The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - You Don’t Want To Miss Any of This

Episode Date: October 2, 2026

September might be over, but make sure you didn’t miss anything before we drop new content!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Lisa, tell them about our new show. We have a new podcast. It's called Don't Lie to Me. I'm Lexi Youanu. We're two best friends, 22 years apart, but so close at heart.

And I'm Lisa Di Giulio, the old one, which means we have wildly different references, occasionally different opinions, and at this point in my 50s, I've lived it all. Now in my 30s, being the founder of new shoes, good taste is my business. Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Lacey Mosley, author, actor, stand-up comedian, creator, and host of Scam Goddess Podcast.

The True Crime Comedy Podcasts all about robbery, fraud, and those who practice it. Each week I bring on an amazing guest. Ooh, I scammed them. What? I can talk to you for an hour. You're a generational yapper like me. That's why I had to make yapping a job. And now you can catch full episodes of my show on YouTube.

Start listening to Scam Goddess on the Icom. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, this is Kylie Breakman. Angel Geratana. Jeremy Colhain. Patrick McDonald. And we're the hosts of the Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists Podcast. The Improvised Character Comedy Podcast where each week a new panel of artists discuss their craft. Join us for a panel of Eurovision participants.

And we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He winks on Halloween. He gets right up next to the microphone. I hear you can almost hear the eyelashes hit each other. You never seen Italy so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween. Listen to Artists on Artists on Artists every Thursday on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Melissa Jeltson, host of the What Happened to Her Podcast. We're kicking off the season with the Sandra Birchmore story, a case the police rode off as a suicide in a snowstorm. Her family never bought it. and the man they suspected wore a badge. You never know who that devil is because he's wearing in disguise. Sometimes it's a police uniform. And you can get access to all episodes 100% ad-free

with an I-Heart True Crime Plus subscription, exclusively on Apple Podcasts, available only to IHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for I-Heart True Crime Plus, and subscribe today. In February of 2024, celebrated illustrator in Children's Book Office, Peter Mathers and her husband Michael mailed letters to dozens of friends and family members

to let them know they had died by suicide. Dear honies, this is goodbye. By the time you get this letter, both Petra and I will be dead. Next stop, Wonderland. Why did they do it? And what did it do to the people they left behind? Listen to Death of an Artist on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous.

podcast with IHartRadio. Hey, it's been here, and September has zip by. So we wanted to recap things from this month on the pod, in case you missed anything. Ashley and I caught up with Bachelor Nation alum, Jill Chin. Well, Jill, we really wanted to get you on here because you just dropped a massive bomb on us. Because the last time we saw you on TV was about a year ago now on Paradise, leaving your second season of paradise and you just had everybody's hearts breaking you were representing so many single girls out there when you were sobbing just like why is it never me why can't i find the one person

who's going to choose me okay meredith gray um so soon soon after that paradise departure it seems like you found love in real life and then you kept it a secret for a year i did Yeah. Tell us everything. Okay. So after Paradise, I was like, well, I guess I have to go on the apps. Like, that sucks. So I was on the apps.

And I was like dating, you know, I was like going on dates. I was really making a, I was, I gave a good college try. Okay. And it's just a hellscape on there, genuinely. Like I, trying to talk to people is, I'm like, do you even want to be on here? I don't know. It was so bad. It's been so long for me.

But I hear, because it used to be fairly fun to be on those apps because people were interested. You go on dates and it was kind of the place that you could have a first date and move on. But I've heard now it's just pretty much a hookup app. Did you get that feeling? Ooh. No, actually, I didn't get that feeling. I think maybe because I'm just like a little older. Okay.

So, but it was very much like, you know, you'd match to somebody and then you'd like wait to see if they would respond to you. And then, you know, you're just like, hey, you know, you send a wave emoji or a high or whatever and you get nothing in return. So, yeah, it was just bad. And then you're like the people that they give you, because now it's like there's marketing involved too. So it's like, you got to pay $3.99 for the hot people.

You know, there's like, I'm like, where are the hot people? I swear to God. No, like, no. I swear to God. One time I was like, you know what, I'll pay the $20 this month. to see some nice people. And lo and behold, there are all the hot people behind the paywall.

