October 23, 2025 • 42 mins
We’ve made it to Hometowns on Mel Owens' season of The Golden Bachelor, and Ben and Ashley are ready to recap every golden moment!
Ben reveals why THIS is the episode he’s been begging for. We find out which of the ladies has been more impressive with every episode, but Ashley holds nothing back when telling us how she feels about Mel.
And we have to wonder… what made casting believe that Mel was “lead” material??
Plus, a surpassingly intimate conversation sparked by… a spray tan.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
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 on our radio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Welcome to the Almost Famous Podcast. We're here today to
break down hometowns mel season of The Golden Bachelor. But
before we get going, Ashley turned on her camera and
is just absolutely glowing. I say that often, and I
need it this time and there's a reason for it. Hey,
I'm getting educated on spray tans. No, I have a
(00:26):
shoot tomorrow. Yeah. Yeah, And I guess you're surprised I've
never received the spray tan. Huh.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I am surprised, Yes, because Jared has, and you know,
Jess is in the beauty world, so I figured that
like at some point you would have gotten them.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
You know. I like, I've never done anything. I got
any I just got a haircut. But wait, does Jess
like ever do official you? Yeah, I've I've received the
furthest I've gone is micro needling. Because I enjoyed it.
That's pretty far. That's pretty enjoy the micro newdling process. Yeah,
I need to feel something then that's hilarious. She's also
(01:06):
really good. It doesn't hurt.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, it depends on like how deep you go, how
numb you are, what kind of micro dealing you're doing.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I think she just told me that studies have been
released that there is no benefit to going deeper. Actually,
there is studies out there that say the same, that
you have the same benefits with this new thing she's using. Anyways,
we're back to spraytnds. I've never gotten a spray tan.
I've never thought about it. I have wondered at moments
(01:34):
in my life. You know, a lot of no names
being named, but you know there are bachelor men out
there who look younger than when they're on the show.
There's reasons for that, you know, call it botox, hair transplants, spraytnds,
et cetera. And I've also often wondered would it be beneficial?
(01:56):
Would I enjoy that? Would I like? And I always
go back to now, I don't care enough. I don't
enjoy the spray tan process.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I only do them for reasons, like I really only
do them for work, for like a media thing, like
if I'm thinking back on things that I did it
for just leisure. I got one for the Jonas concert
over the summer for leisure.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I just really wanted to look my best.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Jared has only gotten them again for I think work reasons.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I remember is when he's going to what, yeah that work.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
He got one before going to Bachelor and Paradise when
we went back for a little vacation stint. But the
weird thing is spray tans just like they're just not enjoyable.
I would never just get them for fun because well
they are kind of expensive, but then they're very cold,
like they're basically blowing cold air on you when you're
(02:52):
doing it, and I'm like, no, no thanks. Also the
intimacy factor. There's very few people that I'm trying to
get like that undressed for, and I am a girl
that keeps my underwear on. I would ask Ben if
he kept his underwear on, but he's ever had one. Yeah,
I had one, And I would assume that guys always
(03:12):
keep their underwear on.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
I mean, I, yeah, I don't have like a lot
of like shyness. I guess, so I don't know what
I would do.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I think, Wait, you don't have a lot of shot,
and you don't the guy.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
In the locker room that's just like walking around naked.
You are, Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Jared is definitely not the guy that walks around naked.
There's two types of guys, one that just like, yeah,
it's fun.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
It's like a big party. Yeah, just out there now. Yeah,
we're just just doing our thing. Oh my gosh, I'm
so private about that stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
It's my GUYO and Jared and nobody else, not even
my sister, has seen me like fully naked.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
It's not like I'm like out there in public, you know,
flipping it around. It's public. It's a locker room. Yeah,
but it's like, no, you don't enter into a locker
room being like, oh, this is like a really like
you know, cautious space for us not to shower, clean up,
like do our thing. Like we're all dudes here. Nothing's
going to surprise anybody else. The more like, I'm naked
(04:16):
and unashamed, so let's be friends and shake hands.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
He could be on Naked and Afraid, Ben, that's a show.
I'm sure you'd be able to get on.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, I'd have no problem. I'd love it, I do.
You know, it's not as much and we'll wrap this
up here. I know some people out there listening are
probably this is ridiculous. It's not as much to me,
you getting it. It is the person. And I know
a few that do it professionally. Yeah, And I have
always thought, In fact, I think I asked just this
(04:44):
after her last one. I said, so, like this person
that you get it from is seeing like eight Huci
coucies a day, and it's like getting up in there,
like that's a wild job. There's not many job out
jobs out there except being a guy.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
No.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, that you know, voluntarily expose yourself to whatever anybody
else is flaunting. It's very weird to me. It seems
very intimate.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
It is intimate, for sure, because you're just because the
weird thing about spread hands is that you're just standing
there oftentimes like hunged over and cold, and you're just naked,
standing there like just with your arms out and your
legs out, and it's just like weird. But what's even
an occupation that I can't imagine even more is waxing. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I think these two came up in conversation I remember
with my wife and I was like, these are two
very odd professions and now you make great money. It's
it's a really like needed thing. AI really can't take
it over. So your job security is very safe. I
respect it in so many ways. It just feels it
(05:56):
just feels odd. You have to be one of those
people that kind of bring the energy of like come on,
I don't care because if there was any like whoa
like comments, which I'm sure at times, like you know,
there's a shock factor to what you know these people
are seeing, then it just really backfires and then the
person's ashamed, they're embarrassed the person doing it, it's grossed out.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
I think I'm the person that would like never get
used to seeing naked bodies.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yeah, that's there's a unique human out there that does
it every day all day.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
And I think about, like, those are nice boobies. I'm
glad I don't have those boobies.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I remember being in the locker room, like you know,
the YMCA as a kid, using the public pool and
thinking and being like, oh my god, those are big, flat,
long boobies, or those are some big nipples, and like
all those thoughts you were at the YMCA.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
It wasn't exactly probably the demo that was like showing
off anything under a certain age range. You know, it's
the final thought here. There's two things. I have one
story about this, you know, I think we had a
spray tanner come up to our house at like late
one night. It was like nine to thirty. Yeah, that's primetime, Yeah,
(07:12):
primetime spray Tan. And I was like, okay, so they're
gonna do this. They had to go somewhere else after this,
and they're gonna go home and go to bed like
thirty minutes after seeing a naked human standing in front
of them. That's crazy. Like I don't, like I'm married.
That doesn't happen to me very often, even like that's
not how my life works all the time. It's very interesting.
(07:34):
I did. Jess always tells the story. It's funny. We
had just gotten married. She I don't know if it
was of SPRAYTN, like post wedding or whatever. Anyways, I
get up one morning and I'm making the bed and
her side of the bed is like this yellow orange. Yeah,
and I like stripped the sheets and threw them in
(07:57):
the wash. And I came downstairs and she was sitting
at the time, and she laughs at this story, and
I said, hey, hon, like you can tell me did
you pee the bed last night? I was serious, like,
I was very like, I have no clue what this
could be, but it looks like you just like let
loose in bed. And I want to let you know
one why two It's okay, but we need to figure
(08:21):
this out. Oh my goodness, yeah, wow, you're here. Funny.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I'm thinking of so many different things that are not
suitable for work, and this does technically work. But I
do have one more question refer for you, and then
we'll rob the conversation because I know you're a massage guy.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
You get fully naked for massages every well, yes, I
do go to this place that is like quick and
it's a walking and you have to leave your clothes on.
It's just a quick massage, you mean, just like a
place at the mall. Yeah, it's like it literally isn't
a mall. And you walk in and you're like, do
you have any like openings for the next time. I
love those places. It's amazing and they're like a dollar
(08:59):
a minute and you're like this so good and they
just beat me up and I leave feeling all sorts
of confused and I've snored. So I leave my clothes
fully on for that. But if I like pay for.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
A like, what's the point of taking off your boxers?
Because for me, for me, I find I feel no different.
I feel more vulnerable in my head and a little
more breezy down there. But I wouldn't feel as comfortable
with the messeuse like moving the sheet or the towel around.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
It's where you and I differ. I'm like, not a problems.
