The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Winter Games Closing Ceremonies

Episode Date: February 24, 2018

In a very special episode of The Almost Famous Podcast, Ashley hangs out with her friends from Bachelor Winter Games. Joining her in studio are Kevin, Courtney, and Lily, for a reflection on the season as a whole, and what happened after they left Vermont. Claire and Benoit call in, for their first interview after getting engaged on the show. And, all the way from Sweden, Stassi calls in to give her side of the drama with Luke Pell. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the Ben and Ashley I almost famous podcast with IHartRadio. Hey guys, it's Ashley, and I am joined by my co-hosts today. Kevin, Went, Lily, McMannis, and Courtney Dober. Good morning, America. I feel like it takes three of us to fill Ben's shoes. It truly, truly does. It's so sad that Ben's not here because I know that we would love to talk about all of his tears. Like, he made America weep the other day.

My sister was crying so hard during Yuki and Ben's exit. She was, like, laugh crying. She was having the Ashley I laugh cry because she was laughing. She was crying so hard. So that runs in the family. Yes. Does it, do you not do that? No, I don't laugh cry.

I did cry, though. Yeah, I cried. Guilty. I never cry. Call my mom up right now. I don't cry. I'm not going to like. When I saw Ben and Yuki, they got everyone.

I was crying. That was the absolute tear jirker. Yeah. I want to know from your guy's perspective how you felt Ben was on the show because everybody was like, Ben seems like he has walls up. And I was like, it seems like relatively normal Ben to me. Well, how did you guys feel he was in that environment? I feel like he probably treated you because you guys are such good friends.

Yeah, he was like really open with me and we had conversations that you guys wouldn't. Yeah. Besides, like me and him had a good conversation about our similar breakups. And besides that, um, I just thought he was just a normal dude hanging in the house, but I... You didn't think he was the saint of the world, the second coming? Well, of course. Sorry, guys.

I mean, we just got along really well, and I didn't really see him. I don't know him in any other way. So that's just the band that I met. I didn't see him being closed off. He was engaging with all of us. I just think he just wasn't ready to be there. Yeah. Yeah.

I think that's a good thing about us internationals. I had no idea who he was coming into it. I just thought he was a normal guy. You were obviously really passionate about him. I kind of had to suss that out and be like, what's to deal with that? But once I had a conversation with the guy, he was like, he's a really gentle, soft kind of man. It's just a good guy deep down.

Yeah, he's like America's Prince. He really is. Yeah, yeah. It's funny in these situations, though. Like, you go into a house and you've only got limited time to meet people and form relationships and see where they're going to go. And if they don't work, then you move on. Kevin, classic example.

And I think with Ben, he sort of, I don't know, the image that I got from here, He sort of did hold back. He did a lot of cooking by himself and didn't really engage with that many people. See, that's so interesting. I always felt like he was engaging and then everybody else who didn't know him didn't feel the same.

Yeah. I think in group settings, he was always like, yeah, we're all friends kind of thing in this area, but I think one on one, you never really saw him have too many intimate conversations with girls. There were a few women that were interested in him. Oh, absolutely.

Yeah. I know even started Bibbiana wanted to get to know him better. Tiffany were both very into him. Yeah, and he just wasn't putting himself. Like, I think he was himself. He just wasn't crossing that line to really put himself to be available. Right.

Strike to the friend zone. Yeah, he definitely put the front zone vibes out there. And I thought that he was like very much of a father figure in the house. Like a leader. Like a leader. He's a lot younger than me. He's a lot younger than me.

But you're right, you're right. Oh, yeah, he is six years younger than you. Isn't that insane? He's like my older little brother. Your younger father. Yeah. No, he's definitely, he's younger than me too, but he's definitely my big brother. He's an old soul.

Yeah. Okay, well, I mean, elephant in the room here. Kevin and I won. Yeah, well, all right. No big deal, no big deal. Public platform for you to rub it into Lily and I. Thank you very much. Yeah, so we won.

Well done, well, thank you. Well, deserved. Well deserved. He, you guys, little known fact that you didn't see. Kevin was so competitive that day it was freaking me out I was like oh wait I have found this man's flaw

he like can't he's taking this way too seriously and then he was like no I'm not we're just having fun and I said no we need to win the Bachelor winner games for you and he's like if you ever would you say you're like if you ever say that again

yeah it was for us it was for us I didn't want it to be for me it came across like it was for you I was like you're gonna be mad you're gonna be so upset if we don't win and he's like if you ever say that I'm going to be like heartbroken if we don't win you don't get me yet so here's the thing when you watch the episodes it's so okay you see us form a relationship going to date have some good conversations but by the time ice dancing came up I knew I was going to see Ashley after the show I was excited about our relationship so once

you get into the arena it's like game face on like our relationship will be fine let's just worry about the ice dancing yeah you were like so game face on and I was so bad you guys The thing is, you got to see a little taste of our rehearsal the day before with, you know, Nancy Kerrigan, Thai Babylonian, Randy, what? Gardner. Good. Kevin and I were so much better during the rehearsals because they let us wear layers. Like, I was all bundled, so I wasn't freezing. I was so tense.

I couldn't move at all in that outfit. Yeah, so if you watched the episode and you saw Ashley and I barely move, basically just make out and win the ice dancing. Our practice was a lot better because she had foot warmers and hand warmers and like three layers on. We were all in the same diet. We're all dealing with the phrasing cold.

We had like giant oversized children's clothes. Like we had our leg showing and our arm showing. I know. Lily and I didn't get the cute outfits that's stossy and Leslie got. I know. The other two were real like trendy, sexy and men

they were so sexy. Wet feet. It was disgusting. I know. I would have felt better at myself and maybe have performed better. if I had a sexy outfit on. You guys both looked fantastic.

You look like a Disney princess that day. Thank you. You're so sweet. It's so sweet. And Courtney, you looked very sexy. Thank you, Kevin. Thank you very much. Courtney and Lily, you are the international couple.

I think they concentrate a lot on the couples that had an American in them because people knew them and had a prior connection to them before. They felt like something to root for. But you guys have honestly defeated the odds because people love you so much because you're hysterical together. Your chemistry and your sense of humor just jive so well. So how do you guys feel about being like America's Aussie and New Zealand sweethearts? There was like Bachelor alumni wanting to double date with you guys. Yeah. We got a call from Wells last night and Wells is like, Ashley, put Courtney and Lily on the phone because I need to double date with them.

Yeah, that was pretty surreal, I suppose. I mean, I've I've heard of Wells before and I think the fact that he is dating someone from an American television show that we see so often in Australia it was like it was international news so I think it was pretty surreal for someone like that to reach out and be like hey let's go on a double date

so that's exciting so hopefully Wells if you're listening let's go on a double date we're king I feel like America's really taken us under their wing which is nice so nice we are a bunch of idiots we are a bunch of idiots but it comes across well on TV doesn't it well yeah

So did you guys feel like maybe your relationship wasn't shown enough on screen that people may not have understood that there was chapter skipped over and if there was I need to know the scenes that you wish were still in there Yeah, yeah where do we start with that? I think the last two episodes

kind of started to show more of our personality is definitely the last one was like okay there we are you know that's really us as an established couple uh then the last thing the last thing do you want to actually Courtney I think you tell this story better. Do you want to tell him about the old drop a knee?

