. We talk all about what's viral and trending with a little bit of chisement, a lot of laughs and those amazing vivras you've come to expect. And of course, we'll explore deeper topics dealing with identity, struggles, and all the issues affecting our Latin community.
Starting point is 00:40:52 You feel like you get a little whitewash because you have to do the code switching? I won't say whitewash because at the end of the day, you know, I'm me. But the whole pretending and code, you know, it takes a toll on you. Listen to the new season of Grasasas Has Come Again as part of My Cultura Podcast Network on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Can we talk about the re-proposal when you got the most amazing ring of all time? And Jordan, why did you choose to repurpose? Yeah, I mean, so obviously as soon as you come off the show, that's the only question you get, right?
Starting point is 00:41:30 When you get married? And so simultaneously, we just talked about it. We were going through a really tough part of our relationship. That was not on the table. During that first year, we weren't talking about the wedding. we were talking about staying together and like getting our relationship healthy into a better place. And so we'd kind of come out of that. And I really wanted two things. I wanted the excitement again of, of something to look forward to something that felt authentic. And I wanted to do it my way.
Starting point is 00:41:59 I wanted to do it without Jojo having to had just broke up with someone, not sweating their butt off on a beach in Thailand because she hates being hot. Like, you know, I wanted, I wanted to buy my own ring. I did. I wanted to go ring shopping. where I knew kind of what you wanted and I wanted to go do it on my own way. So that's what I did. And it was a crazy story because it almost didn't happen three or four times. Like I was doing TV in Charlotte the night before for sports. And I lied to her. I told her that I was spending the night there and catching a plane to L.A.
Starting point is 00:42:32 Friday morning. Really, I was jumping to Nashville to pick up the ring then that night. And then flying from Nashville to L.A. the next morning. And my flight got delayed until three in the morning. morning, didn't know if it was going to take off. And I'm like, literally, all she has to do is FaceTime me, because I'm not in my hotel room. I'm not in my bed. I'm at the airport. If she face-times me and I decline it, that is not a good point. And I'm like, oh, God, please, just don't FaceTime text her. You know, like, hey, I'm in bed, going to get some sleep to get an early
Starting point is 00:43:01 flight. I'm like, is my flight going to take off? Like, I'm not even going to pass the Nashville. I'm not going to have a ring. I'm going to like, can I tell you what? In that moment, looking back, I realized, like, this is how I know I'm like in a very good relationship. like I'm not trying to hit you up and ask you where you are every second of the day. There's like all that trust that was there, but you were still super nervous. I think it did help, though. I was at Becca's house. And I think Becca knew.
Starting point is 00:43:23 Did Becca know what was going on? So maybe she might have been keeping me real busy. But I was like, yeah. So anyways, we're at this. We were actually looking at wedding venues like that whole weekend. And so we went to one that I knew wasn't going to be a wedding venue option. But it was literally you could see the Bachelor Mansion from this little helicopter pad at this venue. And so we're kind of, you know, we're kind of just walking around looking, oh, this is where
Starting point is 00:43:46 the ceremony would be cool. And I kind of like put my arm around her. I'm like, isn't that's crazy. Like, we're literally like a mile from where we met. Like, think about it. And I started getting into this kind of sappy. And she's like, what are you doing? I was like, she's like, get your arm off. I'm like sweating. But yeah, it was important to me to just do it my way. Like, and it takes nothing away from the first proposal. What are you laughing at? you tour guide one person was just sitting there and that's what like big come on yeah yeah the hype on video but it was it was it and i get this question a lot but it doesn't mean that the first proposal wasn't real or anything less but it was just an opportunity to do it like i would
Starting point is 00:44:29 have in real life with nobody else there the pressure and the the anxiety of doing it picking out a ring and doing all that so um it was actually fun for me too because i was had no clue it was happening like I know you weren't engaged you're like but that morning too I like put on a colored shirt and Ben we were talking earlier like I don't wear this we're doing a press tour today I'd be wearing a t-shirt normally she's like you're I'm like yeah you know I thought I you know dressed up a little bit for looking at venues and I was like are is that what you're wearing sweaty ponytail like I was like you should you're going to wear that yeah I'm like bro back up I look gorgeous all the time you guys got a lot of
Starting point is 00:45:11 dress put on you from Bachelor Nation for waiting so long to get married. Were you guys together for six years before the wedding? It was our six year engagement anniversary on our rehearsal dinner night. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. But I don't know fair to do it two years earlier. We tried to do it in 2020. I work in the fall. So fall is kind of off the table and the venue. We kind of had to but we knew we wanted to have a long engagement. Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah. We needed that. Right. Well, you were like the youngest bachelorette ever at the time. Didn't you get engaged? 25.