September was a big month in the ongoing Clayton Eckerd false paternity case. This month, Laura Owens pleaded guilty two specific charges. Ashley sat down with attorney Ryan Kearns to break down more information about the case. We could spend five days talking about, you know, the details of this case.

It's pretty remarkable how we got from, you know, this sort of one-night hookup, you know, there's just oral sex. There's no penetrative sex to, you know, her sending messages, I want to date you. He breaks it off. Once it becomes clear, he doesn't want to date her anymore. She then leverages this idea of a pregnancy, right? It sends a positive pregnancy test, goes to this extreme, extreme lengths, doctoring images. And it gets really, we'll get into those details a little bit later, but really gets into some incredible. length that she goes to try to prove that she's pregnant and essentially just trying to say, please stay with me or give me a chance.

Yeah. And I'll terminate the baby or if you don't, then I won't. I mean, it goes to so far and this is this is where I knew things had gone off the rails. She had sent a dating contract, a dating relationship contract to a you. What in the world? Literally, it said, if you get date. me for one week in good faith and give us a real chance going forward, then I'll agree to terminate the baby.

It is a, I've never seen anything like it. It's clearly not something that's drafted by a lawyer, no lawyer, whatever, in their right mind, put something like that together. But, I mean, just think about how, there's red flags and there's like the ship has sailed. I mean, that was, once that was, once I saw that, I knew that we were in for the long haul. in big bachelor nation news former bachelor peter webber announced he and his girlfriend were expecting as well as blake hortzman and his wife jeanina who are expecting their second baby congrats to all of them lorne and i continued to break down the real housewives ultimate girls

trip lauren do you poop when you travel yeah i do my i honestly have great belt movements got to be honest. What about you? I struggle. So I bring some like probiotics with me. Yeah. Because it can get it can get ugly and sometimes it can't. Like it's just kind of like it's a guessing game for me. The reason I ask is because obviously Vicky is struggling. And so she decides to not only take two laxatives, also mix that with some fiber. And we kind of come into this beach day. You know, when I think about a beach day with a bunch of women, Lauren, it's like, hey, this is where you kind of like get sexy, showing off the bod, laying out getting some sun, probably like, you know, a lot of these women are singles, so they're going to be flirting. And Vicky just can't stop pooping herself. Yeah, this wasn't a very sexy time.

On The Most Dramatic Book Club, producer Heather got the Goldens together to review one of the most controversial books in Bachelor Nation. former bachelor producer Julie LaPocca's book. Let's talk, though, about the part about her possibly being the bachelorette that's thrown in there. Yeah. Let's talk about it because I thought,

I have, I have a, I have conspiracy theory about all of it. So, did that release, was that really said? Is that what your question? First of all, it has to be real because she did run this book by ABC and they approved it.

And there's a lot of Mike Fleiss comments in it. So direct quotes. So it had to have happened. Yep. Now, it's hinted at from the very beginning. She gets bumped up into this role, and immediately somebody is saying to her, well, we hope you don't fall in love with Pilot P. It was weird.

Yeah, the seed was planted. So the seeds planted, right? So somebody else is saying it to her right away. You wouldn't be stupid enough to fall in love with him. You wouldn't be stupid enough to do that. Let me tell you, I've never. had anybody say that to me. So the seeds planted, right?

So then they start filming the season and she keeps asking herself throughout this whole time. Am I falling for him? Do I like him? Is something happening? She keeps asking herself. She's not sure.

And then the family starts saying they're so cute. Well, guess what? Anytime we get some elderly people together and there's cute young people. They love it. Everybody says that. There's not, I don't hold a whole lot of weight.

true. I don't have a lot of we do in that. Everybody says it. I've been told me and the guy at the grocery store would be cute together,

whatever. It's like, it's what happens. Wait, if you don't want them, can I have them? Sure. But then they talk

about the chatter online starts. Oh yeah, because a picture from New Year's Eve. Because a picture from New Year's Eve. And I want to get into this because this is where my conspiracy theory starts to run wild is that,

yes, we know that Bachelor Nation fans deep dive and they come up with things. Yes, they do. They do. Their opinions. I think that this show is very heavily ingrained in the narration of what comes out into the press.

She goes into great detail about how happy she felt and accomplished she felt when she made it onto page six. Of all places. She is featured and she talks about in every major news article. So we're not talking just about, but we're not talking just about, but we're not. we're not just talking about Reddit threads. And that's where the Bachelor fans live. But who has the connections to the press outlets, the PR for the show?