Oh yeah, sure. Yeah, so there was obviously, I mean, this is a G rated show, PG, surely. There was lots of scenarios that Lily and I put ourselves in that were probably not for that age demographic, but one thing that you didn't see was me drop a knee on our final one-on-one date, the only date that Lily and I actually got, which was nice. But yeah, we sort of had that very intimate conversation, pouring my heart out and then I said there's only one real way to show a woman how you feel about her

and I dropped a knee and she freaked out her face went as white as a ghost but I did take my shoe off and offer her a shoey which she politely explain what a shoe is for people who don't know So if you watched the end of

I think it was episode three they did show a shooie and it was a competition between myself and the other New Zealander Jordan but basically it's just something that Australians and New Zealanders have kind of invented, I suppose, to just entertain ourselves. That's what we like to do down there. Drink alcohol from a shoe.

Exactly. So we pretty much pour our drink in a shoe. From a warm, sweaty shoe. It's like, yeah. And it's usually the other person's shoe as well. It's not like, you don't get the comfort of your own foot sweat. Um, so generally it's like a show of how manly you are. So you dropped a knee and gave her a sweat shoe bag. So I dropped her and, I dropped a knee. She, absolutely. I've never been happy in my whole entire life. Yeah, more than a little out of a shoe.

Oh, my God, that's good. But, I don't know, hopefully that'll make it somewhere online because I think it was a great moment. I mean, I remember just getting on one knee and looking up at her and her face was just hysterical. I was like, get the hell up. What have they convinced you to do? Because he got dragged out by the producers

after spilling all of his feelings all over the couch. I was like, oh, my God, he's going to do it. They've given him a ring. And I just went white. Oh, hell. Where did this place in the series? What day? This was on our, on our home, before the fantasy suite.

Okay. Our only one on one day. Clearly and I never won a sporting event. Oh, yes, yes, you just said that. Okay, so speaking of getting down on one knee, how scary was Dean giving Leslie the key to his house? Yeah. Because, like, they're definitely really great,

but I know that she's, like, not ready for her proposal. But then with the lead-up, so Kevin and I were now on stage, so we didn't see this. So we just saw this for the first time last night on TV. That was a convincing. almost proposal he did pretty well didn't you see through it

someone was telling me that they knew he was not going to do it yeah well I mean he's pretty young surely wouldn't lock himself in that early I thought it was a pretty cute gesture because she had been talking since I met her about settling down somewhere

and putting her bags I guess they call it somewhere oh so that is adorable even the first day I met her I'm like where you from she's like everywhere so yeah guys Declare Leslie actually hasn't had a home home for like two years. When she is in the state, she's either at our parents in Arkansas or her parents or her sisters in Texas. And she's like, yeah, she hasn't had an apartment because she travels so much.

It's like pointless to spend rent on something that she's maybe there for seven days a month. And Steen's proposal was somewhere to put your bags. So cute. That is really cute. That was a cute. Deany baby. Teeny babies. Jesus, sweet on.

Well, we had an actually. Real proposal before we get Claire and Benoit on the line Kevin the Canadians came in hot yesterday and you've known Benoit for over

about two years now right? Yeah it's been about two years yeah he just learned English two years ago just so everyone knows Isn't that insane guys? When I did The Bachelor at Canada

with him I guess it would have been a year and a half plus ago almost two years ago he did not speak this well at English it was much more broic you know when people were kind of giggling when he's talking to Claire last night

because he's talking people yeah he's just women you're the best women i've ever met yeah you're one of the best person i've ever met like stuff like that well you should like the first time i met him it was twice as bad so he's come a long way very impressive he's come a long way he was like the yuki on your season was he not that not quite it wasn't just like hello it wasn't that bad me he's still he's still spoke english it just i've seen him come a long way since yeah okay and what else should we know about benoit that we didn't get to see on the show or and we all know that he's like such a hopeless romantic yeah but you know we

only got to see two episodes of him yeah so he's he's he's very old soul he's very meet your soulmate and run with it like yeah he's a romantic movie comedy like all in one right um he fell in love quickly and he does that even when uh the bachelorette season i was on with him he he made it to top four yeah um and we only have three hometown so hometown so he was the day before hometown set he got eliminated he was so upset he was upset still months after um and a lot of people can get off these shows and kind of bounce back quickly especially when you're not doing fantasy sweets or hometown you know stuff like that he was still really, really rattled from it all

because he's just such a hopeless romantic. And then I saw him when I had a goodbye talk that wasn't shown on camera, when I had a goodbye talk with him in Vermont, you could tell he was very indeclare, like more than I ever knew from sitting around the living room. He was very devastated to go home, but he knew he had to.

And yeah, it was great to see him come out. That was crazy. Like your reaction was the best, Ash. It was really funny. Remember I looked to you? I'm like, don't look so mortified and scared. Yeah, he looked. You said you look scared.

I was like, no, I don't. I look absolutely flabbergasted. Your face was priceless. There was so many tears in the crowd. Again, Lily, you cried. I did. She had your feminine side. I think every girl was dripping tears.

It was just, I was off my seat, like, holding all of my limbs to make sure nothing fell out. I remember all those little close-ups of your face during that is the best thing. It's so funny. I just love that they're both, they just both seem very into it, and they both have careers that can move. I feel like they'll just work with it, and they'll make it work, which is pretty awesome. He's such a vulnerable guy. I was so overwhelmed by how much. she could put himself out there and be completely open to doing that.

You don't meet a lot of guys that can do that. Yeah, that's true. It was funny because when we sat down after getting off the hot seat, Benoit was like, I'm so sorry for eliminating, or, you know, writing your name on that card, the first row ceremony. And I was like, oh, Benoit, please. I literally not a big deal. And then with the, why would you, he was thinking about apologizing to me.

That's like shows his character. He apologized to me when he was bracing himself for in two minutes to proposed to a woman. In front of millions people. Yes. Insane. All right. Well, it's time to get them on the line, but first, I'm sure they're getting pretty busy in those sheets, and I suggest that they get busy in Bowling Branch sheets. Boland Branch sheets are the best. Getting a great night's sleep is easier and more affordable than you'd think. You don't need expensive mattresses or sleeping pills. You just need to

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So go to bull and branch.com today for $50 off your first set of sheets. That's bull, B-O-L, and Branch, spelled normally, dot com. promo code almost famous, bullenbranch.com, promo code almost famous. And guys, presidents sleep on these sheets. So you know they're freaking legit. Okay, guys, now we have Claire on the line. Claire? Claire and Benoit?

Hello? Claire and Benoit. Hello. You're both connected on the almost famous podcast. I feel so honored. I feel like we're your first post interview despite all the things that you did after the taping the other day.

You absolutely are. No way. We are having your first interview, like, post show. Like, whereas now America knows big reveal. You guys are engaged. You got to let us know everything that has happened between that day that Benoit left the house and the day that he dropped down on one knee. I'm sure that so many Bachelor Nation members out there are like, what in the heck has happened?

