December 11, 2025 • 21 mins
Ben and Ashley’s hang with Cindy Cullers from Mel Owens’ season of The Golden Bachelor continues!
We ask Cindy the burning questions and find out what would have happened if she had been given a “promise ring” from Mel after receiving his final rose.
And… could we see Cindy on Paradise? Or as our next Bachelorette??
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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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):
We are back, so let's die back in.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
There was a lot of.
Speaker 4 (00:11):
Confusion I think here between Ashley and myself on Mel It.
You know, you just have a picture of him like
that guy is very handsome and he was kind, very
kind to the contestants. But I don't quite understand how
you could feel anything for him because.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Watching it and this is it.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
I don't want to, Oh, I don't want this to
sound like a bashing of Mel, because I don't know Mel.
And that's part of the reason We've said this many
times before. That's part of the reason why I'm so
confused on how anybody fell for him because we don't
know him. And I just watched him on my TVs
for three months, and any conversation we had it did
(00:55):
feel like you were like you or some of the
other ladies were the ones talking and he wasn't really
like giving anything to it. Was was that just the
unfortunate nature of how he came across on our TVs?
Or looking back, was he giving more like was he
actually giving anything to these conversations? I guess what I'm
(01:16):
saying all in is it felt like it was flat,
and as a result, I don't know how anybody got
to know him enough to feel anything for him.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
That's very fair. After watching the episodes back, I will
say that I personally was giving Mel grace because he
had to manage a whole bunch of women and I
didn't expect him to engage with me early on what
was and so I just said, that's just part of
(01:47):
what's happening. He's got too many women to manage. But
when it got down to hometowns in particular, and definitely
the exotic date, and he still was an observer and
not a participant, that's when it shifted for me, because
this is this is when you're you have to lean
in or get out. And also for me too, like
(02:11):
if I had just leaned out of it. You know,
we had a lot of women who just weren't leaning
in too. It goes both ways. But I was definitely
leaving leaning in and Mel continued to be continue to
be an observer. I will say that a lot of
his personality you don't really see. You know, here's my condo,
there's a door right there, and on my hometowns. The
(02:32):
producers were in the hallway and they were going to
take some be real of us walking to the elevator,
you know, hand in hand, and they left us inside
were fully miked, and they were all outside getting set up,
and they said, we'll yell to you to come out,
and Mel immediately locks all the dead bolts and flips
the lock on it and we start, you know, kissing
(02:53):
and very flirty and very fun and you know, very personal.
And you know, you don't see that. And I don't
know whether the moments that Mel had were edited or
not usable. It's unfortunate because I think there's more to them.
I think he's a very curious man. He's very intellectual.
(03:15):
I can give you another example if you want more. Yeah,
like on our tailgate what you see of my conversation
with Mel is do you like me as much as
I like you? Super flirty and super sweet. But you
didn't hear the twenty or thirty minutes before then. How
we talked about tailgates never made any sense to us
(03:37):
growing up. He was always he was in the stadium.
I was in the stadium. We're warming up for the games.
Of course, now we've been to tailgates, so they make
more sense. The bracelets that he wore in the show,
everybody made fun of, like how his bracelets grew. Those
were from a friend of his who has tailgates in
Michigan before the Michigan Games, and so instead of doing wristbands,
(04:02):
he would issue those bracelets and just that backstory. And
then at the end he's like, what else do you
want to know about me? And that's when they captured
do you like me as much as I like you?
So there's a lot that goes into the conversations that
leads to that. There was another one. I'm gonna give
you one more. It's after Oh my gosh, this was
(04:23):
after the pool party, right, and I'm noticing how hyper
sexualized his behavior was. I was concerned about Nicole, of course,
It's not something that I would do start so openly
kissing in front of everybody. It wasn't just Nicole that
worried us. It was like my man would not allow
(04:46):
access to himself. So that was also in play. And
so my roommates, who I was very close to, we
help each other pick each other's outfits, and we were
early on, so I still had a plethora of gowns
left to p from, and I picked a gown that
was just strapless. It had a big tie, hot pink,
but it didn't show any curves, no cleavage. It's like
(05:08):
eyes up here, buddy. And I wanted to see what
my interaction was with mel when he didn't get that
hubbahabba feeling with me right, and we did. We had
a lovely conversation about his boys, about his ex wife's wedding,
and that's when I asked him about, you know, do
you read any books? What do you like to read?
