August 13, 2025 • 46 mins
Bachelor Nation alum, Clayton Echard, joins Ben and Ashley to recap episode 2 of Netflix "Perfect Match"! Clayton Echard shares all the behind-the-scenes drama from his time in Tulum, and he holds nothing back when sharing his feelings on the final edit.
Could Clayton be finished with reality TV forever??
And, find out what happened when Clayton realized it wasn't fate... it was producers.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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. It's been and
Ashley is here with me. Today we are covering another
episode of Netflix's show The Perfect Match. This time we
are joined by one of the contestants and also a
part of Bachelor Nation. Clayton Eckerd is with us today.
We aren't going to get into a ton of spoilers
(00:26):
because we're going in order. But the listeners, I'm telling
you you got to join on watch the episodes, follow
along with us. Have you've seen them already. We are
going to be releasing a breakdown of every episode of
Perfect Match. We have a very very good opportunity today though,
to have one of the focal points of The Perfect
(00:50):
Match this season. He was on just a few months
of ago to speak with us about some things going
on in his life. I think it was hinted at
in that interview that you were going to be joining
some type of project that we knew nothing about. Clayton,
Welcome to the podcast. And when you hinted that you
had a project coming out that we knew nothing about,
(01:12):
was this what we were talking about?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah, that's what I was being cryptic about So I
don't know. I just think it's fun to like drop
bread crops and see if anyone picks up on it.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
But I also like say enough without saying too much.
So yeah, that's what it was.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
The funny part, Clayton is that I will I can't
get into details, but I'll drop some breadcrumbs. We had
a knowledge of Rachel being on the show way long ago,
like I mean, I don't know when was this filmed.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Last September of twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
That's a big span.
Speaker 5 (01:47):
I heard that there might be a baby about to
be born from the Perfect Match.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Yes, that that is how long it has been.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
And so we knew Rachel was going to be a
I really had no clue you were going to be
on the show, Like I had never heard that you
were going to be on the show. I had no
idea that you were going to be on the show.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
Yeah, I think what was kind of like a trick.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
And I don't know if this was purposeful, but Blake
Moins was the name that everyone threw out for like
the other individual, which, come to find out, I think
he was being talked to actually, so that wasn't that
wasn't just like that wasn't just a misdirection. But I
think that like the second people heard that, they're like,
that's who it is, the other person coming.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
So nobody, you know, took up anything beyond that.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Well, it's been so long that you've shaved, had a haircut,
no longer looked like the same guy. Yeah, I guess.
So we're in episode two right now, Clayton of the Breakdown,
We're going to keep you around to break down this episode.
I have a lot to talk to you about when
it comes to the Perfect Match and kind of the
(02:50):
living situations. When we planned to have you on, it
was to just co host an episode with us and
to break down the episode. Obviously, this week things have
kind of changed and we have to kind of ask
you about some of the controversies that have come out.
We don't want to give too many spoilers because we
(03:12):
aren't even at a point in this season where Rachel
is a part of the show.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Yet, but we do.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
You know, I think any person that's falling along with
the Perfect Match or following along with Bachelor News knows
that something happened between the two of you that you
are now kind of responding to publicly. So we are
going to ask a little bit about that, and then
we do want to keep you around for the breakdown
of the episode. I guess to start here. You have
(03:41):
done a ton of work on yourself. You mention it
on The Perfect Match that you feel like you're a
changed human from the Bachelor. You obviously have kind of
you have this following from your dance videos. That seems
to be something that people love to talk about, especially
they're in The Perfect Match. You didn't have a great
(04:01):
experience as the Bachelor, you said, why would you go
on another reality show?
Speaker 3 (04:07):
I felt that enough time had passed where I was
a different person, or at least, like I say, the
one hundred percent real version of me. I felt that
I was eighty percent who I wanted to be on
The Bachelor. Like, looking back now, there are moments where
I just felt like I couldn't fully be myself because
I was trying to appease others. I feel like I've
(04:27):
gotten rid of that now. I don't think I have
people pleasing tendencies anymore. And you know, lots happened in
three years, and so I felt it'd be really cool
opportunity to put myself back out there and say like, hey,
let's see how this version of me is perceived. Like
I do want in a way, I like to go
(04:47):
on reality television because it challenges me to step outside
of my comfort zone and it really puts you in
a position where it's like, you know, how do you
operate in an unknown environment? Because my day to day
is pretty much the same for the most part. I
mean I have like three to and jobs, but I
know how to do them all at this point. So this
going on realite television basically challenges me to see like, hey,
have you mastered these certain capabilities that you've worked on
(05:11):
so hard? So that's what it was. And then Perfect
Match also was like, hey, we just want you to dance.
You know, we sell your dance videos. That's how you
popped up on our radar. So I was like, cool,
I get to like go in the show, be goofy
and dance like that's my personality.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Awesome.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
I don't know that that's why you popped up on
their radar. I'm sure they're looking for a past bachelor lead.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Too, but that's what they They just asked me. They
were like, hey, well you dance if you come on
the show. I was like, yeah, absolutely, Like that's that's
a given. So I did, you know all my entronts
and then you know, I mean like I was dancing
a couple of times so throughout the season. But yeah,
I mean yeah, that was it was at least like
they're like, hey, look, just we wanted to be yourself.
And I thought, I was like, oh cool, I get
to like showcase subside of me that you know that
(05:53):
I think is just fun and not to be taken
too seriously.
Speaker 5 (05:56):
So now that there's nine episodes that have aired, Yeah,
how do you feel about your decision?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
I'm fine with it.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, I mean, look, I don't know what it is
like I personally. I know we can't get into spoilers,
but I'll just say like I stand by all my
decisions and I don't want to sit here and play
a blame game. But I do feel like I don't
know what I've done to editors, but I'm like, I
just feel like things gonna have been perceived differently. Nonetheless,
(06:24):
my experience is what I experienced, and I'm fine with it.
You know, I was very mad when the episodes came
out at first, you know, I went on like an
unfollow spree, and I was sitting out emails being like,
I'm not responding, I'm cancel all my interviews. But thankfully,
after like a day, I basically just got I told myself, look, Clayton,
like your real life version of you and your online
(06:45):
persona slash reality TV persona aren't the same person. I
was hoping that I could get them to be aligned,
but it didn't seem that way. So there's no place
for nuance on reality television from what I've experienced. So
it's black or white, and I'm like, look, I unfortunately
I was portrayed in a way that I felt I
didn't want it to be portrayed that way.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
But like now I am, and so be it. You know,
it is what it is.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
I get it. I understand reality television has a thousand
different ways of telling a story. It doesn't feel though
it does feel like there was pain that was caused.
So how do you deal with the pain that I
guess the television or that you I don't know, I
wasn't there caused others in the process. Because even if
(07:34):
you feel like your persona was not accurate, somebody was
hurt by decisions made.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah, yeah, I absolutely hurt somebody, and you know that
comes with ratifications. I felt that I took accountability by apologizing,
by stating, you know, hey, like this was a mistake
on mine. I'm sorry that I you know, I did
these things, and then I tried to make it right.
(08:01):
You know, again, I can't spoil because I know we're
not going ahead here, but you know, I did something
that I thought was my way of being able to
honor the whole situation and say, look like, I messed up,
so this is the least that I can do. Unfortunately, again,
I don't think it was portrayed in the way where
it could have been portrayed, and so I was like, look,
I don't understand why we're not showing some of the.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Stuff, but I'm not the editors.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
So I ultimately just said, look like, I felt like
I took accountability, and I felt this person individual as
well took accountability. Again that in that conversation was not shown,
which I thought was critical, but it wasn't shown. So ultimately,
again I have to just basically answer to what was shown.
(08:40):
But I am a little bit different this time around,
you know, versus the Bachelor I was just taking full
you know, accountability for everything that was happened, even if
I felt like there was you know, two took two
to tango or multiple people. I'm just not in that
place anymore. I don't feel I should take accountability for
things where it's like this was a shared responsibility. And
I also think like, had you seen what was what
(09:01):
I believed happened, you know, I wouldn't be taking as
much heat. So I'm just in a place where I'm like, look,
I'm confident I stand on what I did, and I
don't feel I should take one hundred percent accountability for
the situations that occurred. I just feel like it's there's
there's multiple people involved. So I don't know, I feel
like I've taken the accountability I need to.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
Did you know that Rachel was going to be on
the show? No?
Speaker 3 (09:23):
No, I had no idea. Maybe that was naive for that.
I mean again, I you know, people are like, oh,
how would you not think that they'd bring her on?
I'm like, well, because I was going on a Netflix show,
I thought, you know, I didn't think that like I
came with like a package deal. I thought it was like, hey,
look like we were bringing you on, you were the
former Bachelor, Like, this will be fun, this is a crossover.
I figured obviously there could be people from other TV
shows outside of Netflix, but I didn't think it was
(09:44):
gonna be one of my maxes like that, that part
I did not expect. I really genuinely was shocked when
she showed up and obviously knew that.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
I was like, Okay, now I understand more why I'm here.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Do you feel like a punching bag still? Like do
you feel after this that you just can't get out
of this? Like get hit from all sides.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Yeah, I'll be honest with you. I think a lot
of the you know, the critiques against me are unwarranted.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I really do. I mean, again, at this point, I'm
not willing to take the brun of things that I
don't feel like should be placed on my shoulders. I
think I did that as the Bachelor the first time around,
and I just let everyone just beat me down and
punch me and kicked me into a corner. And it's
like I still this day. I mean, I'm like I
did things wrong, but my gosh, like the rate response
I got was way overblown, Like I shouldn't be getting
(10:29):
death threats. I shouldn't be saying I'm never deserving of love.
I was like unfairly treated I think by many many
people online, and it's like, look, quit projecting your insecurities
onto me. I think there was a lot of just
negativity forced my way, but I took it. I was like, oh,
I'll be better, I'll do this. So I didn't know myself,
so I was saying I was apologizing for everything, and
I'm just now out of place now where again, like
(10:51):
I understand the way that I'm speaking right now. People
go like, oh, he's not taking any accountability, and it's
like I don't agree with that. I'm like, no, I'm
not taking full accountability like what you think I need
to take because I don't believe I should, you.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
Know, And I just I feel confident where I'm at.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
But like I I'm fine if I'm the punching bag again,
Like it is what it is.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
I took.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
I was mad for a day when I saw the
edit and I woke up the next morning and I
was like, Clayton, maybe you and dating TV, your reality.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Television just don't mix. It just is what it is, Like.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Maybe be done forever or maybe you know, don't don't
ever just do a different dating or not a dating show,
but do another like show if it comes around.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
But I'm totally fine with.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Like this being the end of my experience as far
as reality television. I don't need to prove anything to anybody.
I was hoping I could put out, you know, the
more real version of me. I just didn't feel like
it I was able to do that based on what
was shown.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Has the has the feedback been as loud as the Bachelor, Like,
does it feel similar?
Speaker 4 (11:45):
No?