It's more your issue than mine.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Ben, You like, are really confident with your package.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
I'm just I like to relax, and so if I'm
going to relax, I relax more with my underwear on. No,
there's there's a freedom and coming in how we were
born and allowing that to take over you. I am
most comfortable with how I came into the world. It's
also how I go to sleep at night, and it
(09:58):
will be how I leave the world. I mean that
might be my cast what who knows?
Speaker 3 (10:03):
That's how you're going to leave the world. Do you
think you're gonna die when you're naked? How often are
you naked? That's actually my final question.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I might request it if I'm going to spend that
much time laying on my back, like, at least allow
me to be free doing it. Jared and I do
not walk. We don't like we are like we don't
like walk.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Around naked and very very infrequently like well like you know,
like he'll pull up his underwear in front of me
and stuff like that. But like it's very beyond it's
not much beyond that. I feel like, are you just
walking around your house naked?
Speaker 2 (10:35):
A lot? I feel like I do. I've never really
thought about that way. I just feel like, yeah, I'm home.
I'm comfy. In fact, now that you say that, like
at some point I have to stop, right, we have kids, now,
Like that was you know, going to have to stop? Yeah?
I mean, goodness, gracious, there's many my glass of water
(10:57):
before bed. But I do know our brisken see in
our kitchen, so that actually could be a problem. There's
a lot to think about it.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Don't even know if you're being like funny right now
and you say, like your neighbors, that's so funny, Like,
I like love knowing more about you and learning more.
This doesn't really surprise me.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Yeah, I don't know why you're surprised content.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
So I'm glad that you're talking about it. I will
tell a story now this should be a headline.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Okay, maybe it will be. Let's see where it goes.
All right.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
It's hilarious because a couple of years ago, when Jared
and I were on The Bachelor in Paradise for our
little you know, Stint. One of the producers had like
a three or two and a half three year old
at the time, and he was good fronts with him,
and he showed us this video of his son seeing
(11:50):
him in the bathroom and saying he was like, WHOA,
daddy's penis is a big pena like that so funny.
So this week, Jared for the first time peace in
front of Dawson because Dawson has to pay. And then
Jared goes, I'm gonna go and pee, and right after
you and I am down the hall and I hear
(12:10):
the funniest thing, And I'm just so glad that I
was present for this moment and Jared doesn't mind me
sharing because of the obvious Dawson goes, WHOA, that's a
big penis.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
That's a huge penis. Yeah, there's a level of that, like,
and I'm sure Jared was like, hey man, like cool,
but also like you know, Jared walked out of there
about an inch tall.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Oh one, Like I saw the visible difference in his posture.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Oh He's like, I got it. Like that's cool. Like
because of the opposite.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Could you imagine You'd be like, Daddy, your peenis is
the same size as a penis.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
That would be fantastic. That that would make my life
If that's the story that was told there, I'd be like,
this is.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
You think that story would be being told on the airwaves?
Speaker 2 (13:03):
That would be that would be like a buddy story
that is told on a golf trip that like our friend.
Would it be told?
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Yeah, like guys, when we were together, like you guys
poor you know we this. You have to hear what
my son said to me, I'd be like, that is fantastic,
Like that dude, that kid gets it. This is an
amazing way to start an episode about hometowns with mel.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
You know, this episode was so bland, we just had
to spice it up with this intro conversation.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Yeah, we shouldn't record at night. I feel like when
we recorded at night, we've had too much happened during
the day and it's kind of just like everything's thrown
out there. Oh, I think it's the opposite. I think
we're more entertaining at night. Yeah, And honestly, you know this,
like I have Jessica and I can ask her everything,
but I ask you a lot of things too about
(14:02):
you know, how life works, and because like you are
a trusted voice in my life, and so this if
you and I were together having dinner, this would be
a conversation that we would one hundred percent have. I'd say, Ashley, Jessica,
get spray tans. Tell me how your experience with spray tans.
There's a lot to this, but let's jump into the episode.
(14:22):
I kind of disagree with you. I came into this
episode forcing myself. So I wake up in the morning, Ashley,
and recently I've been wake up in the morning and
I say a prayer to myself. I say, walk into
the world today with a loving spirit. That's what I've
been saying for the last couple of weeks, just the
last a couple of weeks, because I was getting angry
and it wasn't fun. So today I woke up and said,
(14:44):
step into the world with a loving spirit. Had a meeting.
Then the episode comes out. I watched the episode and
I said, Ben, try to look at this with eyes
that are positive, because you've been very negative this season,
and maybe the negativity isn't how everybody feels. There's still
a half million people watching this show. Just a half
a million, yeah, holy mail a little bit more. It's
(15:08):
not very good. Holy shit, it's not good.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I mean half my Instagram reels okay, a third of
my Instagram reels get higher views than that.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yeah, I mean there's there's a precedent to this. I'm
actually going to look up right now the ratings from
last week's episode. I can tell you exactly how many,
just in case I got it wrong. I don't. I
don't want to spread false news here. Okay, this is
according to TV series or TV series finale dot com
(15:38):
on ten to fifteen, which was last week's episode. Oh
I was wrong, Oh thank goodness, two point one million
viewers is actually up twelve Yeah, it was actually up
twelve percent from the week before, which was one point
nine million viewers. Okay, it's down sixty six percent. Yeah,
or from jone season areas Gary season. It's still not
(16:02):
turning heads in the ratings categories. I mean you can
read the headlines for that. So there's people watching it.
My point is, I'm gonna try to stay positive. So
here's some takeaways from a positive perspective. Then I do
have my nigatives too. I can help my positives are this.
I felt like this was the first episode that I've
been begging for it. This is the first episode where
(16:23):
I felt like we got more story from the cast members.
I know we've had sprinkling moments of story and who
they are and what they're about and what they're looking
for throughout this season, but this felt like the first
episode where I got the familiar sit down, tell me
your life story, and then mel you respond, ask the
(16:44):
questions that are appropriate in the moment. This was a
positive for me. I actually came to the row ceremony
going I enjoy all three of these women and I
understand them a little bit better because I got to
know them now. I think it's way late to be
doing this, but I will say that's a positive from
(17:04):
this episode. I will also list a positive as I
thought the families were incredible, especially the grandma who has
watched twenty years of the Bachelor franchise. That was nice.
Just she should on it. And I'm not kidding when
I say this. I know you think I'm crazy. She
(17:25):
should be on the show dating. That's the golden to me.
People would watch her that you want, Yeah, people would
watch her.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
I agree I agree, that's what I want. Okay, Okay,
those are your two positives. Okay, So my big takeaway,
it's certainly not a positive, was that this is the
first time I felt like watching this show, I wanted
somebody to feel so awful to say I'm so sorry.
(17:55):
I almost didn't want Cindy to get the rose, and
though she wanted it so bad, because I was like,
you deserve more. I don't want you to get this
rose because you deserve a love that is way better
than this man who's gonna give you. Not to say
that I didn't feel similarly with Peg and Debbie, because
(18:19):
I did. I kind of thought that all three women
standing there, guys literally males.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Ne were coming on this podcast, and if he does,
it's just gonna be you and him. Okay. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
The only reason that I didn't feel as intensely for
like them was just that I feel like they weren't
feeling as intensely as Cindy does right now. And if
they were all feeling this love that Cindy has for
I'm sure I would feel.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
The same way for all of them.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
But I was like, whichever one of you doesn't get
a rose, like think of it like not you.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Dodged a bullet. I don't think he's like a bullet.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
I just feel like there might be something more passionate
out there for you.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
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Speaker 2 (20:12):
Before we dig in, because I do have some comments
on Mel. I do have some comments on the hometowns.
Let's walk through each hometown and mostly focus on the
family dynamics because that's what we saw the most of,
and I think that's what we want to see the
most of when it comes to hometowns. PEG's hometown is
in Las Vegas. That's where we start. She brings Mel
(20:33):
to the firehouse. It looks like just a really fun date.
I become more and more impressed with Peg as the
season continues. She is beautiful, she's funny, she's spirited. And
here's here's part of it. We talked about this yesterday
on the Dirty Rush podcast. There is something very attractive
(20:55):
to me about a woman who can get along with others.
