July 1, 2025 • 29 mins
Today on “Happy Hour,” we’re sitting down with Sam M. from Jenn's season and Season 10 of Bachelor in Paradise! Sam M. is making his first ever podcast appearance and he’s getting into everything “Bachelor” and more! We kick off the episode getting into his “Bachelorette” experience; he tells us what he thinks went wrong on Jenn’s season, his relationship with his close friends, and his experience as the villain of his season. We get all the tea on this closed chapter, including the last time Sam and Jenn spoke! Then, we dive into all things “Paradise”! Sam tells us how his decision came to be and he teases what we can expect to see this season! Tune in now to hear all this and more and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey, everyone, welcome back to bet your Happy Hour. I'm Joe,
I'm Serena, and we are here with Sam m from
Gen Season. He was just announced on the cast of Paradise. Sam,
Welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Hey, thanks for having me. I appreciate it, of course.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Of course. Where are you located?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Located in Merle's Inlet, South Carolina.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
It's probably fifteen minutes south of Myrtle Beach.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Okay, how far is after we got married in Charleston?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Okay, all right, so probably an hour and a half
from Charleston.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Yeah, how hot is it over there? Right now?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's hot. We've had a lot of rain recently, probably
last two weeks.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I think we've had more rain than I've seen probably
the last two years. So it's, uh, whenever the song
comes out, the humidity is way up, so it's we're
feeling it over here.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Nice. You what do you do for a living?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
So I'm a general contractor, mainly residential, so we were
home builders out here, and yeah, Mark market's good.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
We stay pretty busy doing that.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Nice.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Do you have like a busy season, like a summer
busier for you?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Guys? Honestly, there's no such thing as a slow season
with us. I think there's a lot of builders in
our area, and you just try and find the right
one that you can get in then and get in with.
And then whenever you do that, you're You're never slow.
There's always something that needs to be done around here.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Are there hurricanes by you?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
There are there's They're not as bad.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Honestly, Charleston gets them worse than us by the just
the way that the state curves in. Usually Charleston catches
the brunt of it and then by the time it
gets to us, it's just the backlash of it, which
can be tough. But I think we're due for a
pretty bad hurricane season this year.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Do you when you when it comes to building, do
you have to obviously you have to keep that in mind.
Eithery're like do you use like I don't know, like
special what what are you happening at?
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Joe has never built anything in his life, Like he
can't even like hang something on the law.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
False information.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I don't buy it. I don't know there's a code.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So depending on what we're doing, if we're just doing
handyman stuff, then there's no inspector or inspection required.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
But usually with the stuff that we do.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
There's a counting inspector that comes out and make sure
that everything is is up to date. That way, we're
not getting you know, we're not getting in trouble and
they're not getting in trouble either, So it got it all.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Works all right.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Let's uh, we'll pivot to is this your Is this
your first podcast?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
First podcast? Yeah, I appreciate it. I feel honored.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Nice. Nice, Okay, so we're gonna pivot to The Bachelor.
You're at You were on gen season. We didn't get
a chance to talk to you, so how did you
How did you make it on to that first season?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Yeah? That was It was kind of crazy. Actually.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
I think there was a moment after I had come home.
It was late one night and I saw something pop
up on Instagram. I saw it and I thought this
would be kind of wild right here. And then I
did it, and I honestly forgot all about it. And
then it was probably a month later somebody from casting
reached out to me and they said, hey, what do
you think about doing an interview? And I thought it
was a joke actually, And a few months later I
(03:17):
ended up on the show and out in LA and here.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
We are nice.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Okay, so you are I would. I mean, I think
it's safe to say you were kind of the villain
of your season up until the very end.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I think it's very safe to say yeah, yeah, I
think it's safe to say that yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Uh we yeah, we recapped the show. I feel like
we try to be fair and call it how it is.
I don't remember what we said about you. I don't
think we went in too hard, but if we did,
you know, I apologize. I do feel like there is
like people usually are never as bad as they may
(04:00):
come across on reality TV. So when your name got
mentioned for Paradise is like, I was like, that totally
makes sense, Like he's going to get a redemption story.
But I guess on Gen season what went wrong.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
I think a few things went wrong, and I think
starting with Jen and I that point, I was probably
eight months out of a failed engagement, and you don't
understand kind of the things. I don't think I processed
the situation probably the best way that I should have.