Speaker 3 (11:46):
No, I think Bachelor audience like not all of them.
There are some really great people that are fans of
the show, but I think there are some of like
the angriest fans, like some of them, like they just
have so much hate.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I will say, though again it's not It also is
not as.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Major because like I'm not the lead. I wasn't the lead,
so I don't feel it as much. I still get
the comments. I mean, I could go show you my
phone right now. I can pull it up and I
bet you the first four comments I'll I'll be negative.
It's like they're coming in, but I just don't care anymore.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
I'm like it doesn't. It doesn't do anything to me.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Like unless people say certain things, like I just had
a girl that just, you know, basically told me to
take my life. So I commented on that there's a
few things that will trigger me, but no, it's just noise.
And I'm like, look, my life, personal life is really
great right now, succeeding at a high level and work,
and so I'm like, it's crazy how I'm getting ripped online,
(12:36):
but yet my life is better than ever in real life.
So I'm just like, look, it's a separation, and if
you all want me to be the villain, then I'll
be the villain in your eyes.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Like it is what it is.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
I'm a little bit interested in how you didn't expect
Rachel to be there, not that it was like an
obvious choice, but I'm just saying that, like, you know,
it could have been an option. I want to know
whether or not you had ever thought about rekindling things
with Rachel in real life. I know I'm jumping ahead
a little bit, but like, just if you were to
sign up for the show knowing that Rachel would be
(13:05):
could be there, would you have ever been like, oh, yeah,
you know what, Like I would like to revisit that anyway.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Well, we did meet each other see each other in events, which.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
It was our events.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
I asked, because we watched you guys talk for a
long time, the two of you, it seemed, you know,
not like overtly flirty, but like quite friendly, quite intense.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
I think you guys are rehashing the show for the
first time in front of without cameras present.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
Yeah, and we were like.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
Hummm, could there still be Was that the only time
you guys you had ever interacted since this show?
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (13:40):
And that was yeah, that was like we had that
whole night and we were having great conversations, and I
just remember there was the end of the night where
we were like, you know, all going back to our
respective rooms and it was just like we both looked
at each other kind of like no, no, and that
was that, you know, it was kind of like this hesitation.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
And that was that was the end of it.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
So I I I think, like, for me again, this
is where I really do believe everything happens to reason.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
I'll stand on that. It was the screen saver on
my on my phone.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
I don't know if I if I said that you
had an episode two I forget which episode that was,
but I I really genuinely thought, like when she showed up,
I was like, wow, like this isn't by accident. It's
like bumping into somebody and you think it's fate. And
I genuinely did, like I guess I'm maybe naive it's people,
Like why would you think it's faate?
Speaker 4 (14:31):
It's producers.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
It's like, yeah, I get it's producers, but like they
could have they could have picked anybody.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
I'm gonna put that as a screen saver of my phone.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
It's yeah for real, Yeah, I mean again, it's like
I just genuinely was like on this spiritual journey and thought,
man like, it's like bumping into an X in a
different state. Like you you're see you meet, you bump
into them, You're you're traveling and you're like.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
Why are you here? And it's like, yeah, why are
you here?
Speaker 3 (14:57):
And you sit down and you start to think, like
did the universe bring us together for a greater purpose?
Like I guess we'll just like talk and see where
it goes.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
And that's really what happened.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
So I feel like it was just a reflection of like,
this is what would happen if two Axes bumped into
each other and felt like the moment was bigger than them,
this would be the resulting effect.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
As we enter into breaking down this episode, because again
I would love if we have the opportunity to get
you back on to talk about some of the stuff
that we will see in following episodes. Obviously people can
watch it, it's streaming, it's out there, but we are
going to go in chronological order, so I don't want
to go too far into your relationships, what happens, what
(15:48):
doesn't happen, because at this point in the season, you're
still with Juliet and that has its own mix of
wildness and weirdness and questions I have for you. But
as we enter into breaking down the episode, I do
want to set the stage for where you're at personally
as we're on episode two. First off, my first question
(16:08):
for you is who is advising you right now? I mean, obviously,
even in episode two, you feel like you don't fit
to me. I mean that's my opinion, and that's not
a knock on you. I wouldn't fit there. This episode
gets into things and it feels like you're just uncomfortable
the whole time. The reason I say that is because
you do bring up the fact that you're on a
spiritual journey that you are. You know, they are making
(16:31):
comments other cast members, and it does come off the
way you're more serious about, Hey, I want to actually
have a relationship here, And it seems like to me
watching the Perfect Match, there is a potential for relationship
with some of these couples, but it's also like a
really easy place to hook up with somebody else attractive.
And I want to get your opinion on that. But
as you enter into this season, and as you now
(16:54):
are outside of the season getting the criticism, who's advising
you or who's speaking into your life that has helped
you change so drastically.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
I mean it's been a you know, community effort from
like friends, family, therapists, a lot of just self work
as well podcasts. I was listening to Jay Shehtty's On
Purpose podcast I've listened to. I mean, I would break
down outside of mindfulness and I would look into like
the psychology of the mind, like the Anatomy of the Mind,
(17:25):
Andrew Huerman talking about like the science behind it.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
I went on this like very deep dive.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
I did plant medicines like I went as deep as
I could and just like tried to basically decondition myself
from all the things that I had grown up to
be told to believe that I felt like it's either
right or wrong, black or white, and I was like, no,
I don't I don't agree with this. I think there's
a lot of gray area in life, and so I'm
going to go, like, you know, figure out the nuances here,
(17:52):
and this is what I was taught growing up. But
I don't, you know, support this anymore. I reject this,
you know out narrative. I want to basically see like
what I feel.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Works for me. So it's also been a lot of
strangers too.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
It's been a lot of people that I go to
a breath work session and it's like I know the
one person that invited me, but I don't know the
other ten people. And then afterwards we're all sharing our
experiences and it's just like you know, you you realize
there's there's a group for everything. So as I went
on the spiritual journey like I where I came from,
a lot of people don't embark on that, you know,
they don't go really in depth.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
There's a lot of people that think very similarly. So
I found myself.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Being surrounded by a lot of different individuals that, you know,
don't look like me, don't act like me.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
But I was comfortable with that.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
I was like, look, I feel comfortable with with who
I am in this environment, and I can, you know,
gain a lot from the people around me that maybe
you know, have a completely different upbringing, but I can
try to figure out, you know, where the commonalities are
amongst us.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Sounds like you went on an ayahuasca journey.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Not aahuasca I mean, do you want to know what
Floyd plant medison I actually did. I don't care, I
can share it. I mean I've I've done shrooms, yeah,
like multiple times, and psilocybin, I guess is the correct
the correct term.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
But it was it was huge.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I mean it like really broke me down, and you know,
had to ego death and you start to realize, like
a lot of these beliefs you have are rooted and
falsities and things that like You're like, look, once I
believe in myself, a lot of this stuff goes away.
So yeah, I've done that, and I'm not you know again,
I think there's a point in my life I was
like I would never admit that. Now I'm like, this
(19:23):
is what it is. I mean, it doesn't make it druggy.
I've done it a couple of times and it's like
it's helped me learn a lot, although breathwork was even
more powerful.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Surprisingly, Yeah, Breathwork's been a big This's been something I've
implemented through the last few years. Now, you speak of
a spiritual journey, you speak of it on the show,
and you speak of it during this episode. Has it
led you to any faith tradition or when you say
spiritual journey, use words like the universe bringing us together
that you know this might be fate, even through the
(19:53):
eyes and hands of a producer saying, Hey, how cool
is it we have Cleyton Rachel both willing to come
on this show. Let's do it.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Where has this kind of led you as you enter
into episode two of The Perfect Match?
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Yeah, I mean I feel like I've got a stronger
connection with with God. You know, I wouldn't say I
followed organized religion anymore, but I feel that I have
a very very strong connection with the higher power. You know,
it's the same higher power've always prayed to. I just
maybe viewed a bit differently, but you know, I took
my journal with me and journaled along the way. That
was you know, I still shout him out every time.
Brandon Jones on The Bacheorette is the one that taught
(20:28):
me to journal because he basically deconstructed my mind.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
And I was like, oh, is that a diary.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
He's like, you can call it whatever you want, man,
But like I had, you know this, I was like, oh, guys,
don't write in journals.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
And you know, again, I had a long way to go.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
So like he taught me that, so I started journaling,
but I basically just yeah. I mean, I was like, look,
I've always been so concerned about what's coming or what
I did in the past. I've never focused on being present.
So when I went on the show, I was like, look,
focus on just being in the moment. You don't know
what tomorrow is going to bring. Especially on reality television.
They're going to throw wrenches, They're gonna throw one eighties
(21:00):
curve balls, like you can try to All you can
do is basically handle each moment. So I was I
walked into the experience being like, just focus on the
moments in front of you and you know. I mean
you can try to foreshadow or forecast what's coming, but really, again,
like we all know this, We've all been on reality television.
It's like, can we really predict what's coming down the line?
(21:20):
The shows want to twist things out because they want
us to get you know, get knocked off our rockers,
So we respond in a way that you know, basically
causes drama.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Yeah, to get into the recap a little bit. So
Juliette tells you, because you're so deep, You're like so serious,
I just want to have fun. How did you feel
about that? That conversation would have made me feel uncomfortable.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Yeah, I mean I watched it back and I thought
it was funny because I even said, you know, like
I asked to Lucy on episode one.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
I was like I love to ask who are you?
Speaker 5 (21:51):
And she was just like, yeah, I understand how that
question could be.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Yeah, it really a deep question to me that I
really like to ask people. But it was just kind
of like, yeah, I don't think this is the time
and place man, which was fine, Like I it was
like I kind of sound like this little Lulu guy
right now. That's like not my energy is not being
received in the you know, in the way that I'd
want it to. But that's fine. Like I'm not everyone's
cup of tea. So when Juliet said that, I was
(22:20):
just like, yeah, I mean I am. And if that's
that bothers you, this won't work.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah. I wrote a lone and plain sight about asking
the question of who are you if everything else is
stripped away? I think it's a great question. I do
think reality television end of the Perfect Match might be
a tough place to start talking about it immediately? Am
I wrong Clayton in saying through episode one and episode
two you were the outsider, not in terms of friends
(22:49):
or like likability or how you get along with people
in the house. It just felt like you were kind
of the lost puppy, going from girl to girl being like, Hey,
I want to be here next week because I think
something night work, but I haven't found like a real
match yet. Juliett definitely doesn't sound like I feel like
a real match to you. She even says that she's
not sure about it. She's excited for this date with Carrington,
(23:12):
and I have all sorts of thoughts on Carrington on
how a guy can admit that he's a self aware
douchebag and he loves love bombing girls to get them
to like him, and that somehow he gets away with it.