Starting point is 00:45:46 25. Yeah, I think you were the youngest at that point. Yeah, Jojo and I started the trend that everybody hated because I was, what, 25, turning 26 or 26? Tellman is it was always like a bachelor was like 30 something, right? Yeah. And then we got really young. Like it went young. And then they had to like really, they had to throw Ari, they had to throw Ari in there to get like the age back.
Starting point is 00:46:09 I think it's so fun that you did it. it. Jojo, so you're confused, knowing you, this is funny. So you're confused because he's acting funny and then he does it. Is it as special to you in that moment as you think he thought it could be? 100%. It was more special to me. It was just so real, right? It was like that funny having zero clue that it was going to happen. And then just realizing this is something he's been thinking about for a long time and then hearing the crazy story of how i hadn't slept oh yeah that's right so like my flight ended up taking off from scarlet at 2.45 a.m i landed in nashville like three something drove rented a car drove straight to my buddy's house that had the ring that i'd shipped to
Starting point is 00:46:58 him grab the ring drove straight back to the airport for a 515 a m flight to l a landed in l a had to drive to the venue to make sure someone was going to be there because they were telling me back and then drove to Becca's house to pick up Jojo. So zero sleep at all. I haven't to act like everything's good. Which is really good. It was super sweet. I had no idea.
Starting point is 00:47:20 And it was kind of, it's fun, right? Like, we had this cool experience getting engaged the way we did on the show. But you didn't really get that true, like, I'm going to plan this engagement, right? I'm going to know, I'm going to pick other. And so knowing that he did that and knowing that I got to experience, like, both. This is really cool. Yeah. He loves you a lot,
Starting point is 00:47:44 Jojo, obviously. But there's funny things. It's just funny, Jordan. Like, I don't know. I mean, I'm sure you would do wild things for Jojo today. Like, you would probably do that again if needed to be. But I remember that dating season. And just the links I was willing to go for Jessica.
Starting point is 00:48:04 And the things I was willing to do to make sure she knew how much I loved her. And like, the airport where we saw it. And that was the first time you were going to meet her. Oh my gosh. What a time to run into bed. Literally. It was wild. I'm like, well, why are you doing here?
Starting point is 00:48:19 He's like, I actually have been talking to this girl. And I'm going to meet her and her family, I think, right? For the first time. Yeah, she picked me up from the airport that day. So, like, it was funny because I remember calling my buddies and be like, you'll never guess what just happened to me. Like, what a weird time in my life. I am getting ready to meet this girl who I am. head over heels for who we've face-timed.
Starting point is 00:48:42 And, but I don't know her family. I've never met them. And I'm in the airport and I'm freaking out because I'm just landing before, literally. Yeah, seconds. I think I just got in my bags. Like I was walking out the door. Kind of taking a breather to be like, okay, this is going to happen. And then here comes Jojo and Jordan.
Starting point is 00:49:00 And I'm like, you got to be shitting me. Now is the first time we had really talked because I don't think we didn't. We didn't put that eye heart thing. It was a weird situation. It was too soon. Too soon. We weren't doing it. And I was like, you got to be kidding me.
Starting point is 00:49:15 I don't know what God is telling me right now, but something weird. And I don't know how to process it, but it all works out. And it all works out in the end. Well, before we transition here into, and thank you guys for having this conversation and being so open about it. And it's a lot of fun to talk to the two of you. It really is. And it also, you know, I want to say this before we transition into something.
Starting point is 00:49:37 that is really exciting for the two of you. The reason, and I mean this, deeply, the reason that my time on The Bachelor is still something that I hold so, it's such a good season of life, is in a large part to you, Jojo. Like, you are an incredible human. One of the toughest things after the show for me and trying to navigate the madness was that I had nothing but amazing things to say about you. It would have been so much easier if I could have been like, yeah, it's obvious why I didn't choose Jojo. She's crazy.