(04:35):
I kind of just I'm one of those guys that
you get knocked down and you just get back up,
and you keep going, and you keep pushing and I
don't think I ever took the time to really process
the pain that came with that. So whenever I got
stuck into a position of feeling those same feelings that
I had once felt before, I felt like I was
constantly reminded of the just the turmoil and.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Everything that had happened.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
So recently, and it really just allowed, or it didn't
allow me to be vulnerable in the way that I
wish I could have been in that moment, and even
in a few other moments, I think I was looking
for validation.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
I was looking for credibility.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
I wanted it to be something that I knew if
I put my heart out there that she would pick
it up.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
And ultimately, that's not the love that I actually believe.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
In, you know, I believe in being completely vulnerable, and
I think that's the that's the most special thing about
a relationship. So I think just being unable to see
that in the moment and in that environment is chaotic
and as stressful as it is. Uh. Yeah, I fell
super short with her towards the end of it all.
(05:39):
Everything else, I think, I'm so I'm one of five.
I've got four siblings, I've got two sisters, two brothers.
I'm the oldest, the oldest boy, and I think there's
just a level of protection that's kind of it's just
kind of been instilled in me from the you know,
from the very start of life with me. So I
think out there it's not about making friends. But also,
(06:02):
as you guys both know, in that environment, as crazy
as it is, and no outside communication with anybody, you
kind of at least for me, I had to make
friends with somebody to be able to try and I
think kind of decompress. It was a lot more stress
than I had anticipated. Having a mic on the entire
time and cameras in front of your face. You almost
feel like you couldn't even breathe to a certain extent
(06:24):
without somebody, you know, somebody looking right over your shoulder.
So I think with all of that, I made friends
out there, and just so having the friends that I
made were like with.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
With Aaron, that was that was a tough one.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
He I think the way that he went about some
things I didn't agree with. But that was also my
first roommate, so I understood his heart and where he
was at, and I knew that he was trying to
do the good thing or do the right thing and
just didn't have the I just don't think the way
that he went about of it, the way he went
about it was necessarily correct, and I just wanted him
(07:01):
to know, like, Hey, you know, I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
I've got your.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Back, and in the moment, you don't know what all
that's going to look like and how it's all going
to unfold on TV.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And kind of the same thing with Thomas.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
I know that I looked like the ring leader in
it all, but really Thomas had said something to me
the following week, which was, hey, have my back, And
I think walking through the amount of life that I
have that I've been in situations where people didn't have
my back. So it's kind of one of those things
that I do take over the top when somebody says
that to me, I want them to know like, Hey,
(07:34):
whatever this looks like, whatever this might bring, I've got you.
And ultimately that's kind of what stuck me, you know,
in the situation that it did, And it doesn't make
it doesn't make every action that I made correct, because
it definitely was, and I think my delivery can be
a bit abrasive and it just comes really from a
level of protection with with a lot of people and
(07:55):
a lot of people that I care about, and being
able to see that back on TV was something that
I I could really take a step back from and think, Okay,
I need to I need to change the change the
delivery on all of that.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Right there.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yeah, I was going to ask, where do you think
as a as a person and a future partner? Where
you have grown since Gen season?
Speaker 3 (08:19):
So I think first and foremost, I've just allowed myself
to process the pain from my past relationship with my
ex fiance. I think I was able to just understand
that sometimes that's just the way the life.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Goes, and it's not fair and it's not right.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
But you've got to you've got to maneuver through that
because I don't ever want to bleed on somebody that
didn't cut me. And that's an area that I felt
like I had and you know, in my future after that,
right there was just not being able to process my
not not even not being able to process my emotions,
just being so afraid to talk about them and let
(08:56):
people really get close to me, and fear of being hurt,
and then understanding that like the love that I want
is you know, it's not that, and I can't play
that safe card with everybody, and one day somebody will
pick up what I put down, and whenever that time comes,
then whether I get my heart broke one time or
a hundred times, it all makes sense.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
One day, did you I don't. I don't remember exactly.
But did you tell Jen that you loved her or
you were falling in love with her?
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Yes? I did?