I think that's and like how you are the one
getting the heat from this season. Maybe because you're just
a bigger name, but goodness gracious, I was like, how
is this guy not the one that like never shows
(23:34):
up on reality television ever? Again, either way, it feels
like you're just misplaced there, man, it does. From episode
one to episode two. It just doesn't feel like you fit.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Yeah, I've seen you some chatter about that, and I
never felt like I was on the outside. I mean,
and you mentioned Neil, you're asking more or not from
a friends standpoint. I mean, everyone on the show welcomes
me right in.
Speaker 4 (23:57):
You know. I took my shot early.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I said, look, Clay, like, I'm gonna be bold and
I'm gonna come out the gates and I'm gonna say,
like who I'm interested in?
Speaker 4 (24:03):
So when Nick Lache asked you are you interested in?
I was like, Lucy, and I thought.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
At that point, I was like, okay, look I'm locking
and I'm throwing all my chips in one basket. And
that backfired so it's like, which is fine. Like again,
like Daniel is a good looking dude. I kind of
feel like I'm the costco version of Daniel. I was like,
he had the you know, had the same hair style
and he's a model, and I was.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Like, definitely, I was like Clayton for a sec I
had a like double.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Take yeah, yeah, and he's a good looking man. So
I was like, it doesn't it is what it is,
you know. I wasn't upset by it, But after I
threw all my ages in one basket, I was like, well, shoot,
now all the girls are just like, well, you were
so interested in Lucy, why would I match with you?
And you know, and then Juliet and I basically became
the default match where it's like nobody at the end
of the night, it was just the two of us,
and I was We're like, hey, I guess we got
(24:48):
to match.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
This is the nicest back maybe backhanded compliment. The girls
are chatting its Madison and Juliet and she says Clayton's
too serious because he came from the Bachelor, and I'm like, yes,
we have depth, guys, We were wholesome, we have valleys,
we appreciate love.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
I mean, I know, I didn't. I didn't feel that way.
I thought like, hey, we're all reality TV goers. But
there was like conversations happening where they're like, he's from
the Bachelor, He's so serious, and I'm like, is this
how we're portrayed? Like we're portrayed like we're just too.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Rigid and we're not loose. I'm like, guys, I'm here.
I'm here with all of you. All. I kind of
thought I let loose out the gate. You know, I'm
out here using.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
An ice cube, running up you know, Lucy's leg, and
then I'm getting a belly shot taken out from me.
I was like, I thought I was right there. I'm like,
I'm in this guys, you know, like I'm right here
with all of you. I'm not. I'm not, you know,
I'm letting looseen have a good time. So I I yes,
I mean, I'm not as wild as some of these guys,
but that's just me in general, that's my personality.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Yeah, I watched that opening and I was like, this
is the moment where I realized why I didn't pursue
any other reality television when I was single, Like I
would be so so cautious.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Yeah, I just think for me, this was like this
show I knew what I was getting into. I watched
season two and I was like, I know, this is
like a little bit rong chier, but I'm like, I
also am comfortable and I can answer this. And worst
case scenario, I tell my mom and grandma not to
watch the show.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah, there's a lot of things I would not want
anybody watching. Now what happens? Give us a sneak peek.
You and Juliet obviously kind of just like partner up
last two standing. It's not like you don't find her
attractive or she doesn't find you attractive. You know, there
was a little bit of a spark there. It made
sense that you two would partner up. One of the
(26:39):
wildest parts of the show to me is that you
meet somebody eight hours before and then that night when
you match. On the first night, especially, you're sleeping in
the same bed as them. Is that like? What is
that like?
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Like?
Speaker 2 (26:51):
How do you how does that work?
Speaker 3 (26:54):
I mean, I'm personally just comfortable. I'm like, you could
probably put me in a room with anybody and I'll
talk to him for two hours and be like, all right,
we can sleep. Yeah, we're good, Like, what are you
gonna do? Take me out in the middle of the night.
Like I didn't person have an issue with it. I
don't know how Juliette felt, but I think also, like,
you know, we are all having some drinks. So I
mean to say that anybody was sober night one, that
(27:16):
was probably just Freddie Sorry he wasn't there yet. I
don't know if there was a single sober soul night
one in that house. So it makes things a little
bit simpler when you got a little bit of like
a courage.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Yeah, it's just it's like a wild thought to me
that all of a sudden you're in this room, closed doors,
you just met each other. But everybody's excited. So maybe
that helps to everybody knows what they're getting into. As
we get in this episode, we see right away you
know that we understand that you and Juliette maybe aren't
the forever perfect match, and so she set up on
(27:49):
a date with this Carrington guy. As I said Carrington,
I'm not putting any words in his mouth. His exact
quote is, I am a self aware douchebag. I love bomb.
He says, out of these girls I watch this, it
was out of any moment so far in episode one
(28:10):
and two, this was the moment I was like, how
is this okay? Really? Was my question, like, how is
this fine? This isn't even funny.
Speaker 5 (28:16):
It's because he admits it. Like if he admits it,
people aren't gonna hate on it.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Like, yeah, like when you're self aware, you're self aware,
people go oh, at least you know it, so then
they don't attack you.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
For it's when you deny it that people go after you.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
It's like, yeah, that's and so he's just like, yeah, look,
I probably am this way, but you know, I mean
I have other aspects of me as well that are
fun and that you all can get to know.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
I just happen to be a self aware douchebag.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
But he's I mean, ultimately on this date with Juliet
and you've watched it back now, he doesn't act like
a douchebag on dates, so he and he doesn't tell
her that, right, So he's telling that to the camera
to the viewers, but the person he's on the date
with is not aware that he realizes he's a jerk
and that he is going to stare into her eyes
and do this I don't know cockneck thing, because he
(29:00):
thinks he's a beautiful man and she's going to fall
in love with him, and he's going to tell her
all the sweet things and then ultimately, if somebody better
comes along, he'll break her heart. You watch this date,
what was your take after watching it? Realizing that then
and this is in the episode, she comes back to
you at the end of the you know, at the
end of this Yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
Was shocked because I mean, essentially her and I had
talked about how we were the default match, and everyone
now now believes that, like we don't even want to
be matched with one another. But this is, you know,
all about the perfect match, and you know, we we
know that there's there's gonna be competitions coming up in
boardrooms that people are going to try to vote us
out or put us on dates, and so it's like, hey,
(29:40):
look like we know that we're going to be a target.
Let's just get to know one another and like let's
give this a shot. Like, look, okay, here we are.
We didn't we weren't with each other's first choice. Our
matches actually end up being the ones that chose each
other and we you know, we're second pick. But yeah,
once once we matched, it was like Juliette was fun.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
She is wild.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
She has a wild side tour, which I find I
chase after more so these days now, after like reality television.
Once I get off TV and I'm back in the
real world, I'm like, gosh, I need some chaos somewhere,
you know.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
So sometimes I.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
On with my partner, and sometimes I find I.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Go after women that are a little chaotic, and it's like,
I cause, I'm just like, look, they're probably not the
best for me mental health wise, but like they're fun.
You know, like every time I go out, I don't
know what kind of version of them I'm getting. And so,
you know, like Juliette had that fun I'm like, I'm
on a reality TV show, like this is a fun environment,
Like she's going to keep things entertaining. I was shocked
when she matched with me. I was shocked. I really
(30:34):
thought I was getting booted out that that night. So
when she was just like I feel like, you know,
we just are mesh better, I was like, Okay, I
I couldn't. But that also meant a lot to me
in that moment. I was like, wow, she chose me
because I thought based on the way that her and
I both spoke but talked. She was like, look, second,
like one of us ends up finding a better match route,
and I'll basically tell you. I'll give you like as
(30:54):
much of the heads up as I can.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
So that's what we said.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
When somebody comes in the house, will base in, We're like,
we know we're going to match with them. Where we
go and tell the other one like were like, hey,
look I'm gonna match with them, just so you know.
So now you have a couple hours to you know,
basically find your match in this house. And she didn't
really say that to me that night, so I was like,
is she really gonna do this to me? She's gonna
do me dirty, She's gonna match last second with Carrington
and be like sorry Clayton.
Speaker 4 (31:19):
But she she didn't. She she went with me.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
She just took down to the last second to do so.
But that was surprising. I still don't really know why.
I mean, she surprised me.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
I know why.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
It's not.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
Maybe yeah, maybe, I mean again, now I think about it,
I was like, they must have been like, hey, look
we need.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
To just stay We need him to stay, so we
need them.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Yeah, probably Clayton's going home one episode before we thought
he would.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Yeah, I will say this though, there was hardly any
producer involvement, hardly ever at all. Like I will say
this straight up from Bachelor to Netflix. We all know
Bachelor producers love to stick their fingers and stuff. There
wasn't a single time on the show where the where
the producers interjected. I had like not once on that
I can remember on that on Netflix. So if maybe
(32:05):
they went to her, but I never had anybody talk
to me the entire time.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
That I was there.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
Interesting, So I had no issue with the producers. I
in fact don't even have any issues with the bat
Bachelor producers. It's the editing team that I'm like, I
need to meet you all because you guys keep seeing
me as a piece of meats. You've seen me as
a number, so you're like, whatever, we'll just wreck this guy.
I'm like, I need you to. I need to sit
on a plane with you all, Like I sat with
these producers and you can see I'm human, and then
you'll be like, oh, he doesn't he's not the kind
of guy that he looks like because I feel like
(32:32):
they're just like it's really easy to just like portray
me as something. I'm like, I have nuance, and I'm
like I like the producers all seasons. I like the
Bachelor producers. That's why it was so hard for me.
Then I had to really realize, I'm like, it's editors.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Well there was.
Speaker 5 (32:45):
If the producers tell the editors how to edit, don't
they I don't. I mean maybe my guess is that
like it's the show runner and like the higher ups
that say, like, this is how we want this person
to look.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
Yeah, and again the editors.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
Again, I can't sit here and like go after them
because it's like there's somebody of them that's saying, like
this is the way that we want him to be
portrayed exactly. So it's I'm not trying to call that
it's just the editors.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
It's easy.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
It's like it's like it's like when people go after us,
you know, on the show and like f him, and
it's like you're really mad at the producers, but you're
attacking me because I'm the you know, the figurehead of
the season.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
So like it's it's misplaced for me to go after these.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
Editors, like, I'm sure most of them are great, but somebody,
you know, it's like that I'm not interacting with, is
making these decisions and it's just, you know, it's frustrating.
You're like, one person can make or break you. But
at whatever, it is, what it is. But yeah, there
wasn't a lot of producer involvement on Netflix, at least
not to my face. That nobody came up to me
and talked to me while I was there.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
We've heard that, we've heard that. Now there is an
interesting twist in this episode for me. You mentioned Freddie
would be the one that would have been sober on
night one. Freddie also comes off to me. He's one
of those that enters into the house this week. He
set up on a date with Madison. Madison at this point,
you know is has chosen Freddy as her date. He
(34:00):
he comes off on television. You correct us here, we're
trying to break down the episode and get to know
these people a little better. As a very calm collected person,
Madison is a very fun human. She does have a
wild side to her. It doesn't feel like the two
of them should match. It seems like the two of
(34:20):
them are like fire and ice, like very different people,
but somehow it works and it seems to be working
from your take. As he enters into the house, did
you realize that Cody was going to be leaving? And
also did you see the Freddie Madison thing sparking?
