The Press Box - Ep. 194: 'Bachelor Party' With Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell

Episode Date: October 18, 2016

The Ringer's Juliet Litman is joined by Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell to discuss their new reality on reality TV (8:00), "cray" vs. "crazy" (13:00), Ben's political aspirations (19:00), the Pacers date (24:00), and the most awkward moments on the show (27:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it's Bill Simmons. Today's episode of Channel 33 is brought to you by Seekek, the presenting sponsor for my podcast, as well as the only fan-friendly app for buying and selling tickets for sports and music. With just two taps on your phone, you can instantly buy Seekkeek tickets to an event and you can enter that event just using your phone. No paper tickets. Drop your old ticket app. Use one that's built for 2016. Download the free Seatgeek app or go to Seekgeek.com. And don't forget to check out my fairly new website,

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Welcome to a very special bachelor party. This is the off season, but that can't stop me. I'm Juliet Lippman, and I am here with Ben and Lauren. Welcome, guys. Hi. Hey, everybody. Ben, you've got two roses in your hands. Yeah, what are you trying to do with those? The last time you had two roses, it didn't really go well. It was pretty awkward. I think you were in Jamaica. It was you, Lauren, and Jojo. We did the three-way hug. Yeah. With an awkward You can try that here. All right, great. We'll do this hand.

I can't wait. I'm just going to take care of these roses during this thing. Just hold on to those. That's great. You look, roses is like your natural position. People have like resting bitch base. You're like resting rose hands. Just holding them or something.

Okay, so you guys are back on TV. Yes. What's the name of your show? It's Ben and Lauren happily ever after. With a question mark. Yeah. Did you guys ever watch Bethany ever after? No.

Bravo. She also had like a question mark? Yeah. I don't think it worked out, did it? No, it didn't for her, but she had a good run. So there's something to look forward to. What's a good run? Like a year? No, I think longer. I think she made it like two or three.

Okay. In several weeks, she had Bethany ever after, or she had Bethany getting married, and then she'd Bethany ever after. So that's at least two. So who knows what else? We'll get from you guys. Relationship-wise, yeah. All right.

Let's talk about the show for her to start. So why did you decide to do it after being on The Bachelor? Honestly, it was something that I'd never thought we would get ourselves into. But just like most of this process, things happen, and all of a sudden you find yourself doing things differently than you ever have expected or had planned out. When Lauren I came off the Bachelor, everybody was intrigued at what we're doing next. And are we getting married? Are we having kids?

Are we getting a puppy? Are we moving in together? Like, all these questions. And it just came down to at some point, like, Laura and I weren't going to be able to just be private. Like that wasn't going to happen. And so if we're not going to be able to be private, like we wanted to be or planned on being, we might as well be public and let everybody into our life for another season and show them all the questions and all the answers to those questions and see what that's put us out. And now we're here. It must be particularly different

for you, Lauren, than for you, Ben, because like you're used to being the subject. But what's been like the hard suggestion from going to be like a contestant on like a silly reality show to having your own show on the free form network. Yeah, I was very comfortable as a contestant because I could just kind of blend into the background. I was always in the back of the pack as we were walking. And so I never felt like all eyes were on me, which in life makes me a little bit uncomfortable and always has.

So this has been a little bit different because, yeah, Ben and I are both the subjects, and there's not 25 other women to, I mean, not that I would go back to that situation. I would much rather have it be this. Right. But it's just a different adjustment, and there are a lot more eyes on.

you and I've had to learn to be more comfortable being myself with all these people watching. So it's actually been really good for me personally because I've been able to kind of, I think grow as a person, be a little bit more outgoing, like be able to be myself in a situation that makes me maybe a little uncomfortable, whereas before I might have shut down, now I'm like just better in those situations. I've only seen that one episode, which was on last week. And it definitely was like a different Lauren. Like it was so much more of a seem like a real person basically.

It's also interesting seeing you with Emily and Haley. So first of all, I was surprised that you were close with them. I don't know why, but they just seem like just that hardly they're real sometimes. Based on their paradise experience as well. Did you guys watch Paradise? We did. Is that easier to watch than The Bachelor or The Bachelorette for you guys? Definitely.