(05:29):
And we had that conversation about books. So you don't
see the lead up to the books. You just hear
the book's conversation. That's my fault. I should have put
it on Mike, I guess, but I didn't know what
I was doing.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Well, and I think too part of that you just
mentioned it like I would have just loved for him.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
To talk about how well about.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
His ex wife's wedding, like we didn't hear any of
that backstory to him.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
Well, I think that I think that was out of
privacy for her, and I.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Think that's fair, and I've said that I think that's fair,
But I think part of that is as a result,
it just felt like we had this guy placed on
our TV screens for us to get to know, yet
we couldn't get to know him because there were so
many boundaries to even infiltrate who he is as a human,
what he actually likes, what he believes in, you know,
(06:21):
what happened in his divorce. So I think it was
a mixture of things. I don't I've never thought he
was a bad man. I just think it was a
bad environment for somebody like him to be in as
the lead.
Speaker 5 (06:35):
Can I ask you a question, how much of that
do you feel is generational?
Speaker 4 (06:40):
I think there's a hesitancy. I think it's generational. You know,
like knowing my father or my father in law, right,
they would be very similar to mel on that show.
They would be nervous, closed off, not knowing how to navigate,
you know, the environment. I also think a little bit
(07:02):
of it is Cindy is his lack of experience, and
that's not his fault. It is coming from the show.
Then going into the lead position, I think that helps
because you know what's needed, what should be said, what
things you're good about saying and not saying. You know,
I know we're going to ask you in a bit
(07:23):
so you don't answer it now, But like if you
became our next Golden Bachelorette, which we sure hope happens,
you're going to be a lot more skilled, know it
or not, because of your time on that show, then
you would have been. If you just came out of
nowhere and we're the lead, you'd just be better at it.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
You would talk better, you would say, you.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Would communicate easier, you'd be less nervous, those type of things.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
Yeah, I agree. I think that even looking at how
he handled hometowns from this season, you know, going into it,
if he had been a participant in Jones season, for example,
he would have understood the magnitude of meeting someone's family
in a different way and may have gotten out of
(08:04):
the observer into the participant role. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
I like the way that you put it, observer versus participant.
I also loved your self worth through this entire thing.
Some of the lines that you said, I know someone
will pick me, I hope it's you, or I don't
think I need to convince a man to love me.
I just loved hearing you stand up for yourself and
(08:32):
love yourself throughout the entire thing. And one of the
things that I think was very frustrating as a viewer.
I mean, to a certain degree, the bats are always
has to stay a little more hush hush as to
what his decisions are going to be down the road.
He was very focused on you going to the fantasy suite. Ultimately,
(08:55):
this was something that you decided not to do because
you just felt like it wasn't there or it wasn't
coming fast enough. Just you know, the it's not aus
of your relationship.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Thanks for the clarification, Ashley, Yeah, yeah, So what do
you think he was wanting to get across to.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You in the fantasy suite that it would have been
that big of a deal, or in my opinion, I
think he just was like shocked that you were kind
of leaving him, and his ego needed you to stay
long so that he could kind of make the decision
to dump you.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
I don't think he was gonna I don't think he
was going to dump me. And I know there's a
narrative out there that it was always peg and I've
got some examples there to share with you. But you know,
here's what Mail was very his ego was bruised. I
won't say he's hurt, because I think his ego was
definitely bruised, and you could tell that by how he
behaved it after the final rows. Yeah, came out me
(09:54):
pretty harsh. If you look my cheek, that cheek. I
was sitting on the corner of the couch. I was
scouting as far away from him as I could because
he was just very aggressive with me. That was inappropriate
for any reason. But I understand his analogy. I should
stay to the end. But here's the alternative. I didn't
(10:16):
want to get to the point where he offered me
the Fantasy Suite and then I declined it. Maybe that
would have made for better TV, but I was being
a little bit more compassionate for that man for kind
of telling him where I was before he laid that
out on the line. But there was no way you
were going to put me in a compromising permit position
(10:37):
to go to the Fantasy Suite to hear what what
exactly was he going to tell me? If he couldn't
string together a sentence with more than four or five
words about anything, I'm not sure I have much faith
in what he could possibly have told me the Fantasy suite,
And there's a lot at stake. Listen, I'm a mother,
(10:58):
eventually I'm going to be a grandmother. I'm a friend,
I'm a sister, I'm a daughter. Going to the Phantasy suite.