Speaker 3 (34:43):
Yeah, I mean, look, Freddie walks in and he has
an energy to him.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
He is as advertised.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
I mean, he might be one of the most genuine
individuals that I've met. So he walks in the house,
big old beaming smile, and it's just like instantly there's
an interest right, like there's you can see. It's like
you can tell when someone's like whoa Like, who's that?
And that's what Madison basically like the look that she
(35:08):
got in her face, and you know there is so
it wasn't wa wait, I'm mixing this up. Hold on,
she ended up going on a date with him. Yeah, so,
like I you, we kind of knew it was coming
because Cody like in her well, they won the first challenge.
It's like once she decided to put herself on a date,
you knew it was it was over.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
It was over.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
I mean when she called him out for having bad
breath on National television. Did you ever feel that No, I.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
No, I talked to Cody. I didn't ever smell his breath.
I guess I wasn't. I wasn't kissing him either, but
but I mean when I was talking to him, I mean,
there was never some foul smell. I thought that was
wrong of her to go after him for that, because
it's like, great, now you're just gonna peg this guy
as the stinky breath dude, which is like, it's just
frustrating cause now I'm like, who knows in his personal
life he's probably dealing with this, right, some girls, like
I saw this and it's like.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Nobody likes to have bad breath.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
But yeah, the second that, like he came back, can
found out that second like he came back and found
out that uh.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
Or he told us that she put her on herself
on a date, we knew it was over.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
It was over.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
Yeah, I was like, that's that's crazy, and we're like
that he's done for sure.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
And then I get it. I mean, Freddy is a stud.
He seems like a nice guy on television. You said
he's a nice guy in real life, Like, I get
why she goes, hey, this is my guy, it has nothing.
It's not even a knock on Cody. It's just this
guy's a little better. No, yeah, Clayton, we only have
(36:39):
five minutes left with you and and so I'm going
to do something. Really, because we've gone through most of
it already, the matches stay fairly the same except for
Cody and Carrington leaving the house. So from week or
from episode one to episode two, the matches are pretty
much the same. There's no big twists and turns. Really,
(37:00):
Odie goes home, Carrington goes home, and Freddie ends up
staying in the house and you are obviously still there.
The real big thing I want to talk to you
about is is my You know, this is my first
Netflix show I've ever watched, Clayton, Colton, I knew I
was going to do that at some point. It's not
(37:21):
the first time it's happened, Clayton, the first time I've
ever watched Netflix reality television show. I'm in it like,
I'm enjoying it. I'm liking it. You guys have this
like get to know you competition at the end of
this episode where like everybody, it seems like everybody answered
(37:45):
questions beforehand in secret and then the partners had to guess,
you know, who was who. It's where I really realized
what this show was. It was my eye opening moment
to go, holy cow, this has no bad on Netflix.
Speaker 4 (38:01):
It was hilarious.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
People's answers and my answers didn't match up with the
other answers. But that's because I was doing a strategy
that did not get picked up by Juliet And I
was like, come on, I was the whole point was
you had to basically guess what your partner's answer was.
And so I wasn't writing these answers based on how
I would answer them necessarily. It was more like, Juliette,
(38:24):
you have said that I am like a safe kind
of boring individual, so I'm going to give safe.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
Boring answers.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
This makes sense.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
So when I called my you know, my my nether region,
when I went down below safe and secure, it's like Juliette,
who else has said?
Speaker 4 (38:41):
Who else is going to put that?
Speaker 3 (38:42):
It's me like answer it, and she she like doesn't
pick any of my answers, and she's like, well I
didn't like that answer.
Speaker 4 (38:48):
I'm like, that's not the point.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
The point is you have to choose my answers, and
I was like, I said, like in the bedroom, I
was a silver backed guerrilla.
Speaker 4 (38:55):
I'm like, I don't know. I feel like and I
eat steak.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
And eggs and I'm like, oh my gosh, I feel
like I'm giving it away. I'm giving the bland answers
like and again I was like, she just was like,
I didn't like those answers. I was choosing the ones
I liked the most. I'm like, that's not the point.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Of the game, get it's a compatibility test.
Speaker 5 (39:12):
So I guess like it was that the point of
the game or the point of the game is to
win it.
Speaker 4 (39:17):
Well, that's that's where I think that.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
There was a half of the camp there was like
it's all about compatibility.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
The other half is like, guys, we're trying to win.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
So I was, you know, Juliette was like, hey, I
am choosing the answers that I would be most compatible with.
I was like, well then we're like then we're gonna lose.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
This is a demonstration that you guys are incompatible.
Speaker 3 (39:38):
Yes, yeah, And that's what we said afterwards, like we
got the least amount of answers, right, And she was like,
I guess this.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Just proves it.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
I was like, yeah, because I was going to win,
you were going off compatibility.
Speaker 4 (39:49):
We weren't even on the same page.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
I guess we should have talked this through, but I
thought she was gonna go for the win too. I
was like, she's a gamer and she went for compatibility,
so we're just completely off on that. And and I
just thought my answers, I was like, yeah, I don't know.
I thought it was blatantly obvious. But she kept not
picking him, and I was like, oh my gosh. And
then everyone's like, oh, he's such boring answers. I was like,
that was for a purpose. Although I will say I
(40:11):
wouldn't have answered them as crazy as other people though
in general, like the people on that show, some of
these people were they're wild. They're much wilder than I am.
So it was pretty funny the answer they gave.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
Yeah, there's some people who had no boundaries.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Oh the vibrating the vibrating butt plug.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Yeah, yeah, I mean Lucy all of a sudden, like
Lucy's like you said, you walk in. She's this cute girl.
She you know, has it together. She's definitely kind of
like the star of the first two episodes and then
all of a sudden she reveals this. It doesn't change
her star factor, she can do what she wants, but
it does make you look at her differently. I will
(40:50):
say that I cannot look at her on this show
any more the same way, and a lot of these
people from their answers, I feel like, for me, I
said I know way too much about you. Yeah, for
two episodes into the show.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Yeah, well I look, I think really people should watch
this show and not take it too seriously. It's a
fun show. It doesn't have the formality that the Bachelor does.
This is meant to be turned on to like be
a little bit ridiculous, to get people to be like,
you know, oh my gosh, I can't believe they said that.
That's the way in which I think you should watch
the show. So if you do that and you're like, look,
(41:26):
these people are ridiculous, then like you're just going to
watch a bunch of ridiculousness and it'll be fun if
you take it seriously. Again, it's just I don't think
most of us that went on there, like we obviously
took it seriously to try to match with people, but
it's like, look, we're all just be having fun. We're
all here in tuloom for the next month, like, let's
just live it up. A bunch of good looking people
in the house, Like who wouldn't enjoy this? So I
(41:47):
think we all were just like it was one big party.
And if you look at it that way, then you
can start to see why people were letting loose.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
But that's what people want to watch. They don't want
to watch lukewarm.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
They want they want crazy vibrations.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
For lack of a better term. Ali and Ad ended
up winning this challenge. They are very compatible, obviously, and
we see the headlines about their relationship and kind of
where it went. The whole episode ends Clayton with Ady
and Ali in the boardroom making decisions on behalf of
the group. Clayton, I know we have to let you go.
(42:20):
This has been episode two of The Perfect Match. The
final episodes drop on August fifteenth. Clayton, we're entering into
episode three as you say goodbye to the listeners of
the Almost Famous podcast. Is there anything you want to
say with the stage being yours about episode three, four, five, six, seven,
(42:40):
eight nine.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
I think if you are willing to stick around and
listen to me discuss nuance on podcasts, then you'll feel
a bit differently. But if you just watch it for
what it is and decide to move on with life
and say I've seen enough of this guy and this
is the way that I view him, then then you'll
do that. So I think there's new that can be heard,
but it's up to the viewers.
Speaker 4 (43:03):
Listeners if they want to go down that path to understand.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
Well, clay Neckard, thank you for joining us. Thank you guys,
Love to have you back soon.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
Yeah, I see you, guys.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
That was Klayton Neckard with from The Perfect Match, obviously
a former bachelor, talking through really episode two of The
Perfect Match Episode one and two. We know from the
headlines that obviously things become controversial, become polarizing in Clayton's
(43:35):
kind of journey through The Perfect Match. We hope to
bring him back to talk about that, but as we've committed,
we're chronologically breaking down each episode and at this point
he is still with Juliette. We see then this episode
with Rachel, we have got a confirmation that she's attending
the villa. She's going to be going on a date
(43:56):
with Freddie. We also see Adye and Ali kind of
doing this back and forth where he is requesting Alex
many times and she's wondering why. We don't know if
she comes into the house, who she goes on a
date with when the episode ends, but we do know
that Ali is gonna He's kind of putting himself in
(44:16):
the corner a little bit of what happens in the future.
I don't think it ruins anything, but I do think
it spoke enough to the decisions that he made and
why he made these decisions. Actually, to me, it sounds
like he's standing by them. It's interesting. I think The
Perfect Match Ashley, I haven't watched a lot of Netflix shows.
The Perfect Match, to me, is really fun to watch,
(44:39):
mostly because it is so out of my comfort zone.
And it's not even out of my comfort zone where
it's like I watched this like I want to push
myself to be like if I was single, obviously, like
I would want to be there like this is. I
would have said no to it, circrely because I would
have been a fish out of water. It's not exactly
even a comfort or I feel like I need to
(45:00):
push myself to do these things. No, no, but I
enjoy watching it I'm a fan of it. You've watched ahead,
I have watched it. Is this something that does?
Speaker 4 (45:11):
Just watch it?
Speaker 2 (45:12):
She got into it, she doesn't like it.
Speaker 5 (45:15):
You guys do it together if you're gonna, you know,
really watch it like you know, like if you're on
episode four right now. I'm like, you guys are watching
it together.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
Yeah, we we We've enjoyed it, you know. Clayton, it's
I'm glad he came on. I'm glad he's coming out,
you know, agreed to come on and speak to stuff
that's happening. I hope he comes back. And my advice
to him then would be to never go on a
rally television dating show again, which sounds like is where
he's at in life.
Speaker 5 (45:40):
Yeah, yeah, I say, poor guy.
Speaker 2 (45:44):
I haven't watched episode three yet. Yeah, you might just
be saying, uh, yeah, just don't do it. I don't
know if it's poor guy as much as yeah, you
probably just shouldn't. This has been the almost famous podcast again.
We're breaking down the perfect match right now because we
do have two Bachelor Nation contestants confirm to be on
the show. Clayton's there right now. We know Rachel shows
up very soon. Stay tuned for an episode three breakdown
(46:09):
next week. We'll be breaking it down week by week,
sometimes combining episodes together, especially as people come and go,
but we will be doing it right here on the
most famous podcast. Until next time, I have Been Been,
I've Been Ashley.
