Back to the Board Room with Rachel Recchia (The Perfect Match Recap)

Former Bachelorette Rachel Recchia is back with Ben to finish recapping The Perfect Match on Netflix!

Rachel shares some behind the scenes secrets from her time on the show, and we hear Rachel’s honest reaction to the winning couple! 

Plus, Rachel gives advice to upcoming Bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

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

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome back to the Almost Famous podcast. I'm here, and
I'm here with an incredible co host. She's a special guest,
a friend of the podcast, been on so many times
that I can't even count, And the star of this
recent season of The Perfect Match, Rachel Rekia, was with
me today. Hello Rachel, Hi Ben.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
I don't know if I would say star star, especially
with the entrance I had.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
You're a star. You're a very big star on the show.
You are a reason that people tuned in and watched.
You are a reason, if not the reason that we're
even talking about it here on the Almost Famous podcast.
So millions a free press coming to Perfect Match based
on you being a part of the show.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
I know, me and Clayton are really just bringing in
the masses. Yeah, and everyone who's not a part of
atchination gets to now know about that. So now more
of the world can go look up the rest ceremony
from hell on you two and be a part of
it with us. So that's exciting.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
We did take a break from breaking down Perfect Match.
We had some huge Bachelor news coming in along with
obviously summer travels, So when I was in Italy, I
finished the perfect match and then got back and we
plan on today to kind of recap from episode five
to the end of the season with you, Rachel. But

(01:33):
before we get going, there has been some big news
in Bachelor Nation. We have a new bachelorette announced. Taylor
Frankie Paul was announced last week as the upcoming season's bachelorette.
We'd love to get your reactions, your thoughts, your opinions.

Speaker 3 (01:51):
I was shocked, right, It's so crazy. They never like
have done anything like this before. Obviously so happy for her,
like I think she's going to give us a great season.
But it's just funny because I feel like as people
who are in the Bachelor world and as people who
are chosen to be leads, it's like, I feel like
we have this standard to live up to in this

(02:14):
like pressure to be perfect, and I feel like Taylor
is just so herself and she's so like already out
there like that she isn't perfect. So it'll be interesting
how the world reacts going in already knowing that versus
like watching us fall from grace during the season. But
yeh know, it'll be interesting. I think especially like where

(02:35):
are they going to be filming it? Like are the
kids going to be involved? I'm excited to see all
that goes into that.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
Do you think Bachelor Nation is going to receive for
Will I don't know.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
I hope so, but it just feels like for us
or I don't know how you feel. Everyone I've talked
to recently from the Bachelor world, especially like coming off
of Perfect Match, where I think contestants on those shows
like have more freedom to themselves. Bachelor people feel so
like under pressure to constantly be perfect. I don't know

(03:06):
if you feel that way, And I think she's just
coming in you know so herself.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
I mean my tagline for the season was the perfect Ben,
So yes, I think I did feel that pressure.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
So it'll be interesting because I feel like some of
bachlination does expect that, right, But maybe this brings in
a new audience, new generation.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
It's been a very polarizing announcement based on Taylor's past,
her decision making, obviously her you know record. I am
intrigued to watch it from Afar to see how Bachelor
Nation reacts to it. I do think for her sake

(03:48):
and I want to get your advice if she ever listens.
I do think for her sake, there is a benefit
to going in already having a platform built on not
being perfect and having a lot of mistakes along the way,
because she won't have to kind of have those dark

(04:09):
nights sitting in your hotel room once the cameras go down,
being like what am I doing?

Speaker 3 (04:14):
Hot?

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Why did I do that? She can kind of be free,
which I think will make it more enjoyable for her.
But I'd love to get your advice, bachelorette to bachelorette
on how she can do this well. And still I'm
going to still say it because I think it's still
the reason the show exists. Could still find love at

(04:36):
the end of this.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
I mean I always say this, but I'm not the
person for advice, Like I'm probably the just do the
opposite of what I did, and I think she will
because I think I was a bachelorette that came from
a place of like I was so afraid to mess
up and make mistakes, and I don't feel like I
was really being myself. So I think, if anything, I
could take advice from her in that way. But I

(05:00):
I guess the only thing is, like I'm interested to
see how she responds to the men not knowing what
it's like to be in their position. I think as
a lead when they would come up to me and say, no,
but you don't understand what I'm going through, and I'm
be like, yes, I do.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (05:15):
I feel like that was such a moment to connect
with them and let them know that I've been there before.
So it'll be interesting because in a lot of ways,
these guys do have to step up for her. I mean,
she is a mother, and she you know, lives in Utah.
She has things that she's not going to change, so
I think she needs to remember to relate back to them,

(05:35):
and I think she will, So I'm excited to see
how she handles that.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, you think she will. I think it's going to
be really hard for her too, You think so, I do.
She doesn't get it. I mean, I think that is
you said. And this isn't a knock on her or
a critique of her. I think other people and I
think we've heard the critiques of her, but a critique
of her would not be that, hey, she's not gonna

(06:00):
get it. It's just the truth. She doesn't understand this
world and you're right. The thing that helped me the
most was to pull back to a place of empathy
and relatability, because there is this initial when you're the lead.
I think people have watched you on television, so there
is a little bit of that initial star power. It

(06:20):
only gonna last more than a night when people are
nervous and they're anxious, and you can kind of have
be calm because you've been through it and say, no,
I get it, I understand this. I understand why you're nervous.
I understand why you're saying weird stuff. I understand why
you drink more than you probably should have on night
one because you were trying to calm everything going on
in your body. She won't get that, right, And I

(06:42):
think that is a huge benefit to being the lead
is you can understand that, right.

Speaker 3 (06:46):
And like, I mean, I'm sure in her real life
she has dated, you know, probably more than one person
at the same time, like I haven't, y'all. But I
think coming into the Bachelor like really having to figure
out a place in your brain that you can compartmentalize
each and every relationship and give it the time it deserves.
Without having known that, like you could be on the

(07:09):
other side of that, or what it looks like to
be patient and knowing that it's possible to have multiple connections.
It'll be so interesting to watch from that point of
view as well, like can she do that, can she
take her mind off the guy she really likes? Or
I don't know, we'll see. I'm very excited it'll be
a good season.

Speaker 2 (07:28):
It will be a good season. I feel personally like
it was the Bachelor trying to hit a home run,
and if the home run falls short, I am going
to be very intrigued with how they move forward from
this season. If it isn't the successful season they think
it's going to be, They're gonna put a lot behind it.
I think they're laying all their chips on the table
and they pick Taylor Frankie Paul to be the lead

(07:53):
of this season. Well, moving on from the Bachelor talk,
we do have the perfect match to break down. We're
going to start with episode five. Rachel, you lived it,
you were there.

Speaker 3 (08:03):
I was there, and I'm trying to look up like, wait,
what happened to day?

Speaker 2 (08:07):
So it starts with Sandy bringing in her ex from
the ultimatum JR. JR. Kind of then has it consistent
popping in and out for the rest of the season.
But this is the first time we get to know JR. Rachel,
I don't want to put you on the spot here
at all. You're co hosting this with me. But what

(08:29):
was your from a viewers perspective? For me? I watched JR.
And she kept saying he's a real man. He obviously is.
I don't know him well enough to say he's not,
you know, he's a grown man. I think was the
way she said it. He felt to me like he
tried to say all the right things at every moment

(08:51):
and it never really worked out for him. From him,
for him, Why wasn't more people interested in JR?