For me it was. I think just even like this last season with Jojo, like I think her and I were just coming out of The Bachelor and like that world was consumed our lives for some. long that Paradise just seems like such a switch from that. Right. Where we're watching it. And even like two of our great friends, like, and they are, Emily and Haley, like we're able to sit back and watch the Paradise and kind of like even make fun of them too.

And we're like, all right, we're kind of. That booze cruise was pretty epic. Emily. That was Emily, right? Yeah. She had a great day on the booze cruise. What's been the hardest thing for you guys to watch? Like, since our Bachelor show?

Like of every episode that you've watched together, what's been the most awesome? Like what's been the worst time on the couch together? Let's, I mean, if we're honest, like the Bachelor was not easy for us to watch together. No. Like, we were having our happy couple weekends where, like, they would, you know, get us a house somewhere in L.A. or around L.A., and we'd watch, usually Monday nights, we'd watch The Bachelor. And we'd make it through about an hour until one of us snapped and, like, we usually separate rooms for, like, the whole episode and then come back together afterwards. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't good. Like, it just, I would, it's not healthy to watch. Like, I mean, I remember even watching it. beginning, like the first couple episodes when I would be like kissing somebody and Lauren sitting next to me and we're just like, all right. Yeah. We can stop. Okay. You know, like, that's rough. That's rough. It's just a very unnatural situation to be put in as a newly engaged, new couple

in general, you know, like not only we're newly engaged, but we also are a new couple. Right. Still getting to know each other. Still getting to know each other. And I didn't even know what the heck to think or feel. It's definitely an emotional rollercoaster. Yeah. Did you watch hometowns and fantasy suites? No. Neither? No. Oh, smart. Ben, you're like, just cut it off right away.

Just destroy those tapes? Yeah. Did you, so we watched you on the first episode of your show, watched Jojo season. You said you were marathoning through it. Did you watch the whole thing? Most of it. I mean, we didn't like marathon every single minute

and every single episode, but we got the context, we got the storylines, everything. We watched a ton that day. Yeah, a lot. Yeah. I noticed you were wrapping your half top knot, which I think is your signature look. Is that my signature look? You had it a lot on the show on Ben's season.

I think at the time, I assumed it was kind of like a humid weather precaution. Like, gather all the stuff that could fly away. But I was like, oh, it's just her look. It traveled to Denver. No, I have a very curly hair. Very curly and like frizzy. So even today in L.A., it's raining. And I walked out of the hotel and instantly my hair went from like semi-flat to just like out to here.

So yeah, maybe that is my signature, like, anti-humidity. It's smart. Yeah. It's also, like, what, you're halfway through, straightening your hair. Usually you end up in that position, and I'm always like, oh, maybe I should just leave it like this. But then you can't. You're just like, I'm kind of overdoing my hair. No, but I've thought about it several times.

You could do the half. Can you try it sometimes, please? Yeah, you could do it. Just like an mirror's healthy. Thanks, Lauren. I do. I really appreciate that. But so back to watching Jojo season.

So you only watched a few episodes. Uh, what did, like, did you, like, did you, could you tell from knowing her who she was going to pick? Like, how well do you get to know the other people on the show? Um, well. And I mean, I think like, even before, Lauren I actually stayed very much out of the, like, no of her season. And I think even before the season started, like, this Jordan guy has got a chance. Because he's a good lucky guy. He, yeah. And, and then when you see them interact, like, I think night one, I don't know, I could tell that she was very much into him and he was very much. to her, which is awesome. Yeah. I think it's great. Totally. Yeah.

I think we can both relate, so. I follow them on Snapchat. They seem happy. Yeah. I seem very happy. Yeah. I mean, we've... Tons of picks and snaps.

Really? Yeah. He's probably better at than I am. I don't... You don't even have Snapchat. Yeah, and I don't like it when she Snapchat's much. Like, it's just... Lauren?