I don't think there's any profession out there that speaks
to getting along with others better than being a firefighter.
You're living together, even if you have families back home.
You're sleeping in small little beds on top of each other.
It becomes a very like intimate environment. Right You're you're
(21:17):
changing you're doing. You're living life amongst others all the
time in a very high pressured, stressful job, and you're
still getting along for the most part. I find that incredible.
I find it yeah. Unique. I don't know if I
don't think I could do it and not like break down.
And so I watch this and I was like, Peg
(21:37):
is even cooler to me than she was coming into
this episode. And I liked her coming in. That was
another thing.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
I was like that PEG's too cool for him. One's
too in love with them, the other one was too
cool for him. So with Peg, I liked her hometown
because her daughter was the one that gave him a
harder time than anyone else.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I'm sorry, I why do I want him to have
a hard time? I'm the worst? Uh yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
She just was really real about the conversation that she
had with him. She was like, so, how do you
feel He's like good? How do you think of my mom?
She's nice? Like, you know, so you think you can
maybe get there with him? I don't know, like it
was he gave her, from what we saw, really flat
answers that weren't encouraging at all. And I just think
(22:25):
I think that the daughter was like, mom, you can
do better.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
I loved the first question asked, and then there he's
like good yeah, and she goes, Okay, that's what I'm
getting here. This is like, all right, well, let me
try again, and let me get a little more like
force full in my questions, a little more direct in
my questions. I you know, I watch this, there's a
(22:54):
few things that came to mind. It's one of the
few times that I haven't seen the batch protected. They
did not protect him here. They made him everything we've
been saying for the last few weeks of does he
really want to be here? Is he really in this
to find somebody? We said this before the season even started,
and it's been kind of this recurring theme. It's each
(23:15):
episode is like I don't understand what he's here for.
I don't understand what he's looking for. I understand who
he is interested in, why he's interested, Like, we don't
know anything about this guy other than he's handsome, and
the show exposed that here. I think it's very much
thrown in our faces of this guy is not an
(23:36):
open book. This dude is not going to even answer
direct questions that have been asked for It to him
by the daughter of somebody he's dating. And there's two
pass here. One is I'm I got upset with him
because I have been in this environment and it is
a very stressful time for the families. They're not only excited,
(23:58):
they're also freaking out. The families are freaking out their
mom or their daughter or their sister or whoever is
coming home with this guy after being on a show
for a few weeks, and you are there to talk
about their future and love and so even if you
aren't feeling it, mel goodness, gracious, even if you aren't
(24:20):
close to being there to make a proposal at the end,
give the families a little bit more like there's just
no warm, friendly fun et. Yeah, Like, just don't make
her have to sit there and like poke and prod
at you to get anything out of you that's reassuring
or comforting or exposing, Like I don't know, Like start
(24:44):
talking about your biggest insecurities. If you don't want to
talk about PEG, at least tell the daughter what freaks
you out and what you're afraid of just Jane's subject,
tell her something, ask her about herself and her life. Now.
The second part of that, though, Ashley is being in
this situation, I understand what Mel's trying to do. He's
(25:04):
not there, He's not even close.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
So he's trying to show that he doesn't want to
get engaged at the end of it, and he.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Doesn't want to lie, and he doesn't want to lead
people on, and he doesn't want to make empty promises
to people where he when he knows where he's at.
And so there is a side of this that I say,
good on email, like, you are trying in a very
high pressure environment to be honest and truthful and not
(25:32):
share too much information to that that could potentially hurt somebody.
I get that side and I respect that, and I
think that's probably kind of who he is in person,
Like he's very direct, but he's like slow to speak,
quick to listen. He doesn't say a lot, but when
he does say something, he means it. That is a
quality that's that I admire. My point to though, to
(25:56):
this is I think the healthier, kinder warmer reaction would
have been tell her something like give her anything.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
My feelings about Mel Guys is like just strictly who
he is as a lead and not and who he
is like as a reality TV personality and not like
who he is in person. I have no idea what
he's like in person. I have met so many people
on this show who I didn't think that I would
like because of the way that they were on TV,
(26:29):
and I really liked them in real life. Sometimes it
doesn't translate. You don't get to see the entire person.
I just like, what if I was listening, it's.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
He's not listening to us. Okay, he's not, he's not.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
My big question is actually more towards casting, where it's like,
what made you guys think.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
That this guy was lead quality?
Speaker 3 (26:53):
What did he give you an interviews? Because there must
have been so many options. Actually, this is a question
that we could actually ask, like somebody we know no
fairly often as of recent Well, yeah, I know, and
I know that I don't want to, like, you know,
we're just always beating a dead horse sometimes when it
comes to like lead casting lately, I have to.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Say, and I think I said it again last week.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
But this one feels almost different, Like I can almost
see what they were going for for everyone, but this
one doesn't make any sense to me. There's not like
one feature beyond his like face, which is a good face,
but he's not like Pierce Brosnan in his seventies.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
I think I think you can kind of see what's
happening because you look at the Great Britain Golden Bachelor
that was just released.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, there's a new Great Britain Golden Bachelor. Oh my gosh,
the Golden Bachelor.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Okay. And I think at some point the consultants on
this show said, you need to find the most handsome
person over sixty or close to sixty that you can
possibly find. That's what's going to bring in the crowd.
And I think they show got a little too obsessed.
(28:10):
I do, and I think they got the wrong message
and they didn't actually ask the fans when you had
this kind of era after Gary, where younger people were like,
I'd marry Gary. Gary's hot. I love Gary. If I
saw Gary, I'd be all nervous, you know you remember that,
Like I think you had family members and people kind
(28:32):
of friends of yours talking about how much they were
into Gary. No, that's right, Yeah, that's right. And I
think the show heard this response and thought, that's what's
going to make this show work is if we can
get the younger demo into whoever the Golden.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Is like a daddy, daddy yaddy, and then they just
went too far because they found him and we're like, well,
this is kind of gross.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Now, like it's like like, yeah, like I actually this man,
like he's not just like a like a hot older dude.
He's like somebody that probably wants to date thirty year
olds and that's weird now, Like this kind of mix it.
It goes from this like pure just like oh I
love that guy, to no, I think he actually would
(29:17):
be like into dating me.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
If we were to go back to pegsy this peg
segment of the episode. Though, I do want to add
that her daughter, I feel like he's just hoping her
mom's eliminated and then she could be like, oh thank god, Mom. Yeah,
I wanted to tell you, but I felt weird and
the cameras were there, but I didn't think that that guy.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Was for you.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
I know.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
We do have Debbie's hometown next, which is in Denver, Colorado.
They went to Red Rocks, which is not all that place. Yeah,
it's not far from my house, very very close to
my house in fact, and it's a beautiful place, an
incredible place to see a show. If you've never been
to Red Rocks, you should go there. This is a
moment where Debbie opens up sitting at Red Rocks about
(30:13):
her last relationship. She explains that her fiance Di I'd
buy suicide. You know, it has heavy on her heart.
She is excited about moving forward and very excited about
moving forward with Mel. She is excited for Mel to
meet her family. This is I think. I don't know
if these stories always have to be shared, right, It's
(30:33):
up to the individual to share stories like this, but
I do think this gave me and probably gave the
viewers a perspective into, you know, why she's on this
show and what she's excited about and what she's looking for.
I also watched it and said, Debbie, I don't want
you to get your heart hurt. It's been you know,
you've carried a guilt, she said, through this situation for
(30:58):
a while. At this stage of your life, like I
as a fan of, you want your heart to be
full and I don't know if Mel's going to give
that to you from this experience, but I hope, I
hope this opens you up to kind of do what
so many other Goldens have done and go out there
back into the dating pool because you're great and you
(31:18):
live in Denver and it's a good place. You should
go hang out with Debbie. Maybe I will, maybe i've
met her.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
I don't know, I know, I just I agree with
your sentiments there. I do feel like I got to
know her more from that. It was nice because we
knew that she has never been married. That it was
just nice to have a little insight as to like
what her last serious relationship was, and it was ten
years ago and she hasn't dated much since. And I
(31:45):
would totally understand why Debbie really deserves, she really deserves
to find love. And I really, really I'm pulling for her.