Take it away, Benoit. Wait, wait, before you start, Benny, Benny, before you start, do you remember when I talk to you at Christmas time? Yeah, exactly. I talked to you on the phone and you asked how the show went. I told you all about Ashley and then you said, well, I kind of started talking to Claire again. do you remember that i know buddy this is amazing at the beginning okay sorry you guys go ahead okay so uh yeah and that was that was true like uh me and claire when when she uh got back to sacramento uh we start talking to each other uh face timing a lot uh like each and every day like

almost every day like for like between one one or three hours like it was It was like a lot of talk because we had a lot of catch-up to do on a bunch of stuff. And, like, you know, it went fast on the show, so we kind of take it slow from there. And we planned mid-January, I think, my memory is right, to see each other in San Francisco. Unfortunately, there was some personal issues that happened that didn't make it. But we managed to see each other maybe two weeks later, if my memory is right. in Los Angeles and so we can hang out, be natural again, be with each other and see if we can make it work like together in real life. And it went super well from there. So I knew at that time

I was, I was in love with her for sure. I think you were in love with it the first time you did it. Yeah, you kind of told her when you left, you said I love you really. I reminded him about it. He was like, oh my God, you heard that. I was like, oh, yeah. Women do not miss that sort of stuff. I was crossing my finger, hoping she didn't hear that. It was like still a bit too fast for this situation. But once again, like, this is who I am.

So, yeah, she heard that. But I think she knew from there that I was in love with her. So, but she's taking more time to figure these things. And it's good. I understand this whole thing. So you didn't say I love you back at that point, Claire, did you? No, no, no. For me, here's the thing, for me, I've had these relationships that start like fire.

It's crazy amazing. It's so good. And then it just burns out so quick. And I'm left just, you know, just devastated. And so those relationships, like when I met Des Mois in the house, that's what it reminded me of when he was like, I love you, I want you, I want you. I'm like, oh, okay, I've seen this before. I've been there. I've done that and it has not worked out for me.

So for me, it scared me. And it wasn't anything, a lack of anything on his part. It was more like, this is coming on way too strong for me. And it's overwhelming me. And I don't want to go down that. See, that can turn girls off, too, when a guy is pursuing a little too hard. He put the walls out. Yeah, that's what I've told him is that I don't regret.

I know a lot of people have opinions on, but I don't regret how things happen. Even with the Christian stuff, I don't regret how things happen because I do, I mean, I promised myself after my last relationship, I'm going to take my time and I'm really going to get to know a guy. And so this was just too much too soon too fast for me. And it overwhelms me. But now, look at now because he was able to be patient, take our time, and still taking our time, getting to know each other and going along that path.

So it's all good. So how many days did you guys spend together in hiding? Because I feel like, I don't know, you hid really well from all. of us. I think we were all very confused. Like, I didn't know that you were in L.A. that week. And was it hard to keep it a secret. It was hard to keep it a secret. We went out, like, we snuck out a couple of times, and there was people that would, like,

message me on my DMs, and they'd be like, hey, saw you out, and I'm, like, crossing my fingers that they wouldn't make the connection of, like, wait a minute. There was even a lady that we ran out to when we went out shopping on the outside day. And the lady was like, it was right when the show was airing, and she goes, I love you two together, but it was before they had shown that he went home. She's like, I love this. I love how this worked out. And I'm like, little does she know what happens on the show.

And then she's like, wait a minute. So we have to hide it to everyone, a few guys. And I'm sorry if it's, at one point, I think you guys thought these guys are savage. You don't want to talk to us. Like, Kevin, I'm sorry, bro. Like, I didn't give you any news, but I don't want to like to you. So, buddy, I'm a huge romantic. I'm glad I didn't know.

I really, you got like a genuine reaction to me on that stage. I, like, stood up and gave you guys a standing o'en. Yeah, I loved it. Laughing and being so happy, so. And Claire, Claire, I've got a question for you. Did you have any idea that he was going to drop a knee? Even the slightest idea. Okay, so we had, by the way, hello.

I didn't know who all was on. Oh, Lily and Claire are you going? What's up? Heather, bloody how are you? Yes, hi, hi, hi, hi. Okay, so we had talked about it. And we had talked about it kind of like this. is going fast, but the alternative for me is also, I don't know, it was something that I'm sure about,

and it's something that I wanted in the future. And it wasn't a question of that. It was more a question, it wasn't a question of like, do I question him? It's more of, I still want to be able to take my time and everything. It was, that was more, you know, be able to have my pace. But knowing if he's a great guy, that wasn't a doubt in my mind. So from there, it was like, this is all good for me. So this is the right guy you're saying? I'm saying it. This is your man. Yeah.

This is my man. Oh, my God. All right, well, I'm just, I'm a little, I'm still confused for our viewers. I need to know when your feelings started to change, why you gave him the second chance, and what your fascination was with Christian that you decided to pursue that longer than you did with Benoit in the house. I can answer that. He's beautiful. But so is Benoit.

You're in a tough situation, girl. I know, the house was full of gorgeous men, so it's hard. But, um, I was going to say, okay. No, no, no. I'm excluded from that. So for me, things change. Answer for question, things changed for me when, like I said, when I got home and he just wanted to know if I was good and if I was okay and how things were.

And there was no, like, hate, there was no anger. There was no bitterness or jealousy or anything like that. He was just like, how did things go for you? And that's kind of what started it. And I was going, okay, this guy is allowing me to just be me and he's not giving up on it, which I really liked. And that was a key thing for me. And I've said it a million times, I want a guy that won't give up and it won't run away when stuff gets hard or challenging. And even though it was a challenge for him to kind of go through this, like on his part, to be patient and stuff like that, it, I think it paid off for both of us, obviously.

But what was your other question, Ash? I guess it was with Christian, why you decided to try to pursue that longer. So, okay, the Christian stuff, he, I think obviously everybody can agree. He's a very good-looking guy. But for me, the thing I really loved about Christian was that he was more of like he would stand back and just be like an observer and not be in the center of everything. And I really like that. the guy. I don't like a mystery. I think you like the mystery in the heart to get. And it was more of, um, he wasn't just like, look at me, look at me, look at me,

and not like the guys are like that, but I'm not attracted to you guys like that's like that. Kevin, Kevin used to walk around the house and this is my favorite. I didn't care. He would walk around shirtless in the morning with his little Canada hat on. Because they made me wear a microphone. We need a microphone. No, I like, I like, oh yeah, he used to have a scarf. He was totally topless with a Canadian scarf and a Canadian beanie. And Canadian undies. It sounds very gassed on like, like a little obnoxious, a little showy, but I thought it was the hottest thing ever. Of course, of course.

I mean, you wouldn't find that a doctor, obviously. Obviously, yeah. No, but it was, it was, that's what I liked about Christian. It was like exactly like you say, it was the mystery of it. And it wasn't, like I said, for lack of anything on Benoit's behalf, but it was more like, let me take my time. I need to decide for myself. And I've, you know, done a lot of work on myself since all these shows and going through

all this and going through heartbreak in life that I said, you know what, I want to do what's best for me. And I'm sorry if it compromises other people's feelings, but I need to, for once in my relationship, put myself first. And instead of just being all about the guy and throwing everything into the guy like I used to do and just get my heart crushed. So that was huge for me. Claire, one thing, I didn't get the behind.

the scenes too much between you guys like when I was watching the show I was watching it as a fan like I didn't really know the Christian thing I wasn't too in that circle when you guys were like I had no idea he even said the word jacuzzi by the way that was the best ever we had an appointment for the jacuzzi yeah you never missed a jacuzzi appointment but but I did I did know Benoit prior to the show so the cool thing was watching um even when I did the bachelor at Canada with him I knew he was a super romantic super genuine guy and I knew he had a lot to offer because even in the house um In Canada, there's a lot less on camera. Like, Benoit and I spent a lot of time behind the scenes just talking about everything. And I knew that he was this catch, Claire, that you see today, right? And when he went home, like, it was his birthday and we're all crying. It was, like, the worst. And I was, getting ready to make him a cake with the producers. Nobody told me about.