Starting point is 00:50:13 She's a terrible human. But it was the complete opposite in my life. And so there was this weird thing where I never had anything but amazing things to say about you because that's how I felt, which also made it harder in these interviews and in these conversations with Lauren. And so thank you for being you. Thank you for being you post show. And I'm so happy for the two of you now to see how this whole thing plays out. Same to you, Ben. And honestly, you know how I feel about that.
Starting point is 00:50:38 I mean, you made the experience going into The Bachelorette, one that was very hopeful for me. So, appreciate it. Hi, my name is Enya Jumanzoor. 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.
Starting point is 00:51:08 And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free I-HeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Hola, it's HoneyGerman. And my podcast, Grasias Come Again, is back. This season, we're going even deeper into the world of music and entertainment.
Starting point is 00:51:28 With raw and honest conversations with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition? No, I didn't audition. I haven't audition in like over 25 years. Oh, wow. That's a real G-talk right there. Oh, yeah. We've got some of the biggest actors, musicians,
Starting point is 00:51:43 content creators, and culture shifters sharing their real stories of failure and success. You were destined to be a start. We talk all about what's viral and trending with a little bit of chisement, a lot of laughs, and those amazing vivas you've come to expect. And of course, we'll explore.
Starting point is 00:52:02 deeper topics dealing with identity, struggles, and all the issues affecting our Latin community. You feel like you get a little whitewash because you have to do the code switching? I won't say whitewash because at the end of the day, you know, I'm me. But the whole pretending and code, you know, it takes a toll on you. Listen to the new season of Grasasas Come Again as part of My Cultura Podcast Network
Starting point is 00:52:21 on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcast, 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,
Starting point is 00:52:42 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,
Starting point is 00:52:58 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
Starting point is 00:53:23 or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Janica Lopez, and in the new season of the Overcover podcast, I'm taking you on an exciting journey of self-reflection. 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? I wanted to be successful on my own, not just because of who my mom is. Like, I felt like I needed to be better or work twice as hard as she did. Join me for conversations about healing and growth.
Starting point is 00:53:54 Life is freaking hard. And growth doesn't happen in comfort. It happens in motion, even when you're hurting. All from one of my favorite spaces, The Kitchen. Honestly, these are going to come out so freaking amazing. Be a part of my new chapter and listen to the new season of the Overcumper podcast as part of the MyCultura podcast network on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Before we do transition to the Big D, I got to ask you, Jojo, one of the coolest parts
Starting point is 00:54:31 about my time on The Bachelor was watching your friendships unfold. And you mentioned Becca here. Are you guys still close to this day? Can you give us an update on your friendship with Becca and what you think of her relationship with Haley and all the stuff they're up to? My very best friend, right? Like, it's pretty wild that this is somebody I met on the season of the Bachelor who is now she's like family right to me it's like we will be connected soul sisters if you will for the rest
Starting point is 00:55:00 of our for our lives but yeah i think that was one of the most amazing things that came out of our season it was our relationship and i i get emotional i don't know why when i talk about beka um because that girl is one of you guys know she's one of the most incredible the most incredible human being that deserves every ounce of love that she's so freely gives to everybody in her life. And so seeing her relationship with Haley evolve and grow and to see where it is today and how much she's grown and is able to showcase that love in such a powerful, proud way makes me the happiest I could ever be.
Starting point is 00:55:42 Yeah. Yeah. Seeing their content on Instagram is just like, wow, you guys could not be cuter and more in love after five years. So Haley had the cutest relationship and it makes. me so awesome. Haley is so awesome. She's just really easy to talk to. I've only hung out with her a number of times, but I'm so comfortable with her every time. They're amazing. Before we do talk about your show, the big D, I want one question about
Starting point is 00:56:07 like how you guys have become different people throughout your time together. Jordan, how do you feel like Jojo has changed since you guys got together and then vice versa? Wow, this is a great question, hard hitting. is hard we're tough here changed like evolved yeah no i think she hmm i don't have one you have it no go no go you have it wrong go go go go go go no i will say what i think um this is a good thing so don't look at me weird uh i think jordan to be honest, when we first got together, it was just, it felt so tense. Um, I think through the, throughout the last six, seven years, I have seen you just kind of
Starting point is 00:57:04 break down your walls a little bit and become a softer person a little bit. Um, uh, I think that you've become like more patient and more like, because it's something that I practice and preach all the time is just like, uh, that, that patience, the kindness that the overly like whatever. And I think it was really hard in the beginning. to showcase that because we were in such a stressful period of our life or he was getting attacks every other day on his character, which was so unfair to him because it was based on nothing that I think it created this like hardness, you know, to him, right?