Speaker 3 (09:00):
I think, I mean JR. When he first came in,
like obviously you're like, oh my goodness, he's so beautiful
and he is so kind and sweet. But I never
had a date with him. But from what I watched
back and from what I heard, I feel like he
maybe is a little forward, like jumping so far ahead,
but like his like time with Sandy's time with Justine,

(09:22):
like even in those little moments, it just feels like
he might be a little too sexual. And I think
for a woman like you want him to get to
know you a little or like have an interest in you,
And it felt like he went straight into kind of
maybe things that were a little bit too much. Yeah,
that's the vibe I got from the women who did
date him. I do like JR. But he definitely is

(09:45):
a lot.

Speaker 2 (09:46):
Yeah. Yeah, there's no like. He doesn't slow roll this
at all.

Speaker 3 (09:51):
He's zero to one hundred.

Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, And I think it probably mean he is a
very beautiful man. I'm sure it works for him. I
don't know if it's the way to find love, right,
but I'm sure it works for you know, a good
night out on the town every once in a while.

Speaker 3 (10:09):
And yeah, because Jar's been married actually yeah, yeah, so
he you know, I think he had that part in
his life already where he's settled down. Maybe now this
is where he's more care free and like living that
like younger life. I don't know, He's interesting, for sure,
He's a character.

Speaker 2 (10:29):
Was there ever a moment that I'm going to try
to pull out during this breakdown? Because we do have
so many episodes of breakdown, like the interesting things that
I think listeners will be so curious about asking you
and talking through with you from being there, But was
there ever a moment where you actually were worried that
Ad would jump ship and move on?

Speaker 3 (10:51):
So it's really really hard looking back now because Ad
and Allie are so happy. They have a baby on the.

Speaker 2 (10:58):
Way and they're still together.

Speaker 3 (11:00):
Right, They're still together and they're engaged, Like their love
story is truly like amazing, and I was so happy
to get to see it. So looking back, of course,
my mind always goes to, like, no, there was no
way she was going to jump shit. But that morning
before me and her went on a date, I remember
she was like, I would be open, and this is

(11:21):
so early and I would like to see who else's here.
So I think in the moment, yeah, she probably was open.
But looking back and knowing that they're engaged now, like
she probably, you know, wasn't She probably knew that Ali
was the one. But that morning, yeah, she seemed open
before we went out up date.

Speaker 2 (11:37):
Yeah, I actually felt watching it that she was open
at the beginning of the day, especially after seeing him,
But then there was kind of a moment where I
felt like she got uncomfortable. I don't know if that's true,
I would assume, so yeah, I think she was. He
was like saying some stuff and she was like like, huh,
Like that's cute, and I'm glad you're talking about like

(11:57):
liking watching me from behind walking like that's a nice
Oh my gosh.

Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yeah. And when he got back to the house, I
can't remember if it was in the episode or not,
but he sat down and we were all talking about
our dates, and during his recap to the group of
what they did, he was like, oh, you know, Ad
like has and tits and we were like everyone was
so shocked. Like Ollie was right next to him, like

(12:22):
he is so forward. So I think Ad appreciates that
a little bit, but maybe not like on the first date.

Speaker 2 (12:28):
Right, yeah, sure, how did How does how do you handle?
This bachelor? Is so different? But how do you handle
being with somebody? Say you're in Allie's position, h You're
sitting there hearing this, and I think Ali has a
little bit in his heart of like, this is my girl,

(12:49):
and you're starting to build that feeling of like, no,
I'm protecting this girl. This girl is with me, and
he's hearing this guy talk about her like that, Like
how do you hold?

Speaker 3 (13:01):
He was very well behaved that night, especially because I
mean the boys were very overprotective and you know, they
were guarding what was there. So I think what Ad
was looking for going into that day was seeing if
Ollie could behave and be patient with her and not
freak out. So I think he knew he was being

(13:22):
tested and he did pass.

Speaker 2 (13:24):
So Okay, well this moves us into the work.

Speaker 3 (13:29):
That poll competition, Oh yeah, that was so fun.

Speaker 2 (13:33):
Yeah, tell us about it. I mean I felt like
it was probably a failed competition. Honestly, it felt so
hard that it wasn't doing what the show hoped it did,
meaning it just felt like it lasted a long time.
Nobody was really that good at it. But walk us
through this challenge because if anything, it was creative.

Speaker 3 (13:53):
It was so much fun. And this was the first
time I actually got to do a challenge on a
reality show. I was in the kissing challenge the before, right,
but that just felt like Bachelor. I'm like, this is
the first time I actually got to do like a
survivor challenge. And for me, all I could think about
was like, don't fall into the water. And so I

(14:14):
think a lot of the girls were just like holding
on for dear life and the boys were trying to
move the platform and it was so heavy and just
the aero dynamics of it just fell off. It felt
like a lot of work just to get a couple
of the balls out, maybe the holes like we're a
little too small. But actually Louis was so good at it.

(14:36):
He figured it out in like ten seconds and then
he just jumped off the platform.

Speaker 2 (14:41):
Why was that, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (14:43):
He he goes, I want to go in the water,
and he jumps off, and Sandy was just sitting up there.
But then yeah, Daniel and Lucy ended up figuring it out,
but everyone else it was so difficult. It really was hard.

Speaker 2 (15:07):
Do you like We just got done with the Bachelor
and Paradise reunion show last week? We went at to
LA and talked all the couples that are together, and
then we got to talk to Wells and kind of explained.
Wells was talking about the competition side of Paradise this
year and how he actually would love to keep that.
There's other things I think in the season that he

(15:28):
would say, hey, we could go without or we could
change it up now, but the competition side, it felt
like every cast member and including Wells, were really in
favor of it. Did you like them the challenges? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (15:41):
I think the challenges bring something to that relationship. I
think you bond really quick and you get to have
something that you do together because I just met Scott
going into that challenge the night before and so doing
that together it kind of bonds you. It was a
lot of fun. I hope they keep it in Bachelor

(16:03):
compared us as well. I think it's a fun element,
like we do challenges on group dates during The Bachelor,
so bringing in something else kind of helped they.

Speaker 2 (16:13):
Obviously you just mentioned Daniel and Lucy won this competition.
I had never seen the perfect match, but things change
at this moment for the first time, the boardroom no
longer is what we know as before. Nick explains that
what they get to do is they get to send
people from the two most compatible couples on dates, but

(16:34):
only one guy and one girl, and so the other
couple will be sent home the person and the other
couple will be sent home.

Speaker 3 (16:45):
Big twist, yes, and a necessary one.

Speaker 2 (16:48):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (16:50):
I think the producers, because for I don't know, the
producing style for Perfect matches a lot less. It's very
hands off, like they kind of let us do whatever.
We want, And I think when they were in that position,
no one was switching, and no one switched all season really,
and they really kind of needed other people to have

(17:10):
the opportunity to come in the house or maybe have
other couples get to know people, and people were not
open or doing it. So I think that was kind
of something that they decided to do last minute because
it just needed something.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
Is this common in the Perfect Match that people don't
skip around or.

Speaker 3 (17:30):
They said it was in the beginning. They said the
season before that people weren't like recoupling, but I think
our season even less. So it'll be interesting how they
do season four.

Speaker 2 (17:43):
Yeah, it does seem like and it's the beauty of
a show like this. It actually was a big turning
point for me as a viewer. I started watching episode
one and I was like, this is hilarious. And I
think I said it to you the first time you're on.
I said, Rachel, i've seen the previews for this thing.
I don't know how you're going to do this well,
because I mean, if you're a somebody who's single and

(18:06):
just wants to get out there and make out with
a bunch of people and be on the beach with
a bunch of good looking people and flirt, flop around
and sleep in the bed and do anything you want
to do. This is the perfect show for you. And
it was for like five episodes it was that a
little bit.