Yeah. I have to follow you. I can't speak to your presence right now. Oh, you don't follow her? No, I will, though, after this podcast, right? I'm very limited. Don't worry. It's not personal.

that off. Well, it's been the hardest thing for your family to watch, like, of everything. Um, I think for my parents, the hardest thing was probably, like, the hometowns, especially my mom. My mom gets really, like, she gets very protective motherhood, like, want to protect. And they don't understand what's going on. But even then, like, they were good with it. Like, Ben being, like, such the man that he is, he, like, sat down with my parents and was like, listen. on the show. I tell Jojo I love her too. He like warned them and like gave them

the background which I thought was really cool and made it a lot easier I think. Sure. Yeah definitely. Also you not having me the one to tell them is like very considerate. Right. It was really nice. Good job Ben. Good job Ben. When did you find out about that?

When? Yeah. So we got engaged in Jamaica. Right. I saw. We ride off on our horse into the sunset but not really but really. We walk out and the next day he told me everything. Oh, wow. So right away.

So like we are kind of in our little honeymoon phase and he's like, hey, I want to talk. I think it was just probably weighing heavy on his shoulders. Sure. I think in order for us to enjoy that time that we did have after we finished filming and after we just got engaged, I think he needed to get that off his chest. And at the time, I was so happy that I was just kind of, and I was so overwhelmed and confused. I was like, okay. And then it kind of sunk in later.

I was like, oh. I thought I, like, had, like, definitely, like, you try to think of the best way to do it because there's no right way to do any of that Bachelor stuff. So I was like, okay, she needs to know as soon as possible. I'd rather her know now than, like, a couple weeks from now or hear it from somebody else. And so I told her, and then she did. She reacted pretty well. She's like, I get it.

Like, this was hard. Like, and I was like, oh, okay. We got through this one, like, when? And then it started airing and. Then it took a turn. Yeah. Well, I mean, it's just like, I think. it becomes real.

And like, you know, you're still in that honeymoon phase for the first couple months. And then all of a sudden you're like, okay, after your first couple arguments and your first couple like issues, then it's like, what, you did what? Like, you told this woman what? And so, but we worked through it. Nice. And you guys are, you, I think you gave like people an interview about how you're in couples counseling.

Was that somebody you did independent of the show or like an anticipation of your new show, I mean? Like, how did you decide to do that? We did it independent of the show. Yeah, cool. We, one episode will be kind of focused around that. And it was really that kind of us getting like put, getting our feet wet and it was what sparked us to say, we should actually do this. Cool.

Because then all of a sudden, like, emotions and feelings were getting brought up from this couples counseling on the show and we're like, wait, we got a lot underneath here. And so then we did. Yeah, and we, it's something we don't want to hide because it just doesn't seem appropriate to hide it. it doesn't even seem like something that needs to be, like, hid from life in general. And so now we're hoping that other people kind of feel comfortable jumping into counseling as well. Yeah, totally. It's fun. Our counselor has snacks at his office and, like, coffee.

Free food is huge. It's great. So it's fun. So it's like, you have craft services. Yeah. You have some, like, really boring questions about The Bachelor speaking of snacks? You can ask anything. What else?

Thet, Ben. Thank you so much. What is the food situation like for the contest? Like what's like your day, like once you leave LA, because I know that you like in the house, they bring you food, there's tons of stuff. But like what was the first stop for you after Los Angeles? After Los Angeles went to Vegas. Okay. It's all like we were in a hotel.

We were at the Aria. And so it was all catered. All that we always had food around. And then they have like these big cabinets even in your hotel that are full of snacks. And then of course like the little bar set up. Okay, good. Glad you brought up the bar. What time do you start drinking on the days that you don't have a date?

Oh gosh. 4 p.m.? No, oh gosh, no. Probably earlier than that. 1 p.m? I can tell you the guys schedule. Mimosos. Like 10?

Yeah, I'd say 10. 10. Oh, my God. So the guys. That's a lot. Every day? No. Yes.

I mean, I wouldn't say every single day, but yeah, most days. Wow. Because there's not, I mean. And she doesn't, like, outside of the show, I don't know Lauren to finish a glass of wine. No, I can really finish. I mean, I've been around her when she's drank. but like she doesn't drink.

And like during the show, you were drinking at 10 a.m. Because you wake up, you usually do like an interview or something. And then after that you have breakfast, try to, and then like the guys would, you know, pull out the prison workout where we would do like we would do like squats and pushups and sit up together and like, yeah, that kind of stuff. Sounds like a great day. That's so fun. And then after that you have nothing to do for like the rest of day.