She's a good, good Golden option. Now, these ladies would
make a lot of sense in Paradise. I would be
I would be, you stoked to have a Paradise with them,
But I don't think it'll happen. No, Golden's didn't love
(32:05):
their situation in Paradise this year. You know you talked
to Kathy. Loved it well, Kathy, and she hasn't had
a great time. Kathy complained to me when we were
out in San Francisco a few weeks ago, just that
like they didn't design it for their success. They like
barely not in and out any other guys. Especially. She
was like, our dating pool was so slim. If they
(32:28):
really wanted to find guys that we would all have
found appealing. Kathy was honest, and I think she'd say
it here if she didn't already say it on my
podcast when I was recording out there with her.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
But she said.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
A lot of the women that were Golden's wanted fresh
blood coming in and not the ones from Jones cast.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Yeah. I don't know what the future of Paradise looks like,
but I do think she's a good option. The family
was honestly very easy on mel. I think part of
that is because they're just excited about her data, and
I'm imagining them being like, I just want her to
find somebody so bad. How is this beautiful, kind woman
not met somebody so anybody just like wrap her up?
(33:10):
And so this is the kind of the calling now
that she, you know, is no longer on the show.
Is if Denver is full, Denver Menver, and it's especially
full of like sixty to eighty year old dudes who
are still biking up the mountain. I live on every
day and looking good doing it and so goodness gracious boys, gents,
(33:34):
Debbie is out there and available and if you take
her on a date, I'll make this commitment now, if
you take her on a date, go to one of
my restaurants, and it's on me, like free drinks, free food,
have a good time. I just want to be able
to talk about it on almost famous podcast Famously Available. Yeah,
you can find it in our thread. It's worth listening to.
(33:56):
We're following along with Mercedes right now, who is dating
this guy named Boston guy, and she's like really into it.
We sent Dean on a date and you were there
for that. And we have a golden actually already I
don't know if it's been announced yet, but we do
have a golden that is starting to get her her
(34:17):
oil going in the dating world. On faceb weekend, they're
announcing oh there weekend, So make sure you stay tuned
for a big announcement. It's a big golden name that's
going to be out there. Some would say one of
the biggest golden names is going to be out there,
uh dating again on Famously Available, and you're going to
get to hear it all right here on the almost
(34:38):
famous podcast thread Ashley. Finally we have Cindy. I like Cindy.
I love her. She is great. She has that star
quality that kind of like glows off the screen. You
can tell her daughter's lover. Daughter's so pretty. They all
look just like her. Yeah, it's like kind of actually
like it kind of creeps you out watching it because
(34:59):
you're they're all look the same. Yeah, the one with
the red hair. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know exactly how
you're gonna look when you get older, like you are
your mom. Yeah. A really sweet hometown. I felt in Austin,
similar questions as PEG's day were asked. Mel once again
(35:20):
really had a hard time answering them. And this is
maybe where I felt like he actually did better. I
think the producer has gotten his ear after Pegs and
was like, hey, if they ask a question, you don't
have to say you're in love with them, but at
least say something like don't say good. Good is a
really hard thing to respond to. Uh. And I think
he did a better job. I don't think it was
(35:40):
like a home run.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Better because I think that his daughter or her daughter
was a little bit more approachable, said it with a
little bit more sweetness, A little less sweetness I want.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
I know PEG's daughter was more fun to watch your
mom go at him. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Yeah, Cindy's daughters all very sweet. They all like had
very similar vibes to her, like a maid, just like
kind of in warmth. And I would say that overall,
with Cindy's hometown, I was left actually more in shock
(36:18):
than leaving the conversation with PEG's sister daughter because it's
what Cindy, what he said to Cindy. Because okay, so
let's backtrack for a second. Cindy's daughter was like, Mom,
I do really like him. I'm really happy that you're
so happy. She was like, I do think my mom's
in love, and like she's just not really saying the words.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
I am a little scared about like where this is
gonna lead her.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
And after that conversation where I feel like Cindy's like
kind of trying to work like things out in her
mind and like trying to really feel like.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Okay, but like is he taking me seriously?
Speaker 3 (36:53):
Then she kind of dresses it head on at the condo,
and the condo was where I was like, she says,
I know some one will pick me. I hope I
hope it's you, because the daughter had said, like, mom,
there's like so many guys out there, you know, will
he be the one that wants.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
To be with you forever? Forever forever? We do?
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Like that statement that was like bold, and he just
she was like, I'm fine, I just want to reiterate
that I'm falling falling hard for you. Basically was saying
I'm in love with you, and he could not get
close to saying it. He's he said, he's not there yet,
(37:32):
Like he won't even say I'm falling for you because
you know, that's our world, especially, there's a difference between
falling in love and being in love. He says he
doesn't take the word love lightly because he's only been
in love once. He does not reassure her whatsoever. I
left being I don't know why I was like mad,
(37:52):
Like you can't get mad at somebody for not feeling
love back. But I guess I felt like in a
way that this woman's just being led on, and that's
why I felt sad or mad at whatever.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Yeah, it feels like it's gonna end in a heartbreak.
I think at this point, I think this show sets
us up right now I think the show wants us
to feel like, going into the final few episodes here,
that we are gonna witness heartbreak. Now. I hope that's
not how it ends for Peg or Cindy, but it
(38:24):
seems like the show has kind of walked us down
this storyline to say, Yeah, he's not there and he's
not gonna get there because he doesn't know how to
get there during this experience. Cindy is an incredible catch
as well as these other two women are. She's definitely
into him. She definitely shows that and wants to communicate
that with him. I think she's my front runner coming
(38:49):
out of this episode. But I am nervous about longevity. Yeah,
I'm nervous about the longevity of this relationship because it
just seems to me like he's either two closed off
because he thinks that's how he has to do this thing,
or he's closed off because he just doesn't feel it
with anybody. And I'm not understanding where, like, out of
those two, I don't know where he's at yet. He's
(39:11):
still thinking I want somebody in their forties. I know.
Goodness gracious, well, we do have the rose ceremony. Debbie
does go home Peg and Cindy get the roses there
in Antigua for the finale. Here we are having a
tell all, which I'm surprised by. There is a tell
all that we see aired in the previews that will
(39:34):
be interesting, especially kind of the Nicole dynamic. There After
the woman have watched it back and seen what they've said,
I'm assuming that it's going to get brought up and
it probably won't be like a very joyous conversation. Other
than that, Ashley, I am leaving this episode feeling exactly
(39:55):
like I said, This show is setting us up for
an ending that feels like heartbreak, and I just don't
love it. I don't love it at all. But we
haven't talked about our Bachelor, our Golden Bachelor League recently.
I'd love to know where you're sitting in the standings
after this last Well, I'm I think we're both out.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
Hold On, because Debbie was your final Yeah, she was
my final four.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
I'm sitting in Just let you know, I'm sitting in
three hundred and second place. That's actually doesn't sound like
the worst. No, I don't think it's that bad. Hold On,
how many are there? Do you know how many there's
like thousands. There's seven thousand people in this Okay, Oh
you beat me, You definitely beat me.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
I am at one thousand, four hundred and eighty ninth place.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
See, let's go. I just you know, I know my
Golden's better. Hey, this is This has been the recap
of Hometown's male season of The Golden Bachelor. We hope
you're watching. Share your thoughts with us. On the most
recent episode, give love to these ladies.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
They're great, Hey, Ben, Yeah, I actually realized I have
one more.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
Thing to say. Please say it.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
I thought for a minute he was going to eliminate
Cindy because of the extent of her feelings.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
I think it's a good guess he didn't. Okay, did
you not feel it during the road ceremony? Oh? Are
our producer is going? I thought so too.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Okay, Yeah, I was like, I was thinking, he's like,
this lady is getting too intent, she's yelling too much.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
I just want to get rid of this seriousness. Yeah,
but he didn't, which maybe hints at him feelings similar.