Speaker 5 (46:26):
Thank you so much for listening, HUI.
Speaker 1 (46:29):
Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcasts on
iHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome back to the Almost Famous podcast. It's been and
Ashley is here with me. Today we are covering another
episode of Netflix's show The Perfect Match. This time we
are joined by one of the contestants and also a
part of Bachelor Nation. Clayton Eckerd is with us today.
We aren't going to get into a ton of spoilers
(00:26):
because we're going in order. But the listeners, I'm telling
you you got to join on watch the episodes, follow
along with us. Have you've seen them already. We are
going to be releasing a breakdown of every episode of
Perfect Match. We have a very very good opportunity today though,
to have one of the focal points of The Perfect
(00:50):
Match this season. He was on just a few months
of ago to speak with us about some things going
on in his life. I think it was hinted at
in that interview that you were going to be joining
some type of project that we knew nothing about. Clayton,
Welcome to the podcast. And when you hinted that you
had a project coming out that we knew nothing about,
(01:12):
was this what we were talking about?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah, that's what I was being cryptic about So I
don't know. I just think it's fun to like drop
bread crops and see if anyone picks up on it.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
But I also like say enough without saying too much.
So yeah, that's what it was.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
The funny part, Clayton is that I will I can't
get into details, but I'll drop some breadcrumbs. We had
a knowledge of Rachel being on the show way long ago,
like I mean, I don't know when was this filmed.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Last September of twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
That's a big span.
Speaker 5 (01:47):
I heard that there might be a baby about to
be born from the Perfect Match.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Yes, that that is how long it has been.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
And so we knew Rachel was going to be a
I really had no clue you were going to be
on the show, Like I had never heard that you
were going to be on the show. I had no
idea that you were going to be on the show.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
Yeah, I think what was kind of like a trick.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
And I don't know if this was purposeful, but Blake
Moins was the name that everyone threw out for like
the other individual, which, come to find out, I think
he was being talked to actually, so that wasn't that
wasn't just like that wasn't just a misdirection. But I
think that like the second people heard that, they're like,
that's who it is, the other person coming.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
So nobody, you know, took up anything beyond that.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Well, it's been so long that you've shaved, had a haircut,
no longer looked like the same guy. Yeah, I guess.
So we're in episode two right now, Clayton of the Breakdown,
We're going to keep you around to break down this episode.
I have a lot to talk to you about when
it comes to the Perfect Match and kind of the
(02:50):
living situations. When we planned to have you on, it
was to just co host an episode with us and
to break down the episode. Obviously, this week things have
kind of changed and we have to kind of ask
you about some of the controversies that have come out.
We don't want to give too many spoilers because we
(03:12):
aren't even at a point in this season where Rachel
is a part of the show.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Yet, but we do.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
You know, I think any person that's falling along with
the Perfect Match or following along with Bachelor News knows
that something happened between the two of you that you
are now kind of responding to publicly. So we are
going to ask a little bit about that, and then
we do want to keep you around for the breakdown
of the episode. I guess to start here. You have
(03:41):
done a ton of work on yourself. You mention it
on The Perfect Match that you feel like you're a
changed human from the Bachelor. You obviously have kind of
you have this following from your dance videos. That seems
to be something that people love to talk about, especially
they're in The Perfect Match. You didn't have a great
(04:01):
experience as the Bachelor, you said, why would you go
on another reality show?
Speaker 3 (04:07):
I felt that enough time had passed where I was
a different person, or at least, like I say, the
one hundred percent real version of me. I felt that
I was eighty percent who I wanted to be on
The Bachelor. Like, looking back now, there are moments where
I just felt like I couldn't fully be myself because
I was trying to appease others. I feel like I've
(04:27):
gotten rid of that now. I don't think I have
people pleasing tendencies anymore. And you know, lots happened in
three years, and so I felt it'd be really cool
opportunity to put myself back out there and say like, hey,
let's see how this version of me is perceived. Like
I do want in a way, I like to go
(04:47):
on reality television because it challenges me to step outside
of my comfort zone and it really puts you in
a position where it's like, you know, how do you
operate in an unknown environment? Because my day to day
is pretty much the same for the most part. I
mean I have like three to and jobs, but I
know how to do them all at this point. So this
going on realite television basically challenges me to see like, hey,
have you mastered these certain capabilities that you've worked on
(05:11):
so hard? So that's what it was. And then Perfect
Match also was like, hey, we just want you to dance.
You know, we sell your dance videos. That's how you
popped up on our radar. So I was like, cool,
I get to like go in the show, be goofy
and dance like that's my personality.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Awesome.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
I don't know that that's why you popped up on
their radar. I'm sure they're looking for a past bachelor lead.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Too, but that's what they They just asked me. They
were like, hey, well you dance if you come on
the show. I was like, yeah, absolutely, Like that's that's
a given. So I did, you know all my entronts
and then you know, I mean like I was dancing
a couple of times so throughout the season. But yeah,
I mean yeah, that was it was at least like
they're like, hey, look, just we wanted to be yourself.
And I thought, I was like, oh cool, I get
to like showcase subside of me that you know that
(05:53):
I think is just fun and not to be taken
too seriously.
Speaker 5 (05:56):
So now that there's nine episodes that have aired, Yeah,
how do you feel about your decision?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
I'm fine with it.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, I mean, look, I don't know what it is
like I personally. I know we can't get into spoilers,
but I'll just say like I stand by all my
decisions and I don't want to sit here and play
a blame game. But I do feel like I don't
know what I've done to editors, but I'm like, I
just feel like things gonna have been perceived differently. Nonetheless,
(06:24):
my experience is what I experienced, and I'm fine with it.
You know, I was very mad when the episodes came
out at first, you know, I went on like an
unfollow spree, and I was sitting out emails being like,
I'm not responding, I'm cancel all my interviews. But thankfully,
after like a day, I basically just got I told myself, look, Clayton,
like your real life version of you and your online
(06:45):
persona slash reality TV persona aren't the same person. I
was hoping that I could get them to be aligned,
but it didn't seem that way. So there's no place
for nuance on reality television from what I've experienced. So
it's black or white, and I'm like, look, I unfortunately
I was portrayed in a way that I felt I
didn't want it to be portrayed that way.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
But like now I am, and so be it. You know,
it is what it is.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
I get it. I understand reality television has a thousand
different ways of telling a story. It doesn't feel though
it does feel like there was pain that was caused.
So how do you deal with the pain that I
guess the television or that you I don't know, I
wasn't there caused others in the process. Because even if
(07:34):
you feel like your persona was not accurate, somebody was
hurt by decisions made.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah, yeah, I absolutely hurt somebody, and you know that
comes with ratifications. I felt that I took accountability by apologizing,
by stating, you know, hey, like this was a mistake
on mine. I'm sorry that I you know, I did
these things, and then I tried to make it right.
(08:01):
You know, again, I can't spoil because I know we're
not going ahead here, but you know, I did something
that I thought was my way of being able to
honor the whole situation and say, look like, I messed up,
so this is the least that I can do. Unfortunately, again,
I don't think it was portrayed in the way where
it could have been portrayed, and so I was like, look,
I don't understand why we're not showing some of the.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Stuff, but I'm not the editors.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
So I ultimately just said, look like, I felt like
I took accountability, and I felt this person individual as
well took accountability. Again that in that conversation was not shown,
which I thought was critical, but it wasn't shown. So ultimately,
again I have to just basically answer to what was shown.
(08:40):
But I am a little bit different this time around,
you know, versus the Bachelor I was just taking full
you know, accountability for everything that was happened, even if
I felt like there was you know, two took two
to tango or multiple people. I'm just not in that
place anymore. I don't feel I should take accountability for
things where it's like this was a shared responsibility. And
I also think like, had you seen what was what
(09:01):
I believed happened, you know, I wouldn't be taking as
much heat. So I'm just in a place where I'm like, look,
I'm confident I stand on what I did, and I
don't feel I should take one hundred percent accountability for
the situations that occurred. I just feel like it's there's
there's multiple people involved. So I don't know, I feel
like I've taken the accountability I need to.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
Did you know that Rachel was going to be on
the show? No?
Speaker 3 (09:23):
No, I had no idea. Maybe that was naive for that.
I mean again, I you know, people are like, oh,
how would you not think that they'd bring her on?
I'm like, well, because I was going on a Netflix show,
I thought, you know, I didn't think that like I
came with like a package deal. I thought it was like, hey,
look like we were bringing you on, you were the
former Bachelor, Like, this will be fun, this is a crossover.
I figured obviously there could be people from other TV
shows outside of Netflix, but I didn't think it was
(09:44):
gonna be one of my maxes like that, that part
I did not expect. I really genuinely was shocked when
she showed up and obviously knew that.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
I was like, Okay, now I understand more why I'm here.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Do you feel like a punching bag still? Like do
you feel after this that you just can't get out
of this? Like get hit from all sides.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Yeah, I'll be honest with you. I think a lot
of the you know, the critiques against me are unwarranted.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I really do. I mean, again, at this point, I'm
not willing to take the brun of things that I
don't feel like should be placed on my shoulders. I
think I did that as the Bachelor the first time around,
and I just let everyone just beat me down and
punch me and kicked me into a corner. And it's
like I still this day. I mean, I'm like I
did things wrong, but my gosh, like the rate response
I got was way overblown, Like I shouldn't be getting
(10:29):
death threats. I shouldn't be saying I'm never deserving of love.
I was like unfairly treated I think by many many
people online, and it's like, look, quit projecting your insecurities
onto me. I think there was a lot of just
negativity forced my way, but I took it. I was like, oh,
I'll be better, I'll do this. So I didn't know myself,
so I was saying I was apologizing for everything, and
I'm just now out of place now where again, like
(10:51):
I understand the way that I'm speaking right now. People
go like, oh, he's not taking any accountability, and it's
like I don't agree with that. I'm like, no, I'm
not taking full accountability like what you think I need
to take because I don't believe I should, you.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
Know, And I just I feel confident where I'm at.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
But like I I'm fine if I'm the punching bag again,
Like it is what it is.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
I took.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
I was mad for a day when I saw the
edit and I woke up the next morning and I
was like, Clayton, maybe you and dating TV, your reality.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Television just don't mix. It just is what it is, Like.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Maybe be done forever or maybe you know, don't don't
ever just do a different dating or not a dating show,
but do another like show if it comes around.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
But I'm totally fine with.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Like this being the end of my experience as far
as reality television. I don't need to prove anything to anybody.
I was hoping I could put out, you know, the
more real version of me. I just didn't feel like
it I was able to do that based on what
was shown.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Has the has the feedback been as loud as the Bachelor, Like,
does it feel similar?
Speaker 4 (11:45):
No?
Speaker 3 (11:46):
No, I think Bachelor audience like not all of them.