Speaker 3 (18:22):
Even then, yeah, barely, not at least not with different people.
The boys of course decide to like go off the
rails at some point, but for the most part it
was very like Coupled In, Locked In more so than
any show I've been on. So it was. Yeah, I
think if anything very like tame in a way like

(18:45):
it could have been a lot worse.

Speaker 2 (18:46):
Do they want it? Do you feel like they want
it to be worse?

Speaker 3 (18:50):
No? I don't think they want it to be worse,
but I think they want I mean, there is a
TV element of it, and I think as an audience,
like as a viewer, I would want to see if, oh,
if these people have a better connection, why don't they
switch or why don't they try to date other people?
But they don't. Everyone just kind of matches up. I
was the only one who's switching all season, so it's interesting. Yeah,

(19:14):
I think they wanted to see maybe some more people
go out of their comfort zone a little bit.

Speaker 2 (19:18):
Well, you did mention you were a Scott at this point,
and you will say that you were switching all season?
Is that just because you didn't feel like you were
with somebody that you're that confident in.

Speaker 3 (19:30):
I just feel like, for me, I know it's possible
to have multiple connections. So I was lucky in that.
But I guess because I came in late, I had
a bit of an advantage because Scott ended up going
to the pool party and I mean, we're jumping all over,
but like doing something that I didn't really want. When

(19:52):
I found out he lied to me the next morning,
there was still a moment where we were like, are
we going to rematch? But at the end of the day,
I was like, I don't need that, Like I haven't
been locked in with you since day one, so we
decided to split up. Whereas couples who were there from
day one, maybe they felt more bonded that they couldn't
do that. So I don't know. Maybe because I came
in late, what are you.

Speaker 2 (20:13):
Doing on this show when you're not on in the villa?

Speaker 3 (20:17):
Oh? Like when you come in late, so you it's
like paradise. I came in the day before and then
you're in the hotel. But I was only there for
a day because I went in. I was fortunate when
in the first day I got there basically, but yeah,
everyone hangs out at the hotel.

Speaker 2 (20:33):
They got to go to the pool, no way.

Speaker 3 (20:36):
Yeah, with the handler, they got to go to the pool,
go out to dinners. They were treated so well, you
get an iPad with Netflix.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
Goodness, that's smart. Yeah. That was one of my favorite times.
When I was a contestant on The Bachelor at Nick
and Sean were doing their thing and fighting for like
a week, and the show pretty much pulled me out
and they said, how about you just take a little
side trip to this town with a handler where nobody's
going to know you're here, and just go out to
dinners and bars and pubs.

Speaker 3 (21:04):
And have fun and you got special treatment. I did, Yeah,
I never did.

Speaker 2 (21:09):
It was awesome. I knew I was going home and
I was like, this is great. This is I'm getting
to see Eileen for the for the real deal, without
paying for it.

Speaker 3 (21:19):
This is so nice, right, it's like ani vacation.

Speaker 2 (21:22):
It is. Well, we're going to go into episode six now,
obviously we start with the boardroom and just explained what
the rules were for this boardroom. Nick comes out, you're
here at the villa at this point or the home
when it's explained kind of what's going to happen. Couple
are going to go on dates. The one doesn't get
chosen is actually going to be leaving the house. Mattison

(21:45):
is sitting on a date, Freddie has to go to
the house, and then also a d has to leave,
and Ali is going to go on a date some
emotional time. You just said it was necessary to switch
things up. What's the vibe in the house at this point?

Speaker 3 (22:02):
I mean it was so sad, of course, like I'm
just saying necessary from a production point of view, being
in the house seeing a d leave was so sad.
She was distraught. Freddie like he did not want to
leave Madison. It was a rough vibe in the house
for sure, I of course didn't want this to happen,
but like I see why they did it.

Speaker 2 (22:24):
Yeah, were you? I mean there's like at this point
your friends you're consoling and it feels very helpless. I'm
sure in a lot of ways too, where you're like
you love this dude, you like this dude at this
point and You're just being forced to leave based on
somebody else's decision, not any decision that the couple has made, And.

Speaker 3 (22:42):
We didn't know at the time if or when they
were coming back. Yeah, we were like, it could have
been a week, we could have recoupled and had challenges
with the new people, so we didn't know how long
it would be gone. It was. It was tough.

Speaker 2 (22:56):
But Oli goes on a date with Justine from Love
Island and Olivia from Temptation Island. Madison goes on a
date with Jalen from Too Hot to Handle, and this
is where we get introduced to Ray from Love Island.
I can't tell Rachel watching it if it is just
the way the camera and the team works it. But
these dates always seem to go pretty well. We didn't

(23:18):
really have a date this season where I'm like, oh,
this isn't obvious, not gonna work out kind of scenario.
I was on edge every date that they might stay
with these people.

Speaker 3 (23:26):
I know, I think, I mean, it's so much fun
and everyone wanted to give the people coming in a
chance a good time. But I think there is an
element of course, of like making it look like they're
not gonna go back to their original partner. But yeah,
the dates with Madison and Ollie for sure looked like

(23:48):
they could have been swayed.

Speaker 2 (23:52):
When everybody comes back to the house, give us kind
of a sneak peek at what this is like when
you have new people in turn. Especially in this moment,
it does seem to go I don't know if it
was directly related, but it does seem to cause chaos
during this episode and a lot of emotions from a
lot of people because there are new people coming in.
We're getting further along in this season. Some of your

(24:15):
best friends have just been sent home. I mean, we
see tears from Sandy here, we see tears from Lucy here.
Is that just part of the new people coming in
or is just what's.

Speaker 3 (24:27):
Happening like when they first left.

Speaker 2 (24:30):
Yeah, well they all come back to the villa. All
the new people come back to the villa. Lucy and
Daniel's situation is a little different because he says she's oh,
because I was.

Speaker 3 (24:42):
Gonna say they got in a fight that night. They
got That's why she was crying.

Speaker 2 (24:46):
Yes, And then Louis is kind of on edge because
of Sandy flirting, I think, and then Sandy gets upset
about this.

Speaker 3 (24:55):
Yeah, so that night with the tears, I think those
recoupling everyone was very on edge. Always as far as
Lucy and Daniel. Daniel would try to fight with Lucy
every single day and I think she cried majority of
the time, which is so so sad. But with Sandy
and Louie that night, I think they always had an

(25:17):
interesting dynamic where I think they would both flirt with
other people to get each other jealous, and it was
just something that they did. And I think that night
Sandy was like, you know, you've been on this date
with Alex and you have had your time to explore,
so I'm going to talk to Jalen, and you know,
he just got angry. I think she was quurting. But

(25:39):
never that night was there a second where I thought
Sandy would switch over to Jalen.

Speaker 2 (25:44):
You never thought that.

Speaker 3 (25:45):
No. I think eventually, like down the road she was like,
oh he is attractive, like you know, things like that,
But in that moment she was so locked in with
Louie and I don't think there was a chance.

Speaker 2 (25:58):
Now helped me rem member here, it's been a week
and a half. Yes, this evening, you still matched with
Scott Lay was obviously there. He goes home with Olivia,
Alie matches with Justine. At this moment, we feel like
new couples are forming. But you stayed with Scott.

Speaker 3 (26:19):
Why so at the time, Well, I actually didn't speak
to Ray that night. I didn't talk to him aut all.
I did talk to Jalen. It's funny because I did
watch it back and it looked like I was like
trying to flirt with Jalen. And it's so funny because
I sat down with him and immediately I was like, oh,
just so you know, like I'm going to match with
Scott tonight, like we're hitting it off. But I think

(26:43):
at the time I really did like Scott actually, which
is funny. He was so different from anyone who've ever dated,
and I wanted to give it a chance to see
if it worked. I didn't want to just switch the
first week, and I didn't go on a date or anything.
I didn't know Jalen or so I was liking where
things were. What's gone.