Don't you dare this? He'll be the worst look ever
for you. Hey, We'll be back next week. Breaking down
more episodes of the Golden Bachelor. Until next time. I've
been Been, I've been Ashley, Thank you, love you Bye.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
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 on our radio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Welcome to the Almost Famous Podcast. We're here today to
break down hometowns mel season of The Golden Bachelor. But
before we get going, Ashley turned on her camera and
is just absolutely glowing. I say that often, and I
need it this time and there's a reason for it. Hey,
I'm getting educated on spray tans. No, I have a
(00:26):
shoot tomorrow. Yeah. Yeah, And I guess you're surprised I've
never received the spray tan. Huh.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I am surprised, Yes, because Jared has, and you know,
Jess is in the beauty world, so I figured that
like at some point you would have gotten them.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
You know. I like, I've never done anything. I got
any I just got a haircut. But wait, does Jess
like ever do official you? Yeah, I've I've received the
furthest I've gone is micro needling. Because I enjoyed it.
That's pretty far. That's pretty enjoy the micro newdling process. Yeah,
I need to feel something then that's hilarious. She's also
(01:06):
really good. It doesn't hurt.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, it depends on like how deep you go, how
numb you are, what kind of micro dealing you're doing.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I think she just told me that studies have been
released that there is no benefit to going deeper. Actually,
there is studies out there that say the same, that
you have the same benefits with this new thing she's using. Anyways,
we're back to spraytnds. I've never gotten a spray tan.
I've never thought about it. I have wondered at moments
(01:34):
in my life. You know, a lot of no names
being named, but you know there are bachelor men out
there who look younger than when they're on the show.
There's reasons for that, you know, call it botox, hair transplants, spraytnds,
et cetera. And I've also often wondered would it be beneficial?
(01:56):
Would I enjoy that? Would I like? And I always
go back to now, I don't care enough. I don't
enjoy the spray tan process.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I only do them for reasons, like I really only
do them for work, for like a media thing, like
if I'm thinking back on things that I did it
for just leisure. I got one for the Jonas concert
over the summer for leisure.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I just really wanted to look my best.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Jared has only gotten them again for I think work reasons.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I remember is when he's going to what, yeah that work.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
He got one before going to Bachelor and Paradise when
we went back for a little vacation stint. But the
weird thing is spray tans just like they're just not enjoyable.
I would never just get them for fun because well
they are kind of expensive, but then they're very cold,
like they're basically blowing cold air on you when you're
(02:52):
doing it, and I'm like, no, no thanks. Also the
intimacy factor. There's very few people that I'm trying to
get like that undressed for, and I am a girl
that keeps my underwear on. I would ask Ben if
he kept his underwear on, but he's ever had one. Yeah,
I had one, And I would assume that guys always
(03:12):
keep their underwear on.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
I mean, I, yeah, I don't have like a lot
of like shyness. I guess, so I don't know what
I would do.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I think, Wait, you don't have a lot of shot,
and you don't the guy.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
In the locker room that's just like walking around naked.
You are, Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Jared is definitely not the guy that walks around naked.
There's two types of guys, one that just like, yeah,
it's fun.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
It's like a big party. Yeah, just out there now. Yeah,
we're just just doing our thing. Oh my gosh, I'm
so private about that stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
It's my GUYO and Jared and nobody else, not even
my sister, has seen me like fully naked.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
It's not like I'm like out there in public, you know,
flipping it around. It's public. It's a locker room. Yeah,
but it's like, no, you don't enter into a locker
room being like, oh, this is like a really like
you know, cautious space for us not to shower, clean up,
like do our thing. Like we're all dudes here. Nothing's
going to surprise anybody else. The more like, I'm naked
(04:16):
and unashamed, so let's be friends and shake hands.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
He could be on Naked and Afraid, Ben, that's a show.
I'm sure you'd be able to get on.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, I'd have no problem. I'd love it, I do.
You know, it's not as much and we'll wrap this
up here. I know some people out there listening are
probably this is ridiculous. It's not as much to me,
you getting it. It is the person. And I know
a few that do it professionally. Yeah, And I have
always thought, In fact, I think I asked just this
(04:44):
after her last one. I said, so, like this person
that you get it from is seeing like eight Huci
coucies a day, and it's like getting up in there,
like that's a wild job. There's not many job out
jobs out there except being a guy.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
No.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, that you know, voluntarily expose yourself to whatever anybody
else is flaunting. It's very weird to me. It seems
very intimate.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
It is intimate, for sure, because you're just because the
weird thing about spread hands is that you're just standing
there oftentimes like hunged over and cold, and you're just naked,
standing there like just with your arms out and your
legs out, and it's just like weird. But what's even
an occupation that I can't imagine even more is waxing. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I think these two came up in conversation I remember
with my wife and I was like, these are two
very odd professions and now you make great money. It's
it's a really like needed thing. AI really can't take
it over. So your job security is very safe. I
respect it in so many ways. It just feels it
(05:56):
just feels odd. You have to be one of those
people that kind of bring the energy of like come on,
I don't care because if there was any like whoa
like comments, which I'm sure at times, like you know,
there's a shock factor to what you know these people
are seeing, then it just really backfires and then the
person's ashamed, they're embarrassed the person doing it, it's grossed out.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
I think I'm the person that would like never get
used to seeing naked bodies.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yeah, that's there's a unique human out there that does
it every day all day.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
And I think about, like, those are nice boobies. I'm
glad I don't have those boobies.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I remember being in the locker room, like you know,
the YMCA as a kid, using the public pool and
thinking and being like, oh my god, those are big, flat,
long boobies, or those are some big nipples, and like
all those thoughts you were at the YMCA.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
It wasn't exactly probably the demo that was like showing
off anything under a certain age range. You know, it's
the final thought here. There's two things. I have one
story about this, you know, I think we had a
spray tanner come up to our house at like late
one night. It was like nine to thirty. Yeah, that's primetime, Yeah,
(07:12):
primetime spray Tan. And I was like, okay, so they're
gonna do this. They had to go somewhere else after this,
and they're gonna go home and go to bed like
thirty minutes after seeing a naked human standing in front
of them. That's crazy. Like I don't, like I'm married.
That doesn't happen to me very often, even like that's
not how my life works all the time. It's very interesting.
(07:34):
I did. Jess always tells the story. It's funny. We
had just gotten married. She I don't know if it
was of SPRAYTN, like post wedding or whatever. Anyways, I
get up one morning and I'm making the bed and
her side of the bed is like this yellow orange. Yeah,
and I like stripped the sheets and threw them in
(07:57):
the wash. And I came downstairs and she was sitting
at the time, and she laughs at this story, and
I said, hey, hon, like you can tell me did
you pee the bed last night? I was serious, like,
I was very like, I have no clue what this
could be, but it looks like you just like let
loose in bed. And I want to let you know
one why two It's okay, but we need to figure
(08:21):
this out. Oh my goodness, yeah, wow, you're here. Funny.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I'm thinking of so many different things that are not
suitable for work, and this does technically work. But I
do have one more question refer for you, and then
we'll rob the conversation because I know you're a massage guy.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
You get fully naked for massages every well, yes, I
do go to this place that is like quick and
it's a walking and you have to leave your clothes on.
It's just a quick massage, you mean, just like a
place at the mall. Yeah, it's like it literally isn't
a mall. And you walk in and you're like, do
you have any like openings for the next time. I
love those places. It's amazing and they're like a dollar
(08:59):
a minute and you're like this so good and they
just beat me up and I leave feeling all sorts
of confused and I've snored. So I leave my clothes
fully on for that. But if I like pay for.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
A like, what's the point of taking off your boxers?
Because for me, for me, I find I feel no different.
I feel more vulnerable in my head and a little
more breezy down there. But I wouldn't feel as comfortable
with the messeuse like moving the sheet or the towel around.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
It's where you and I differ. I'm like, not a problems.
It's more your issue than mine.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Ben, You like, are really confident with your package.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
I'm just I like to relax, and so if I'm
going to relax, I relax more with my underwear on. No,
there's there's a freedom and coming in how we were
born and allowing that to take over you. I am
most comfortable with how I came into the world. It's
also how I go to sleep at night, and it
(09:58):
will be how I leave the world. I mean that
might be my cast what who knows?