Thanks, guys. Yeah, we made the cake. Benoit, we made you a cake after you left. I'm sorry. I ate most of it. But anyways, watching it unfold, it was like, wasn't surprised at all Benoit that you pursued her after that there was great footage of you guys in LA and like and I knew like I just love that kind of America or everyone watching the

show got to see the guy that I knew not it because you didn't even get that great of edit on Bachelor at Canada but I this is exactly who you are so it's one of those like you didn't need redemption necessarily but you needed to be shown in a better light and I'm just so happy I'm just so happy that on a bigger scale and like the American viewers got to see you as as this, like, really genuine dude. And, Claire, you're a super lucky woman. Thanks, man. Definitely am.

Thanks. Claire, I think that you show a good example of a girl who has liked bad boys in the past or guys who aren't 100% there for her. And then you go and you kind of fight it for a while, but then you're like, no, what I deserve is a guy who is 100% in with me, who respects me, who, like, honestly just worships me. Like, what advice do you have for girls out there? who just find themselves always going for the wrong guy.

Oh, man. For me, I put in years of the work on that because that's true. I would always go for the guy. I don't know if it's like some deeper for me or what, but I would always go for the wrong guys, the guys that weren't invested in me, the guys that didn't care, the guys were that just non-committal,

afraid of everything. And it was just, it was hard, it was a hard pattern for me to break because it was just a subconscious, I would always go for those guys. And I finally, after this last one, was like, I'm so sick of it. I'm literally going to just take care of myself and do what I need to do for myself and cultivate stuff in my life that helps me grow, that helps me become a stronger woman.

And while doing that, I did become just that, a stronger woman. And it took a lot of time and it took a lot of work because I wasn't always that. And I think people could see that in the beginning of when I first got on Bachelor. where it was very like, whatever you want. I just, you know, hopeless romantic. But now it's about, to me, setting standards and setting what you want, not settling for anything less because there's a lot of crappy ones out there, but there's the needle and the haystack that make it all worth it.

And not sudden you will get that amazing man when the time is right, you know? So, so hard. I think we can all relate to that. Yes. I love that. Okay. My last question for you guys. is probably one you've gotten a zillion times this week,

and that is what is the moving arrangements? What are the moving arrangements? What's next? We already talked about it a bit, me and Claire. For sure, like, she hates snow, so this is one major thing. I don't hate snow. I just hate being cold, too. It's just, like, I can't do it.

My body rejects the cold in a way that most bodies don't. I feel like this is a very similar conversation. So, but no, first I got to see Sacramento, which I'm going to do in two weeks. I'm going to come and see her in Sacramento, and we're going to spend time together. So, yeah, I'm going to see the city, and if I fall in love, which is probably what's going to happen. Fall in love with the city. It would be a good indication for the future for the Twiland. So definitely, like, we don't want to skip steps for now.

But definitely we have, like, to maybe, like, always have a look for a long-term also. But right now, yeah, focusing on first step, which is, like, getting to No Sacramento, spending time together, meet our family or an entire family. There's a lot of things that has to be said. Yeah. I remember speaking to you, Benoit, at the... to tell all. And you did mention that you hadn't really told a lot of your family about it.

Thanks, for taking my question. I was going to ask the same thing. Your parents didn't know when you dropped a knee. Everybody, like, trust me, guys, we played that super well. Like, nobody knew. And it was perfect because it was only between me and her. There wasn't, like, anyone else involved in spoilers. Any, so I kind of like that.

But right now, I think it's the best, too, because everybody is going to have their opinion. Not always the greatest opinions, but the good thing is being able to isolate just ourselves and that, we didn't have to worry about anybody else's opinions. It's irrelevant when you're in my shoes or his shoes, like having to just be ourselves and to only worry about what each other thinks. It's kind of nice to start it off that way. I keep coming up with more questions for you guys. Claire, your zillion sisters, how excited are they?

Oh, my God. Somebody got it on video, and my sister was like, no. Way. They're blown away because I'm the baby. I'm a baby in the family. So there is, it's, I think it's a double-edged sword because I think in their shoot, I'm kind of sitting here going, come on, guys, it's amazing. And they're going, you're our baby sister. Wait a minute. Benoit, did you get any, did you get any permission from Claire's side? Family-family-wise, did you talk to any of her family before? We talked a bit with some members of her family, but like there's so many women in there. they kind of look the same also so I tried to figure that up definitely like it's not like that was I was totally unknown for them but definitely like we have to maybe like yeah just talk on a regular basis

and just get to know all of them yeah nice and last question this one for real the sparkler the Neil Lane how gorgeous Is that ring? I'm not sure. I have stopped looking at it. She's unreal. When did you pick it out, Benoit? Actually, it was the day before, which is crazy.

Like, we were doing the filming on Friday and on Thursday. I got that, yeah, I was talking to Megan. We already planned this a bit, but I made my decision the day before. So we kind of, like, see a bunch of rings, and none of them were. really what I wanted and I already sent her like before that a picture of the ring that I would really want with some certain modification and it didn't have that one so in I think less than 24 hour he made a custom one on the spot for her maybe I already that one in the back and I don't know in the back door

but yeah he popped that out of 24 hours so you got a custom Neal Lane ring within 24 hours, that's amazing. That's when they did kill me, so yeah. No big deal. Bachelor life, fourth time's a charm. We are so excited and happy for you guys. Thank you so much for being here and being our first, being your first interview as a public engaged couple.

We wouldn't have a any other way. I love you guys. I love you, we bloody love you too so much. All right, we'll talk to you. See you later. Bye. Bye. Bye.

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I know you are. You're going to find something that you're going to want to use for the rest of your life in that box, promise. This is what happens to me every season. I feel like I need to be the Chris Harrison here. So how do you feel about Ashley, Kevin? I feel like the show didn't do his justice. I feel like it was like.

Shut up. I feel like, um. No, I'm serious. I feel like when we left Vermont, I was very excited. We had a long car ride to the Boston airport, and it was the first time completely being free from it all. And I just was very excited, excited to see where this goes. And we were both excited for the show to come, but now we're kind of happy it's over, too. What's been the easiest thing about being together off camera and what's been the hardest?

The hardest part is always distance and time change. It's just that thing of I like to wake up early. She likes to stay up late. So you throw a three-hour time change in. that's a tough thing to do. And then just planning our next time to see each other. Like, that's the difficult part. The positive part is the excitement of that as well.

Like we met in Boston to see a playoff football game, something I would never do. But she had to take me. I have no idea why he wouldn't do that. I was like, what do you mean? Of course, let's do it. Yeah, it was just, it was no question for her. So the excitement of it, too, like I want to,

like we're going to a hockey game this weekend. She's never been to a hockey game. Oh, I've been to a hockey game, but not an L.A. hockey game. I've not been to the stable center for hockey games. Yeah. So, I mean, it's fun to just kind of feed off each other and what we like and yeah and Ashley what about you what's been the easiest part and hard I think that that is too I think like those conversations about distance are always like

the ones that I'm like I don't know what you're talking about you know like those are where we get a little bit more like feisty but those are usually those are the only arguments we've ever had yeah um so it's just the distance and um but I think it's been pretty easy we've gotten to see a lot of each other lately yeah and I'm doing my best just to relax on that topic yeah what's the struggle. The struggle is I'm a little bit older and I've done a long distance relationship with a fiance before and it didn't work out and distance was kind of the first thing that started that breakup. So I'm trying to live more in the gray area and be a little more romantic and just see where it goes on Ashley's level rather than that black and white like what are we doing.