It's 10 a.m. And you're like, well, we might as well play cards. Yeah. So what else is there to do? You just have one task, you just cross it off. You're literally in a hotel room for like every day that you travel on the show. And so there isn't that much else to do. Like there's no TV.

Like there's no phone. So like you're just kind of sitting around. Do you like can you get like an hour of internet a week? Like what's the rule? No internet from the time you start to the time you finish. So they like unplug the TVs in the hotel room? Like what do they do? Most of the time they take them out of the room.

Oh my God. Jeez. It's intense. So like what? Who was like your best friend on the show? Both of your, both of your seasons, other than Emily and Haley? Were they really your best friend on the show? I was, I got really, well, I got close to both of them, and then Haley left like kind of

early on and then Emily, Emily, Amanda and I. Oh, right, Amanda. Let's take a quick detour to Amanda and Josh. Okay. Okay. Have you spoken to Amanda since she's back from Paradise? Yes. Do you believe she's happy? Yes.

Are you sure? Pretty sure, yes. A lot of people don't agree with that. Really? Well, I've just heard so many negative. of things about Josh. Yeah, that's hard. I've never met him.

I haven't met him either. That's a bad sign I'm going to say. If you haven't met him, if she's one of your good friends. Our schedule's been pretty cray. Okay. Cray? Cray.

What does that mean? Crazy. Oh. Where have you been, Ben? Hello. Seriously. Take an educated guess. You just left out of Z.

Cray. Haven't you listened to the song Paris by Kanye West and Jay Z? Cray. That shit, cray. They say that in the song. That makes sense. Crazy. All right.

Yeah. We've got to educate this dude a little bit. No, we haven't met him. Nick Viall seemed dubious of him when I interviewed Nick. Really? So, and Andy's book about him is also quite negative. Yeah. I mean, I try, truly, truly, truly, I try not to take what other people say because there are

so many opinions and when you are deemed the winner or the like with Andy's you just don't know like what people I don't know like I just try not to take what everyone says about him and especially from like an ex I think Andy's a great human being

I'm not saying what she says isn't true but I just always take everything with a grand assault and tell you like can make my own judgment about that person that's fair that's fair just doesn't have a great rap following him around I know he is really good to her daughters Oh, that's important. Yeah, that's nice.

What was it like for you to have a mom on the show? Did that weigh on you? It's just, it's not necessarily the setup for, like, dating somebody with children because, like, I didn't meet her kids until hometowns. So this whole time I'm getting to know Amanda, and then, like, she's a great, like, she really was, we had a lot of fun, and then it started the way, like, I started to think, like, at the end of this, I'm hopefully going to be with somebody. And if it was Amanda, I would have never met her kids other than, like,

a day. Right. So that's just weird. Like it is. It's not the setup for it. It's not the right way, I feel like, but it worked for them. And I guess, like, I mean, I don't know. Did he meet her kids during Paradise?

No. They're in Mexico. Unless they, like, flat it down. There might have been some face timing. They seem to make some phone allowances for parents, which is like the only humane thing to do. So, it's fine. I mean, obviously, like, that would just be so cruel. For like, three months?

You're not going to talk to your kids. Yeah, that would just be awful. Yeah, your five-year-old daughter is going to have to understand that you're Yeah. So they'll just be like, okay, your mom's gone for three months. Mom's gone. Mom's back. Like, it's ridiculous. But yeah, but yeah, they didn't meet beforehand. But I just, I'm glad to hear you're hopeful for them.

I am hopeful. That's nice. Yeah. At the end of the season when you'd won, is it weird to say you won? Like, what do you say when people are like, you were the one? Like, the one versus I want is so different. Yeah, I mean, I don't consider, like, for me, it always wears me out. But a lot of people are like, oh, it's the winner of the picture.

I'm like, oh, yeah. Like, it's weird. I don't consider it that. But I mean, I, I, we ended up together. We got engaged. Right. Do you have a wedding date set? You have to tune into our show to find out.

Oh, right. Oh, right. Can't reveal it. What episode is that? How long will I have to wait? Yeah, eight. It's at the end of eight. You'll find out.