Speaker 3 (10:03):
That's how you're going to leave the world. Do you
think you're gonna die when you're naked? How often are
you naked? That's actually my final question.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I might request it if I'm going to spend that
much time laying on my back, like, at least allow
me to be free doing it. Jared and I do
not walk. We don't like we are like we don't
like walk.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Around naked and very very infrequently like well like you know,
like he'll pull up his underwear in front of me
and stuff like that. But like it's very beyond it's
not much beyond that. I feel like, are you just
walking around your house naked?
Speaker 2 (10:35):
A lot? I feel like I do. I've never really
thought about that way. I just feel like, yeah, I'm home.
I'm comfy. In fact, now that you say that, like
at some point I have to stop, right, we have kids, now,
Like that was you know, going to have to stop? Yeah?
I mean, goodness, gracious, there's many my glass of water
(10:57):
before bed. But I do know our brisken see in
our kitchen, so that actually could be a problem. There's
a lot to think about it.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Don't even know if you're being like funny right now
and you say, like your neighbors, that's so funny, Like,
I like love knowing more about you and learning more.
This doesn't really surprise me.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Yeah, I don't know why you're surprised content.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
So I'm glad that you're talking about it. I will
tell a story now this should be a headline.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Okay, maybe it will be. Let's see where it goes.
All right.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
It's hilarious because a couple of years ago, when Jared
and I were on The Bachelor in Paradise for our
little you know, Stint. One of the producers had like
a three or two and a half three year old
at the time, and he was good fronts with him,
and he showed us this video of his son seeing
(11:50):
him in the bathroom and saying he was like, WHOA,
daddy's penis is a big pena like that so funny.
So this week, Jared for the first time peace in
front of Dawson because Dawson has to pay. And then
Jared goes, I'm gonna go and pee, and right after
you and I am down the hall and I hear
(12:10):
the funniest thing, And I'm just so glad that I
was present for this moment and Jared doesn't mind me
sharing because of the obvious Dawson goes, WHOA, that's a
big penis.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
That's a huge penis. Yeah, there's a level of that, like,
and I'm sure Jared was like, hey man, like cool,
but also like you know, Jared walked out of there
about an inch tall.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Oh one, Like I saw the visible difference in his posture.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Oh He's like, I got it. Like that's cool. Like
because of the opposite.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Could you imagine You'd be like, Daddy, your peenis is
the same size as a penis.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
That would be fantastic. That that would make my life
If that's the story that was told there, I'd be like,
this is.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
You think that story would be being told on the airwaves?
Speaker 2 (13:03):
That would be that would be like a buddy story
that is told on a golf trip that like our friend.
Would it be told?
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Yeah, like guys, when we were together, like you guys
poor you know we this. You have to hear what
my son said to me, I'd be like, that is fantastic,
Like that dude, that kid gets it. This is an
amazing way to start an episode about hometowns with mel.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
You know, this episode was so bland, we just had
to spice it up with this intro conversation.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Yeah, we shouldn't record at night. I feel like when
we recorded at night, we've had too much happened during
the day and it's kind of just like everything's thrown
out there. Oh, I think it's the opposite. I think
we're more entertaining at night. Yeah, And honestly, you know this,
like I have Jessica and I can ask her everything,
but I ask you a lot of things too about
(14:02):
you know, how life works, and because like you are
a trusted voice in my life, and so this if
you and I were together having dinner, this would be
a conversation that we would one hundred percent have. I'd say, Ashley, Jessica,
get spray tans. Tell me how your experience with spray tans.
There's a lot to this, but let's jump into the episode.
(14:22):
I kind of disagree with you. I came into this
episode forcing myself. So I wake up in the morning, Ashley,
and recently I've been wake up in the morning and
I say a prayer to myself. I say, walk into
the world today with a loving spirit. That's what I've
been saying for the last couple of weeks, just the
last a couple of weeks, because I was getting angry
and it wasn't fun. So today I woke up and said,
(14:44):
step into the world with a loving spirit. Had a meeting.
Then the episode comes out. I watched the episode and
I said, Ben, try to look at this with eyes
that are positive, because you've been very negative this season,
and maybe the negativity isn't how everybody feels. There's still
a half million people watching this show. Just a half
a million, yeah, holy mail a little bit more. It's
(15:08):
not very good. Holy shit, it's not good.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I mean half my Instagram reels okay, a third of
my Instagram reels get higher views than that.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yeah, I mean there's there's a precedent to this. I'm
actually going to look up right now the ratings from
last week's episode. I can tell you exactly how many,
just in case I got it wrong. I don't. I
don't want to spread false news here. Okay, this is
according to TV series or TV series finale dot com
(15:38):
on ten to fifteen, which was last week's episode. Oh
I was wrong, Oh thank goodness, two point one million
viewers is actually up twelve Yeah, it was actually up
twelve percent from the week before, which was one point
nine million viewers. Okay, it's down sixty six percent. Yeah,
or from jone season areas Gary season. It's still not
(16:02):
turning heads in the ratings categories. I mean you can
read the headlines for that. So there's people watching it.
My point is, I'm gonna try to stay positive. So
here's some takeaways from a positive perspective. Then I do
have my nigatives too. I can help my positives are this.
I felt like this was the first episode that I've
been begging for it. This is the first episode where
(16:23):
I felt like we got more story from the cast members.
I know we've had sprinkling moments of story and who
they are and what they're about and what they're looking
for throughout this season, but this felt like the first
episode where I got the familiar sit down, tell me
your life story, and then mel you respond, ask the
(16:44):
questions that are appropriate in the moment. This was a
positive for me. I actually came to the row ceremony
going I enjoy all three of these women and I
understand them a little bit better because I got to
know them now. I think it's way late to be
doing this, but I will say that's a positive from
(17:04):
this episode. I will also list a positive as I
thought the families were incredible, especially the grandma who has
watched twenty years of the Bachelor franchise. That was nice.
Just she should on it. And I'm not kidding when
I say this. I know you think I'm crazy. She
(17:25):
should be on the show dating. That's the golden to me.
People would watch her that you want, Yeah, people would
watch her.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
I agree I agree, that's what I want. Okay, Okay,
those are your two positives. Okay, So my big takeaway,
it's certainly not a positive, was that this is the
first time I felt like watching this show, I wanted
somebody to feel so awful to say I'm so sorry.
(17:55):
I almost didn't want Cindy to get the rose, and
though she wanted it so bad, because I was like,
you deserve more. I don't want you to get this
rose because you deserve a love that is way better
than this man who's gonna give you. Not to say
that I didn't feel similarly with Peg and Debbie, because
(18:19):
I did. I kind of thought that all three women
standing there, guys literally males.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Ne were coming on this podcast, and if he does,
it's just gonna be you and him. Okay. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
The only reason that I didn't feel as intensely for
like them was just that I feel like they weren't
feeling as intensely as Cindy does right now. And if
they were all feeling this love that Cindy has for
I'm sure I would feel.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
The same way for all of them.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
But I was like, whichever one of you doesn't get
a rose, like think of it like not you.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Dodged a bullet. I don't think he's like a bullet.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
I just feel like there might be something more passionate
out there for you.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
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(19:37):
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(20:00):
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Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Before we dig in, because I do have some comments
on Mel. I do have some comments on the hometowns.
Let's walk through each hometown and mostly focus on the
family dynamics because that's what we saw the most of,
and I think that's what we want to see the
most of when it comes to hometowns. PEG's hometown is
in Las Vegas. That's where we start. She brings Mel
(20:33):
to the firehouse. It looks like just a really fun date.
I become more and more impressed with Peg as the
season continues. She is beautiful, she's funny, she's spirited. And
here's here's part of it. We talked about this yesterday
on the Dirty Rush podcast. There is something very attractive
(20:55):
to me about a woman who can get along with others.
I don't think there's any profession out there that speaks
to getting along with others better than being a firefighter.
You're living together, even if you have families back home.
You're sleeping in small little beds on top of each other.