So she's helping with that a lot. Give it time. Give it a year before you worry about it. That's what I think helps is if you give it a year and you say we're not going to worry about it for a year. I think that a year is a little long for him, but I have been trying to, like, give him a timeline where it's like, please don't stop, start making that a real issue until this time. Decide for yourself, six months, whatever you decide. And then that's that. And then you don't keep harping on it. Yeah, I don't want to harp on it. I haven't brought it up in a long time. Yeah, he's been great. I haven't brought up in a long time. Until now. And we're also very flexible, like, work lives. So it's easy for us to jump on a plane and meet each other somewhere. And that's what makes it a little

bit easier and exciting. We're not both nine to fiveers that have to be in our hometowns for the whole week. we can meet up. Totally. I want to talk about the two scenes that weren't in the episodes that I think a lot of people were thinking that there was a part of our relationship missing because what you did was come to me in that little sitting room and you said, I think I'm going to end things with Bibby and I want to start things with you, like the Ashley chapter, which is like so cute.

But then people didn't see any in between. They just saw us going straight to making out at a rose ceremony cocktail party. Yeah, I think the conversation I had with you, like I said, I'm going to go talk to Bibby, Vivi and I had one of those super boring friendly talks. I'm just like, okay, that makes sense. Yeah. There was just no, there was nothing, there was no good TV content in that conversation. So I feel like they skipped over it, which was okay. But our conversation that we had after that, like our first kiss, that was the one that we didn't see that. That was unfortunate. It was unfortunate because we talked for an hour on on the couch. Yeah. We talked

about everything. Yeah. And we had our first kiss there, but yeah. It sucks, you guys, because what happened we'll give you like the short Spark Notes version of this he got back from his date with Bibby I think neither of them were enamored and then Bibby came to me and she was like who are you into

and I was like honestly awkward but the only person I'd be into is Kevin and I don't want to like step on your toes there and she was like oh no you should go talk to him and I feel like he kind of felt the exact same way like he wanted me to come talk to him so then we had like a nice two hour conversation and then I went into that cocktail party

being like, I think he's like pretty torn between us. You say that you would have actually given me the rose had the guys had the power that week. Yeah, like I addressed it on the live show and they never showed it as well. But you get that first date card and you have to pick somebody within an hour. And you're like, and you were someone

I did want to go on a day with and you told me you've been spending a lot of time with Bibby, you better take her tonight. Yeah. I encourage him to go out with her because that was the right thing to do because he needed to like see that through to make a decision on that.

But what about talking about the coolness of Bibiana for saying you should go talk to him because most girls would not do that so cool and Jordan hadn't even got there yet no had Jordan not gotten there yet no no it was more just I think halfway through our one-on-one date like we joked about it recently where we just both knew

this was a friend thing so why why play it out right and then the other conversation you didn't see I guess was yeah our first case conversation which was the day after he ended things with baby yeah well guys so that's our story and then it was it was smooth

sailing ever since and you made me feel so confident and comfortable what we had that I never had to I wasn't like crazy anxious Ashley because you were like no we're going to end this together I had so much fun on this show just because of you so nice Kevin is experiencing the opposite of what Luke is experiencing because all of America was like he's Kevin's amazing and look what he said to Ashley and blah blah blah and then oh they are not doing the same thing to Luke okay so seemed to have just a Nicholas Sparks romance during that series. Like on, not on the live show,

but I couldn't believe how romantic he was with her. And the live show yesterday, he basically admitted that was a showmance. I know that you guys have different perspectives on this. I know Kevin has gotten really close to Luke. I definitely am not defending Luke in his decisions here at all,

despite our friendship. He definitely needed to make it clear to Stasi how he was ending things and he definitely should have kept in touch with her Kevin I know you have a lot to say about this no no I'm just trying to stay impartial because they're

both my friends and it's really easy to trash the one who made a mistake but Luke was the first one to tell me the other day or the day after we filmed the live show that he made a huge mistake like it's not like he's just some big no he's a great guy he's a great guy I think he freaked and did not know how to hand Yeah, he knows he stuffed up.

So the one thing I will address about Stasi and what she said to Luke on the live show was there was a conversation had between them. See, after we were done filming, we had about three days in a hotel where they have to finish some interviews and stuff and we don't go home right away. So we're off camera and we're all just hanging out in the hotel. And we had a dinner on our last night in Vermont and Stasi was very upset. And it was noticeable to the whole table. We all knew that something happened between the two of them that afternoon.

And Luke and I were taking a couple photos like exchanging our jerseys out in the lobby. and I said, why is she so upset? And he said, I had a conversation with her. I just don't see this going far because of the distance. He's like, I don't, I like her, but like, I'm just trying to be realistic. And he's my age. Like, we're 34. It's like, you have to kind of know your path.

And she came in noticeably upset. And me and her became very close by this point. And I asked her what's wrong. And in her, like, broken English, she said to me, I think I'll never see him again. And they did have a talk before. So I don't know what exactly was said. And I'm not, like, Luke made a lot of mistakes in this thing. He even said he should have reached out to her.

There was a bunch of, he didn't even follow her on. Instagram. So there was a few things that he was very regretful for. But he, there wasn't just no talk after saying like ice dancing and then go home and this was the first time they spoke. There was conversations between the finale that you guys all saw and the live show you guys also. Does anyone know why he did not say that on the live show? Because to me as a viewer, that would have cleared up everything because all he needed to say was, we had that conversation in the hotel. Don't you know that? Or how did you interpret that? You live in another country. Because to me fine you know what like that yeah but that's not the argument the argument is he should have treated

her more as a friend getting off the show even if they lived in different countries i don't necessarily agree with that because breakups are hard so if he had feelings for her and then he's come to the realization that like she lives in another country he doesn't have to be friends with her or follow her on instagram or talk to her but what he should have said was i flipped out you live a billion miles away and I can't do it no matter how much I like you and that would have been fine with me

but it seems like they had the time to have that conversation earlier on she said she would move to America for him but then he just didn't really address it it was just kind of like because any dude who's wavering freaking out a little bit and you guys explain what you think

doesn't want her to move here he's like I've known you for two weeks yes I had feelings for you in the show now it's real life and I'm not ready for you to move fear. That's too much. I think that was the miscommunication was that Stasi was so convinced that he was genuinely falling in love with her and she genuinely fell in love with him.