Speaker 2 (27:03):
Actually, this is the first episode, the full episode where
Clayton isn't involved at all. Yes, that obviously becomes Rachel.
I think we talked about this. I think I even
made a joke to you. I'm sorry that I did this.
I said, this isn't going to happen, right, and you
like stop and I was like, gosh, dang it. Okay,
but you.

Speaker 3 (27:23):
Knew I would do that, Like, let's not be surprised
that I made a bad decision. I always make a
bad decision.

Speaker 2 (27:30):
Yeah. I think I was just hopeful you know me
better than that lessons have been learned, But I guess
I guess they have learned them now. Yeah, could just
wait till next season when you get caught into a
new show.

Speaker 3 (27:44):
And he's back again.

Speaker 2 (27:46):
He's back. What is it about Clayton that draws you in?

Speaker 3 (27:51):
Okay? I know that people think it's like I'm obsessed
with him, but I think it really was in this situation.
I think the fact that I've always thought that he
made a mistake, and I've always felt this like unfinished,
like not having any closure with him really, and then
being in this environment it's exactly like how we met.

(28:14):
There's like a camera in our face. It feels so familiar,
and he was the only person there I knew, like
I didn't know anyone else there, so it just felt
like something familiar and It wasn't like I'm like, oh
my god, let's get married right now. I was just
open to seeing what happened. And then I just got
pissed at him because I'm like, you're the one person
I can trust, and you did this on purpose. I

(28:37):
thought he was doing it on purpose to hurt me.
So that's kind of why it happened.

Speaker 2 (28:41):
So was there actually a chance when we did the
almost famous event in Pebble Beach, like a few months
after your first time, well, you guys hadn't really spoken
since he you know, said goodbye to the first time.
Was there actually cause I always took that. I mean
I was there. We were like filming a commercial outside.

(29:03):
You guys were inside. I remember being like, that's just funny.
They're just flirting and this is not going to be
a thing. But now I could have been wrong, like
you were looking at it being like, no, maybe this
could be a thing again.

Speaker 3 (29:17):
I think that time was mostly that was the first
time we've seen each other since AFR and since I
had been a lead, and so I think seeing him
that day was really just being like, okay, I understand
kind of where you were coming from, and being able
to actually get to a place to be like, okay,

(29:37):
we're good and so I feel like that day or
that time, it was more of us just being like okay,
like we're in a really really good place now, but
of course, like you know, who knows, and now we know.

Speaker 2 (29:50):
Yeah, now we know. Goodness.

Speaker 4 (30:00):
Hey h Jenna Ashkwitz.

Speaker 5 (30:01):
And Kevin McHale, hosts of And That's What You Really
Miss podcasts.

Speaker 4 (30:05):
You joined us as we relive the magic of McKinley
High by watching all six seasons of Glee, and now
we're keeping the music.

Speaker 5 (30:12):
Going, but this time we're stepping outside the choir room
and diving into some of the most iconic musicals ever.

Speaker 4 (30:18):
Think Rocky, Horror Picture Show, Grease, Hairspray, West Side Story,
Moulin Rouge, Wicked, and of course, high school Musical.

Speaker 5 (30:26):
We'll also celebrate unforgettable musical TV projects like Smash, Nashville,
Crazy Ex Girlfriend, plus those surprise musical episodes of shows
you already love, like Grey's Anatomy, Riverdale, and The Flash.
And don't worry, we'll still have plenty of Glee surprizes
along the way.

Speaker 4 (30:41):
So if you're a fan of musicals on the big
screen or on TV, or anywhere in between. Join us
every week as we break down the songs, the stories,
and the magic that made us fall in love with
musicals in the first place.

Speaker 5 (30:53):
Listen to and That's What You Really Miss podcasts on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Speaker 2 (31:03):
All Right, So he apologizes to you on episode five. Uh,
I know that you've talked about this a ton. Did
that apology feel like? You're? Kind of being on these
shows is so weird because you live episode by episode.
You're talking and doing interviews episode by episode, and so

(31:23):
when you guys split apart or when he says no
more to you, you know you're upset. But then we
see in this episode he apologizes and it feels like
there's some reconciliation and healing. Was there or are you
still fuming?

Speaker 3 (31:38):
I mean, obviously I was embarrassed. I don't know if
I was.

Speaker 2 (31:42):
Yeah, why were you embarrassed?

Speaker 3 (31:44):
Because I think that was this moment or like that
moment the night before that was what everyone wanted me
to do the first time, right, like no and walk
away like you don't get to do this to me?
And I knew that moment was like in front of
me to have and I chose to not do it,
to give it a chance, and then he did the

(32:06):
same thing. So it was like, oh, like, it was
just embarrassing that I thought that he wouldn't do that again,
and just thinking about what the world would say and
what my family and friends would say, but you would say,
just like knowing people would be disappointed in me, that
was mainly it. And then I had the night to
sleep on it. I'd gone on my date and realized like, okay,

(32:29):
like it was just embarrassment. It's not coming from a
place of like hatred or anything like that. So we
did say I'm sorry to one another and moved on
for the time. Obviously, since that we've had a bit
of a tiff. But yeah, at the time, it felt
like we were like, okay, worse by We're good.

Speaker 2 (32:49):
I feel like you have every right to be tiffing
with him. I think he should be crawling back to
you being like I am so sorry that I did
this again.

Speaker 3 (32:58):
Yeah, but you know, Clayton, he's not here, yeah.

Speaker 2 (33:02):
And well so yeah, so why in the world did
you think it was going to be a different kid?

Speaker 3 (33:08):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (33:09):
Well, I'm glad that you can move on. We see
him leave the house. It feels like a closure moment
for you. Even though Clayton pops up again this season.
He shows up, I was worried. I was watching, and
I was worried.

Speaker 3 (33:27):
We'ren't worried. I barely talked to him that day when
he came back.

Speaker 2 (33:32):
I know. I was excited for you. We're growing here,
we're learning as we go. But this jumps us into
episode seven where we're told that the men are going
to go hang out with the single women. The single
women are going to come hang out, or the single
men are going to come hang out with you all.

(33:53):
I think this is a great twist for so many
reasons on a show like this, I love every second
of this. It's funny to me how once you get
used to cameras being around, how comfortable you get, and
also that you think that you can do whatever you
want to do and your partner, I'm not going to
say spouse, because I think that would be a bigger issue,

(34:15):
but your partner won't ever find out. And it seems
like the men really jumped into that mindset of I
can have fun and do whatever, and these women will
never find out, even though it's being filmed and at
some point you're gonna have to watch it back.

Speaker 3 (34:31):
It's so funny too, because we to this day talk
about it for the people listening in. AD was at
this mixer with the boys, so I would like to
know what they would have done if AD wasn't there,
because they knew AD was going to come back and
tell us everything. Sure, and the behavior that I witnessed

(34:52):
watching that back was worse than when I was just
hearing it firsthand. So yeah, you're so right. It was
actually insane that some of those guys thought that we
would never find out. But when I watched that, I
like to think, I'm like, oh, we're thinking about it
from a point of view, like oh, when they watch

(35:13):
back with their partner. But I think those guys knew
that they weren't going to be with their partners after this.
I don't think they have that longevity mindset that we have. Yeah,
so they just wanted to have fun, I think, yeah.

Speaker 2 (35:28):
And I mean the girls, you guys did. I mean
it was very tame, right.