It becomes a very like intimate environment. Right You're you're
(21:17):
changing you're doing. You're living life amongst others all the
time in a very high pressured, stressful job, and you're
still getting along for the most part. I find that incredible.
I find it yeah. Unique. I don't know if I
don't think I could do it and not like break down.
And so I watch this and I was like, Peg
(21:37):
is even cooler to me than she was coming into
this episode. And I liked her coming in. That was
another thing.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
I was like that PEG's too cool for him. One's
too in love with them, the other one was too
cool for him. So with Peg, I liked her hometown
because her daughter was the one that gave him a
harder time than anyone else.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I'm sorry, I why do I want him to have
a hard time? I'm the worst? Uh yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
She just was really real about the conversation that she
had with him. She was like, so, how do you
feel He's like good? How do you think of my mom?
She's nice? Like, you know, so you think you can
maybe get there with him? I don't know, like it
was he gave her, from what we saw, really flat
answers that weren't encouraging at all. And I just think
(22:25):
I think that the daughter was like, mom, you can
do better.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
I loved the first question asked, and then there he's
like good yeah, and she goes, Okay, that's what I'm
getting here. This is like, all right, well, let me
try again, and let me get a little more like
force full in my questions, a little more direct in
my questions. I you know, I watch this, there's a
(22:54):
few things that came to mind. It's one of the
few times that I haven't seen the batch protected. They
did not protect him here. They made him everything we've
been saying for the last few weeks of does he
really want to be here? Is he really in this
to find somebody? We said this before the season even started,
and it's been kind of this recurring theme. It's each
(23:15):
episode is like I don't understand what he's here for.
I don't understand what he's looking for. I understand who
he is interested in, why he's interested, Like, we don't
know anything about this guy other than he's handsome, and
the show exposed that here. I think it's very much
thrown in our faces of this guy is not an
(23:36):
open book. This dude is not going to even answer
direct questions that have been asked for It to him
by the daughter of somebody he's dating. And there's two
pass here. One is I'm I got upset with him
because I have been in this environment and it is
a very stressful time for the families. They're not only excited,
(23:58):
they're also freaking out. The families are freaking out their
mom or their daughter or their sister or whoever is
coming home with this guy after being on a show
for a few weeks, and you are there to talk
about their future and love and so even if you
aren't feeling it, mel goodness, gracious, even if you aren't
(24:20):
close to being there to make a proposal at the end,
give the families a little bit more like there's just
no warm, friendly fun et. Yeah, Like, just don't make
her have to sit there and like poke and prod
at you to get anything out of you that's reassuring
or comforting or exposing, Like I don't know, Like start
(24:44):
talking about your biggest insecurities. If you don't want to
talk about PEG, at least tell the daughter what freaks
you out and what you're afraid of just Jane's subject,
tell her something, ask her about herself and her life. Now.
The second part of that, though, Ashley is being in
this situation, I understand what Mel's trying to do. He's
(25:04):
not there, He's not even close.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
So he's trying to show that he doesn't want to
get engaged at the end of it, and he.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Doesn't want to lie, and he doesn't want to lead
people on, and he doesn't want to make empty promises
to people where he when he knows where he's at.
And so there is a side of this that I say,
good on email, like, you are trying in a very
high pressure environment to be honest and truthful and not
(25:32):
share too much information to that that could potentially hurt somebody.
I get that side and I respect that, and I
think that's probably kind of who he is in person,
Like he's very direct, but he's like slow to speak,
quick to listen. He doesn't say a lot, but when
he does say something, he means it. That is a
quality that's that I admire. My point to though, to
(25:56):
this is I think the healthier, kinder warmer reaction would
have been tell her something like give her anything.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
My feelings about Mel Guys is like just strictly who
he is as a lead and not and who he
is like as a reality TV personality and not like
who he is in person. I have no idea what
he's like in person. I have met so many people
on this show who I didn't think that I would
like because of the way that they were on TV,
(26:29):
and I really liked them in real life. Sometimes it
doesn't translate. You don't get to see the entire person.
I just like, what if I was listening, it's.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
He's not listening to us. Okay, he's not, he's not.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
My big question is actually more towards casting, where it's like,
what made you guys think.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
That this guy was lead quality?
Speaker 3 (26:53):
What did he give you an interviews? Because there must
have been so many options. Actually, this is a question
that we could actually ask, like somebody we know no
fairly often as of recent Well, yeah, I know, and
I know that I don't want to, like, you know,
we're just always beating a dead horse sometimes when it
comes to like lead casting lately, I have to.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Say, and I think I said it again last week.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
But this one feels almost different, Like I can almost
see what they were going for for everyone, but this
one doesn't make any sense to me. There's not like
one feature beyond his like face, which is a good face,
but he's not like Pierce Brosnan in his seventies.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
I think I think you can kind of see what's
happening because you look at the Great Britain Golden Bachelor
that was just released.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, there's a new Great Britain Golden Bachelor. Oh my gosh,
the Golden Bachelor.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Okay. And I think at some point the consultants on
this show said, you need to find the most handsome
person over sixty or close to sixty that you can
possibly find. That's what's going to bring in the crowd.
And I think they show got a little too obsessed.
(28:10):
I do, and I think they got the wrong message
and they didn't actually ask the fans when you had
this kind of era after Gary, where younger people were like,
I'd marry Gary. Gary's hot. I love Gary. If I
saw Gary, I'd be all nervous, you know you remember that,
Like I think you had family members and people kind
(28:32):
of friends of yours talking about how much they were
into Gary. No, that's right, Yeah, that's right. And I
think the show heard this response and thought, that's what's
going to make this show work is if we can
get the younger demo into whoever the Golden.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Is like a daddy, daddy yaddy, and then they just
went too far because they found him and we're like, well,
this is kind of gross.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Now, like it's like like, yeah, like I actually this man,
like he's not just like a like a hot older dude.
He's like somebody that probably wants to date thirty year
olds and that's weird now, Like this kind of mix it.
It goes from this like pure just like oh I
love that guy, to no, I think he actually would
(29:17):
be like into dating me.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
If we were to go back to pegsy this peg
segment of the episode. Though, I do want to add
that her daughter, I feel like he's just hoping her
mom's eliminated and then she could be like, oh thank god, Mom. Yeah,
I wanted to tell you, but I felt weird and
the cameras were there, but I didn't think that that guy.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Was for you.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
I know.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
We do have Debbie's hometown next, which is in Denver, Colorado.
They went to Red Rocks, which is not all that place. Yeah,
it's not far from my house, very very close to
my house in fact, and it's a beautiful place, an
incredible place to see a show. If you've never been
to Red Rocks, you should go there. This is a
moment where Debbie opens up sitting at Red Rocks about
(30:13):
her last relationship. She explains that her fiance Di I'd
buy suicide. You know, it has heavy on her heart.
She is excited about moving forward and very excited about
moving forward with Mel. She is excited for Mel to
meet her family. This is I think. I don't know
if these stories always have to be shared, right, It's
(30:33):
up to the individual to share stories like this, but
I do think this gave me and probably gave the
viewers a perspective into, you know, why she's on this
show and what she's excited about and what she's looking for.
I also watched it and said, Debbie, I don't want
you to get your heart hurt. It's been you know,
you've carried a guilt, she said, through this situation for
(30:58):
a while. At this stage of your life, like I
as a fan of, you want your heart to be
full and I don't know if Mel's going to give
that to you from this experience, but I hope, I
hope this opens you up to kind of do what
so many other Goldens have done and go out there
back into the dating pool because you're great and you
(31:18):
live in Denver and it's a good place. You should
go hang out with Debbie. Maybe I will, maybe i've
met her.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
I don't know, I know, I just I agree with
your sentiments there. I do feel like I got to
know her more from that. It was nice because we
knew that she has never been married. That it was
just nice to have a little insight as to like
what her last serious relationship was, and it was ten
years ago and she hasn't dated much since. And I
(31:45):
would totally understand why Debbie really deserves, she really deserves
to find love. And I really, really I'm pulling for her.
