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June 30, 2025 14 mins

Happy 4th of July! Ben and Ashley take us through their summer holiday plans, their favorite foods, and we have some early predictions for next season of The Golden Bachelor!

Plus, we’re joined by a special surprise guest!

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast
with iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Hey guys, welcome to the Almost Famous podcast. We Love you,
and we're we're taking a little break a week break
for the fourth of July. And we say this thinking
that there will be no bachelor breaking news, but it
seems like every week there is bachelor breaking news somebody.
We'll see you for Fourth of July week. But Dawson
and I, Wow, that's just nuts. This is how mom
brand I am. I just said Dawson and I are

(00:28):
going to bring you this episode of the Almost Famous podcast.
But really Ben is here with Winnie. She looks adorable.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Jess just needed like a little mom day break. So
we have Winnie here and it's gonna be her first
Fourth of July. Ben, do you guys have any plans?
Are you afraid of how fireworks may go over with her?

Speaker 3 (00:51):
No, I'm not. I mean I'm gonna have to get
used to them because I grew up on a lake
and fireworks are a big part of our life. This
is a big holiday for me, you know, for of
July in Indiana is like our super Bowl every year,
especially in the Lake, and it feels like it's I
used to think that was a very uncommon feeling, where

(01:11):
for us it was just like, no, we do a
big it's a big deal. It seems like a lot
of people kind of use the fourth of July as
a time to gather as a family, to cook out,
to just hang out. It doesn't have the stresses of
other holidays where like you have to be performative and
put on a big meal or get gifts for everybody.
It's just really a time to relax. So yeah, starting

(01:34):
this weekend, I'm going to be driving back to Indiana
with whalan You too, just too well, my dad is
gonna fly out and we're gonna pick him up at
the Denver Airport and just start driving west. Uh oh yeah,
oh that's why mom needs breaks. And so we're gonna
drive back. It's going to be about sixteen hours and

(01:56):
then Winnie and Jess are going to meet us in
Indiana fly back. Then just easiest then to expect a
four month old to drive across the country.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah, so you're doing it for Whalen. The drives for Whalen,
and so that you have an extra car.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
No, the drive's really for Whalen. I mean, I could
rent a car, but he loves the lake so much.
He just chills out, he relaxes, and I want him
there because I end up taking the week of the
fourth off of all work. Generous kind of closes down obviously.
We're taking the week off here.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Yeah, it's like the Christmas of the summer.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
Yeah, one hundred percent is. But it's more relaxing to me. Yeah,
And so then I'll stick around for a little bit
longer when WINNI and just come back to Denver, because
then I'll work from there. Like Generus's roastery is there,
We'll do some events there, we'll kind of hang out,
and so I'll start working again and then I'll come back.

(02:55):
It's Whinnie's first time. It's not our first time in
the lake, but it's our first summer at the lake.
She loves the water, and so I have a feeling
she's gonna be splashing all around having a good time.
And then my in laws, my brother in law, his
wife and their daughter are gonna come meet us in
Indiana and hang out for just like two and a

(03:17):
half days just to enjoy the lake as well. It's
a big deal for us. We're gonna have a lot
of fun.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
So yeah, she's gonna love the water. The water is
like the easiest distraction for babies at this age because
they can just sit in like two inches of it
and splash for quite some time. Oh yeah, you give
yourself a little break with that. Fireworks are interesting. I
don't remember how Dawson was at this age, and Hayden
was born right after the fourth of July, and Hayden

(03:45):
it's probably gonna freaking hate the fireworks. Dawson is now
at the age where he's cautious. He cautiously thinks they're cool,
you know, like where he's a little scared and has
to be held tight. The sound is terrifying, But like
when you see the payoff, which is the lights in
the sky, he's like, oh man, I guess it's like flighter.
He's in flighter fight. Like the entire time he's like

(04:06):
what do I do? Do I sit here and enjoy
or do I freak out? So I think this year
he'll even like it more. In Sparklers, he might be
at Sparkler age, which when I think about Fourth of July,
in my childhood, it was always about the sparklers, right, yes.