Speaker 3 (35:32):
Oh, I mean the girls were playing patty Cake. We
actually I think we barely were drinking. I took advantage
of it to get to know people, just because I
was newer and I didn't know some of the guys.
But I mean, no one kissed anyone. It was so
tame on our side. But that's you know how it

(35:53):
is with girls. I feel like we're so loyal.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
Yeah, I mean I was going to ask, like some
people watch these shows for the social experiment. I mean,
there are college courses built around the back and abound
reality television. I feel like we're like coming close into
stereotyping men and women. But I think if you do
bring an experiment out like this one, you see the

(36:17):
behavior that's probably going to occur, which is the men
feel like they're on a bachelor party without any guardrails,
and the women are like, I just wish my partner
was still here with me having so much fun.

Speaker 3 (36:33):
I know. And you even look at like that season
of Paradise where they did a similar switch separated the
guys and girls, or Love Island when they separate, it's
always the men that ended up switching, which is so interesting, right. Yeah,
But yeah, like you said, you can stereotype it at
this point, it happens so much.

Speaker 2 (36:54):
It happens so much. We're seeing it over and over again.
It was I mean, it looked like the guys are
having a lot of fun. Give it that. For what
they were wanting, they were able to accomplish it. They
were for whatever reason, I feel like licking thighs. Licking thighs.

Speaker 3 (37:12):
Yeah, no, it was wild up in the boys party.

Speaker 2 (37:17):
I've never like heard of like thigh licking as a
mixer party trick, but it seems to be what when
we saw episode one, we see it here now at
remind me, was this when you started talking to Ray again?

Speaker 3 (37:32):
So this is where I basically met Ray. Okay, I
met Ray, Carrington and Cody for the first time, so well,
yeah basically, so yeah, that's where you get introduced to him.

Speaker 2 (37:45):
You get introduced to him. What is it about Ray
at that moment above, Like, because you could have switched
to Carrington obviously, this is your moment to kind of
jump around a little bit. What it was it about
Ray that stood out to you?

Speaker 3 (37:58):
I think in the it just felt like Ray wasn't
trying to get into the house. It was very friendly.
He was so easy to talk to. Not saying that
Cody and Carrington weren't, but they were definitely a little
more like flirty and forward, whereas I feel like with Ray,
it was so friendly and it felt like he wanted

(38:19):
to just get to know me, and it was just
really easy with him. So it just felt like he
was there for the right reasons, you know, like he
wasn't trying to just get into the house.

Speaker 2 (38:31):
Well, we quickly see the transition to this whole like
reuniting party, the mixer that everybody gets to be a
part of. This is where we see kind of the
conversations spark up between Ady and Ali about him matching

(38:51):
with somebody else. We also start to hear, well Lucy
gets familiar with Daniel's behavior at the mixer. I personally
felt like Ady and Ali this was kind of every
couple needs that really tough moment, and this was their
really tough moment. Either they were going to make it
through it and be stronger for it, or they were

(39:13):
going to be done. And I think a show like
this it sets you up for so many opportunities to
have these kind of moments, which it kind of like
you said, Sandy and Louie continue to have. It feels
like every time a new person comes into the house
and they just kind of enjoy that aspect, but Adie
and Ali felt so strong that this could have broken

(39:33):
them because they're like, no, you're not the type of
person I want to be with. But they make it through.
Lucy and Daniel make it through. Was there ever a
moment that you thought either of these couples would not
stay together?

Speaker 3 (39:44):
Aidi and Alie I knew would go back to each other.
It just felt like they were the strongest couple in
the house. And I feel like there's always that one
couple that's like, you just know that they're going to
make it, and so I think Allie was I mean,
I think he was just trying to give the respect

(40:05):
that Justine deserved and wanted to be open to the
process of the show. Obviously, it sucks that they kiss
and that eighty found out and that she had to
find out through Justine, Like that's horrible, But I was
so happy that they were able to get over all
that and come together. Lucy and Daniel, I feel like

(40:26):
that was more. It was sad to watch, just because
I feel like Lucy didn't have anyone else she was
interested in, So if it wasn't Daniel, she would have
probably just went home. So it's difficult because of course
I would have liked her to tell him no and rematch,
but like with who, I just can't look back and
think that there would have been anyone else.

Speaker 2 (40:48):
Yeah, they had never felt like she out of anybody.
I think that's why she got set up on so
few dates or any date she went on zero, because
it's like, I don't see her with anybody else.

Speaker 3 (41:00):
You would just fight her if she laughed too out
Like I don't know if you saw that night when
Ray came in, they got in a fight because Lucy
was laughing and that isn't even exaggeration, Like it was
like that the whole time. So it was difficult to
watch her go back.

Speaker 2 (41:19):
Do you think it was because he was so into
her that he was insecure that she would move on
or No.

Speaker 3 (41:27):
I think the boys they were very very close and
they would rile each other up, and I think no
one wanted to be embarrassed in front of their boys,
and so if someone's girl was flirting or doing something,
they just didn't want to be embarrassed. I think that's
what it was, more than them caring about the women.

Speaker 2 (41:49):
Yeah, I mean that first kissing challenge we see kind
of his reaction to it. On a show like this,
when I get to talk to the who i've is
going to be the next Bachelor, I don't have a
lot of advice to give, but I just try to
set up expectations and the mindset and what could be happening.

(42:10):
So on a show like this, I'm sure you look
back now and if somebody were to call you and say, hey,
I'm going on the Perfect Match next season, how should
I be viewing this? Should it just be more lighthearted
and loose and be And if you're especially if you're
a guy, like, hey, your girl is going to do
some wild stuff, but she'll probably come back to you,

(42:31):
or you hope she does.

Speaker 3 (42:32):
I don't even think the girls do anything wild. I
would just say it's definitely more lighthearted. They even if
there are heavy moments, a lot of those were taken out.
There were a lot more moments that they could have
aired if they wanted to be dramatic. They don't want that.
They want funny and fun. So I would tell anyone
to just go in and I would say, really, just

(42:53):
keep your options open. I want to see next season
have a bunch of rematches and coming back together, and
I want to see people explore more. So that's what
I would say.

Speaker 2 (43:03):
Well, we do see Scott exploring more. He matches with Juliette.
During this episode, Freddy and Madison get back together. Not
a shock there. Probably the most unexpected couple for me.

Speaker 3 (43:15):
I know, right, they were a great couple, though there's
been so much talk online. I think just because people
have watched Love Is Blind before and just had an
idea of Madison. But I went in not knowing either
of them, and they were such a good couple, so
unexpected to the viewers. But like in person, they were

(43:36):
like in a little love bubble, they were solid.

Speaker 2 (43:39):
Let's actually do this now. If you could give me
like one word or just a few words to describe
each couple at this point, I think that would give
a viewers or the listeners a little understanding. So Scott
and Juliette.

Speaker 3 (43:50):
Will start with them game players.

Speaker 2 (43:53):
Freddy and Madison married, Lucy and Daniel.

Speaker 3 (43:58):
Toxic and Ray the best. No, I'd say like friends.
We were like friends, Louis and Sandy, Sexy.

Speaker 2 (44:10):
Eighty and Ali soulmates. We do see eighty and Ali
getting a little fight before bed. It doesn't look good,
but it does feel like they have the strength to reconcile.
And as you said, I think soulmates have that right.
Arguments are part of relationships, but it's how you come together.

(44:31):
So we now see you Rachel with Ray. This starts
to episode nine with the Final Compatibility Challenge. Each couple
has to complete a group of tasks, and each person
has to do fifty percent of the tasks a tire change,
there's a mystery buffet where you have to dive through
a bunch of stuff, a cold plunge, and a pyramid puzzle.