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Do you do you? Do you think those feelings were
real or do you think you were caught up in
the moment.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
No, I don't think I was caught up in the moment.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
I think from everybody else's eyes, it definitely looks like that,
and I understand it.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I don't. I don't try and argue with anybody about that.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
I think our relationship was a lot different than what
anybody saw, and I do think the environment is definitely
everything's very enhanced, and I think it's.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
A little bit of both.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
But I think where I was at I was more
in love with the fact of the way that she
chose me, and I think the way that she looked
me was something that I always paid attention to, which
is something that I've always longed for, and so I
think a little bit of both. The feelings were definitely
real in a very enhanced situation and and yeah, so
(10:20):
it's probably a little bit of both.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
There had to have been some satisfaction with how everything
played out in regards to your feud on camera with
Devin and then his sort of post season downfall.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Yeah, you know, everything comes what.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Shore we watching, I feel like it's like a game
of throne.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You know, everything comes with the cost, And even for me,
I think not necessarily stupid down to his level. I
don't think a lot of people got to see the
way that why I reacted the way that I did,
But everything comes with a cost, and ultimately it's easy
(11:10):
to see that. Yeah, I could find satisfaction in it.
But even though the Jen and I didn't end on
great terms, for her to have to go through that, like,
I know what that's like. I know what it's like
for somebody to say all those things and then the
moment gets there and they're gone and it's it's not important.
So I think that's another thing that validated my feelings
towards her, was that the satisfaction wasn't what everybody expected
(11:33):
it to be.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
From my end, it was really more.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
I think I had a little bit more compassion with
it because I just felt so sorry for her, because
I remember myself in that moment, you know, in a
moment very similar to that of just things not adding up,
and that was I just don't wish that upon anybody.
And even like I said, even though we ended the
way that we did, I think the truth always comes
to always comes to light. You can hide hide it
(11:56):
for as long as you want, but it always comes
full swing. And unfortunately it did, and it you know,
it hurt her as well.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Have you Have you spoken to Jen since your season?
Speaker 3 (12:07):
I sent her a message after AFR and just told
her like, hey, you know, I know that we didn't
end on good terms, but you know, I just feel really,
you know, I feel awful for you and I hate
that you had to go through that, and to go
through that on live television.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Uh, and really just had no choice. Was there's a
level of.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Just helplessness out there and you could see it on
her face. I think the whole world saw it. And
for me, who doesn't, you know, I did know her.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
That sucks.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I don't I don't want to see that from anybody,
no matter what our situation might look like I just
don't wish.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
That upon anybody.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Did you respond?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
She did. She responded a few weeks later, and she
left you.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
She left you read for a for a few weeks.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
She went on vile files.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
I feel like in this world there's nothing that I
can really stay or do. Everything comes across is very disingenuous.
And I think before she ever even responded to me,
she went on bile files and I think tried to
take a crack at me for it, and and really
I just came from a place of like just sincerity.
I felt awful for it, but it's it's the way
(13:18):
the things go. But she ended up responding.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
She just said, thank.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
You, sorry, I've been busy with all this, which I'm
sure there's a there's a level of truth there, and
I think there's also a level of like she probably
saw my message like, yeah, I'm not responding to this
guy right here.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
So you know, I get it. I see it for
what it is.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Nice. Well, I mean you got you definitely seem like
you have a good head on your shoulders. I know
it's it's we all go on reality all of us
have been on reality TV. You know, I didn't experience
the level of hatred that I'm sure you did, like
you definitely in that, but it's true, like people, I
don't I don't think people realize the volume of people
(13:59):
that are giving you hate all at once. And it's
tens of thousands of people that I'm sure are sending
you d ms that are all like you know, and
I'm sure I'm sure you get some love, but a
lot of them are mean and just like it's brutal.
So then, you know, you really it would make it
make wouldn't make anyone not want to go back? Right?
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Why did you make the decision to come back on Paradise?
Speaker 3 (14:22):
I think I think I owed it first and foremost
to my to my family and my friends.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I owed it to my community and also owed it
to myself.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
That was it wasn't easy, and it wasn't easy for me,
but it really wasn't easy for my family either to
listen to what I had to say whenever I first
got back, and then to watch it all unfold on TV.
You know, I'm sitting there like, holy shit, I don't know.
I don't know what to do right now. So I
think to be able to to be able to watch that.
(14:56):
It definitely hurt. It hurt watching my mom, you know,
lose sleep at night, my brother in law loose sleep overnight.