So to me, it's a planted story to garner up press. Do I think that they ever had intention to make her the Bachelorette? Absolutely not. Do I think that they dangled the carrot? Absolutely. Do you ever think about a random pop culture moment? Like something that dominated the culture and then quietly disappeared? We do constantly.

This is Bestie Listen. Every week we revisit the most niche corners of pop culture. The stuff that shaped us, or better or worse. And ask, what was that? And more importantly, why do we love it? We celebrate it. We question it. And give it the level of analysis it absolutely did not ask for.

Stream Bestie Listen on I Heart Radio, Crave. wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Melissa Jeltson, host of the What Happened to Her podcast. We're kicking off the season with the Sandra Birchmore story, a case the police rode off as a suicide in a snowstorm.

Her family never bought it, and the man they suspected wore a badge. You never know who that devil is because he's wearing in disguise. Sometimes it's a police uniform. And you can get access to all episodes 100% ad-free with an I-Heart True Crime Plus subscription

exclusively on Apple Podcasts, available only to IHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait, head to Apple Podcasts, search for IHeart True Crime Plus, and subscribe today. Lisa, we should tell them about our new show. Oh my God, Lexi, we have a new podcast. It's called Don't Lie to Me. I'm Lexi Iwano. We're two best friends, 22 years apart, but so close at heart. And I'm Lisa DiGulio, the old one, which means we have wildly different references,

occasionally different opinions, and at this point in my 50s, I've lived it all. I'm not going to get anyone fighting. That is wild. I learned that about you today. Now in my 30s, being the founder of new shoes, good taste is my business, and I've always got something to say. If men were just honest about this, there would be so much more peace in the world. We're going to talk about dating, relationships, beauty, getting older, and a little wiser. We're best friends, but we don't always agree.

Because you told us how accommodating you are. Obviously, I would do what I think I could do to fight the fight, but there's only so much fight I can fight. Don't lie to me. Don't lie to me. Don't lie to me. Don't lie to me. Don't lie to me. Liar.

Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I don't really care. Hi, this is Kylie Breakman. Angel Geratana. Jeremy Colhane, Patrick McDonald. And we're the hosts of the Artists on Artists on Artists, on artist podcast.

The Improvised Character Comedy Podcast where each week a new panel of artists discuss their craft. Join us for a panel of wellness influencers. What I try to do is

faux journal. I don't know. Have you guys heard of faux journaling? Yeah, it's reading. It's called reading. So we don't like to use that word anymore.

Okay. A panel of New Yorker cartoonists. Have you guys done Terry Gross's Peloton class? No! I've been dying too. I'm so sorry. I'm seeing a reading

of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Audra McDonald's at the Wonderland Bookstore on 14th. That's crazy. I went to the Wonderland Bookstore yesterday and I heard Nora Jones do a reading of Zero Dark 30. No way. We'll have to come to the last bookstore though. Kim Cottrell is reading the guitar tabs of yesterday. A panel of Eurovision participants. And we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He winks on Halloween. He gets right up next to the microphone. I hear you can almost hear the eyelashes.

hit each other. You never seen Italy so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween. Listen to Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Lacey Mosley, author, actor, stand-up comedian, creator, and host of Scam Goddess Podcast. The True Crime Comedy Podcasts all about robbery, fraud, and those who practice it. Each week I bring on incredible guests like Conan O'Brien, Iowa Debrie, Lamorne Morris, and Nicole Beyer. Ooh, I scammed them. What? I could talk to you for an hour.

You're a generational yapper like me. That's why I had to make yapping a job. And the scams run the gamut. I'm talking about scams from the 1800s all the way up to today. I also warn you and keep you safe against scammers. Call your grandparents. Tell your parents to stop clicking on links, please. And now you can catch full episodes of my show on YouTube.

If there's a scam, I'm here to protect you. and I'm also here to laugh with you. So if you like fun, if you like comedy, and you like learning and protecting yourself from criminals, start listening to Scam Goddess on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Former Bachelor host, Chris Harrison, dropped the trailer to his upcoming reality dating show, The Vow.