(44:53):
The winners get to go on a date and a
trip to the boardroom, which obviously gives you a lot
of influence when it comes down to the final weeks
of the show. You ate some crickets during this challenge.

Speaker 3 (45:04):
I killed it. I was I've never been more surprised
at myself that I was competitive. I loved this challenge.
It felt like Survivor. It was so much fun.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
Yeah, I mean, eating crickets isn't that weird. I think
you just have to get past the mindset of Hey,
I personally, living in the United States haven't done this often. However,
a lot of other places in this world, do enjoy
a cricket or too.

Speaker 3 (45:29):
It's funny because I ate crickets on my one of
my dates with Zach in Mexico, so I'd already done this.
And on The Bachelor we had a group date in Croatia.
We were eating like cowbrains, cow eyeballs, fish heads like,
so I've already kind of had experience doing this. So
when I saw the crickets, I was like, oh, this

(45:51):
is going to be the easiest thing on the table.
I thought it was just going to get worse and
worse and worse. So that's why I went for the
crickets right away. And looking back, none of the girls did,
except for a d because Ollie's actually vegan, so that's
why she had to do it. But it was just
so funny watching back, I'm like, oh, I just took
the hardest one for no reason.

Speaker 2 (46:10):
I'm impressed with you. I also didn't I don't remember
the eyeballs and stuff that I could do crickets easily.
I think it's the texture stuff that gets me just
in general, no matter where I'm at, I understand that
they're crunchy. Yeah, I can do crunchy.

Speaker 3 (46:24):
Crunchy and salty. They're salted.

Speaker 2 (46:27):
See it's nice.

Speaker 3 (46:28):
It wasn't bad.

Speaker 2 (46:29):
You give me an eyeball it explodes in my mouth.
I don't think I'm that cool with it.

Speaker 3 (46:32):
Yeah it was bad.

Speaker 2 (46:34):
Yeah, I don't think I'm like dah. I just I
have a hard time getting my head around that. You
are the last two people to go to the boardroom
after winning this date. Congratulations by the way on winning

(46:54):
the challenge. It's a big deal. You pick Sandy to
go on a date with JR. Because of the past
they had a little trial marriage. I haven't watched the ultimatum,
but I'm assuming it makes getting married quickly even worse
than what the Bachelor does. We don't get to see
during this moment kind of what your last choice is,
but you do choose Sandy to go on this date

(47:16):
with JR. Is it only because I'm not going to
lead you into this? Why?

Speaker 3 (47:24):
So? I will say going into the boardroom, we thought
it would be mixed. We thought there'd be boys and girls.
So we had a plan. And then we get to
the boardroom and we saw everyone who's already been on dates,
who's already been in here, and we were like, what
do we do? They gave us nothing on his board,

(47:44):
so it was such a hard decision because there was
no nothing to do. I went in with the mindset
of like not wanting to mess up couples, not wanting
to get people in trouble. So I thought from that board,
it could just be a good closure moment for Sandy
to have a Loane time with Jr. Because I think

(48:06):
when you're in the house and louis staring at you
in the kitchen, maybe you don't have that closure moment.
So that's why I chose that. And then the next
decision was actually all Ray So he made the Juliette
and Carrington decision.

Speaker 2 (48:20):
Why do you think he did that?

Speaker 3 (48:22):
So from what we heard, Juliet and Carrington really hit
it off, and everyone was shocked she picked Clayton, So
I thought, if they had such a good connection already,
like maybe let's see where it goes now. But I
didn't choose that, right, did choose that? So, I mean

(48:43):
it made sense. She gave us a great ending, better
than we could have ever asked for. She makes such
good TV, so it ended up being a good decision.

Speaker 2 (48:51):
Now, Juliet was obviously upset with you when she first
was eliminated from the show or asked go home from
the show. She called you boring.

Speaker 3 (49:01):
I am boring kind of compared to her.

Speaker 2 (49:03):
Yeah, she's great to me. Do you like, did you
enjoy her?

Speaker 3 (49:09):
At the time, I just felt like she hated me.
So I definitely just I understood why she was mad
at me. I would have felt the same exact way,
and so I think I was just during the show
kept my distance from her. And then she stole my man,
which just felt like she did it on purpose. And
then I look back now knowing her, and I'm like,
she just doesn't care, like she just wanted to have

(49:30):
fun and it was fine. But at the time I
was like, oh my gosh, I feel like she hates me.

Speaker 2 (49:35):
Yeah, I think I would struggle when Jess and I
watched this, I watched it with there is a reason
why I didn't do any other reality television shows because
I would be on this and I would be so boring.

Speaker 3 (49:53):
We are boring. That's when people just have a different
mindset we do.

Speaker 2 (49:57):
I mean, I think one hundred percent I would been
on the show and you would have never seen me.
You would have never seen me.

Speaker 3 (50:04):
Likely you would have been like Freddie, you would have
been the same exact way. And people love Freddy. So
I think you need all types of people.

Speaker 2 (50:12):
You do, You do need all types of people. Freddie
was so sweet and he was great, and he found
somebody during this and was able to make it through
with very little damage. But nobody's talking about Freddie. That's
the thing.

Speaker 3 (50:26):
Everyone talks about Freddy. They love him. He's a fan favorite. Sure, yeah,
but yeah, like there's no discourse, Like people aren't like
talking or like making tiktoks about him.

Speaker 2 (50:36):
No, there is no blurbs about Freddy. They're just like, yeah,
he seems like a nice guy. Why weren't you with Freddie?

Speaker 3 (50:42):
Well, when I first got there, I was like so
excited because me and Freddy really hit it off. But
he was very like clear with that. He was like
going to try to pursue things with Madison. Okay, So
I didn't really. I don't know. I look back at him.
I don't know if I could have tried harder, But

(51:03):
at the time he just said I'm with Madison, and
I just said, I don't want to sit on any toes.
I don't know anyone.

Speaker 2 (51:09):
I'm metrically here. Yeah, let me go back to what's
so healthy and best for me? Clayton Goodness greatness. So
episode ten, uh, we kind of see this whole thing
come to a conclusion. The final mixer is going on.

Speaker 3 (51:29):
I want to know your thoughts before we go to this.
The night before with Carrington and Scott with the big.

Speaker 2 (51:35):
Blow up with Julie about JULIETT. I mean, my thoughts
are this it was? It just it's predictable.

Speaker 3 (51:45):
You thought I was shocked when it was happening. Why
Because Scott and Juliet just seemed so unseerious that I
thought he would have just not cared that she was
flirting with Carrington.

Speaker 2 (51:58):
I think it's the embarrassment factor. I think you make
it make sense when you say these guys were so
worried about being embarrassed. They all come into this. I
think only Freddie was the only guy that came into
this without his intro package being like I am a
ladies man. I love to like saying things like I'm
a ladies man, or I steal girls, or girls are

(52:20):
so lucky to be with me. He was the only
one to not have that type of ego and confidence,
not even confidence. I think he has confidence. He didn't
have the ego, He had humility, he had perspective. Ray, Yes,
I would say Ray was very similar in that too.
But everybody else I think had so much of an ego.
They thought they were God's gift to this world and

(52:40):
they were going to walk into that house and the girls,
We're just gonna be like, all right, please choose me.
And most of the guys who kind of had that
mentality failed miserably, like nobody wanted them.

Speaker 3 (52:54):
Well, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (52:55):
I mean, Louis was there from the beginning, so I
think he got lucky because he didn't come into the
house to try to convince anybody. I think anybody knew, like, yes,
the originals, the ogs had connections. I think if you
were new and you came in with that mentality where
it's where you thought you were going to be able

(53:16):
to convince some one of the girls who has already
coupled up to move on from whoever they're with, it
just never worked. I mean, Carrington I think had the
most aggressively bad intro.