We're the type of people that are very protective. We
all know who we are, we all know where we
come from. I think just to watch it all get
destroyed on TV was it was super tough and you
don't know what you don't know, and the filming aspect
(15:17):
of it was a lot of fun. And that's what
I think I felt bad for was that nobody else
but me got to experience that. All they got to
experience was the hate and the backlash on it. And
my friends and my family they went to war for
me the same way that I would do for them,
and that's just kind of the way that we move
out here. You know, we'll fight first and then ask
questions later. And it doesn't make it. It doesn't mean that
(15:40):
everything I did was justifiable or anything like that, but
in that moment, they did their best and they did
everything they could to make sure that they knew that
they were in my corner. So I think, coming back
to it all, I was definitely kind of betting on
myself a little bit, and I still am. Everybody did
not like the idea of me going back, and I
(16:01):
really didn't even make a decision until three days before
I flew back out to Costa Rica, just because of
there's a level in which that I can control only
so much of the way that things will be portrayed
out there. And I think putting my faith and trust
into the hands of the same people that kind of
(16:24):
twisted some things last season was something that I just
I had a tough it was a tough time trying
to swallow that pill right there. But I went back
out there bet on myself, and I think I did
a good job. I think I did, you know, I
think I did what not necessarily what I even accomplished
to do. I just feel like this will be a
time that America gets to see the person that I
(16:46):
actually am and not what they think they know.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
What was your goal going into Paradise. Did you have
like a plan or something you were like, I want
to do this differently this time, or.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Find My goal was to find find that person.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
There were some people that I was really excited to
or that you know, I was really excited to meet
on Paradise, and I think that's where my head had
to be at first, and then you know, whatever happens
from there. I can also control the you know, control
my emotions.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
A little bit more.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
And and Paradise, as you guys both know, it's it's
a different it's a different vibe out there. You're not
chained down, you're not forced to be put in these environments.
And I think that's what was so difficult for me
to first go around, was that I couldn't remove myself
from the situation, which is what I was so used
to doing. If there was ever any conflict, I just
wouldn't deal with it, and I could leave it, I
(17:45):
could leave it all. And on the Bachelorette they stick
it right in front of your face and you can
only do so much out of there. So with Paradise
also too, you know, the person that you're in a
relationship with, that's your sole priority, and is long is
that she feels you the same way that you feel her,
and there's really nothing, there's really nothing to worry about.
(18:07):
And so yeah, I think first and foremost was meeting
the people that I wanted to meet, and then second
was remembering that my friends and family back home they
didn't support me going back out here. I just wanted
to make sure that I did my best to make
things a little bit easier on them.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
You know, this next go round.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Who was on your list of people that you were
interested in meeting?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Okay, so there was only one and it was Ali
Go from Grant season.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Okay, nice.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
After the season on the Bachelorette, I didn't reach out
to anybody because you don't know what people think about you.
Some people can see reality TV, and there's a lot
of people that can't see passing.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
I think this guy's the world's biggest piece of shit.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
And and I'm like, if I saw what I saw
on TV, I would agree with you.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
I understand it. But that's also not me.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
So she was somebody that we had spoke a little
bit before Paradise and uh and she was just super
sweet and stuff, and I figured that would be a
great girl to go meet out there.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
Yeah, I could see it. I can see that.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Really, I can't really, Yeah, what do you see? That's
not what I would have. No, she's just like a
she seems like a feisty New Jersey girl and you're.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
You picture with like a sweet Southern bell.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
I mean, well, that just makes a little more sense
to me because you're, you know, from South Carolina or
you live in South Carolina and you have more of
a mellow tone to you, and but you know, opposite track, you.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Know, Yeah, I do think I do think too. People
don't know me as well as they think they do.
And honestly, the feistiness was something that I liked. I
think I want somebody that can. Usually I stay pretty
much in my place about ninety percent of the time.
But if I ever, you know, decide to wander off
the beaten path, and I need somebody that can, might
you know, smack me with the stick and say, hey,
(20:11):
you know, straighten up a little.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Bit as well. So I think there's balance to a relationship.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
I want, you know, my partner to have her voice
and understand that what she says is important, whether that's
telling me to straighten up or you know, hold her
hand or whatever it is. Like, it's just kind of
one of those things I wanted. I want the fightiness
because that's you know, also me to a to an.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Extent, was was there anyone in your family that was
like fucking go back on, like like support it, like
wanted you to give it another try.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
I think so. My in my immediate family.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
No, in my my cousin though I ran into him
honestly a few days before I was supposed to leave,
and I hadn't made up my mind yet, and I
was telling him about it, and that's exactly what he said.