Now the trailer's out. We know a little bit more. Before I share any of my opinions, let's start with Trista. What was your feeling? emotions, thoughts, seeing the trailer get dropped? First of all, I thought it was hysterical that he was throwing around rose petals and then almost stepped on the rose.

I mean, I actually thought it was hysterical. And, hey, you know, it's very obvious, the meaning of that. Goodness gracious, it's obvious. Ashley and I caught up with Bachelor Nation alum Sally Carson. We talked about her transition from Bachelor to Bravo's Southern Charm and about her new podcast with Lala Kent. I had a terrible time on The Bachelor. You had terrible time on Bachelor?

Yes. I am always praising Bachelor production. Really? Yeah. What made it a terrible time? I mean, my terrible time was like they just wouldn't let me do anything. thing. Like I was like, I want to leave. And they were like, you can't. You have to break up with their boyfriend first. I was like, I don't even know who the Bachelor is right now.

Tell us a little bit about that. So you guys signed up for Clayton season, not knowing who the bachelor was going to be. And you were in that hotel, not knowing who? Yeah, we didn't know. And then we find out, like, last minute. And I was like, fine with it. Like, I think highly of Clayton. But I mean, I just, we didn't know until we got there. And then they were like, you have to break up with their boyfriend. I was like, my boyfriend. Why were you like with a boyfriend and in a hotel waiting to meet the bachelor? No, like they were calling Clayton my boyfriend. Oh, you have to go, even though you had never met him.

Even though I had never met him. They were like, if you want to leave, you have to go say body. They just wanted it for camera. There is never a month that goes by without some headlines about Taylor Frankie Paul. In September, was no different. She won't be coming back as of now because she has no desire to, to move forward with Mormon wives after shocking cast exit. She's referring to the fact that her co-star, Michaela Matthews, announced her exit for Mormon

wives earlier this week and that her other cast members, Macy and Lela, have both showed interests in possibly leaving the show. And then we all know that Whitney announced that this past season that aired just a week or two ago would be her last. So, hello, Ben. How, how are you feeling about this? Hi, Ashley. You know, this is interesting. I think the question is this we've just been talking about if the secret lives of Mormon wise will continue with the departure of so many and the rumored depart, I guess the rumored departure of so many of their main cast members. And if you're read through the tea leaves, we kind of assumed it was because of the controversy surrounding

Taylor Frank Paul on the show. My big question is, do you think this brings some of those people back in? I guess that is a good question. She's saying she's leaving because they're leaving, but does that mean now that if she leaves that they're staying? Because if we all leave, then the show is basically over. And speaking of the secret lives of Mormon wives. Ashley and I caught up with Latia Gar, who recently been spotted on the reality show.

We talked about Life and her cousin being the winner of the Netflix show. Let's Marry Harry. You were just recently on Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. That's been making the headlines recently. What's your take on everything kind of surrounding that show right now? Oh, so we're going to start with the easy questions. Yeah, we're just going to dive in easy. You think those are easy?

Okay. Yeah, yeah. No, no, I think it's so sad. happening over there. It seems like they are trying to write the ship, some of them, and I'm supportive of the children, which feels like a polarizing thing to say, but that's how I feel. I hope that everyone gets healthy soon and a minimum for the kids. I don't know. Yeah, it's crazy over there. It's, and I'm telling you, like more stuff happens. off of that show than on it.

So I, if you think that the show is crazy, real life is crazier. And I wrapped up the month catching up with Allie Joe Hinks and Sam McKinney, who met after Bachelor in Paradise and have been going strong ever since. The Paradise reunion. I did that for I heart and it was awesome. And I got to meet all the couples that were together and a lot of the contestants that were, you know, were on that season. But you two weren't there.

And I just, I'm kind of confused. I guess I am confused by that from a show standpoint of you want to recognize the love that comes from the show. And I think there was a pretty clear path in my mind on how they could have told your story as a success story from Paradise and made it make sense to the viewer. But it's like they just kind of said, no, not our thing. Sam, you mentioned that you'd kind of try to get to the bottom of it. but the Paradise Reunion is even more confusing to me on why you weren't there. Yeah, I think once again, this kind of goes back to what I know. It's really funny.