Speaker 3 (53:27):
I will defend him, though, I think he just was
messing around a little and it came off not so nice.
But I will say, like with me, at least, he
was so sweet.

Speaker 2 (53:40):
Then why didn't you ever get with him?

Speaker 3 (53:42):
Well, I was just saying because like at the time,
I mean looking back, everyone saw his intro, but when
I was there with him, he was nice. But I
do agree he and Jr. Definitely had a strong intro package. Yes, yes,
but I think maybe it is them just like trying
to hype them so helps up.

Speaker 2 (54:00):
So that's why I don't think it's shocking to me,
is because I saw the intros and I watch it
back and I'm thinking, these guys just don't want to
be embarrassed, like they don't want to be made fools
of And I think Juliette was just making fools of
them in a little bit of ways, because yeah, they
were unseerious with Juliet, and they thought, I'm unseious, she's

(54:22):
in a sense lucky that she's here with us, and
then it blows up. And that's why I think I
was expecting it at some level.

Speaker 3 (54:32):
Yeah, it's crazy because just from what I saw with
Scott and Juliet, they actually seemed like they liked each other,
but they were so unserious together also, like they were
so like, we're having fun and when Scott walked out
without having a conversation with her, I remember that it
was crazy, but yeah, definitely a crazier night than could

(54:53):
have anticipated with such a dismal board selection.

Speaker 2 (54:57):
Well, this means that Juliette has no one to match
with after that evening, and so she has to leave
the villa again, leaving final matches Sandy and Louis, Lucy
and Daniel, You and Ray, Madison and Freddie and Ali
and a d. This is an incredible group to walk
into the finale with. At the end of this we

(55:19):
see the couples kind of have their romantic moments together.
You said that you and Ray were friends. Were you
ever romantic?

Speaker 3 (55:26):
I think maybe there was like a moment where it
was like we could have been Like I definitely didn't
look at him and I'm like, oh, we're just going
to be friends. Like he's so good looking, he's a
great guy. But I think the more we were in
the house, it just seemed like, I don't know if
we had that spark, and then it just never really came.

(55:47):
But I loved my time with him there. I wouldn't have,
you know, done it with anyone else. It was so special.
But yeah, I think even like for our final date,
like we're talking about the future and things like that,
and I think I was surprised at some of the
things he was saying because I was like, I don't
feel like you really liked me like that. So yeah, no,
I definitely think we were just more friendly.

Speaker 2 (56:09):
Do you before I skip forward into kind of life
now and now that it all makes sense, we do
have the final compatibility challenge. In the last few minutes
of hear us breaking down the last few episodes of
Perfect Match. The compatibility challenge is this. You all were
given questions. You have to answer these questions, which I

(56:32):
think is so hard really during this thing because you
don't know a lot about each other.

Speaker 3 (56:38):
I was shocked at how much I knew. I was
so proud of myself. We were such a new couple.
But it's hard because I think the reason they did it,
I don't know if you know, Ben, but the season
before the people who won were they'd just gotten there
like the week before. Oh, because a lot of our
vote is from outside the house, and so I think

(57:01):
people who are outside the house can be a little
bit angry sometimes at like the way that the show
played out, and I'm angry for them. Honestly, it's hard
to get in the house, so I think this was
their way this season to not allow that to happen again.
I'm assuming like they just didn't want me and Ray
to win or like people who are newer. But it

(57:22):
took out couples like Madison and Freddy, who she genuinely
think should have been in the final two. So that
was tough that that happened.

Speaker 2 (57:30):
Yeah, it did. It took out fred This compatibility challenge
took out Freddy at Madison, You and Ray and Sandy
and Louie. Be honest, please, I really liked the Perfect Match.
I would tell anybody to still like to watch it,
to tune in. But the idea of a seven day
vacation as your reward for winning, was it really a

(57:55):
driving force for you? Like, did you want to win
different than half a million?

Speaker 3 (58:01):
Right? I think for me, if you really, if you're
not like eighty and Ali in love with each other, Yeah,
that seven day trips seems like it would be tough, Like,
I don't know if I want to really do that
with someone I just met. I would say the driving
factor for a lot of these people is like kind

(58:23):
of like just wanting to be there the longest. I
think the trip is just that's the reward that they
thought of. I don't think anyone was like, oh, I
want to win because I really want this trip. I
think people just want it to be there as long
as they could. I think eighty and Dollie were the
only people who would have actually taken and truly enjoyed it.
But it's hard to say that it was like a

(58:45):
good prize because I don't feel like anyone was like, oh,
I need to go on this vacation.

Speaker 2 (58:51):
I've just gotten back from the beach and gotten gotten
drinks and food and hung out, like I don't need
another vacation, right.

Speaker 3 (59:03):
So it's definitely I mean, it's nice that there is
a prize. I think they could also do it without
a prize and people would still.

Speaker 2 (59:10):
Go in the show sure, just to be titled the
Perfect Match, Well, Lucy and Daniel are there for the
couples to vote on, and Ali and a d I
shouldn't say the couples because there's outside influences voting on
this as well. Lucy and Daniel end up being the
winners of this shocker to me. I think you've hinted

(59:33):
at being a shock as well. You probably voted for
Aid and Ali.

Speaker 3 (59:37):
I'm assuming everyone in the house, I think except for Louis.
Louis didn't eat you. I don't know everyone in the
house voted for Aid and Ali.

Speaker 2 (59:47):
So why do you think that, Like, why were people
like why wouldn't people vote for AIDI.

Speaker 3 (59:50):
And Ali in this Everyone outside of the house voted
for Lucy and Daniel Because I don't think the women
who were outside the house were happy with the way
Ali treated Justine. And I think Justine loves ad and
like wants the best for her, and I think she

(01:00:11):
just didn't like the way Alie handled things. So I
think they were coming from a place of like wanting
to support a d and just thinking that Allie was
I don't know, maybe they thought he wasn't being truthful.
They weren't in the house so they didn't get to
see what we saw. And of course Lucy is like
just such a sweetheart, so she's like so easy to

(01:00:32):
love and vote for. I think they were just like
mad at Allie.

Speaker 2 (01:00:36):
I mean, it makes sense. I think it's still shocking
to me. I think even you don't punish a d
for a seven day vacation because she's with a guy
who you don't.

Speaker 3 (01:00:47):
I agree, and that is why I voted for them,
and I was in shock when they didn't win. I
mean Lucy was in shock. She did win, it was crazy.
And then obviously they ended up not taking the t
so it really all was a waste because now ad
is pregnant and about to have a beautiful baby girl,
and I would have loved to see her on the

(01:01:08):
trip with Ali.

Speaker 2 (01:01:09):
Maybe the show can just pass it off for a
baby moon.

Speaker 3 (01:01:12):
He keep saying that.

Speaker 2 (01:01:13):
Yeah, now let's talk about the couples. Now Lucy and
Daniel no longer together. As you mentioned, how quickly did
that end?

Speaker 3 (01:01:33):
They a couple of people went on a trip right
after we finished filming to Cabo, and I think there
was a lot that went on there that the women
weren't too happy about. I would say Cabo was the
driving breakup for a lot of people who were there.

(01:01:54):
I wasn't there, but I know that he didn't treat
her super well, and they also live in different countries sure,
so when they broke up, I wasn't very surprised. Daniel
also didn't like me very much. So I was like,
but y, yeah, it.

Speaker 2 (01:02:12):
Was sad, but you and Lucy were friends me and
see our friends.