Speaker 3 (04:20):
And also bottle rockets, not at that age, but we
used to have, like fireworks in Indiana get dangerous, and
so I've been more cautious as I've gotten older, and
we used to light off fireworks every year, like do
a pretty good show from my parents' house. But I
think that's gonna be on pause this year, mostly because
there's going to be a toddler and a baby and

(04:42):
nobody can you know, move that fast, so it might
be on pause. Yeah, it's it's really exciting. The lake
that my parents live on and that I grew up on,
they do like a parade, like a flotilla parade. It's
they have a good sandbar, like it's going to be
a week of like swim swim trunks, shirtless, laying outside,

(05:08):
never going inside, cocktails early in the morning after I
always get a run in.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Can I come and hang? I think I need to come.

Speaker 3 (05:16):
I think I think you would benefit from it. There's
like nothing that goes on in my mind during this time,
and it's awesome. And so I'm hoping that this little one,
who has been a little fussy recently that's why she's
with me because she's teething, is in good spirits. She
has her outfits. In fact, I had lunch yesterday Ashley

(05:38):
with Trista.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
And yeah I saw that you guys meet in Denver.

Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yeah, we met in Denver. We had a great lunch.
Trista got Winny a swimsuit and sunglasses for the fourth
of July, which are going to be looking so good.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (05:55):
So yeah, we're fired up. It's a really good time.
And then it's nice to be back with a team
at Generis, honestly and be in person with them. It's
you know, because I live in Denver, I'm not always there,
and so it's gonna be great. We have some couple,
We have a kid's talent show we're putting on for
the town.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Ah, that's so cute.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
We have a little rapper that signed up. Oh my god, Yes,
let's go.

Speaker 2 (06:21):
That's awesome. How is Jess going to be flying with her?
Has she done it solo before?

Speaker 1 (06:26):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (06:27):
Many times. It's probably not the best thing we've done
as parents. But I'll say it because it's true. Winnie
has this will be what once she flies to Indiana
it will be her twelfth flight.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
That's not weird for us. We've probably done the same.
Hayden's probably been on a flight almost every month.

Speaker 3 (06:47):
Because we just want her with us.

Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, and it's.

Speaker 3 (06:50):
Pretty easy, honestly, Like I'm gonna drive back with so
much of her stuff. Jess has flown solo with her
a couple of times now, Yeah, and they just kick it.
They kind of have a routine down. They get to
the airport early when he's really good on a plane,
and so yeah, we'll be she'll be fine.

Speaker 2 (07:08):
You're still in the sweet zone of planes. So, like,
I think that planes are probably pretty easy until they're
about seven eight months when it stops to be like
nap time, you know, when they have when they they
fall asleep less easily, you know, because they're like I
have my designated two hour sleep periods. Then you're like,

(07:31):
oh gosh, then it gets really hard for in my
personal opinion, between like that seven eight month range until well,
you know what, until they can watch a couple shows. Yeah, okay,
a couple of shows. Dawson has his airplane iPad. He
doesn't have the iPad at all except on an airplane,

(07:52):
and once they get he is at the easiest plane
time at three and a half. Now, he went to
Las I guess for my sister's wedding, So it was
like five hours in the air and he just watched
a few movies and he was on his own. It
was so nice. But then Hayden's over there flair in
his body.

Speaker 3 (08:21):
I will say speaking to that, you know, my whole
work in life is to try to love humans well,
and I will be honest, it's not always easy, especially
coming off the show. People are pretty brutal, and social
media makes you.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
Question a lot.

Speaker 3 (08:39):
I have been so thankful for the responses that people
that sit next to you on a plane when you
have a baby give. They've been very kind. We have
not had a bad run in yet. A lot of
wow she did so well, or yeah, wow, I barely
heard her, or how you know this just like really

(09:00):
encouraging things because as a parent and as anybody that's
had kids knows, there's nothing you can do once they
start being uncomfortable to get them calmed down. So people
have been very kind, and I know it is annoying,
and I know it's not fair, especially when you're trying
to take a nap on a flight. It's just it's
not fun for anybody.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
That's what ear plugs are for, so always have good
ear plugs near bag, because some of them are crappy.