He's like, dude, fuck it go. He's like, you've already
learned this. You know, you've already learned the hard way
one time. And if it happens again, you know, look
at you now, he said.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
You know, that's what he said.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
He said, you came out on you know, it was
definitely tough, he said, but you came out better. Maybe
not in the eyes of America, but you as a
man came out better and you can handle it.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
And now if it.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Happens again, like you know what to expect and anything that,
you know, if it's even better, which I couldn't imagine
going much worse, I feel like I set the bar
pretty low. So like this time around, it's kind of
one of those things, he said, you know what to expect.
If they do it, so what, and if they don't,
then it'll all be worth it.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Yeah, And the good thing about Paradise is like the
audience loves the redemption story, and rarely is it like
someone has a really rough go on Bachelor and Bachhrett
and then comes on Paradise and it goes worse. I
can't think of the time that that's happened. Hopefully, hopefully
you're not the first.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
One look at Nick Vail like there's someone who I
think he he was. I didn't watch the season, but
villain villain, Yeah, on his season, then he went to Paradise,
got a redemption story, the mad him the Bachelor, and
now he got a fucking bag for his podcast.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Like there you go, yeah, yeah, I mean it happens.
I do think that.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Different energy this time around. I was super skeptical even
walking in. You know, whenever I walked into Paradise, I
expected for there to be people that embraced me. I
expected some people to kind of hold me at an
arm's length because they didn't know what to expect. And
then I expected the other, you know, the other group
of people to be like, fuck this guy right here,
this guy sucks. And and I understand it, I really do.
(22:44):
If I saw what everybody else saw, I agree with it.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
I agree with it.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
But that's so far from who I am, and then
getting to Paradise and everybody was just so warm and welcoming.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
It just felt different.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Things just super easy to kind of move out there,
and uh, I think it'll be good this time around.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Nice. Yeah, I think that's that's That's a nice thing
about going back on one of these shows is like
everyone gets it right. Like there's a lot of people
that they don't truly, like they don't understand the filming
process and the reality TV of it all, so they
see you kind of as one person and they they
hate you. But everyone here kind of knows like, Okay,
like you know, he made he made some mistakes, doesn't
(23:30):
make them look good, but like this guy really that bad.
Like this guy is not like you called yourself the
biggest piece of shit in the world is how you
came across. But like really not really like you know,
like it's not like you weren't that bad, you know, Like,
you know.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
People keep saying that I got a tough time. I've
got a tough time believing it. And maybe that's just
me because I hold myself to a pretty high standard. Uh,
living in a small town where I do, your reputation
is everything, and having a big fan. If you don't
know me, you probably know one of my sisters. If
you don't know them, you probably know one of my brothers.
My parents graduated in this area right here too, so
(24:09):
you know my last name. There is a reputation that
I like to keep, and I think maybe that's why
I just took it such. I took it to heart
so much watching it all back, because I thought, this is,
you know, outside of embarrassing. It wasn't even somebody that
I didn't like. It was somebody that I just absolutely
hated on TV. And it makes things a little bit
difficult to try and you know, to try and convince
(24:32):
anybody otherwise.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
But but yeah, that's just that's the nature of the beast.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
If I remember correctly, your family was active on social
media and defensive view during the season. Do we expect
that this season as well? Or do we have new
boundaries in place? What's the vibes at family dinner?
Speaker 2 (24:54):
No?
Speaker 3 (24:54):
No, everything is everything is it's it's cool, calm, collected.
Think I wouldn't want to put them through what I think.
There's a level of responsibility that I had to take
with it all, and knowing that I did put them
through some of that, even though that some of it
was unwarranted, there is a level of accountability that I
had to take and watching my you know, my friends
(25:16):
and my family go to war with everybody.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
But this time around, no, it's it's just not worth
it. It's not worth the.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Well, you'll never beat the internet, right, You're just never
going to be You're just out, You're out gone for sure. No,
you never.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Exactly, it's not worth it. It's not worth it.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Also, anybody that you know wants to believe everything they
see on reality TV, it's probably somebody not really worth
arguing with. And I think that's kind of the level
that we all got to. And it doesn't mean that
you don't take what they say and try and make
yourself better.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
It just means you filter everything.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
But but yeah, so this time around, there's going to
be none of that.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Yeah. Yeah, I think I think your situation was also
a little worse too, because you know, you were you're
one of the better looking guys in the season. You
have a connection with Jen, you're kind of like.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
You're also going up against her other connection.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
And you're but you're like you're kind of like like
episode one a lot of people are looking at you
as like this is going to be the hero, this
is going to be the stop. And then when it flips,
everyone's like, ah, it's like so much worse because you
are kind of like a little bit on this pedestal.