Even if nothing happens, You're going to have to answer
to that the rest of your life. And I don't
take that lightly. And I was just at a point
where I knew he was not the man for me.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
I just couldn't stand how he kept saying, you quit
before it was over, Like what, No, she was over
her jury, she ended it. Okay, that was the ending position.
She didn't quit.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
We're playing a different game.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Yeah, you laid everything out there for him, I mean,
and how it ends, Cindy, I'm interested now. I mean,
obviously he does end up with PEG.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
But.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
He didn't, you know, propose the peg. He gave her
a promise ring. Just let's play role play and say
you were there at the end and he offers you
that promise ring. With all the conversations you had had
that would you have accepted it?
Speaker 5 (12:03):
What a joke? No? I mean, I think Carol said
it best. She got a promise ring when she was fourteen,
that I was heading off into my daughter's wedding. I'm
witnessing my beloved become betrothed to a man who stood
up and committed for her. And I've said it several
times before. I'm gonna say it again because I believe
(12:24):
this is one of the biggest principles that we need
to teach each other. There's a big difference between people
who want to share time with you. Why wouldn't they
were fabulous, right, We're fun to be around. I do
a lot of great stuff and everybody would love to
share time with me. But there's a difference between someone
who will share time with me and somebody who will
commit to me. And knowing the difference is going to
(12:47):
save you a ton of heartache and a ton of
confusion years of it. And I put myself in a
position where I've let people just take my time. Nothing
wrong with that. I have another bucket for people that
I date that I just do fun things with. But
if I'm looking for a relationship, you are you are
(13:07):
not going to give this woman a promise ring you
are full of wisdom.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Also, if you had gone to the fantasy suite blah
blah blah blah, and you had gone to that ceremony,
space for the proposal. Would it have been a promise
ring that he gave you, would it have been an
engagement ring? Or would he have left you there? If
you play out the scenario in your head.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
Like, are you asking if I had a choice?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
No, what do you think it would? How would have
played out if you did decide?
Speaker 5 (13:37):
I don't think Mel has any intention on ever getting
married married. No, No, And you know I made and
when I said to him that I would move to California.
It's a little easy because my daughter lives there and
I don't have anybody who lives here in Austin. But
you know, he hasn't made He hadn't thought about what
his life would be like to change in any way
(13:58):
to make room. And it's just like I would not
have made it to that island. I think I would
have been.
Speaker 6 (14:05):
Paddling, swimming, snraclings, ubi I would I would find a
way to get off that island, to run from from
Mel as an option for my future, which.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Is another great example of how did this happen?
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Right? He and again I don't want and we've done
it over and over, but you know, he says the
things in the interview pre show and you're like, Okay,
this feels like this isn't a fit, right, And then
they had.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
To have known. These producers are not dumb. There's there.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
They're intelligent people that he didn't want to end up
in a in a marriage at the end of this
like why was this the choice they made? And that's
still confusing to me at this point, But it doesn't
change the fact that you were great and you did,
you know, put your steak in the sand and say
this is who I am, this is what I stand for, this.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Is what I'm going to do and not do.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
And ultimately it did end up with you leaving. But
our producer and Ashley and myself are convinced Cindy that
you're not going to be single for long, that they're
going to be people. They probably already are. They've probably
been this way for years searching after you. Are you
out there actively dating? Has there been dates since the show?