No, but during the show and even in tomorrow night's episode, you'll see where we're at with the process. And part of our show, not just in the final episode, but part of the journey on our show is the wedding because that is a huge topic in our life right now. So we'll kind of see where our heads are at, where we're at in that process and all that good stuff. Okay, well, I'm excited to find out.

I'm also curious about what you're both doing now. And actually, before we get into what Lauren's doing, Ben, I need to confront you about something. Yeah, I knew we were going to. Let's hash it out. Before we got here, I said, Lauren, we're going to have a different conversation. I let our PR, you know, lady know too that, you know, you're not going to have to talk.

Yeah. And I'm ready to explain myself. Okay, good. So last time we spoke on air. I would announce that I was running for politics. Yeah, you promised me that after our conversation in which I mentioned it to you, you're like, yeah, if I decided to do it, I'll come back on your podcast and let everyone know. And then I read a news report about it, not through my podcast. And you've suggested that you're running for office.

Exactly. I was really betrayed. But aren't you glad that I? that I didn't come on your podcast until it was like completely finalized. I guess, but like is it finalized now? Is it dead? It's dead. Yeah, it's dead.

For this election cycle, it's dead. So what's been finalized? There's no finality here. So it actually, you know, if it would have happened, I would have loved to, and it was actually something that I tried to get. Yeah, you were like, tell me, tell me all the steps, like what happened here? Yeah, so as you actually were one of the first people to bring it up to me, but you weren't the first.

Okay. So when I got off the bachelor, somebody had came to me from the Republican Party and said, we would love for you to try to represent us somehow. What would interest you? And at the time, Lauren and I were just starting our relationship. I said, I just can't. Like, it just doesn't make sense. And then life started to like, as like we started to live together and the bachelor started

to slow down, I started to see this window. And it was like, okay, we can actually make this happen if it's at a small level or like a local level. And so it was to be the state representative for the district that, that we live in Denver. Unfortunately, just due to then what life started to bring about, like for a second it slows down. And then the next second it speeds back up. The next second you're on a free form television show.

Yeah. That and then like our life and the inability to like be in one place for, you know, four months straight just wasn't working well. Like it just wasn't like I just couldn't make it happen and it was stressing us out. And I was spending and you know, you know politics like I was spending hours a night talking to people on the phone about what they're interested in, you know, what, you know, viewpoints they had. And so it just, it wasn't working. And so I ended up

going back and I said, I just can't. I had to, you know, stick my tail between my legs and say, I just can't. And they chose somebody else that's a great candidate. And that was it. And so there was really never the ability to come on and announce it anyway. So you're saying that you didn't betray me. That's where you're trying to know. I would not betray you. I wanted to. I think it would be fun. It would be fun. Now you've seen our studio set up, too, it's like, you know that it's the place to come for any potential candidacy. I can't think of any Colorado voter not wanting to vote for a person that sits in this chair with roses on his lap and said vote for me. With a photo himself behind him too.

Like, this just seems like the appropriate place to say, hey, like, I'm looking for votes. Yeah, absolutely. But, you know, at the same time, too, and not to get too political with all this, like, it seems like a good time for me to kind of step back and maybe at a later date. try to run, but this election cycle, especially with like where our life is at, just isn't appropriate. Are you responding the election? Closely. Politics stresses me out. You so you're just out.

You're fairly knowledgeable, though, on everything. Yeah, but like even with him, like considering entering into politics, I was like, oh, I just stresses me out a little bit. Sure. Well, it's been a tough season for our political wives. Yeah. And like even Hillary Clinton as a political wife. Yeah. I mean, now she's living something different.

It just gets so, oh, it just is bothersome because it doesn't, I don't think it needs to be that way. I don't think it needs to get where the boxing gloves are on and dragging families into it and spouses, but it does, unfortunately. Yeah, I don't want to be that spouse. There's no way you couldn't be a part of it if he was running for office. Exactly. That's like part of being an American candidate. At least, I mean, I told her this and, like, I don't know if this helps now, but I was like, at least we've let our whole life be on display. Like, they don't have that much dirt on you.