But seeing what I saw in that show, I would have thought the same thing. Yeah, exactly right. All the things he was saying to her was everything I think a partner or someone in this situation wants to hear. You know, like they're... If not more. Yeah, if not more. We have a short period of time to get to no one another and he poured his heart out and I think she fell for it hook line and sinker and unfortunately obviously he should have fallen for it anyone would have and I am not defending him or taking her side I'm not taking anyone's side but when you guys are in that show in that bubble you're on an island or

I equate it to like you're in prison you're going to fall okay fine prison island whatever people choose he meant everything and she meant everything and they're falling in love and then the gates open and you're like, I'm out of prison, wait a second. And it just hits you. I have to disagree with you there. Yeah. Tell me. Yeah, no, I definitely 100% disagree because Lily and I's, our relationship started

and it's never changed. On camera, off camera, we've never acted any differently to one another. We went in there 110% ourselves. That's why we clicked. That's why our relationship was so strong from the very beginning. And it's why our relationship still stands today and grow stronger every day the more time we spend together. And it's why we've both.

move to America to make this work. You know, we do live in different countries, but we've decided to move to one country to see how this goes because we know it's real, because we were real in the show. And in this equation, I put myself in stealth issues. I think if Courtney said, if Courtney was how he was to me and then suddenly at a dinner, he was like, oh, you live in New Zealand, I live in Australia, tough titties. I'd be like, you mother, you know, I get where she comes from and I get the anger and I get the passion just because I'm a woman myself and I did fall for a man on the show as well. So I put

myself in her shoes and it would be a very, very difficult position to make yourself vulnerable and then be shut down. If I just like called. Yeah. I cut you up. I get it. I totally get it. I'm just trying to sort of dig in to this guy that we all know. I just want to clear up that like I have spoken with him. He has a lot of regret. Like it's not like he's after the show being like oh, F hurt. She screwed me. He said, dude. I should have reached out to her. I should have told her that she was important to me. I just knew with that it wasn't going to go anywhere,

and I should have been more clear. He was very regretful and he feels bad. He wasn't even defending himself. He was like, I just feel bad. So he is a genuinely good guy. I know you guys know him. I love it. He's going to be one of my friends for a lot of years,

and I'm not taking his side. He did mess up, but he's sorry. Right, and people are allowed to mess up and they're still good people. I'm all for making a mistake. Like, Jordan, for example, he really screwed up. I said I'll listen to him, like give him an open mind.

He really screwed up when he flipped a coin. on his season of The Bachelor. He's a genuine guy. Would you know what a grace? Oh, absolutely. Everyone makes a mistake. That's fine. That's just life.

I mean, Dean did it the other season, right? And he got massive lash. Well, that's what's so interesting. I'm so glad you bring that up because this was Dean this summer. People hated him. Yeah. And it was like, did he mean to mess up? No.

Did he kind of just like muddle through and try and figure it out? Yes. And I think hindsight's 2020. like now Luke's going like oh i could have done this so much more respectfully and the problem with that is that it is publicized like this is televised it's filmed everything's recorded and the whole world is listening so any little mistake you make everyone's a joy and if i'm taking a side i'm probably taking stasi side because this poor girl just got hosed but at the same time oh my god are people mean the internet like if i were luke i wouldn't even turn on my phone yeah so painful and he

turned off comments, and we definitely want him to come on the podcast and talk about this when he's ready. We are trying to get Stasi on the line to tell a little bit about her side of the story. She, you know, is in Sweden, so she may not connect well and also may not answer. Stasi. Hey, guys. Did you see the Maserati's here? Maserati is online. That's because Stasi is as fine and fierce as a Maserati.

all right you are getting a lot of attention today my lady I would love to get more cheats and snacks you know what let's start on a light note there was a day in the house that Stasi was just craving chips and salsa so

so much and all she kept saying is I just want cheaps and snacks say chips and snacks chips and snacks all like beer and voice dead and she just kept saying it like every 10 minutes. It just went cheaps and snacks. And then our executive producer, who's the most

wonderful man in the world, Bennett, he was watching from the control room. And he was so sick of hearing her say this over and over again that he walked from the other house. I warned them. I warned them to bring more food for stuff. I said, like, if you want to start to be kind, just bring more food. And for three days, it's no cheat. Who do you think you're dealing with?

Seriously, guys. She kept putting it on the grocery list. And so Bennett, from the other house, trekk's over in a snowstorm, throws chips on the counter, and he goes, here, Stasi, and then trekk's back. It was just, it was one of those moments you kind of had to be there for, but it was hysterical. All right, Sassie, we need to get to the nitty-gritty, unfortunately. I want to talk about your conversation that you had with Luke in the hotel after the cameras stopped rolling and how you interpreted that conversation and how he interpreted that conversation because I think he thought, you broke up and you did not? Oh, so Jesus, Esther, you know, we've been talking to you.

I've been talking to B, B, to Courtney, to Lidit, I'm like, I've been talking to almost, I think, to everyone. And I've been saying from a very first week, for a very first day that we had not been, like, spoken to him at all. You knew it, you know, it's like, for me, it's no sense to lie. And, all right, guys, well, it sucks that. It seems that our connection with Stasi isn't very strong. Let's continue with what she was saying.

I think the mystery here lies in the miscommunication that they must have had during that hotel conversation. I think this whole, this whole experiment was, yeah, there was a lot of miscommunication between lots of people. And like a language barrier? Must be a language barrier. I didn't think the language barrier was going to be such a big part in people's relationship, but it is completely.

I thought that they were totally communicating, but I do think what must have happened just from like our puzzle pieces that we have is that Luke probably sugarcoded the conversation with Stasi and she probably didn't take it as seriously as he would have liked for her to live. That seems very accurate. Yeah, yeah. I think they must have had a conversation where he's said a few things that in his mind he's gone, well, that's pretty much it.

That's the end. That's the cut off. And then she's gone, well, you know, we talked about booking flights and the distance thing and whatever. And then maybe he's thrown in a few little things that, suggest that maybe this relationship might not last, but didn't actually realize that that was the cutoff point. Yeah.

And then he's gone cold. And I have to say that I have had relationships with Americans, and they try to, like, cut me off with a nice sugar coating. And I'm like, okay, you still left room for hope, so I'm going to hang on to that hope. So if that's how I've been, I can only imagine. Well, and that's a girl guy thing. That is a girl guy thing.

I think as a woman, you just want to be ruined. I'm like, toughen up. Tell me you don't like me. Say, when they avoid the point, it's like, come on. We have no hope. You don't have to say we have no hope. From what I've gathered, I feel like, there's always hope, Ash. I feel like.

And that's the shit we're talking about right there. That is that vanilla male. I feel like you take away the language barrier and the distance and everything. And what Luke did in the hotel after filming, I feel like was ripping the Band-Aid off. And anyone from America would have known it was over. actually my opinion on it. I think this was the one case where she went home thinking, like I think he did say enough there because she came down very upset. She cried to me saying, I think I'll never see him again. We didn't know

we were doing a live show at this point. So she had no reason to ever come back to America unless it was to see him. And I feel just knowing Luke now, I feel like he would have, like, he was very like, I got to talk to her tonight. He's like, I don't know where this is going, but I know it's not going to be, I'm not moving to Sweden. It's basically how he said it. And I just think he should have said that on the live show. And people would understand. So I went for a run with him through Universal that morning, and we talked about the live show. His exact words were,

yeah, I'm excited to see Stas. It'd be great to see her again. He had no idea that she was coming in hot. Did he think something Hinky was going on when he was not in the chairs with you guys? Not because I wasn't in the chairs. We weren't there. Dean and Leslie weren't in the chairs. In the

panel of chairs? We weren't there until after the couples who were serious couples other than Lily and Courtney were all backstage. That's the way Kevin and I didn't even see what went down between Luke and Stasi until yesterday. Yeah. Yeah. Well, anyway, guys, I think that's all up for debate.