(15:23):
I guess is where I'll stop first, and then that's
going to lead me into well, what's next.
Speaker 5 (15:28):
I have been entertaining the idea of dating. I've had
a couple of dates. I also believe that this is
being single is a precious Season two and God has
me here. I'm here for a reason, has that church
on Sunday. And there was a gentleman next to me
who was kind of man spreading and I'm like, hey,
(15:51):
stranger over here, let that leg over, and like he
was talking to his family, just kind of in an
outdoor of waite at church. And I remember thinking, these
are the annoying things about being in a relationship I
don't have to deal with. And there is a blessing
about being single and having these choices that I have.
(16:13):
And I don't know that we need to spend our
life fervently seeking a relationship. I think my man is
fervently going to look for me, and I hope he's
he's building a big life and not spending all of
his energy looking for me, and norm will I spend
all my energy looking for him. I believe it. It
will happen if it's mean to If not, I mean,
(16:35):
I love a great life. I've got a great family,
great friends, and no, I just I feel very grateful
that your follow up question.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Yeah, if obviously this year Paradise.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Invited Golden's down, but then you also have this thing
that we don't know if it's going to exist or not.
As we mentioned the Golden Bachelorette, would you say yes
to both those if those are provided and those opportunities
came in front of you, or do you say no
to both?
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Or yes to one no to the other.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
I've had a blast with everything I've done with this season.
Everybody has been fantastic. I have had such a blast.
And I started this year twenty twenty five with a
motto just to say yes, right, and I had found
myself in previous years and this there's some more wisdom
for you, this mommy wisdom. They call me Mama Colors
(17:29):
for a reason because I give too much advice. I
started putting that. I started putting things off, like, hey,
do you want to join us? And believe this year
we're taking a family trip. Well it's kind of a
bad time for me. Maybe next year. Hey do you
want to go? Well, I don't know. This weekend's not good.
What about next? I was putting off some fun things
(17:50):
and in January I just made an agreement with the
universe and God to say yes. And that's kind of
where I am. It's led to the most fun things.
This gold and Butscher was a blast and we had
met such great friends and had such a great experience.
So I'm just going to continue to say yes. And
you know, there's opportunities that are brought to me, there
would be a reason for them, and I'm just going
(18:14):
to continue to say yes to the universe for what
that holds.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
I love that I've done that in phases of my
life as well.
Speaker 5 (18:21):
It is don't do it anymore. Just say yes, man,
just big bold yes. Capital.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
When you watch the show back, did you feel that
he ended up with the right person, that like Peg,
is better suited for him, or do you feel like
she was the more the choice that perhaps put less
pressure on him.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
I want Meil to be extraordinarily happy. I do. I
think that he will end up a different person in
a relationship with Peg than he would with me, and
I think he could find a happiness with both. But
I think that this is this is kind of more
of what he's looking for, more like, oh, it doesn't matter,
(19:12):
let's just you know, get to know each other. And
and so I think this is probably ended up exactly
the way it needed to. I know it did for me.
This ended up exactly the way it needed to.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Kay, that's my final question for you is you sit
there today you know you're still in the midst of it.
It is fun that you're getting to know some of
the past women from the show and they're amazing.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
And are you happy you did it, I guess is
my question.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Yes, absolutely absolutely, this was such a fabulous experience. I'm
happy I did it for a lot of reasons, for
all those that you mentioned, for the people that I've
met along the way, including today. You guys are awesome
what you know, amazing souls and spirits I've been able
to meet along the way. Had a great time in
the mansion. Although I'm really excited about the renovations. We
(20:04):
sure need them. But not just that I learned more
about myself going through here, going through this process. My
kids learned about me. My friends I think see me differently.
There's just blessings that pop out all the time that
are that are unexpected, and it's been great.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
We love getting to know you more through this interview.
You've lived up and beyond as to what we thought
you were based on TV.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
They're so sweet. Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
Yeah, and goodness, gracious, Cindy, I really hope your story
on our TVs is not done. But I also hope
you find somebody they find you outside of that show.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
That's my hope.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
It's a pleasure having you here, and we appreciate you,
we respect you, and thank you for being who you are.