Starting point is 00:57:38 Where it was, it was harder for him to be this softer, had that softer side come on. It's just like night and day and that's how I think you've really evolved. I think Jojo from, it's. It's from, like, her strength and independence, I think is something that I knew she was before, but like she is so fully autonomous when she needs to be. She is so independent. She is so strong. I don't think she ever saw that in herself.
Starting point is 00:58:09 And I think that was a progression of seeing her believe how self-sufficient she is and can be, both in business, both in a relationship and friendships with who she is. So I feel like I've seen her really become. who I saw her and see herself that way. And I think that's an evolution of like believing in yourself, of trusting yourself, confidence. But I think it's also like finding your identity after this crazy thing happens and like who you are and who you're going to be and what you want your life to look like and
Starting point is 00:58:40 the person you're going to be. And I think like I love her so much, but I've seen her grow so much in that as a human being. That's the biggest change because she was always like she is the most selfless loving person in the world. That never changed. like even me when I was being an a-hole and I'm stubborn early on like she still loved me me I'm a little more stubborn I don't need to talk to you today she's not that way like she is she is just so forgiving and such a lover she was always that person but I've definitely seen her become a stronger independent more confident woman in every aspect like our relationship but also just as a business woman yeah yeah like that she's a boss well it's a great transition into the big deep because um you know, I think Jordan, you know, what Jojo was telling us was one of the things that
Starting point is 00:59:30 was kind of implanted into her head as she was on the show is this guy's about his fame, right? He's going to chase fame and he's going to do this. And Jojo, the funny part is that was the same thing that was being said to me about you. And yeah, who's she going to be after this show? Now, here's something that's really cool. The two of you, I believe, could be argued to have the best. best individual careers post-batchelor and bachelorette as any couple or any person coming off of the franchise you've made names for yourselves outside of it now you've done it though without
Starting point is 01:00:04 seeking the fame there's never been once where i've been like you you aren't out there you know in the club and the red carpets and all these parties just to be seen and to be known you're doing it because you're both really good at it you're both pros at it and you should be doing it and and i said, okay, you obviously were going to get famous after this show. You guys are huge personalities and great at what you do. But you've just done it really well. And you've handled it really well. And I think the Big D is a representation of that. Can you just tell us a little bit about why you said yes to this project? And Jordan, I would love to know within that, as you explained it, was there ever hesitancy in your life knowing that Jojo is, you know, told you're
Starting point is 01:00:43 going to be about fame. And now you are on TV, right? You are hosting shows. Was there like the I don't want to do this because I don't want to prove them, you know, right at some level and how you navigated that mentally. You think it's tough. Like, I think early on we both got into back into doing what we loved right after the show. And then we found out very early on not just like renovating a house together, not on TV, not in anything, just like putting each other in stressful situations and working together. We found out that that worked really well and we actually enjoyed it.
Starting point is 01:01:15 So like the fact that we got to do it on TV, like we love working together. And we weren't sure the very first show we ever filmed together, we're kind of like, this is either going to be really fun or it's going to be kind of tough because like it's different to work where there's pressure to deliver, to study lines, to do things like that. And sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't even for good and bad relationships. But what was unique when we got this idea of the show, the big D, quick premise, it is divorce couples, whether a few months, few years, decade, haven't talked together, no relationship, have a relationship. Divorce couples move into a villa together. And they're looking for love again, whether that's they're looking to date other people or maybe they would like to rekindle the relationship. They're looking to find that connection, work on themselves and see what happens. And so we were kind of like at the time, like, well, we're not divorced. We're actually about to get married. Like, you know, like, what are we? And then we kind of sat back and go, you know what? What's interesting about us, all of us on here, is that we know what it's like to fall in love on TV. And we know it actually can be real. Like, as,
Starting point is 01:02:19 crazy as that sounds, it can happen. And I think there was, there's reality shows, dating shows about everything. I don't think there's one that's really focused on divorce because a lot of times it's a negative stereotype. It's a taboo subject. It means the end of love, not the beginning. That's, we want to break that. And I will say, right, it is kind of weird. And to Jordan's point, that was a unique part of this show because we hadn't seen that, seen that been, haven't seen that done. Yeah. Oh, wow. It's been a long day. But I will say, you know, no one gets married to get a divorce. No one does.