And if we get a better connection with Stasi in the future, which I hope we do through FaceTime audio or something, we'd love to have her on on a future almost famous podcast and Luke too. And hey, if they both want to come on together and have that deeper conversation here, that would be great for us. What I'm curious about from everyone listening is, I mean, I have 100 to 300 emails in my email. all bad about Luke right now

I want to know if anybody after listening to you guys explain is changing their opinion a little bit that would be interesting I think it's good for people to listen to our opinion because we were there people weren't there so it's really easy for them to jump to a conclusion

and I just want everyone to know that it's he's not defending himself he actually feels terrible that he never reached out like I want people to understand that like everyone messes up we've all messed up in our lives come on and say that for him so and I'm sure he will he's not he's not afraid like he will talk about this i think he was just overwhelmed with

her coming in so hot he thought he was excited to see her and we were going to go out after and we're going to have dinner together so he just thought it was like a reunion for him to see her yeah and i know he feels terrible now looking back the common thing in all these emails keep saying i'm so confused i'm so confused so i'm sifting through these emails right now and i do want to go through at least two before we say goodbye all right we just got great news in It seems like Stasi, who is currently on the train, will have a better connection within the next couple of minutes. So we're going to try her back and see if she really can explain further the conversation

they had in the hotel room. But until then, we're going to go through some emails. This one's from Jeannie. And she says, hi, guys. If you love a Bachelor franchise, this is from Jeannie. She says, hi, guys, if you love the Bachelor franchise, listening to your podcast is a must. Thanks for keeping me smiling. Thank you so much, Jeannie.

my question is why didn't any American ladies seem to pursue Courtney in episode one? He seems very sweet. Why do you think that is? You know what, Courtney? I've gotten a lot of texts for my friends about you. Like seeing

if you're still single because everything's... Yeah, I am. Yeah. The American girls that I know really like you. You guys know the words to the national anthem for The Bachelor. You guys know probably better than Kevin and I did. We did it on Ead the other day.

I feel like Courtney would know the whole thing. Yeah, well. He's got it on his iPhone. You know, when I heard the Bachelor Winter Games anthem, I thought, wow, I don't know if I should be here. And then, fast forward 10 days, which is the amount of time we shot for, I thought, I am proud to be associated with this winter anthem. It was even when we were watching it last night.

We all got up in the living room and put our hand on our hands. I said left hand, left hand. Did you guys fall in love right from the start? Is that why no other girls picked up on you? Yeah, I mean, look, I can't speak for the other girls who didn't come and approach me. But I feel like that Lily and I did have a pretty solid connection from the get-go. And I think that we kind of removed ourselves from the market almost on day one. And yeah, and although we never actually won a competition and got a single date,

We did do our own little DIY dates around the house. And so we constantly were sort of outside in the freezing cold just to be alone. So again, we sort of removed ourselves from the situation. I think a lot of people knew from the very beginning that, you know, those two are doing something. Let's leave them alone. Yeah, totally. Yeah. Her last question is, was it as cheesy to shoot as it was to watch?

Yes, and I think we loved that. We knew how self-aware the show was. We knew how they were going to edit the sports to look like it was an actual Olympic game. We knew that they were going to, like, add hilarious music, and Hannah Storm and Chris Harrison were going to really take themselves seriously in a really funny way. They're like, we're going to pretend to be really serious about this, but it's all a huge joke. So I think... I was really serious. We know.

You were really serious about everything. Yes. Yes, he wants to win. I was like, okay, calm down. How devastated were you, Kevin? At the speed skating, obviously, your strongest event. You knew you were going to win from the get-go in the event. event was announced how devastated were you when they said and for the final we're going to bring

the two slowest people from each heat in i was i was upset but then i knew how slow ashley was and i knew she would be in that final heat so we still had a shot so i did tell him before that i go i thought that he was going to feel guilty if he won his second straight competition so i said can you please try your best because i wanted to go on a date with him that night but then they flipped the rules on us and they're like the losers are going to go for it so anyway damn you dean yeah all right another we got another email from arreal first off big fan of the pod and yours in general ashley i feel like we could be real-life besties except you're so much prettier than i am you're ridiculous um but thank you also i love everything that amy

has to say please keep talking please secondly i loved bachelor winter games maybe it was the different format or that everybody was just genuinely there to find connections but it felt like the entire house came together and really bonded that was so nice is like there was never a villain like we just got along so well there was never any tension between people um so many questions she has how long was filming so it was 10 days like i just said um ashley who was your second favorite couple of the house besides you and kevin super happy for you by the way um our favorite i mean you guys i can't answer that i mean if you got other favorites announce it you know i'm not going to i mean i will storm out though i mean my other

My other two favorite couple, my other favorite couple is obviously Dean and Leslie, and they're not here. But those two couples are great. That was very, that was very, even. We'll continue. What is your and Kevin current relationship status, boyfriend and girlfriend is official? She's pregnant. It's their official title. Official title, yes.

Is Ben going to be the next bachelor? Pardon me, hope so because he's so darn entertaining. But I also want him to heal himself. and if it does, what do you think will happen to the podcast? That is so funny because I think that a lot of people interpreted his exit

as the perfect exit to make him Bachelor again. Would they do that? They know that they wanted him to be Bachelor again this year. They wanted him to. America's would recycle Bachelors? We've done it before.

We have done it before. Brad Womack had two seasons and he was never reflected in a positive light coming off his first season, which was interesting that it chose to do a second season with him. But with Ben, I think they would love to. He turned down the offer this year,

but I do think that that Bachelor Winner Games exit is something that that cannot be his finale in this franchise. You want more watching that. And he does constantly refer to the fact that the franchise and the situation works for him. And you can see how it does, because he wears his heart on his sleeve. He's the most open, vulnerable, loving.

He's best dude, one of the best guys I've ever met. and he would make a bloody good bachelor once again. Yeah. I don't think that that would happen this September, but I could see him maybe the following September. I think that this has proven that he's not 100% ready to jump into that specific environment. Dating off camera, he's getting there, but not on camera again. And then what will happen to the podcast, Amy?

Oh, the podcast will not go anywhere. Kevin and Ashley are. We'll have a lot of Billets. Co-host Kevin. Do you think that they'll do another winter games? I do. Or something like this with international people. I would assume that they are going to have more internationals on Paradise this season.

Bachelor Australia Court has already had Americans on it, and that starts airing next month. And the Canadian. The guy from my season is on Paradise Australia. Yeah, there's a lot. Jared's on there, and then so is Daniel McGuire. Yeah. Well, I was actually meant to be on Paragon. this year or last year and yeah oh wow yeah but then but then the whole current

controversy yeah yeah that's right oh like you were gonna roll in maybe yeah oh wow he was in a hotel he was you were at the vendanta no i wasn't i was i was on standby for my flight from sydney oh wow and then i was meant to fly it on the sunday and then it got to like midnight saturday and i hadn't heard anything and i was just like something is not right here and then one of the producers called me the demario effect three a m australia time and just said something's happened we've cancelled the show, we'll explain more later, but we're not flying you over. So, yeah, that... So I think they're starting to explore that international thing, and Australia did do it.