There are some really great people that are fans of
the show, but I think there are some of like
the angriest fans, like some of them, like they just
have so much hate.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I will say, though again it's not It also is
not as.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Major because like I'm not the lead. I wasn't the lead,
so I don't feel it as much. I still get
the comments. I mean, I could go show you my
phone right now. I can pull it up and I
bet you the first four comments I'll I'll be negative.
It's like they're coming in, but I just don't care anymore.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
I'm like it doesn't. It doesn't do anything to me.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Like unless people say certain things, like I just had
a girl that just, you know, basically told me to
take my life. So I commented on that there's a
few things that will trigger me, but no, it's just noise.
And I'm like, look, my life, personal life is really
great right now, succeeding at a high level and work,
and so I'm like, it's crazy how I'm getting ripped online,
(12:36):
but yet my life is better than ever in real life.
So I'm just like, look, it's a separation, and if
you all want me to be the villain, then I'll
be the villain in your eyes.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Like it is what it is.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
I'm a little bit interested in how you didn't expect
Rachel to be there, not that it was like an
obvious choice, but I'm just saying that, like, you know,
it could have been an option. I want to know
whether or not you had ever thought about rekindling things
with Rachel in real life. I know I'm jumping ahead
a little bit, but like, just if you were to
sign up for the show knowing that Rachel would be
(13:05):
could be there, would you have ever been like, oh, yeah,
you know what, Like I would like to revisit that anyway.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Well, we did meet each other see each other in events, which.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
It was our events.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
I asked, because we watched you guys talk for a
long time, the two of you, it seemed, you know,
not like overtly flirty, but like quite friendly, quite intense.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
I think you guys are rehashing the show for the
first time in front of without cameras present.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
Yeah, and we were like.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
Hummm, could there still be Was that the only time
you guys you had ever interacted since this show?
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (13:40):
And that was yeah, that was like we had that
whole night and we were having great conversations, and I
just remember there was the end of the night where
we were like, you know, all going back to our
respective rooms and it was just like we both looked
at each other kind of like no, no, and that
was that, you know, it was kind of like this hesitation.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
And that was that was the end of it.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
So I I I think, like, for me again, this
is where I really do believe everything happens to reason.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
I'll stand on that. It was the screen saver on
my on my phone.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
I don't know if I if I said that you
had an episode two I forget which episode that was,
but I I really genuinely thought, like when she showed up,
I was like, wow, like this isn't by accident. It's
like bumping into somebody and you think it's fate. And
I genuinely did, like I guess I'm maybe naive it's people,
Like why would you think it's faate?
Speaker 4 (14:31):
It's producers.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
It's like, yeah, I get it's producers, but like they
could have they could have picked anybody.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
I'm gonna put that as a screen saver of my phone.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
It's yeah for real, Yeah, I mean again, it's like
I just genuinely was like on this spiritual journey and thought,
man like, it's like bumping into an X in a
different state. Like you you're see you meet, you bump
into them, You're you're traveling and you're like.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
Why are you here? And it's like, yeah, why are
you here?
Speaker 3 (14:57):
And you sit down and you start to think, like
did the universe bring us together for a greater purpose?
Like I guess we'll just like talk and see where
it goes.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
And that's really what happened.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
So I feel like it was just a reflection of like,
this is what would happen if two Axes bumped into
each other and felt like the moment was bigger than them,
this would be the resulting effect.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
As we enter into breaking down this episode, because again
I would love if we have the opportunity to get
you back on to talk about some of the stuff
that we will see in following episodes. Obviously people can
watch it, it's streaming, it's out there, but we are
going to go in chronological order, so I don't want
to go too far into your relationships, what happens, what
(15:48):
doesn't happen, because at this point in the season, you're
still with Juliet and that has its own mix of
wildness and weirdness and questions I have for you. But
as we enter into breaking down the episode, I do
want to set the stage for where you're at personally
as we're on episode two. First off, my first question
(16:08):
for you is who is advising you right now? I mean, obviously,
even in episode two, you feel like you don't fit
to me. I mean that's my opinion, and that's not
a knock on you. I wouldn't fit there. This episode
gets into things and it feels like you're just uncomfortable
the whole time. The reason I say that is because
you do bring up the fact that you're on a
spiritual journey that you are. You know, they are making
(16:31):
comments other cast members, and it does come off the
way you're more serious about, Hey, I want to actually
have a relationship here, And it seems like to me
watching the Perfect Match, there is a potential for relationship
with some of these couples, but it's also like a
really easy place to hook up with somebody else attractive.
And I want to get your opinion on that. But
as you enter into this season, and as you now
(16:54):
are outside of the season getting the criticism, who's advising
you or who's speaking into your life that has helped
you change so drastically.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
I mean it's been a you know, community effort from
like friends, family, therapists, a lot of just self work
as well podcasts. I was listening to Jay Shehtty's On
Purpose podcast I've listened to. I mean, I would break
down outside of mindfulness and I would look into like
the psychology of the mind, like the Anatomy of the Mind,
(17:25):
Andrew Huerman talking about like the science behind it.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
I went on this like very deep dive.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
I did plant medicines like I went as deep as
I could and just like tried to basically decondition myself
from all the things that I had grown up to
be told to believe that I felt like it's either
right or wrong, black or white, and I was like, no,
I don't I don't agree with this. I think there's
a lot of gray area in life, and so I'm
going to go, like, you know, figure out the nuances here,
(17:52):
and this is what I was taught growing up. But
I don't, you know, support this anymore. I reject this,
you know out narrative. I want to basically see like
what I feel.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Works for me. So it's also been a lot of
strangers too.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
It's been a lot of people that I go to
a breath work session and it's like I know the
one person that invited me, but I don't know the
other ten people. And then afterwards we're all sharing our
experiences and it's just like you know, you you realize
there's there's a group for everything. So as I went
on the spiritual journey like I where I came from,
a lot of people don't embark on that, you know,
they don't go really in depth.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
There's a lot of people that think very similarly. So
I found myself.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Being surrounded by a lot of different individuals that, you know,
don't look like me, don't act like me.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
But I was comfortable with that.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
I was like, look, I feel comfortable with with who
I am in this environment, and I can, you know,
gain a lot from the people around me that maybe
you know, have a completely different upbringing, but I can
try to figure out, you know, where the commonalities are
amongst us.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Sounds like you went on an ayahuasca journey.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Not aahuasca I mean, do you want to know what
Floyd plant medison I actually did. I don't care, I
can share it. I mean I've I've done shrooms, yeah,
like multiple times, and psilocybin, I guess is the correct
the correct term.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
But it was it was huge.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I mean it like really broke me down, and you know,
had to ego death and you start to realize, like
a lot of these beliefs you have are rooted and
falsities and things that like You're like, look, once I
believe in myself, a lot of this stuff goes away.
So yeah, I've done that, and I'm not you know again,
I think there's a point in my life I was
like I would never admit that. Now I'm like, this
(19:23):
is what it is. I mean, it doesn't make it druggy.
I've done it a couple of times and it's like
it's helped me learn a lot, although breathwork was even
more powerful.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Surprisingly, Yeah, Breathwork's been a big This's been something I've
implemented through the last few years. Now, you speak of
a spiritual journey, you speak of it on the show,
and you speak of it during this episode. Has it
led you to any faith tradition or when you say
spiritual journey, use words like the universe bringing us together
that you know this might be fate, even through the
(19:53):
eyes and hands of a producer saying, Hey, how cool
is it we have Cleyton Rachel both willing to come
on this show. Let's do it.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Where has this kind of led you as you enter
into episode two of The Perfect Match?
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Yeah, I mean I feel like I've got a stronger
connection with with God. You know, I wouldn't say I
followed organized religion anymore, but I feel that I have
a very very strong connection with the higher power. You know,
it's the same higher power've always prayed to. I just
maybe viewed a bit differently, but you know, I took
my journal with me and journaled along the way. That
was you know, I still shout him out every time.
Brandon Jones on The Bacheorette is the one that taught
(20:28):
me to journal because he basically deconstructed my mind.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
And I was like, oh, is that a diary.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
He's like, you can call it whatever you want, man,
But like I had, you know this, I was like, oh, guys,
don't write in journals.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
And you know, again, I had a long way to go.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
So like he taught me that, so I started journaling,
but I basically just yeah. I mean, I was like, look,
I've always been so concerned about what's coming or what
I did in the past. I've never focused on being present.
So when I went on the show, I was like, look,
focus on just being in the moment. You don't know
what tomorrow is going to bring. Especially on reality television.
They're going to throw wrenches, They're gonna throw one eighties
(21:00):
curve balls, like you can try to All you can
do is basically handle each moment. So I was I
walked into the experience being like, just focus on the
moments in front of you and you know. I mean
you can try to foreshadow or forecast what's coming, but really, again,
like we all know this, We've all been on reality television.
It's like, can we really predict what's coming down the line?
(21:20):
The shows want to twist things out because they want
us to get you know, get knocked off our rockers,
So we respond in a way that you know, basically
causes drama.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Yeah, to get into the recap a little bit. So
Juliette tells you, because you're so deep, You're like so serious,
I just want to have fun. How did you feel
about that? That conversation would have made me feel uncomfortable.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Yeah, I mean I watched it back and I thought
it was funny because I even said, you know, like
I asked to Lucy on episode one.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
I was like I love to ask who are you?
Speaker 5 (21:51):
And she was just like, yeah, I understand how that
question could be.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Yeah, it really a deep question to me that I
really like to ask people. But it was just kind
of like, yeah, I don't think this is the time
and place man, which was fine, Like I it was
like I kind of sound like this little Lulu guy
right now. That's like not my energy is not being
received in the you know, in the way that I'd
want it to. But that's fine. Like I'm not everyone's
cup of tea. So when Juliet said that, I was
(22:20):
just like, yeah, I mean I am. And if that's
that bothers you, this won't work.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah. I wrote a lone and plain sight about asking
the question of who are you if everything else is
stripped away? I think it's a great question. I do
think reality television end of the Perfect Match might be
a tough place to start talking about it immediately? Am
I wrong Clayton in saying through episode one and episode
two you were the outsider, not in terms of friends
(22:49):
or like likability or how you get along with people
in the house. It just felt like you were kind
of the lost puppy, going from girl to girl being like, Hey,
I want to be here next week because I think
something night work, but I haven't found like a real
match yet. Juliett definitely doesn't sound like I feel like
a real match to you. She even says that she's
not sure about it. She's excited for this date with Carrington,
(23:12):
and I have all sorts of thoughts on Carrington on
how a guy can admit that he's a self aware
douchebag and he loves love bombing girls to get them
to like him, and that somehow he gets away with it.
I think that's and like how you are the one
getting the heat from this season. Maybe because you're just
a bigger name, but goodness gracious, I was like, how
is this guy not the one that like never shows
(23:34):
up on reality television ever? Again, either way, it feels
like you're just misplaced there, man, it does. From episode
one to episode two. It just doesn't feel like you fit.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Yeah, I've seen you some chatter about that, and I
never felt like I was on the outside. I mean,
and you mentioned Neil, you're asking more or not from
a friends standpoint. I mean, everyone on the show welcomes
me right in.