Sure. Like, the biggest dirt they have is like clips of The Bachelor, but at that point. I know. The thing is, if you run for office after being on reality TV, as we're seeing right now, it's almost like you're bulletproof because you've done so many embarrassing things already that... Are you putting me in that category? I don't know. Are you a Trump? I don't know. I don't know. I really hope not. That would be very tough for our friendship. That would be tough for our relationship as well. Just making sure. That makes me feel a lot better. So I think where we're netting out here is

you are not like Donald Trump and there's still hope for you to announce. to Canada to see on my podcast, even if it's bad for Lauren's life. But we have to make a deal. Okay. What is it? If I'm going to do that, you have to have me back on here to talk sports. Okay. I would love to.

Because, like, just like Chris Harrison, who I hope at some point you do a close-up of the fact that he's in a Cupid outfit behind us. Yeah, we will. As much as he has to talk about The Bachelor and likes talking about The Bachelor, I'm sure, and talk about love and everything involving that. Like, he also likes to talk about sports. Yeah, I know he loves his cowboys. So I need to get back to that, too.

Like, I'm trying to, you know. You want to talk about your cubbies? Yeah, I do. It's pretty tough that Lauren wasn't on the Cubs date. Wait, can I tell us? No, no, no. When I thought about talking about the Cubsies, that's exactly where I was going. Quick story.

No, he took me to a Cubs game. When was that in the summer, July or something? I threw the first pitch out. He threw the first pitch out. Oh, I think I remember that. That must have been amazing. Yeah, it was a lot better than, it was a dream come true, but that was a lot better than just the Cubs date.

Yeah. Because there were people there, including the Cubs. Yeah, exactly. But he offered, though, he was like, oh, maybe we can get you Jersey with like Higgins on it or something. I was like oh no no already did that for someone. Good for you. I like that. But yeah, but this must be an exciting time for you, your teams on the cost of the world series. It's insane. It's it really is. Lauren went to church last night and I was like, hey, honey, I'm going to stay home because the Cubs are on. That's kind of where our life

has gotten to. They lost, right? They did. Yeah, they did. I keep bringing up all the pin points for you guys. It's just you can keep stabbing. Like, it's fine. We'll recover. I just, I say it all out of love, you know? Yeah, I get it. But no, yeah, it's a big time for us. A lot's going on. And I'm pumped. You did get the Pacer's date, which was good.

Yes. I think I personally would have preferred the Pacer's date to the Cubs date, so I think that's a win for you. Why is that just? Well, there was actual, like, celebrity athletes there. Like, the Cubs weren't at your Cubs date, right? It was just like in Wrigley. Yeah. So like, okay, cool, but like where are the athletes?

That's true. No, I totally agree. And we got to play. We actually got to shoot. Yeah, you got to play with kids, too. It was really fun. And Paul George seems like a great guy. Awesome.

And then we actually threw, when I went to Wrigley, like, we were in the dugout because it was raining out. And so all the players came out and sat around us in the dugout. And so, like, we actually got to hang out with a lot of the Cubs players. Oh, that's really cool. And my dad is, like, ear to ear smiling. There's pictures of him just sitting next to him. I thought he was going to cry.

Yeah. He was just sitting next to the players, like a little kid, like talking to him. It was the best. That's awesome. Yeah. It all worked out. That's great. Redemption.

Really happy for you guys. I'm just throw some more quick fire Bachelor question. questions at you. Please. Some burning questions they've always had. Okay. So we're established that you start drinking at 10 a.m. because there's nothing else to do. What's like the game that you play? Like what's like the go-to activity when you are drinking? I know ours. We would, gosh, what will we play? What's the game? Where the like cards against humanity? Oh yeah, that's fun. We did a lot of cards against humanity. That's cool. Yeah. So I assume the producers supply that for you.

Yes. Cool. Yes. And then we would do, I mean, we would just do weird stuff. Like Amanda and I, the girls came back from the soccer date and they had the face paint markers. And Amanda and I, like, drew on each other's faces and, like, blacked out our teeth. I mean, we're just so bored. Like, you just, like, make your own fun, honestly.

You become five-year-olds again. Yeah, you do. You do. Did you hate anyone on your season? No. Did you hate anyone in your season? Neither do you seem particularly hateful. No, I don't think so.