So, you know, whenever they give you the list of names of, or they want you to make a list of names of girls you want to see on the beach before you get there. Me being the bad guy from The Bachelorette, the last thing I wanted to do is write multiple girls' names down because what I knew is, was going to happen is that I was going to walk down and the second or third pick that your second or third girl that I put on my list was going to be there. I'd have a connection. She would walk down and then next thing, you know, I'd look like an asshole again because I would leave that person for Allie. So I'll never forget Wells. I'll never forget Wells pulling me to the side at the bar. And he was like, hey, I need to do, we need to do whatever we can to keep you here. So Spencer and Jess where obviously they were a couple.

And I kind of knew after my first date with Jess, I think her and I were just not a fit. I think that's really what I told her with, you know, between Spencer and I. I was like, listen, I think Spencer is a great guy. I think all three of us had very similar characteristics, but we could not be more polar opposite. And it's not a bad thing.

It's not about choosing the better guy. She was about choosing the guy. That's a better fit for you. And whenever that happened, that happened pretty early on in the rose ceremony or in the cocktail party before. And Wells pulled me to the side. And he was like, hey, we got to do everything we can to keep you here. And the only girl at that time that really wasn't taken was Alex.

Alex knew that if Ali Joe walked on the beach, she was, I was going to leave her. There was no doubt about that. Alex even knew that's who I wanted to meet. So she knew she'd be going home. So I think it was, I think there was probably like 20 minutes left of the, 20 minutes left of the cocktail party. And, you know, I go and talk to Alex. And I feel like an ass because I've been there for 24 hours and all of my time has been based around the girl that I took a date out, you know, or I took out on a date was Jess. And then here 20 minutes later, they're like, say, we want to keep you here.

Let's go talk to, let's go talk to Alex because she doesn't have a guy. And I'm like, this, this doesn't. feel right for me. Like I was already the bad guy a season before. Like at the very least, I'd go home night one with my dignity before I hurt anybody's feelings or even pretend to be something that I'm not. Make sure to never miss out on any content and subscribe to the podcast. What do you want to hear

more of? Leave us a message at 8445 almost. We'll be back soon with more content coming your way. Follow the Ben and Ashley I almost famous podcast on IHartRadio or subscribe you listen to podcasts. Lisa, tell them about our new show. We have a new podcast. It's called Don't Lie to Me.

I'm Lexi Youanu. We're two best friends, 22 years apart, but so close at heart. And I'm Lisa Di Giulio, the old one, which means we have wildly different references, occasionally different opinions,

and at this point in my 50s, I've lived it all. Now in my 30s, being the founder of new shoes, good taste is my business. Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Lacey Mosley, author, actor, stand-up comedian, creator, and host of Scam Goddess Podcasts. The True Crime Comedy Podcasts, all about robbery, fraud, and those who practice it. Each week, I bring on an amazing guest. Ooh, I scammed them. What? I can talk to you for an hour.

You're a generational yapper like me. That's why I had to make yapping a job. And now you can catch full episodes of my show on YouTube. Start listening to Scam Goddess on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, this is Kylie Breakman. Angel Geratana. Jeremy Colhain.

Patrick McDonald. And we're the hosts of the Artists on Artists on Artists Podcast. The Improvised Character Comedy Podcast where each week a new panel of artists discuss their craft. Join us for a panel of Eurovision participants. And we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He winks on Halloween. It's right up next to the microphone.

I hear you can almost hear the eyelashes hit each other. You never seen it. so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween. Listen to Artists on Artists on Artists every Thursday on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Melissa Jeltson, host of the What Happened to Her podcast. We're kicking off the season with the Sandra Birchmore story, a case the police rode off as a suicide in a snowstorm.

Her family never bought it, and the man they suspected wore a badge. You never know who that devil is because he's wearing in disguise. Sometimes it's a police uniform. And you can get access to all episodes 100% ad-free with an IHeart True Crime Plus subscription, exclusively on Apple Podcasts, available only to IHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for IHeart True Crime Plus, and subscribe today. In February of 2024, celebrated illustrator and children's book author Patra Mathers and her husband Michael mailed letters to dozens of friends and family members to let them know they had died.

by suicide. Dear honey's, this is goodbye. By the time you get the Shletter, both Petra and I will be dead. Next stop, Wonderland. Why did they do it? And what did it do to the people they left behind? Listen to Death of an Artist on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.

Guaranteed human.