Starting point is 01:02:52 No one ever has that a part of the plan. And so the six couples that are on the big D, they all got married. Never in a million years thought it would end in a divorce, right? They all wanted this perfect relationship. Some got married really young. Some got married during the pandemic. There was a lot of different,
Starting point is 01:03:09 right before the pandemic, right? Wasn't that? After. Okay. Anyways, they all wanted their relationships to flourish and thrive. And unfortunately, it didn't. And the reality is sometimes it doesn't work out. But that doesn't mean that you have to give up on love.
Starting point is 01:03:25 And there can be hope after heartbreak. And obviously we can't speak to being divorced because we just got, we just got married. But I do think that there was an element of this show, which really drew me to it, is seeing people that like really needed that closure that were really broken from the past and were just stuck not being able to move on. And I know, you know, for me, even just to break up after the show, right? like all you want is to be able to open your heart again to find something new and we were obviously
Starting point is 01:03:52 able to do that so that was something that we were able to speak to and obviously it's dramatic it's juicy I'm not going to sugarcoat that there's fireways uh there's actually there's there's two parts that show that bachelor at fan bachelor bachelor bachelor bachelor's fans and you guys I think what drawn me to it is I think is interesting the first is that when we go on these shows as single people the bachelor bachelor bachelor's right you can kind of be who you want to be right Joe just not able to fact you tell her like, I make this much money or I'm easy going. I don't stress. I'm super, you know, I don't golf five days a week. You know, you can be who you want to be until they find out. On this show, on this show, on this show, the big D. Your ex is going, no, no, no, no,
Starting point is 01:04:34 he has an attitude. He yells. He golfs five days a week. You know what I mean? So you have to be authentic. Your worst is out there. And so what was interesting about this is true connections formed quickly because going into it, you know all the bad things. All you can do is talk to the X that's sitting in the chair next to you. And the other thing that I think is so interesting. And I wish we would have had this is we have a relationship expert on the show, Dr. Jada Jackson. She's amazing. We put them through exercises, communication things, working on things, problem solving. But they're also able to have an unbiased opinion to talk to somebody about, wait, we got divorced because we couldn't do X, Y, and Z. What are the tools that we needed? So they can either
Starting point is 01:05:16 fix those things and go maybe we can do this again because we actually are armed with the tools make this relationship work or maybe they go okay now I know how to be better for the next relationship and then a new one can start so those two things make this really unique I got to tell you guys it's really and I hope you you watch the show because it's so the interesting funniest part of this whole thing is like every dynamic of these ex couple it's so different right you have two individuals who were married ones that are like they show up on the the beach and they're like stay out of my way get out of my face i'm single this and that you have one that's like really wanting to fight for the relationship the other one that's like no goodbye and all
Starting point is 01:05:56 these different dynamics you start to see them change it's not all them but you start to see some of them evolve you start seeing the one that thought they would never take a second look at their ex-husband or ex-wife again being like wait a second is this really over it's crazy this is so fun right it's not something that you take like so is the goal to get uh i mean i guess is host is the goal for the two of you to get couples who have gone through divorce back together or is the goal just to see everybody find love again or open back up like what's your kind of what was your mindset and helping them navigate this i think for us like we there's obviously reasons why people get a divorce right sometimes it just really isn't the right relationship for you right so
Starting point is 01:06:44 this was never about trying to force people back together, it was more so hoping that they are able to open their heart up again to love because all these people come in saying that they haven't been able to move on from the past for one reason or another or maybe find, you know, whatever it is that they're looking for. So it's really the goal is to end with one relationship, like a committed couple, whether that's a rekindled love or it's a new love, but it's really about closure, moving on from the past, letting go of the baggage that was stopping you from moving forward, whichever direction that is. Where can we watch this and when? So it's going to be on USA Network. It'll be next Wednesday, June 14th. It actually airs right after Temptation Island.