I don't remember. Actually, like, at the time, I hated JJ. And now he's one of my best, like, he's one of my closest. He was, you know, we hang out a whole time. He just, I told him this other day, too, he's like, he was, he's a smart person and he was just trying to get in everybody's head all the time. So I didn't trust him. But now, I mean, I think he's one of the, he's one of my closest friends. But you didn't hate him.

You just like didn't want to be around him. Yeah, I just didn't trust him. Do you want to know the, like, the duchiest game we would play? Yeah, definitely. Push-up contest. Oh, my God. Of course. Is that pre or post drinking?

Both. Oh, God. So we tried to do it twice a day. And so, like, the first person would. start and do as many push-ups as they could. The next person has to beat that by one. And the next person has to beat that by one. Why is that entertaining?

I mean. It's like a macho, like, one-up each other. Like, who's the strongest? Yeah, who was the best? That's a good question. Sean B. Sean's always in good shape. Ben Zorn was in great shape, and we had a Joshua Alvers.

Very disturbing. Who? He was. He was. It's all down his shoulder. I couldn't tell what it was, though. I would always lose. I'm not that strong.

And, like, honestly, like, Tanner told. who's a good married to jade married to jade yeah he did really well um him and i like we don't work we work out but we're not in that good of shape and so like we'd make it like one round and then we'd watch i feel like i would purposely try to make it one round i'd be like oh oopsie like who do you think should be the next like are the people in the currently in the bachelor bachelor bachelor world like who should be the next bachelorette we don't know next girls but like if you like if there's someone that you guys know are like oh that person should really be honestly like I think in this is crazy I think the bachelor has something that they should

use and I think the twins should do a co-season together it's a great idea I think co-seasons is like is the next thing for them they came so close with Britt and Caitlin and it would have been like logistically very tough but what great television would have been great I think Becca yeah very likable I feel like she's so beautiful and funny and nice and I adore her yeah I really Everyone says nice things about her. Yeah. You can tell that she's someone who probably is better person than on camera. Because, like, I've never heard anyone say anything bad about her, but she doesn't really, like, take over the scene.

She's really funny. She's really funny. She's super funny. Dry hair doesn't work well on TV because you don't hear the contacts oftentimes. And so, like, you know, she's really funny in person, I think. What was your most awkward date, like, based on, like, having people around? Like, for you two together on The Bachelor, what was your most awkward moment? Oh, for just us?

Yeah. I don't know. Pig date? Yeah, the pig date. When we swam with pigs on our season. Oh, God. People were just so mad that day. There's a lot to that, too.

And I think I told you this, right? I think you mentioned it. But, like, we went on this date, and because of the pigs, like, poop in the water, like, you know, everybody's swimming, and, like, we, like, didn't know, but we were swallowing the water. And so that night, everybody started getting really sick. That's disgusting. It's sick.

But, like, everybody that went on the date. nobody saw this side, but everybody was sick. And then I had to cancel the Rose ceremony that week because I was so sick that I couldn't talk to people. What was the excuse they gave for canceling the rose ceremony? I don't remember. I probably Ben knows what he wants to do, and I did. I just wanted to get out of there.

Oh, my God. That's funny. Were there any other moments where you're like, actually, it's not really what happened on the show, but I just was not in the mood or something like that. We were just talking about this, Lauren and I were at lunch today. Not really. I think The Bachelor is pretty accurate to what happens.

actually very accurate. That's why... Someone asked us about it earlier, and I think it is pretty... We were talking about this for a while. No, obviously there's things that aren't shown or that are shown more than usual. Like, we were talking about the Chad situation.

So, like, this Chad eat lunch meat all the time. Probably not, but, like, because he was eating lunch meat a lot, like, they made sure there's a camera on him every time he was eating lunch meat, and they're going to show that. But, like... It was a good bit. It was a great bit.

And it didn't change the storyline of the whole season. Yeah. But I think The Bachelor does... In the two years I've done it, I haven't watched anything that's like that never happened. happen that way. But there has been things I've watched me like, all right, you did that one well. Like, you know, they played it up a little bit. But I've always felt very comfortable with what I've seen. That's why I don't have, I think from here on out, if somebody says, like, oh, it was all

editing, why I would look that way. Everybody that looks at a negative light, usually during the season was doing something weird. It's funny, like reality TV has been around for like 15 years now, and I think that when the genre first started, people will be like, well, it's just for TV or it's not like real. But now that it's been around for so long, and it's like a legit part of like television in the world, I feel like the general response to people who've been on the shows are like, yeah, like they can't use something against me that they don't have. Yeah. Or whatever.