This has been the Almost Famous podcast and I've been.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
Been, I've been Ashley, and I've been grateful and let's go.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
That's a first.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
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):
We are back, so let's die back in.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
There was a lot of.
Speaker 4 (00:11):
Confusion I think here between Ashley and myself on Mel It.
You know, you just have a picture of him like
that guy is very handsome and he was kind, very
kind to the contestants. But I don't quite understand how
you could feel anything for him because.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Watching it and this is it.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
I don't want to, Oh, I don't want this to
sound like a bashing of Mel, because I don't know Mel.
And that's part of the reason We've said this many
times before. That's part of the reason why I'm so
confused on how anybody fell for him because we don't
know him. And I just watched him on my TVs
for three months, and any conversation we had it did
(00:55):
feel like you were like you or some of the
other ladies were the ones talking and he wasn't really
like giving anything to it. Was was that just the
unfortunate nature of how he came across on our TVs?
Or looking back, was he giving more like was he
actually giving anything to these conversations? I guess what I'm
(01:16):
saying all in is it felt like it was flat,
and as a result, I don't know how anybody got
to know him enough to feel anything for him.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
That's very fair. After watching the episodes back, I will
say that I personally was giving Mel grace because he
had to manage a whole bunch of women and I
didn't expect him to engage with me early on what
was and so I just said, that's just part of
(01:47):
what's happening. He's got too many women to manage. But
when it got down to hometowns in particular, and definitely
the exotic date, and he still was an observer and
not a participant, that's when it shifted for me, because
this is this is when you're you have to lean
in or get out. And also for me too, like
(02:11):
if I had just leaned out of it. You know,
we had a lot of women who just weren't leaning
in too. It goes both ways. But I was definitely
leaving leaning in and Mel continued to be continue to
be an observer. I will say that a lot of
his personality you don't really see. You know, here's my condo,
there's a door right there, and on my hometowns. The
(02:32):
producers were in the hallway and they were going to
take some be real of us walking to the elevator,
you know, hand in hand, and they left us inside
were fully miked, and they were all outside getting set up,
and they said, we'll yell to you to come out,
and Mel immediately locks all the dead bolts and flips
the lock on it and we start, you know, kissing
(02:53):
and very flirty and very fun and you know, very personal.
And you know, you don't see that. And I don't
know whether the moments that Mel had were edited or
not usable. It's unfortunate because I think there's more to them.
I think he's a very curious man. He's very intellectual.
(03:15):
I can give you another example if you want more. Yeah,
like on our tailgate what you see of my conversation
with Mel is do you like me as much as
I like you? Super flirty and super sweet. But you
didn't hear the twenty or thirty minutes before then. How
we talked about tailgates never made any sense to us
(03:37):
growing up. He was always he was in the stadium.
I was in the stadium. We're warming up for the games.
Of course, now we've been to tailgates, so they make
more sense. The bracelets that he wore in the show,
everybody made fun of, like how his bracelets grew. Those
were from a friend of his who has tailgates in
Michigan before the Michigan Games, and so instead of doing wristbands,
(04:02):
he would issue those bracelets and just that backstory. And
then at the end he's like, what else do you
want to know about me? And that's when they captured
do you like me as much as I like you?
So there's a lot that goes into the conversations that
leads to that. There was another one. I'm gonna give
you one more. It's after Oh my gosh, this was
(04:23):
after the pool party, right, and I'm noticing how hyper
sexualized his behavior was. I was concerned about Nicole, of course,
It's not something that I would do start so openly
kissing in front of everybody. It wasn't just Nicole that
worried us. It was like my man would not allow
(04:46):
access to himself. So that was also in play. And
so my roommates, who I was very close to, we
help each other pick each other's outfits, and we were
early on, so I still had a plethora of gowns
left to p from, and I picked a gown that
was just strapless. It had a big tie, hot pink,
but it didn't show any curves, no cleavage. It's like
(05:08):
eyes up here, buddy. And I wanted to see what
my interaction was with mel when he didn't get that
hubbahabba feeling with me right, and we did. We had
a lovely conversation about his boys, about his ex wife's wedding,
and that's when I asked him about, you know, do
you read any books? What do you like to read?