And then it's like the fall from that, it's like, oh, it's.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
Tough, tough.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Yeah, it's how it goes. It's it's just how it goes, though.
And I learned so much, honestly about myself.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
I think in that environment right there, understanding that I
can't fight ten thousand people, you know in my DM
saying this, and that you just have to learn to
get over it and you really have to solidify into
who you are and remember to keep growing and keep pushing.
But like I said, it's just filtering everything. He had
something to say that was mean, if there was a
(27:03):
lesson in there that I could take and apply to myself,
than I would and then the rest of it I
would just throw out the door. But people's opinions and projections,
they're just like it's just not mine to carry. And
that was the point that I had to get to
and just saying this isn't worth it. Take what you
can from it, make yourself better, and then after that,
you know, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
How has the response been since the cast has been
announced and it's out there that you're going back on TV?
Oh no, oh, he's shaking his head, you know.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
So I haven't looked at I haven't looked at a
whole lot. I don't get as involved in it as
I think I did when I whenever I first got back,
because I was so excited about it all. I think
this time around, I'm more just letting, letting the cards
fall as they do, and really, nobody's going to know
anything about me, and you know, until July seventh, and
(27:55):
whenever that happens, then we'll see what the response is
like then. So for now, it's still a lot of hate,
but it's it's probably fifty to fifty now because of
you know, what Devin did and blah blah blah.
Speaker 5 (28:08):
So it's uh, yeah, yeah if if before before we
let you go, what is what is one thing you're
hoping the audience learns about Sam as a person after Paradise.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
I think that I'm just kind.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
I think that's what I want people to see, is
that I'm very kind and much more soft spoken than
what anybody knows. Also, my emotional intelligence might be a
little bit deeper than what everybody thinks as well, so
but I think ultimately it is just that I'm kind.
That's what I want people to I want people to
remember the way that they felt whenever they talked to
(28:48):
me or whenever they were around me. I think that's
kind of my what I aspire towards in life is that,
you know, how do you want to be remembered? I
want I want to be remembered as that guy that
made somebody feel good, somebody feel confident, and.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
The exact opposite of what they all saw a year ago.
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Can you give us one word that you think describes
this season of Paradise.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Messy?
Speaker 4 (29:18):
Okay, I would like to hear that.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
I'm Sam really appreciate you taking the time out. I'm
rooting for you. I hope this all goes well. Thank
you so much.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Yeah, I appreciate you, guys, seriously, thanks for having me.
This is my first podcast, so well, I'm glad it
was with you, guys.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
We were happy to have you on and you did
great and I'm sure we'll see you again soon as
the season starts there.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
I'm sure you will for sure.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
To our listeners, thank you so much for tuning in
the bet Or Happy Hour. Make sure you download and
subscribe to a podcast.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
We'll have new and exclusive interviews coming your way. Thanks
for listening. Bye,
Hey, everyone, welcome back to bet your Happy Hour. I'm Joe,
I'm Serena, and we are here with Sam m from
Gen Season. He was just announced on the cast of Paradise. Sam,
Welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Hey, thanks for having me. I appreciate it, of course.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Of course. Where are you located?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Located in Merle's Inlet, South Carolina.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
It's probably fifteen minutes south of Myrtle Beach.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Okay, how far is after we got married in Charleston?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Okay, all right, so probably an hour and a half
from Charleston.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Yeah, how hot is it over there? Right now?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's hot. We've had a lot of rain recently, probably
last two weeks.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I think we've had more rain than I've seen probably
the last two years. So it's, uh, whenever the song
comes out, the humidity is way up, so it's we're
feeling it over here.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Nice. You what do you do for a living?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
So I'm a general contractor, mainly residential, so we were
home builders out here, and yeah, Mark market's good.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
We stay pretty busy doing that.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Nice.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Do you have like a busy season, like a summer
busier for you?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Guys? Honestly, there's no such thing as a slow season
with us. I think there's a lot of builders in
our area, and you just try and find the right
one that you can get in then and get in with.
And then whenever you do that, you're You're never slow.
There's always something that needs to be done around here.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Are there hurricanes by you?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
There are there's They're not as bad.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Honestly, Charleston gets them worse than us by the just
the way that the state curves in. Usually Charleston catches
the brunt of it and then by the time it
gets to us, it's just the backlash of it, which
can be tough. But I think we're due for a
pretty bad hurricane season this year.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Do you when you when it comes to building, do
you have to obviously you have to keep that in mind.