She's a good, good Golden option. Now, these ladies would
make a lot of sense in Paradise. I would be
I would be, you stoked to have a Paradise with them,
But I don't think it'll happen. No, Golden's didn't love
(32:05):
their situation in Paradise this year. You know you talked
to Kathy. Loved it well, Kathy, and she hasn't had
a great time. Kathy complained to me when we were
out in San Francisco a few weeks ago, just that
like they didn't design it for their success. They like
barely not in and out any other guys. Especially. She
was like, our dating pool was so slim. If they
(32:28):
really wanted to find guys that we would all have
found appealing. Kathy was honest, and I think she'd say
it here if she didn't already say it on my
podcast when I was recording out there with her.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
But she said.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
A lot of the women that were Golden's wanted fresh
blood coming in and not the ones from Jones cast.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Yeah. I don't know what the future of Paradise looks like,
but I do think she's a good option. The family
was honestly very easy on mel. I think part of
that is because they're just excited about her data, and
I'm imagining them being like, I just want her to
find somebody so bad. How is this beautiful, kind woman
not met somebody so anybody just like wrap her up?
(33:10):
And so this is the kind of the calling now
that she, you know, is no longer on the show.
Is if Denver is full, Denver Menver, and it's especially
full of like sixty to eighty year old dudes who
are still biking up the mountain. I live on every
day and looking good doing it and so goodness gracious boys, gents,
(33:34):
Debbie is out there and available and if you take
her on a date, I'll make this commitment now, if
you take her on a date, go to one of
my restaurants, and it's on me, like free drinks, free food,
have a good time. I just want to be able
to talk about it on almost famous podcast Famously Available. Yeah,
you can find it in our thread. It's worth listening to.
(33:56):
We're following along with Mercedes right now, who is dating
this guy named Boston guy, and she's like really into it.
We sent Dean on a date and you were there
for that. And we have a golden actually already I
don't know if it's been announced yet, but we do
have a golden that is starting to get her her
(34:17):
oil going in the dating world. On faceb weekend, they're
announcing oh there weekend, So make sure you stay tuned
for a big announcement. It's a big golden name that's
going to be out there. Some would say one of
the biggest golden names is going to be out there,
uh dating again on Famously Available, and you're going to
get to hear it all right here on the almost
(34:38):
famous podcast thread Ashley. Finally we have Cindy. I like Cindy.
I love her. She is great. She has that star
quality that kind of like glows off the screen. You
can tell her daughter's lover. Daughter's so pretty. They all
look just like her. Yeah, it's like kind of actually
like it kind of creeps you out watching it because
(34:59):
you're they're all look the same. Yeah, the one with
the red hair. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know exactly how
you're gonna look when you get older, like you are
your mom. Yeah. A really sweet hometown. I felt in Austin,
similar questions as PEG's day were asked. Mel once again
(35:20):
really had a hard time answering them. And this is
maybe where I felt like he actually did better. I
think the producer has gotten his ear after Pegs and
was like, hey, if they ask a question, you don't
have to say you're in love with them, but at
least say something like don't say good. Good is a
really hard thing to respond to. Uh. And I think
he did a better job. I don't think it was
(35:40):
like a home run.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Better because I think that his daughter or her daughter
was a little bit more approachable, said it with a
little bit more sweetness, A little less sweetness I want.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
I know PEG's daughter was more fun to watch your
mom go at him. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Yeah, Cindy's daughters all very sweet. They all like had
very similar vibes to her, like a maid, just like
kind of in warmth. And I would say that overall,
with Cindy's hometown, I was left actually more in shock
(36:18):
than leaving the conversation with PEG's sister daughter because it's
what Cindy, what he said to Cindy. Because okay, so
let's backtrack for a second. Cindy's daughter was like, Mom,
I do really like him. I'm really happy that you're
so happy. She was like, I do think my mom's
in love, and like she's just not really saying the words.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
I am a little scared about like where this is
gonna lead her.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
And after that conversation where I feel like Cindy's like
kind of trying to work like things out in her
mind and like trying to really feel like.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Okay, but like is he taking me seriously?
Speaker 3 (36:53):
Then she kind of dresses it head on at the condo,
and the condo was where I was like, she says,
I know some one will pick me. I hope I
hope it's you, because the daughter had said, like, mom,
there's like so many guys out there, you know, will
he be the one that wants.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
To be with you forever? Forever forever? We do?
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Like that statement that was like bold, and he just
she was like, I'm fine, I just want to reiterate
that I'm falling falling hard for you. Basically was saying
I'm in love with you, and he could not get
close to saying it. He's he said, he's not there yet,
(37:32):
Like he won't even say I'm falling for you because
you know, that's our world, especially, there's a difference between
falling in love and being in love. He says he
doesn't take the word love lightly because he's only been
in love once. He does not reassure her whatsoever. I
left being I don't know why I was like mad,
(37:52):
Like you can't get mad at somebody for not feeling
love back. But I guess I felt like in a
way that this woman's just being led on, and that's
why I felt sad or mad at whatever.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Yeah, it feels like it's gonna end in a heartbreak.
I think at this point, I think this show sets
us up right now I think the show wants us
to feel like, going into the final few episodes here,
that we are gonna witness heartbreak. Now. I hope that's
not how it ends for Peg or Cindy, but it
(38:24):
seems like the show has kind of walked us down
this storyline to say, Yeah, he's not there and he's
not gonna get there because he doesn't know how to
get there during this experience. Cindy is an incredible catch
as well as these other two women are. She's definitely
into him. She definitely shows that and wants to communicate
that with him. I think she's my front runner coming
(38:49):
out of this episode. But I am nervous about longevity. Yeah,
I'm nervous about the longevity of this relationship because it
just seems to me like he's either two closed off
because he thinks that's how he has to do this thing,
or he's closed off because he just doesn't feel it
with anybody. And I'm not understanding where, like, out of
those two, I don't know where he's at yet. He's
(39:11):
still thinking I want somebody in their forties. I know.
Goodness gracious, well, we do have the rose ceremony. Debbie
does go home Peg and Cindy get the roses there
in Antigua for the finale. Here we are having a
tell all, which I'm surprised by. There is a tell
all that we see aired in the previews that will
(39:34):
be interesting, especially kind of the Nicole dynamic. There After
the woman have watched it back and seen what they've said,
I'm assuming that it's going to get brought up and
it probably won't be like a very joyous conversation. Other
than that, Ashley, I am leaving this episode feeling exactly
(39:55):
like I said, This show is setting us up for
an ending that feels like heartbreak, and I just don't
love it. I don't love it at all. But we
haven't talked about our Bachelor, our Golden Bachelor League recently.
I'd love to know where you're sitting in the standings
after this last Well, I'm I think we're both out.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
Hold On, because Debbie was your final Yeah, she was
my final four.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
I'm sitting in Just let you know, I'm sitting in
three hundred and second place. That's actually doesn't sound like
the worst. No, I don't think it's that bad. Hold On,
how many are there? Do you know how many there's
like thousands. There's seven thousand people in this Okay, Oh
you beat me, You definitely beat me.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
I am at one thousand, four hundred and eighty ninth place.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
See, let's go. I just you know, I know my
Golden's better. Hey, this is This has been the recap
of Hometown's male season of The Golden Bachelor. We hope
you're watching. Share your thoughts with us. On the most
recent episode, give love to these ladies.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
They're great, Hey, Ben, Yeah, I actually realized I have
one more.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
Thing to say. Please say it.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
I thought for a minute he was going to eliminate
Cindy because of the extent of her feelings.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
I think it's a good guess he didn't. Okay, did
you not feel it during the road ceremony? Oh? Are
our producer is going? I thought so too.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Okay, Yeah, I was like, I was thinking, he's like,
this lady is getting too intent, she's yelling too much.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
I just want to get rid of this seriousness. Yeah,
but he didn't, which maybe hints at him feelings similar.
Don't you dare this? He'll be the worst look ever
for you. Hey, We'll be back next week. Breaking down
more episodes of the Golden Bachelor. Until next time. I've
been Been, I've been Ashley, Thank you, love you Bye.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcasts on
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Hosts And Creators
Ben Higgins
Ashley Iaconetti
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