(05:29):
And we had that conversation about books. So you don't
see the lead up to the books. You just hear
the book's conversation. That's my fault. I should have put
it on Mike, I guess, but I didn't know what
I was doing.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Well, and I think too part of that you just
mentioned it like I would have just loved for him.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
To talk about how well about.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
His ex wife's wedding, like we didn't hear any of
that backstory to him.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
Well, I think that I think that was out of
privacy for her, and I.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Think that's fair, and I've said that I think that's fair,
But I think part of that is as a result,
it just felt like we had this guy placed on
our TV screens for us to get to know, yet
we couldn't get to know him because there were so
many boundaries to even infiltrate who he is as a human,
what he actually likes, what he believes in, you know,
(06:21):
what happened in his divorce. So I think it was
a mixture of things. I don't I've never thought he
was a bad man. I just think it was a
bad environment for somebody like him to be in as
the lead.
Speaker 5 (06:35):
Can I ask you a question, how much of that
do you feel is generational?
Speaker 4 (06:40):
I think there's a hesitancy. I think it's generational. You know,
like knowing my father or my father in law, right,
they would be very similar to mel on that show.
They would be nervous, closed off, not knowing how to navigate,
you know, the environment. I also think a little bit
(07:02):
of it is Cindy is his lack of experience, and
that's not his fault. It is coming from the show.
Then going into the lead position, I think that helps
because you know what's needed, what should be said, what
things you're good about saying and not saying. You know,
I know we're going to ask you in a bit
(07:23):
so you don't answer it now, But like if you
became our next Golden Bachelorette, which we sure hope happens,
you're going to be a lot more skilled, know it
or not, because of your time on that show, then
you would have been. If you just came out of
nowhere and we're the lead, you'd just be better at it.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
You would talk better, you would say, you.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Would communicate easier, you'd be less nervous, those type of things.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
Yeah, I agree. I think that even looking at how
he handled hometowns from this season, you know, going into it,
if he had been a participant in Jones season, for example,
he would have understood the magnitude of meeting someone's family
in a different way and may have gotten out of
(08:04):
the observer into the participant role. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
I like the way that you put it, observer versus participant.
I also loved your self worth through this entire thing.
Some of the lines that you said, I know someone
will pick me, I hope it's you, or I don't
think I need to convince a man to love me.
I just loved hearing you stand up for yourself and
(08:32):
love yourself throughout the entire thing. And one of the
things that I think was very frustrating as a viewer.
I mean, to a certain degree, the bats are always
has to stay a little more hush hush as to
what his decisions are going to be down the road.
He was very focused on you going to the fantasy suite. Ultimately,
(08:55):
this was something that you decided not to do because
you just felt like it wasn't there or it wasn't
coming fast enough. Just you know, the it's not aus
of your relationship.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Thanks for the clarification, Ashley, Yeah, yeah, So what do
you think he was wanting to get across to.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You in the fantasy suite that it would have been
that big of a deal, or in my opinion, I
think he just was like shocked that you were kind
of leaving him, and his ego needed you to stay
long so that he could kind of make the decision
to dump you.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
I don't think he was gonna I don't think he
was going to dump me. And I know there's a
narrative out there that it was always peg and I've
got some examples there to share with you. But you know,
here's what Mail was very his ego was bruised. I
won't say he's hurt, because I think his ego was
definitely bruised, and you could tell that by how he
behaved it after the final rows. Yeah, came out me
(09:54):
pretty harsh. If you look my cheek, that cheek. I
was sitting on the corner of the couch. I was
scouting as far away from him as I could because
he was just very aggressive with me. That was inappropriate
for any reason. But I understand his analogy. I should
stay to the end. But here's the alternative. I didn't
(10:16):
want to get to the point where he offered me
the Fantasy Suite and then I declined it. Maybe that
would have made for better TV, but I was being
a little bit more compassionate for that man for kind
of telling him where I was before he laid that
out on the line. But there was no way you
were going to put me in a compromising permit position
(10:37):
to go to the Fantasy Suite to hear what what
exactly was he going to tell me? If he couldn't
string together a sentence with more than four or five
words about anything, I'm not sure I have much faith
in what he could possibly have told me the Fantasy suite,
And there's a lot at stake. Listen, I'm a mother,
(10:58):
eventually I'm going to be a grandmother. I'm a friend,
I'm a sister, I'm a daughter. Going to the Phantasy suite.