Speaker 4 (23:57):
You know. I took my shot early.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I said, look, Clay, like, I'm gonna be bold and
I'm gonna come out the gates and I'm gonna say,
like who I'm interested in?
Speaker 4 (24:03):
So when Nick Lache asked you are you interested in?
I was like, Lucy, and I thought.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
At that point, I was like, okay, look I'm locking
and I'm throwing all my chips in one basket. And
that backfired so it's like, which is fine. Like again,
like Daniel is a good looking dude. I kind of
feel like I'm the costco version of Daniel. I was like,
he had the you know, had the same hair style
and he's a model, and I was.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Like, definitely, I was like Clayton for a sec I
had a like double.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Take yeah, yeah, and he's a good looking man. So
I was like, it doesn't it is what it is,
you know. I wasn't upset by it, But after I
threw all my ages in one basket, I was like, well, shoot,
now all the girls are just like, well, you were
so interested in Lucy, why would I match with you?
And you know, and then Juliet and I basically became
the default match where it's like nobody at the end
of the night, it was just the two of us,
and I was We're like, hey, I guess we got
(24:48):
to match.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
This is the nicest back maybe backhanded compliment. The girls
are chatting its Madison and Juliet and she says Clayton's
too serious because he came from the Bachelor, and I'm like, yes,
we have depth, guys, We were wholesome, we have valleys,
we appreciate love.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
I mean, I know, I didn't. I didn't feel that way.
I thought like, hey, we're all reality TV goers. But
there was like conversations happening where they're like, he's from
the Bachelor, He's so serious, and I'm like, is this
how we're portrayed? Like we're portrayed like we're just too.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Rigid and we're not loose. I'm like, guys, I'm here.
I'm here with all of you. All. I kind of
thought I let loose out the gate. You know, I'm
out here using.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
An ice cube, running up you know, Lucy's leg, and
then I'm getting a belly shot taken out from me.
I was like, I thought I was right there. I'm like,
I'm in this guys, you know, like I'm right here
with all of you. I'm not. I'm not, you know,
I'm letting looseen have a good time. So I I yes,
I mean, I'm not as wild as some of these guys,
but that's just me in general, that's my personality.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Yeah, I watched that opening and I was like, this
is the moment where I realized why I didn't pursue
any other reality television when I was single, Like I
would be so so cautious.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Yeah, I just think for me, this was like this
show I knew what I was getting into. I watched
season two and I was like, I know, this is
like a little bit rong chier, but I'm like, I
also am comfortable and I can answer this. And worst
case scenario, I tell my mom and grandma not to
watch the show.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah, there's a lot of things I would not want
anybody watching. Now what happens? Give us a sneak peek.
You and Juliet obviously kind of just like partner up
last two standing. It's not like you don't find her
attractive or she doesn't find you attractive. You know, there
was a little bit of a spark there. It made
sense that you two would partner up. One of the
(26:39):
wildest parts of the show to me is that you
meet somebody eight hours before and then that night when
you match. On the first night, especially, you're sleeping in
the same bed as them. Is that like? What is
that like?
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Like?
Speaker 2 (26:51):
How do you how does that work?
Speaker 3 (26:54):
I mean, I'm personally just comfortable. I'm like, you could
probably put me in a room with anybody and I'll
talk to him for two hours and be like, all right,
we can sleep. Yeah, we're good, Like, what are you
gonna do? Take me out in the middle of the night.
Like I didn't person have an issue with it. I
don't know how Juliette felt, but I think also, like,
you know, we are all having some drinks. So I
mean to say that anybody was sober night one, that
(27:16):
was probably just Freddie Sorry he wasn't there yet. I
don't know if there was a single sober soul night
one in that house. So it makes things a little
bit simpler when you got a little bit of like
a courage.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Yeah, it's just it's like a wild thought to me
that all of a sudden you're in this room, closed doors,
you just met each other. But everybody's excited. So maybe
that helps to everybody knows what they're getting into. As
we get in this episode, we see right away you
know that we understand that you and Juliette maybe aren't
the forever perfect match, and so she set up on
(27:49):
a date with this Carrington guy. As I said Carrington,
I'm not putting any words in his mouth. His exact
quote is, I am a self aware douchebag. I love bomb.
He says, out of these girls I watch this, it
was out of any moment so far in episode one
(28:10):
and two, this was the moment I was like, how
is this okay? Really? Was my question, like, how is
this fine? This isn't even funny.
Speaker 5 (28:16):
It's because he admits it. Like if he admits it,
people aren't gonna hate on it.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Like, yeah, like when you're self aware, you're self aware,
people go oh, at least you know it, so then
they don't attack you.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
For it's when you deny it that people go after you.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
It's like, yeah, that's and so he's just like, yeah, look,
I probably am this way, but you know, I mean
I have other aspects of me as well that are
fun and that you all can get to know.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
I just happen to be a self aware douchebag.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
But he's I mean, ultimately on this date with Juliet
and you've watched it back now, he doesn't act like
a douchebag on dates, so he and he doesn't tell
her that, right, So he's telling that to the camera
to the viewers, but the person he's on the date
with is not aware that he realizes he's a jerk
and that he is going to stare into her eyes
and do this I don't know cockneck thing, because he
(29:00):
thinks he's a beautiful man and she's going to fall
in love with him, and he's going to tell her
all the sweet things and then ultimately, if somebody better
comes along, he'll break her heart. You watch this date,
what was your take after watching it? Realizing that then
and this is in the episode, she comes back to
you at the end of the you know, at the
end of this Yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
Was shocked because I mean, essentially her and I had
talked about how we were the default match, and everyone
now now believes that, like we don't even want to
be matched with one another. But this is, you know,
all about the perfect match, and you know, we we
know that there's there's gonna be competitions coming up in
boardrooms that people are going to try to vote us
out or put us on dates, and so it's like, hey,
(29:40):
look like we know that we're going to be a target.
Let's just get to know one another and like let's
give this a shot. Like, look, okay, here we are.
We didn't we weren't with each other's first choice. Our
matches actually end up being the ones that chose each
other and we you know, we're second pick. But yeah,
once once we matched, it was like Juliette was fun.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
She is wild.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
She has a wild side tour, which I find I
chase after more so these days now, after like reality television.
Once I get off TV and I'm back in the
real world, I'm like, gosh, I need some chaos somewhere,
you know.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
So sometimes I.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
On with my partner, and sometimes I find I.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Go after women that are a little chaotic, and it's like,
I cause, I'm just like, look, they're probably not the
best for me mental health wise, but like they're fun.
You know, like every time I go out, I don't
know what kind of version of them I'm getting. And so,
you know, like Juliette had that fun I'm like, I'm
on a reality TV show, like this is a fun environment,
Like she's going to keep things entertaining. I was shocked
when she matched with me. I was shocked. I really
(30:34):
thought I was getting booted out that that night. So
when she was just like I feel like, you know,
we just are mesh better, I was like, Okay, I
I couldn't. But that also meant a lot to me
in that moment. I was like, wow, she chose me
because I thought based on the way that her and
I both spoke but talked. She was like, look, second,
like one of us ends up finding a better match route,
and I'll basically tell you. I'll give you like as
(30:54):
much of the heads up as I can.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
So that's what we said.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
When somebody comes in the house, will base in, We're like,
we know we're going to match with them. Where we
go and tell the other one like were like, hey,
look I'm gonna match with them, just so you know.
So now you have a couple hours to you know,
basically find your match in this house. And she didn't
really say that to me that night, so I was like,
is she really gonna do this to me? She's gonna
do me dirty, She's gonna match last second with Carrington
and be like sorry Clayton.
Speaker 4 (31:19):
But she she didn't. She she went with me.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
She just took down to the last second to do so.
But that was surprising. I still don't really know why.
I mean, she surprised me.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
I know why.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
It's not.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
Maybe yeah, maybe, I mean again, now I think about it,
I was like, they must have been like, hey, look
we need.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
To just stay We need him to stay, so we
need them.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Yeah, probably Clayton's going home one episode before we thought
he would.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Yeah, I will say this though, there was hardly any
producer involvement, hardly ever at all. Like I will say
this straight up from Bachelor to Netflix. We all know
Bachelor producers love to stick their fingers and stuff. There
wasn't a single time on the show where the where
the producers interjected. I had like not once on that
I can remember on that on Netflix. So if maybe
(32:05):
they went to her, but I never had anybody talk
to me the entire time.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
That I was there.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
Interesting, So I had no issue with the producers. I
in fact don't even have any issues with the bat
Bachelor producers. It's the editing team that I'm like, I
need to meet you all because you guys keep seeing
me as a piece of meats. You've seen me as
a number, so you're like, whatever, we'll just wreck this guy.
I'm like, I need you to. I need to sit
on a plane with you all, Like I sat with
these producers and you can see I'm human, and then
you'll be like, oh, he doesn't he's not the kind
of guy that he looks like because I feel like
(32:32):
they're just like it's really easy to just like portray
me as something. I'm like, I have nuance, and I'm
like I like the producers all seasons. I like the
Bachelor producers. That's why it was so hard for me.
Then I had to really realize, I'm like, it's editors.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Well there was.
Speaker 5 (32:45):
If the producers tell the editors how to edit, don't
they I don't. I mean maybe my guess is that
like it's the show runner and like the higher ups
that say, like, this is how we want this person
to look.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
Yeah, and again the editors.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
Again, I can't sit here and like go after them
because it's like there's somebody of them that's saying, like
this is the way that we want him to be
portrayed exactly. So it's I'm not trying to call that
it's just the editors.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
It's easy.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
It's like it's like it's like when people go after us,
you know, on the show and like f him, and
it's like you're really mad at the producers, but you're
attacking me because I'm the you know, the figurehead of
the season.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
So like it's it's misplaced for me to go after these.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
Editors, like, I'm sure most of them are great, but somebody,
you know, it's like that I'm not interacting with, is
making these decisions and it's just, you know, it's frustrating.
You're like, one person can make or break you. But
at whatever, it is, what it is. But yeah, there
wasn't a lot of producer involvement on Netflix, at least
not to my face. That nobody came up to me
and talked to me while I was there.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
We've heard that, we've heard that. Now there is an
interesting twist in this episode for me. You mentioned Freddie
would be the one that would have been sober on
night one. Freddie also comes off to me. He's one
of those that enters into the house this week. He
set up on a date with Madison. Madison at this point,
you know is has chosen Freddy as her date. He
(34:00):
he comes off on television. You correct us here, we're
trying to break down the episode and get to know
these people a little better. As a very calm collected person,
Madison is a very fun human. She does have a
wild side to her. It doesn't feel like the two
of them should match. It seems like the two of
(34:20):
them are like fire and ice, like very different people,
but somehow it works and it seems to be working
from your take. As he enters into the house, did
you realize that Cody was going to be leaving? And
also did you see the Freddie Madison thing sparking?