And I feel like people are actually now like, yeah, it's actually like who I am kind of. It's interesting how that's changed. What, aside from like all the Jojo stuff and Ben dating other girls, what has been like the most cringeworthy thing that you've seen of yourself? You're like, ooh, which I wish I had not worn that or wish I hadn't said that. Like what was like just the worst personal moment and like not necessarily like related to Ben, but like just hard to see. yourself doing? I mean, I think it's always

hard to watch yourself. Like, I don't know. For me, like, it was just weird, and I would cringe and be like, oh, why did I make that facial expression? Yeah, wear that or whatever. But I was very, I was pretty critical of myself. I bet. I just hated watching myself.

Yeah, I would hate it too. Yeah. Well, about for you, Ben? You've been through a lot. Yeah, I mean, I would. Do you watch these back? No. You don't? No. Only like once in a while. I'll check the comments, but not really. Yeah. Um, what about you? What's like your worst moment? Like unrelated to, to telling someone else you loved her.

Yeah, I have a probably, I can probably go through a list, but like, you know, you have to watch a bachelor's, so you have to hear the kissing sounds, which are just disgusting. Yeah. They're really weird. And then, like, you have your, like, up close, like, personal, like, kissing moments, and you're watching. You're like, that's just, like, I don't even, like, I don't want to watch that. And then one thing that really drove me crazy was, um, I said incredible a lot. and I felt like I just...

Lauren's incredible. We had an incredible day. Like, you all are incredible. And I was just thinking at the time, like, I was nervous. So I don't, like, put too much weight on it. Like, I'm, you know, I wasn't, like, prepared for this whole scenario. But, like, I could have found a ton of words in my vocabulary better than incredible or at least switch it up a bit.

That drove me crazy every time cringe-worth. Like, it was very cringeworthy. And then, you know, and I think, like, the funny parts were, like, you know, I was bland. Like, I was very. Very bland, like very just like cookie cutter, like go in there, like do it well, do it right. Find the perfect girl, like walk away. And like, I wish they would have shown like a little bit of an edge. Like I don't know if I have a huge edge, but like a little bit of the humor, a little bit of like,

because I would watch it sometimes like, man, like you annoy me. Like be human. Like be normal. And sometimes I just was too like focused. Sure. Well, I think that's why you'd be a good candidate. And B, it's hard to imagine like the. bachelor being shown in that light, even if you were like that.

Yeah. I won't hold that against you, which is a great answer because now I can't even hold that against you, you know? Yeah. Okay. Last question. Will you do more television after the show wraps in seven weeks? That's a good question.

I would say it matters in what context. Okay. Reality television is something that for both of us, it's been difficult. It's been rewarding and it's been a great thing at times too, and we'd have to make sure it's the right opportunity for the right thing. Like, I think this put a lot of weight on our relationship, just, you know, when you have it on display. And now the only judgment that people can have

when they watch a show is our relationship. I think that context is something that we might want to change up or just maybe not put so much weight on that. But television in general, I don't know if we're going to just be able to step out of it. I don't know if I necessarily want to. Like, I like doing this stuff. Like, I like sitting down with you and talking and, like, hanging out. And, you know, but I don't know if, like,

reality tells them to be something that we do for 20 more years. Okay. So I can get you guys to come back to co-hosts and sports podcasts. We'll do Blazers with Lauren. Yes. Cubs with Ben. I'll learn about baseball. Yeah. Perfect. I'll make it happen.

Perfect. Thanks so much for coming today, guys. Yeah. Thanks for having us. Oh, my God. Thank you so much. I accept your rose. Is that for me too?

Yeah. Wow. Okay, wait. Should we? Yeah, let's have an awkward three-way hug with our, just be careful, you know? Thanks so much for coming, guys. Thank you. All right. Thanks for listening and I'll be back for your

honestly until the bachelor comes back in January. Thanks again to Lauren and Ben.