Eithery're like do you use like I don't know, like
special what what are you happening at?
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Joe has never built anything in his life, Like he
can't even like hang something on the law.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
False information.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I don't buy it. I don't know there's a code.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So depending on what we're doing, if we're just doing
handyman stuff, then there's no inspector or inspection required.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
But usually with the stuff that we do.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
There's a counting inspector that comes out and make sure
that everything is is up to date. That way, we're
not getting you know, we're not getting in trouble and
they're not getting in trouble either, So it got it all.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Works all right.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Let's uh, we'll pivot to is this your Is this
your first podcast?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
First podcast? Yeah, I appreciate it. I feel honored.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Nice. Nice, Okay, so we're gonna pivot to The Bachelor.
You're at You were on gen season. We didn't get
a chance to talk to you, so how did you
How did you make it on to that first season?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Yeah? That was It was kind of crazy. Actually.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
I think there was a moment after I had come home.
It was late one night and I saw something pop
up on Instagram. I saw it and I thought this
would be kind of wild right here. And then I
did it, and I honestly forgot all about it. And
then it was probably a month later somebody from casting
reached out to me and they said, hey, what do
you think about doing an interview? And I thought it
was a joke actually, And a few months later I
(03:17):
ended up on the show and out in LA and here.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
We are nice.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Okay, so you are I would. I mean, I think
it's safe to say you were kind of the villain
of your season up until the very end.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I think it's very safe to say yeah, yeah, I
think it's safe to say that yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Uh we yeah, we recapped the show. I feel like
we try to be fair and call it how it is.
I don't remember what we said about you. I don't
think we went in too hard, but if we did,
you know, I apologize. I do feel like there is
like people usually are never as bad as they may
(04:00):
come across on reality TV. So when your name got
mentioned for Paradise is like, I was like, that totally
makes sense, Like he's going to get a redemption story.
But I guess on Gen season what went wrong.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
I think a few things went wrong, and I think
starting with Jen and I that point, I was probably
eight months out of a failed engagement, and you don't
understand kind of the things. I don't think I processed
the situation probably the best way that I should have.
(04:35):
I kind of just I'm one of those guys that
you get knocked down and you just get back up,
and you keep going, and you keep pushing and I
don't think I ever took the time to really process
the pain that came with that. So whenever I got
stuck into a position of feeling those same feelings that
I had once felt before, I felt like I was
constantly reminded of the just the turmoil and.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Everything that had happened.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
So recently, and it really just allowed, or it didn't
allow me to be vulnerable in the way that I
wish I could have been in that moment, and even
in a few other moments, I think I was looking
for validation.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
I was looking for credibility.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
I wanted it to be something that I knew if
I put my heart out there that she would pick
it up.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
And ultimately, that's not the love that I actually believe.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
In, you know, I believe in being completely vulnerable, and
I think that's the that's the most special thing about
a relationship. So I think just being unable to see
that in the moment and in that environment is chaotic
and as stressful as it is. Uh. Yeah, I fell
super short with her towards the end of it all.
(05:39):
Everything else, I think, I'm so I'm one of five.
I've got four siblings, I've got two sisters, two brothers.
I'm the oldest, the oldest boy, and I think there's
just a level of protection that's kind of it's just
kind of been instilled in me from the you know,
from the very start of life with me. So I
think out there it's not about making friends. But also,
(06:02):
as you guys both know, in that environment, as crazy
as it is, and no outside communication with anybody, you
kind of at least for me, I had to make
friends with somebody to be able to try and I
think kind of decompress. It was a lot more stress
than I had anticipated. Having a mic on the entire
time and cameras in front of your face. You almost
feel like you couldn't even breathe to a certain extent
(06:24):
without somebody, you know, somebody looking right over your shoulder.
So I think with all of that, I made friends
out there, and just so having the friends that I
made were like with.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
With Aaron, that was that was a tough one.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
He I think the way that he went about some
things I didn't agree with. But that was also my
first roommate, so I understood his heart and where he
was at, and I knew that he was trying to
do the good thing or do the right thing and
just didn't have the I just don't think the way
that he went about of it, the way he went
about it was necessarily correct, and I just wanted him
(07:01):
to know, like, Hey, you know, I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
I've got your.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Back, and in the moment, you don't know what all
that's going to look like and how it's all going
to unfold on TV.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And kind of the same thing with Thomas.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
I know that I looked like the ring leader in
it all, but really Thomas had said something to me
the following week, which was, hey, have my back, And
I think walking through the amount of life that I
have that I've been in situations where people didn't have
my back. So it's kind of one of those things
that I do take over the top when somebody says
that to me, I want them to know like, Hey,
(07:34):
whatever this looks like, whatever this might bring, I've got you.