Even if nothing happens, You're going to have to answer
to that the rest of your life. And I don't
take that lightly. And I was just at a point
where I knew he was not the man for me.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
I just couldn't stand how he kept saying, you quit
before it was over, Like what, No, she was over
her jury, she ended it. Okay, that was the ending position.
She didn't quit.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
We're playing a different game.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Yeah, you laid everything out there for him, I mean,
and how it ends, Cindy, I'm interested now. I mean,
obviously he does end up with PEG.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
But.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
He didn't, you know, propose the peg. He gave her
a promise ring. Just let's play role play and say
you were there at the end and he offers you
that promise ring. With all the conversations you had had
that would you have accepted it?
Speaker 5 (12:03):
What a joke? No? I mean, I think Carol said
it best. She got a promise ring when she was fourteen,
that I was heading off into my daughter's wedding. I'm
witnessing my beloved become betrothed to a man who stood
up and committed for her. And I've said it several
times before. I'm gonna say it again because I believe
(12:24):
this is one of the biggest principles that we need
to teach each other. There's a big difference between people
who want to share time with you. Why wouldn't they
were fabulous, right, We're fun to be around. I do
a lot of great stuff and everybody would love to
share time with me. But there's a difference between someone
who will share time with me and somebody who will
commit to me. And knowing the difference is going to
(12:47):
save you a ton of heartache and a ton of
confusion years of it. And I put myself in a
position where I've let people just take my time. Nothing
wrong with that. I have another bucket for people that
I date that I just do fun things with. But
if I'm looking for a relationship, you are you are
(13:07):
not going to give this woman a promise ring you
are full of wisdom.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Also, if you had gone to the fantasy suite blah
blah blah blah, and you had gone to that ceremony,
space for the proposal. Would it have been a promise
ring that he gave you, would it have been an
engagement ring? Or would he have left you there? If
you play out the scenario in your head.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
Like, are you asking if I had a choice?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
No, what do you think it would? How would have
played out if you did decide?
Speaker 5 (13:37):
I don't think Mel has any intention on ever getting
married married. No, No, And you know I made and
when I said to him that I would move to California.
It's a little easy because my daughter lives there and
I don't have anybody who lives here in Austin. But
you know, he hasn't made He hadn't thought about what
his life would be like to change in any way
(13:58):
to make room. And it's just like I would not
have made it to that island. I think I would
have been.
Speaker 6 (14:05):
Paddling, swimming, snraclings, ubi I would I would find a
way to get off that island, to run from from
Mel as an option for my future, which.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Is another great example of how did this happen?
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Right? He and again I don't want and we've done
it over and over, but you know, he says the
things in the interview pre show and you're like, Okay,
this feels like this isn't a fit, right, And then
they had.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
To have known. These producers are not dumb. There's there.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
They're intelligent people that he didn't want to end up
in a in a marriage at the end of this
like why was this the choice they made? And that's
still confusing to me at this point, But it doesn't
change the fact that you were great and you did,
you know, put your steak in the sand and say
this is who I am, this is what I stand for, this.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Is what I'm going to do and not do.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
And ultimately it did end up with you leaving. But
our producer and Ashley and myself are convinced Cindy that
you're not going to be single for long, that they're
going to be people. They probably already are. They've probably
been this way for years searching after you. Are you
out there actively dating? Has there been dates since the show?
(15:23):
I guess is where I'll stop first, and then that's
going to lead me into well, what's next.