Speaker 3 (34:43):
Yeah, I mean, look, Freddie walks in and he has
an energy to him.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
He is as advertised.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
I mean, he might be one of the most genuine
individuals that I've met. So he walks in the house,
big old beaming smile, and it's just like instantly there's
an interest right, like there's you can see. It's like
you can tell when someone's like whoa Like, who's that?
And that's what Madison basically like the look that she
(35:08):
got in her face, and you know there is so
it wasn't wa wait, I'm mixing this up. Hold on,
she ended up going on a date with him. Yeah, so,
like I you, we kind of knew it was coming
because Cody like in her well, they won the first challenge.
It's like once she decided to put herself on a date,
you knew it was it was over.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
It was over.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
I mean when she called him out for having bad
breath on National television. Did you ever feel that No, I.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
No, I talked to Cody. I didn't ever smell his breath.
I guess I wasn't. I wasn't kissing him either, but
but I mean when I was talking to him, I mean,
there was never some foul smell. I thought that was
wrong of her to go after him for that, because
it's like, great, now you're just gonna peg this guy
as the stinky breath dude, which is like, it's just
frustrating cause now I'm like, who knows in his personal
life he's probably dealing with this, right, some girls, like
I saw this and it's like.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Nobody likes to have bad breath.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
But yeah, the second that, like he came back, can
found out that second like he came back and found
out that uh.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
Or he told us that she put her on herself
on a date, we knew it was over.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
It was over.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
Yeah, I was like, that's that's crazy, and we're like
that he's done for sure.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
And then I get it. I mean, Freddy is a stud.
He seems like a nice guy on television. You said
he's a nice guy in real life, Like, I get
why she goes, hey, this is my guy, it has nothing.
It's not even a knock on Cody. It's just this
guy's a little better. No, yeah, Clayton, we only have
(36:39):
five minutes left with you and and so I'm going
to do something. Really, because we've gone through most of
it already, the matches stay fairly the same except for
Cody and Carrington leaving the house. So from week or
from episode one to episode two, the matches are pretty
much the same. There's no big twists and turns. Really,
(37:00):
Odie goes home, Carrington goes home, and Freddie ends up
staying in the house and you are obviously still there.
The real big thing I want to talk to you
about is is my You know, this is my first
Netflix show I've ever watched, Clayton, Colton, I knew I
was going to do that at some point. It's not
(37:21):
the first time it's happened, Clayton, the first time I've
ever watched Netflix reality television show. I'm in it like,
I'm enjoying it. I'm liking it. You guys have this
like get to know you competition at the end of
this episode where like everybody, it seems like everybody answered
(37:45):
questions beforehand in secret and then the partners had to guess,
you know, who was who. It's where I really realized
what this show was. It was my eye opening moment
to go, holy cow, this has no bad on Netflix.
Speaker 4 (38:01):
It was hilarious.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
People's answers and my answers didn't match up with the
other answers. But that's because I was doing a strategy
that did not get picked up by Juliet And I
was like, come on, I was the whole point was
you had to basically guess what your partner's answer was.
And so I wasn't writing these answers based on how
I would answer them necessarily. It was more like, Juliette,
(38:24):
you have said that I am like a safe kind
of boring individual, so I'm going to give safe.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
Boring answers.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
This makes sense.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
So when I called my you know, my my nether region,
when I went down below safe and secure, it's like Juliette,
who else has said?
Speaker 4 (38:41):
Who else is going to put that?
Speaker 3 (38:42):
It's me like answer it, and she she like doesn't
pick any of my answers, and she's like, well I
didn't like that answer.
Speaker 4 (38:48):
I'm like, that's not the point.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
The point is you have to choose my answers, and
I was like, I said, like in the bedroom, I
was a silver backed guerrilla.
Speaker 4 (38:55):
I'm like, I don't know. I feel like and I
eat steak.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
And eggs and I'm like, oh my gosh, I feel
like I'm giving it away. I'm giving the bland answers
like and again I was like, she just was like,
I didn't like those answers. I was choosing the ones
I liked the most. I'm like, that's not the point.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Of the game, get it's a compatibility test.
Speaker 5 (39:12):
So I guess like it was that the point of
the game or the point of the game is to
win it.
Speaker 4 (39:17):
Well, that's that's where I think that.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
There was a half of the camp there was like
it's all about compatibility.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
The other half is like, guys, we're trying to win.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
So I was, you know, Juliette was like, hey, I
am choosing the answers that I would be most compatible with.
I was like, well then we're like then we're gonna lose.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
This is a demonstration that you guys are incompatible.
Speaker 3 (39:38):
Yes, yeah, And that's what we said afterwards, like we
got the least amount of answers, right, And she was like,
I guess this.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Just proves it.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
I was like, yeah, because I was going to win,
you were going off compatibility.
Speaker 4 (39:49):
We weren't even on the same page.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
I guess we should have talked this through, but I
thought she was gonna go for the win too. I
was like, she's a gamer and she went for compatibility,
so we're just completely off on that. And and I
just thought my answers, I was like, yeah, I don't know.
I thought it was blatantly obvious. But she kept not
picking him, and I was like, oh my gosh. And
then everyone's like, oh, he's such boring answers. I was like,
that was for a purpose. Although I will say I
(40:11):
wouldn't have answered them as crazy as other people though
in general, like the people on that show, some of
these people were they're wild. They're much wilder than I am.
So it was pretty funny the answer they gave.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
Yeah, there's some people who had no boundaries.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Oh the vibrating the vibrating butt plug.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Yeah, yeah, I mean Lucy all of a sudden, like
Lucy's like you said, you walk in. She's this cute girl.
She you know, has it together. She's definitely kind of
like the star of the first two episodes and then
all of a sudden she reveals this. It doesn't change
her star factor, she can do what she wants, but
it does make you look at her differently. I will
(40:50):
say that I cannot look at her on this show
any more the same way, and a lot of these
people from their answers, I feel like, for me, I
said I know way too much about you. Yeah, for
two episodes into the show.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Yeah, well I look, I think really people should watch
this show and not take it too seriously. It's a
fun show. It doesn't have the formality that the Bachelor does.
This is meant to be turned on to like be
a little bit ridiculous, to get people to be like,
you know, oh my gosh, I can't believe they said that.
That's the way in which I think you should watch
the show. So if you do that and you're like, look,
(41:26):
these people are ridiculous, then like you're just going to
watch a bunch of ridiculousness and it'll be fun if
you take it seriously. Again, it's just I don't think
most of us that went on there, like we obviously
took it seriously to try to match with people, but
it's like, look, we're all just be having fun. We're
all here in tuloom for the next month, like, let's
just live it up. A bunch of good looking people
in the house, Like who wouldn't enjoy this? So I
(41:47):
think we all were just like it was one big party.
And if you look at it that way, then you
can start to see why people were letting loose.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
But that's what people want to watch. They don't want
to watch lukewarm.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
They want they want crazy vibrations.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
For lack of a better term. Ali and Ad ended
up winning this challenge. They are very compatible, obviously, and
we see the headlines about their relationship and kind of
where it went. The whole episode ends Clayton with Ady
and Ali in the boardroom making decisions on behalf of
the group. Clayton, I know we have to let you go.
(42:20):
This has been episode two of The Perfect Match. The
final episodes drop on August fifteenth. Clayton, we're entering into
episode three as you say goodbye to the listeners of
the Almost Famous podcast. Is there anything you want to
say with the stage being yours about episode three, four, five, six, seven,
(42:40):
eight nine.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
I think if you are willing to stick around and
listen to me discuss nuance on podcasts, then you'll feel
a bit differently. But if you just watch it for
what it is and decide to move on with life
and say I've seen enough of this guy and this
is the way that I view him, then then you'll
do that. So I think there's new that can be heard,
but it's up to the viewers.
Speaker 4 (43:03):
Listeners if they want to go down that path to understand.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
Well, clay Neckard, thank you for joining us. Thank you guys,
Love to have you back soon.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
Yeah, I see you, guys.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
That was Klayton Neckard with from The Perfect Match, obviously
a former bachelor, talking through really episode two of The
Perfect Match Episode one and two. We know from the
headlines that obviously things become controversial, become polarizing in Clayton's
(43:35):
kind of journey through The Perfect Match. We hope to
bring him back to talk about that, but as we've committed,
we're chronologically breaking down each episode and at this point
he is still with Juliette. We see then this episode
with Rachel, we have got a confirmation that she's attending
the villa. She's going to be going on a date
(43:56):
with Freddie. We also see Adye and Ali kind of
doing this back and forth where he is requesting Alex
many times and she's wondering why. We don't know if
she comes into the house, who she goes on a
date with when the episode ends, but we do know
that Ali is gonna He's kind of putting himself in
(44:16):
the corner a little bit of what happens in the future.
I don't think it ruins anything, but I do think
it spoke enough to the decisions that he made and
why he made these decisions. Actually, to me, it sounds
like he's standing by them. It's interesting. I think The
Perfect Match Ashley, I haven't watched a lot of Netflix shows.
The Perfect Match, to me, is really fun to watch,
(44:39):
mostly because it is so out of my comfort zone.
And it's not even out of my comfort zone where
it's like I watched this like I want to push
myself to be like if I was single, obviously, like
I would want to be there like this is. I
would have said no to it, circrely because I would
have been a fish out of water. It's not exactly
even a comfort or I feel like I need to
(45:00):
push myself to do these things. No, no, but I
enjoy watching it I'm a fan of it. You've watched ahead,
I have watched it. Is this something that does?
Speaker 4 (45:11):
Just watch it?
Speaker 2 (45:12):
She got into it, she doesn't like it.
Speaker 5 (45:15):
You guys do it together if you're gonna, you know,
really watch it like you know, like if you're on
episode four right now. I'm like, you guys are watching
it together.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
Yeah, we we We've enjoyed it, you know. Clayton, it's
I'm glad he came on. I'm glad he's coming out,
you know, agreed to come on and speak to stuff
that's happening. I hope he comes back. And my advice
to him then would be to never go on a
rally television dating show again, which sounds like is where
he's at in life.
Speaker 5 (45:40):
Yeah, yeah, I say, poor guy.
Speaker 2 (45:44):
I haven't watched episode three yet. Yeah, you might just
be saying, uh, yeah, just don't do it. I don't
know if it's poor guy as much as yeah, you
probably just shouldn't. This has been the almost famous podcast again.
We're breaking down the perfect match right now because we
do have two Bachelor Nation contestants confirm to be on
the show. Clayton's there right now. We know Rachel shows
up very soon. Stay tuned for an episode three breakdown
(46:09):
next week. We'll be breaking it down week by week,
sometimes combining episodes together, especially as people come and go,
but we will be doing it right here on the
most famous podcast. Until next time, I have Been Been,
I've Been Ashley.
Speaker 5 (46:26):
Thank you so much for listening, HUI.
Speaker 1 (46:29):
Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcasts on
iHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
Hosts And Creators
Ben Higgins
Ashley Iaconetti
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