Okay, yes, and okay, so assume that you'll see foreigners on Paradise. And I think there'll be another winter games. And I think there'll definitely be another winter games. I think it was more successful than they even imagined it could be going up against the actual Olympics. Yeah, we won't have the Olympics next year and it'll be longer. And then the viewership will be insane if there's no Olympics going up against it. Yeah, I got a lot of tweets saying it was more fun seeing. guys fall on skis than seeing you in bikinis on beaches so yeah it was a lot of fun yeah it was a lot of fun

oh ray we have stasi on the line again hello there you are I can hear you now okay so when we lost you Courtney was talking about that dinner court very briefly can you reiterate yeah sure just that final dinner stars and obviously no cameras around but um you did start to tear up and I remember I came over and gave a little hug and ask you if you're okay and I know Lily came over and soon after. So the question, I suppose, is if at that final dinner you did tear up, I mean, obviously there was a conversation that you and Luke had that didn't go too well. Is that correct?

No. The thing is that it was about this like fantasy suite and this would make me, because I said like I will never going to do it and he knew it from the beginning. You know, for me it takes so much time to get closer first and even, you know, that it's just for me two weeks to kiss to like kiss him for first time. So that's why I was said, like, I knew that, like, yeah, friends of the sweet for us, this was a possibility. It's just to maybe spend, like, an hour of smoking.

No, Stasi, he's referring to when we were in the hotel after filming, and we had a final dinner the night before we flew out. I remember you were really upset when we came down at that final dinner? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You remember, like, when we went down to eat together. Yes, yeah. Yeah, we were head-talk, but, like, it was not about this. It's just, like, I didn't like how he were, like, what he were saying.

because, like, I don't want to say now on podcast, what he did say is. It was not dedicated to me. Basically, it was more about, like, production, how the bachelor's, like, world work, you know. And I told to him, like, I'm shocked. If I knew it's going to be like this, I will never even come here. Because, like, I didn't got here for aim or stuff. So that's why I was so upset. I was like, Jesus, is it you who are saying this to me?

And I was, like, sad, but he was trying anyway, like, to get along to me. And so you remember he was like asked me if you can dance with me. We were dancing. You remember that for like a hotel last night. We were like asking, oh, can we go and dance together? Okay, whatever.

So that's what makes me a sad. You were under the impression that it was... You know, like I know that like, you know, she has a mom and daddy is probably going to like listen to this now. I don't want to hurt them because they are nothing better.

Like I respect his family. And I feel we should nothing nothing bad to him just at best like I'm sorry that it's happened and I'm sad

now that he gets so much negative like energy and comments because I don't want it like really it was not my plan I'm shocked

that it turns like this and I hope he's fine so when you left Vermont though you were under the impression that you guys were going to see each other soon yeah

I was if you honest like really I swear Kevin for the first three weeks Like, when I was just thinking, like, okay, he, like, hello, at least you will take my number and say, like, FaceTime or something, because I've been talking to all of you, you know. And, but he didn't be, like, he didn't even follow me and Instagram. I was like, it's so childish to say that, like, what a fuck is the Instagram? But, you know, even he didn't hold me there.

And I was like, okay, that's really strange because we were talking about, like, tickets and stuff. And, yeah, then he was just very. distant I guess and we didn't had any contact but like after a month I sent to him request on Instagram and he then followed me back I was like yeah that is a huge step in relationship I guess after this all bunch of liberal shit so and then yeah we're like as I said we didn't we never talked I realized that person like I think got what he was interested and what he wanted out of the show that he's just such a gentleman on the picture you know on the screen and, yeah, I don't know what to say.

Yeah, one other thing that we saw stars, and for those of you who didn't watch the tell-all, there was a moment where Chris Harrison threw to an ad break, and then the cameras actually didn't turn off, and they kept rolling. Oh, my God. And you guys had a conversation. Yeah, and like I looked such a, like, such a drama queen, and my face looks so wrinkled, the catastrophe. Catastrophe 9-1-1.

I didn't use it, actually, the camera was on. because I didn't, you know, you know, for it. I was called in my tears, like, during the whole show because I didn't want to be dramatic. I didn't want to make people, like, feel sorry for me, like, oh, my God, poor girl, you know, that was not my goal at all. That's why I was holding my tears through the whole talk to him, through the, like, when they showed the video and everything.

Yeah. You've seen, like, you've seen me that I was so close to show my tears, but I was trying to not. Yeah. One thing we did say as well that Luke, kind of wasn't really uh answering any of your questions and you were saying i genuinely felt that way about you uh and he was kind of just saying yep yep yep yep is that cord me like it surprised me that he didn't even look to my eyes it's so disrespectful i think like

first at all look at the person's eyes and face when you were stayed on the profile that you have fallen in love with the person you got to be kidding that is just so stupid i swear i cannot deal with this americans like for me that is definitely a point where I thought Luke screwed up. He had an opportunity to have a conversation with her that could have been personal without the cameras there. And it was kind of, I said to Courtney this morning, it was like a conversation you'd have with your mom when you're eight years old and you're sitting in the car having an argument with her. Or it's the kind of conversation you have when you're completely shutting down. That, yep, yep, yep, to me, felt like he was losing it.

Someone, like, can you just give me a, you know, you saw everything from like a side, you know, And can you just answer to me how it's possible from all what we went through? And you've seen how our relationship develops and you have seen us like this video amazing and what he's been saying, how he's been tweeting me. How is even possible to be like this after show? I'm like, I don't understand that. Have you asked him that since? What one more time?

Have you talked to him or asked him any of these questions since the live show? No, no, no, no. No, no, I told you. I talked to him like twice. Like when he asked, like, did you write the students? Yes, it's your old book. Okay? And then it was happy new year.

Stasi, I think generally your biggest complaint about him is there was a lack of sensitivity. And people, the viewer's sentiment is they're completely confused. Stasi. I know you're like at a train station right now and we have been. You can hear it. Yes. And this has been a little bit of a broken interview. interview. I was wondering if maybe in the future, would you be willing to talk to Luke on this

podcast about what actually went down without the pressure of all the cameras in the audience? Like, I don't see any sense to doing this. Like, I don't need any more answers. I just wish him best of what. Really, I do from bottom of my heart. You know, I'm not angry. I didn't said, we've been talking to all of you. Had I said, want something bad about people. Like, never. I never said. And I will never do. And I will never write anything. about him, but I don't see any, like, any sense he has any, like, this kind of phantom get answers, like, no, just, like, go your way. Okay, so you are now closing the book on this.

Yeah, like, what will have talked about? But he will try to now be nice and kind and try to, again, he actually needs to find another word, like a synonym for words, yeah, yeah, like, really, he needs to find a good pseudonym, because this is just hilarious. Stasi, I think people are going to want to see you on Paradise get a second shot at love and see your wonderful personality. Would you do that? It depends on which condition, like in which psychological conditions I'm going to be.

And it depends which people is going to be there. You know, like, you know, after this world sells all, I've been asking you, like, why didn't he told me that, like, Luke being this way, you've heard about him rumors. You remember I was upset and I was trying because I was like, why? Why didn't he told me that? Because I really got hurt. And I just, if it would be a real people, if it would be people who didn't go there for like other reasons and laugh, then yeah, maybe I would love to be there. All right.

But otherwise, thank you, but no, thank you. Okay. Well, Sazzy, thank you for coming on. It means the world to us to get your point of view on all of this. And we love you very, very much. Me love you too. Love you, we love you so much.

Bye. Bye. All right, guys, that is it for the Bachelor Winter Games and this episode of the Almost Famous podcast. Thank you all for being part of it. You guys are the greatest co-host ever. We always end our episodes by saying,

I've been, and I've been Ashley. I've been Kevin. I've been Lily. I've been Courtney. And thank you for watching the Winter Games. Love you guys. Bye. See ya.

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