Speaker 5 (15:28):
I have been entertaining the idea of dating. I've had
a couple of dates. I also believe that this is
being single is a precious Season two and God has
me here. I'm here for a reason, has that church
on Sunday. And there was a gentleman next to me
who was kind of man spreading and I'm like, hey,
(15:51):
stranger over here, let that leg over, and like he
was talking to his family, just kind of in an
outdoor of waite at church. And I remember thinking, these
are the annoying things about being in a relationship I
don't have to deal with. And there is a blessing
about being single and having these choices that I have.
(16:13):
And I don't know that we need to spend our
life fervently seeking a relationship. I think my man is
fervently going to look for me, and I hope he's
he's building a big life and not spending all of
his energy looking for me, and norm will I spend
all my energy looking for him. I believe it. It
will happen if it's mean to If not, I mean,
(16:35):
I love a great life. I've got a great family,
great friends, and no, I just I feel very grateful
that your follow up question.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Yeah, if obviously this year Paradise.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Invited Golden's down, but then you also have this thing
that we don't know if it's going to exist or not.
As we mentioned the Golden Bachelorette, would you say yes
to both those if those are provided and those opportunities
came in front of you, or do you say no
to both?
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Or yes to one no to the other.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
I've had a blast with everything I've done with this season.
Everybody has been fantastic. I have had such a blast.
And I started this year twenty twenty five with a
motto just to say yes, right, and I had found
myself in previous years and this there's some more wisdom
for you, this mommy wisdom. They call me Mama Colors
(17:29):
for a reason because I give too much advice. I
started putting that. I started putting things off, like, hey,
do you want to join us? And believe this year
we're taking a family trip. Well it's kind of a
bad time for me. Maybe next year. Hey do you
want to go? Well, I don't know. This weekend's not good.
What about next? I was putting off some fun things
(17:50):
and in January I just made an agreement with the
universe and God to say yes. And that's kind of
where I am. It's led to the most fun things.
This gold and Butscher was a blast and we had
met such great friends and had such a great experience.
So I'm just going to continue to say yes. And
you know, there's opportunities that are brought to me, there
would be a reason for them, and I'm just going
(18:14):
to continue to say yes to the universe for what
that holds.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
I love that I've done that in phases of my
life as well.
Speaker 5 (18:21):
It is don't do it anymore. Just say yes, man,
just big bold yes. Capital.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
When you watch the show back, did you feel that
he ended up with the right person, that like Peg,
is better suited for him, or do you feel like
she was the more the choice that perhaps put less
pressure on him.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
I want Meil to be extraordinarily happy. I do. I
think that he will end up a different person in
a relationship with Peg than he would with me, and
I think he could find a happiness with both. But
I think that this is this is kind of more
of what he's looking for, more like, oh, it doesn't matter,
(19:12):
let's just you know, get to know each other. And
and so I think this is probably ended up exactly
the way it needed to. I know it did for me.
This ended up exactly the way it needed to.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Kay, that's my final question for you is you sit
there today you know you're still in the midst of it.
It is fun that you're getting to know some of
the past women from the show and they're amazing.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
And are you happy you did it, I guess is
my question.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Yes, absolutely absolutely, this was such a fabulous experience. I'm
happy I did it for a lot of reasons, for
all those that you mentioned, for the people that I've
met along the way, including today. You guys are awesome
what you know, amazing souls and spirits I've been able
to meet along the way. Had a great time in
the mansion. Although I'm really excited about the renovations. We
(20:04):
sure need them. But not just that I learned more
about myself going through here, going through this process. My
kids learned about me. My friends I think see me differently.
There's just blessings that pop out all the time that
are that are unexpected, and it's been great.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
We love getting to know you more through this interview.
You've lived up and beyond as to what we thought
you were based on TV.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
They're so sweet. Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
Yeah, and goodness, gracious, Cindy, I really hope your story
on our TVs is not done. But I also hope
you find somebody they find you outside of that show.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
That's my hope.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
It's a pleasure having you here, and we appreciate you,
we respect you, and thank you for being who you are.
This has been the Almost Famous podcast and I've been.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
Been, I've been Ashley, and I've been grateful and let's go.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
That's a first.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
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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