Speaker 3 (09:26):
That's right. What are you up to on the fourth?

Speaker 2 (09:29):
I think we're just going to be going to a
friend's house. I think they're going to have like some
decent at home fireworks and it should be just a
family thing, I'm sure. I think their house is on
the water, so it'll be it'll be fun.

Speaker 3 (09:43):
Is Newport known for its for the July festivities?

Speaker 2 (09:47):
Not really? Okay, yeah, no, No, it's more of like
the inland areas which are like on water, but more
of like bay water and like set them off in
the bay areas.

Speaker 3 (09:58):
Well, Ashley as we kind of close out here. Obviously,
both of our fourths are gonna be fun and hopefully relaxing,
and we hope everybody listening has a relaxing, RESTful no
matter what you're doing. If you're staying at home and
maybe you aren't able to gather with friends or family
by yourself a hot dog, throw it on the grill, like,
come on, enjoy it a little bit, have a good time.

(10:23):
Maybe you know, go outside by yourself a sparkler, light
it off. I think it's going to bring some joy.
We do have some things when we come back from
our break that are happening in Bachelor Nation, Paradise will
be starting getting more excited for it. Ashley, I have
been with Wells and I was with Joey and Wells
in Portland, Maine at the Drive for Kids golf tournament

(10:45):
this week talking to Wells more about Paradise. I still
don't have any spoilers, and I mean that mostly for
my own safety during the show. But you know, Wells
is very honest I think with me and really the
press on how he feels. I think he has some
excitement towards this season coming up, and I think that

(11:08):
excitement usually means the show is could be good. It
doesn't mean it's going to be but it could be good.
That there was things happening that he seemed to find
very interesting as he was on the beach.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
I have heard from one contestant there, and the most
interesting tibt I got was that there's not as much
of a cast to choose from for you know, potential mates,
because the extra cast went to the Goldens.

Speaker 3 (11:41):
Ashley, elaborate a little bit on what you think that
means and what that will play out, Like, I.

Speaker 2 (11:46):
Think there's gonna be less coupleings, less serious couple things,
but hopefully, since Wells is leaning into the fact that
like it's good, I think that that could mean that
the couple or the like two couples we get from
it end up being strong.

Speaker 3 (12:03):
And I would be okay with that right, less couple,
stronger couples. I think it's a great mix. We just
want to see a few come from it because we
know it has been and can be successful. I do think,
you know, the rumors of more of a competition show
is going to bring an intriguing element to this whole experience.
I do think that the Golden's being there will be

(12:26):
fun and interesting, so Paradise will come back in addition
to that. Is there anything else that you can foresee
happening in Bachelor Nation? We're still waiting on a confirmation
if the Bachelor is going to get picked up. We
also this week Ashlely heard really the first interview with

(12:47):
our new Golden Bachelor. I believe from a headline I
read and from a little story I read. He is
in his mid sixties. He's looking for somebody between forty
five and sixty, so he's looking to go a little
younger doesn't mean the show will accommodate that for him,
But we will be starting to talk more and more
about the Golden Show.

Speaker 2 (13:07):
Yeah, because we should be getting some spoilers about that soon,
being that they start filming in July.

Speaker 3 (13:13):
Yeah, and then, like we said, we'll be watching to
see if the Bachelor actually gets announced to come back.
There are some big things along the way. But again
from the Almost Famous podcast, we want to wish you
the happiest Fourth of July is and really the first
week of what I consider summer, which is July, the

(13:33):
time to thaw out, rest up, take a break, read
a book, if you have the opportunity to get off
work for a few days, try to enjoy this, you know,
this week as much as possible. We'll be thinking about you.
We'll be gathering up all the stories and the information
to share with you when we get back. But until

(13:56):
next time, we've been Whyona and Ben, I've.

Speaker 2 (14:02):
Been Ashley as cute? She did great? Yeah.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
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