Starting point is 01:07:32 We're big tentities. Oh, so perfect. And it's on Peacock the next day, so you can stream it out as well. This is really excited. This is. Up days on Wednesday. me on hump day yeah this is uh this is exciting i think this show will be really uh really fun to watch and really exciting to watch the two of you do this again you guys are pros you're great at what you do jordan i'm a big fan of you i watch you on saturdays i appreciate just follow along getting prepped uh for well my day on the couch um you i always laugh you got to work and i'm sitting on the couch like chilling being like i did a good do though for those games so i can't complain Yeah, you're doing all right.
Starting point is 01:08:15 And JoJo is so good to talk to you again, to catch up with you to break down all the madness of the last, you know, seven years of life. Our 20s, our mid-20s into our 30s, I mean, so much. And I don't want to not bring up once again that the two of you saw me two minutes before meeting my now wife in person. That means something, right? That is a God moment. I don't know what. Yeah. I mean, it means.
Starting point is 01:08:48 You know what I think it means, man? I really do think that like... The past behind you. Yeah, the past is behind. But also, we always wanted the best for each other. Yeah. Whatever that looked like, that was like so important to both of us. And I think that we, we spoke to that every time that we could.
Starting point is 01:09:04 And so to be together now and for you to now be married and for us to have that quick moment before you met your future wife. Yeah. I think that's a really cool thing. I also remember that conversation with Ben and telling Joe's like, I really like him. Yeah. And I think that was important for me, right? Because like, it shows me a lot about Joseph's character that she could fall in love with someone like you because I'm like, I get that. Like, I understand that.
Starting point is 01:09:26 Or much rather that be the case in someone, I'm like, wait, how did you like this guy? I mean, I came away from it. I'm like, I get it. Like, I really like Ben. I remember telling you that because that was our first time really talking. So I think that's pretty cool. It is. Yeah, it is.
Starting point is 01:09:39 Well, it was great to see, you know, it is. It's just so wild. I think back in that, and I remember getting in the car with Jessica. I think how she felt jumping the car with Jessica. And I'm like, I just ran into Jojo and Jordan. She's like, who are they? And I'm like, oh, goodness. I just got to sit for a second.
Starting point is 01:09:57 It's good to see you. It's nice to meet you. Well, you guys are great. Thanks for coming on. Wish you the best with the Big D. Again, it's airing Wednesday, June 14th on the USA Network. please tune in and check it out if you're a tempty. You can just keep the TV going.
Starting point is 01:10:14 And if not, and you want to watch it the next day, as they said, it's going to be on Peacock streaming so you can tune in there. JoJo and Jordan, thanks for joining the Almost Famous Podcast. It's great to have you. Guys, we love you, miss you. Love you. Thank you. Yeah, without it being awkward, I love the two of you.
Starting point is 01:10:33 Guys are the bad. Good way to end. Tell Wells, I can get a text for the next golf. trip you know i got my stick you in oh are you in because i was literally going to say now you guys can play golf together hey i i wasn't i wasn't watching when we're doing this but it is always here got a couple of two great courses in porto rica if you guys need a little away time like down i would uh jordan you are going to get a text then because i would love to meet up but we're going to play golf uh you're going to get a text okay yeah that sounds good i the porta rica idea is more at my
Starting point is 01:11:08 alley, like on the beach. Seriously. All right, guys. Bye. See all. See all. We'll talk to you later. Thank you.
Starting point is 01:11:16 Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast on IHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. 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 a podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect.
Starting point is 01:11:41 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?
Starting point is 01:12:04 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 Overcomber podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, it's Honey German, and I'm back with season two of my podcast. Grazias, come again.
Starting point is 01:12:29 We got you when it comes to the latest in music and entertainment with interviews with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition? No, I didn't audition. I haven't auditioned in, like, over 25 years. Oh, wow. That's a real G-talk right there. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 01:12:44 We'll talk about all that's viral and trending, with a little bit of cheesement and a whole lot of laughs. And, of course, the great Bivas you've come to expect. Listen to the new season of Dresses Come Again on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult. But it happens all the time. people just like you.
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