Speaker 3 (01:02:15):
Yeah, we're really close, and so it's just hard, you know,
you don't want to see your friends go through that.

Speaker 2 (01:02:22):
Freddie and Madison, what's the updates?

Speaker 3 (01:02:25):
So they are not together? I actually really thought they
would be together for a while. They seemed so they
seemed like a married couple.

Speaker 2 (01:02:34):
Yeah, and.

Speaker 3 (01:02:37):
Yeah, I just saw them recently in July, and I
guess they broke up pretty soon after. Again, they're in
different countries. It's probably a big reason. You and Ray
we're still friends, like actual friends, which is crazy.

Speaker 2 (01:02:51):
And do you guys ever go skydiving?

Speaker 3 (01:02:54):
Okay, so we were going to We like had plans
to the morning after we had the big Netflix party,
and then everyone was so hungover that I'm like, if
I jump onto a plane right now, I'm gonna die.
So hopefully we get to soon.

Speaker 2 (01:03:09):
Now, obviously, you've had two big time hosts, Jesse Palmer
and Nick Lache. I know you love Jesse. Who to
you is the better host?

Speaker 3 (01:03:18):
Well, obviously I always have to say Jesse because I
was his first Bachelorette season and Bachelor season, so I
just have a bond with him. But Nick Lache is amazing.
He is so fun. He would take shots with us like.
He's great. I just don't have any relationship to him,
so of course I'm gonna pick Jesse.

Speaker 2 (01:03:41):
Okay, final couple questions for you personally, Rachel. We get
to see the Clayton stuff go down. We have gotten
to know you from the show. I'm assuming somebody from
the show has circled back after the show and said, hey, Rachel,
maybe we should have given it a shot. Can you
tell us who?

Speaker 3 (01:04:02):
Yeah, so I reconnected with Carrington before the show. I
feel like I've like kind of pinted at it and
things like that. But yeah, I think he's so sweet
and yeah, you know, who knows what could have happened.

Speaker 2 (01:04:17):
Are you dating anybody right now?

Speaker 3 (01:04:19):
I'm not dating anyone. I'm definitely single. But yeah, it
was nice to reconnect for sure with Carrington.

Speaker 2 (01:04:31):
Does he live in LA.

Speaker 3 (01:04:32):
He lives in Salt Lake City?

Speaker 2 (01:04:35):
Okay, have you been to Salt Lake City?

Speaker 3 (01:04:37):
I have been there, but uh, not to see him.

Speaker 2 (01:04:41):
Dides intro scare you a little bit, So it's funny.

Speaker 3 (01:04:45):
I didn't know about any of that. Until I watched
it back, and then it was funny. We watched some
of it together. But I think with me, he was
so sweet and actually it's funny. He DMed me after
I think I was on The Bachelor, so like years ago,
and he told me that on the show, and I
was like, oh my god, I couldn't remember. So, yeah,

(01:05:06):
he's just a sweetheart.

Speaker 2 (01:05:08):
So there is a potential for you to find a
perfect match from the show.

Speaker 3 (01:05:11):
Still, there's always potential, right, you know. I love to
circle back.

Speaker 2 (01:05:18):
I don't know if that's like a behavior that I
would say it was a good one. I don't know.
I think you're better than that, Rachel, But I don't
know Carrington, so maybe that is a good one to
circle back too.

Speaker 3 (01:05:28):
We'll see, we'll see.

Speaker 2 (01:05:31):
That's all we're getting.

Speaker 3 (01:05:32):
I don't have any like solid updates, like we're definitely
not dating or like anything like that.

Speaker 2 (01:05:39):
Okay, he calls you tomorrow and says, Hey, I'm going
to be in La Rachel, I want to take you
on a date.

Speaker 3 (01:05:44):
Well, we see each other when he's in La. Yeah,
but yeah, I think we live in different states and
it's really far.

Speaker 2 (01:05:54):
It's super hard to fly from Salt Lake today.

Speaker 3 (01:05:56):
I know, it's like thirty minutes. It's crazy and apply
for freeze. It's just like it's really hard to get
out there.

Speaker 2 (01:06:03):
Such a good excuse you're making to why this could
potentially not be a thing.

Speaker 3 (01:06:08):
No, who knows, Like I genuinely like will tell you
if I have an update, but like as of now,
it's been nice to reconnect with him and like, you know,
we went through the show together, so like watching it
back and stuff, it was nice to have someone who
like got it.

Speaker 2 (01:06:26):
Rachel. I've told you this many times on the show
and person, I think, out of so many people, you
are one of my favorite people to ever come out
of the franchise. I am confused when people ask me,
like about single people from the Bachelor World. I'm confused
on how people haven't reached out to you to try

(01:06:47):
to connect and date more often. But it sounds like
to me, for the first time since your time as
the lead on the show, you're getting some attention that
you deserve from boys.

Speaker 3 (01:07:01):
You know, I think boys do reach out to me.
I definitely. I mean it's funny because you know, the
guy that I dated, like the one that I was
kind of like more in the public with it was
difficult because when things ended, it was still online and
people still thought we were together and you were with
me actually when I was like talking to you about

(01:07:22):
that for the first time. So after that had happened,
I just tried to be more silent about it because
I didn't want that to happen again. And I think
now I'm kind of at the point where like, I
think people do deserve to know what I'm doing and
if I'm talking to someone, so I like to be
more open. But yeah, for years I just was like,
I'm single, I don't know, and now I think everyone

(01:07:44):
thinks that, you know, no one was trying to talk
to me. They do, but it's just hard, you know,
when you're in the public failing in relationships, especially when
you already have at such a large scale. So I
would definitely keep things more private. But I mean, hey,
now you know some of the tea at least.

Speaker 2 (01:08:03):
Some of the tea. I get it. No, I mean we,
Jess and I kept it secret for six months because
because when something's good too you don't want to publicize it,
and then if things don't work out, you're asked about
that person and it will every time you're asked about
that person, because yeah, that was a good thing. Well
luckily for me, you know, it ended in marriage, so

(01:08:26):
not ended, it started in marriage, and so we can
will never be sad to talk about it. I could
talk about Jess all day.

Speaker 3 (01:08:33):
Literally, So happy for you guys and your beautiful baby
and your amazing trips and hopefully you can give me
some of that luck.

Speaker 2 (01:08:41):
Yeah, we're going to. I'm passing it off to you. Rachel,
you are a dream, the perfect match. Final question for you?
Are you glad you did it? What did you learn
about yourself through it?

Speaker 3 (01:08:53):
I actually am so glad. I keep getting asked this question. Obviously,
it's so different from Bachelor, and I just think this
was the first time I ever got to be like
on TV being myself without this reputation of people who
had seen me before thought that they knew me. And

(01:09:13):
I just got to have so much fun. Obviously the
Clayton stuff was hard, like wouldn't have wanted that for anyone,
but I think I just got to really have a
great time, and so that's why I'm so happy I
did it.

Speaker 2 (01:09:29):
Yeah, it is, I mean it is. It's just shake up.
It's fun. It looked so enjoyable. I would tell anybody
to watch it. It is very entertaining.

Speaker 3 (01:09:37):
It's so entertaining. It was a good season.

Speaker 2 (01:09:40):
It's so entertaining. I really did enjoy it, and it
helped my flight home from Italy go so much faster. Rachel,
I'm sure you'll be back soon helping co host an
episode of Safe here talking about Taylor, Frankie Paul or
the next upcoming season of The Golden Bachelor, which will
be airing very soon. But I appreciate you stepping on.

(01:10:03):
I appreciate your insights into the perfect match, and so
until next time, I've been Ben and I'm Rachel. That's right.

Speaker 1 (01:10:13):
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