And ultimately that's kind of what stuck me, you know,
in the situation that it did, And it doesn't make
it doesn't make every action that I made correct, because
it definitely was, and I think my delivery can be
a bit abrasive and it just comes really from a
level of protection with with a lot of people and
(07:55):
a lot of people that I care about, and being
able to see that back on TV was something that
I I could really take a step back from and think, Okay,
I need to I need to change the change the
delivery on all of that.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Right there.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yeah, I was going to ask, where do you think
as a as a person and a future partner? Where
you have grown since Gen season?
Speaker 3 (08:19):
So I think first and foremost, I've just allowed myself
to process the pain from my past relationship with my
ex fiance. I think I was able to just understand
that sometimes that's just the way the life.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Goes, and it's not fair and it's not right.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
But you've got to you've got to maneuver through that
because I don't ever want to bleed on somebody that
didn't cut me. And that's an area that I felt
like I had and you know, in my future after that,
right there was just not being able to process my
not not even not being able to process my emotions,
just being so afraid to talk about them and let
(08:56):
people really get close to me, and fear of being hurt,
and then understanding that like the love that I want
is you know, it's not that, and I can't play
that safe card with everybody, and one day somebody will
pick up what I put down, and whenever that time comes,
then whether I get my heart broke one time or
a hundred times, it all makes sense.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
One day, did you I don't. I don't remember exactly.
But did you tell Jen that you loved her or
you were falling in love with her?
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Yes? I did?
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Do you do you? Do you think those feelings were
real or do you think you were caught up in
the moment.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
No, I don't think I was caught up in the moment.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
I think from everybody else's eyes, it definitely looks like that,
and I understand it.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I don't. I don't try and argue with anybody about that.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
I think our relationship was a lot different than what
anybody saw, and I do think the environment is definitely
everything's very enhanced, and I think it's.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
A little bit of both.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
But I think where I was at I was more
in love with the fact of the way that she
chose me, and I think the way that she looked
me was something that I always paid attention to, which
is something that I've always longed for, and so I
think a little bit of both. The feelings were definitely
real in a very enhanced situation and and yeah, so
(10:20):
it's probably a little bit of both.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
There had to have been some satisfaction with how everything
played out in regards to your feud on camera with
Devin and then his sort of post season downfall.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Yeah, you know, everything comes what.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Shore we watching, I feel like it's like a game
of throne.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You know, everything comes with the cost, And even for me,
I think not necessarily stupid down to his level. I
don't think a lot of people got to see the
way that why I reacted the way that I did,
But everything comes with a cost, and ultimately it's easy
(11:10):
to see that. Yeah, I could find satisfaction in it.
But even though the Jen and I didn't end on
great terms, for her to have to go through that, like,
I know what that's like. I know what it's like
for somebody to say all those things and then the
moment gets there and they're gone and it's it's not important.
So I think that's another thing that validated my feelings
towards her, was that the satisfaction wasn't what everybody expected
(11:33):
it to be.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
From my end, it was really more.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
I think I had a little bit more compassion with
it because I just felt so sorry for her, because
I remember myself in that moment, you know, in a
moment very similar to that of just things not adding up,
and that was I just don't wish that upon anybody.
And even like I said, even though we ended the
way that we did, I think the truth always comes
to always comes to light. You can hide hide it
(11:56):
for as long as you want, but it always comes
full swing. And unfortunately it did, and it you know,
it hurt her as well.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Have you Have you spoken to Jen since your season?
Speaker 3 (12:07):
I sent her a message after AFR and just told
her like, hey, you know, I know that we didn't
end on good terms, but you know, I just feel really,
you know, I feel awful for you and I hate
that you had to go through that, and to go
through that on live television.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Uh, and really just had no choice. Was there's a
level of.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Just helplessness out there and you could see it on
her face. I think the whole world saw it. And
for me, who doesn't, you know, I did know her.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
That sucks.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I don't I don't want to see that from anybody,
no matter what our situation might look like I just
don't wish.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
That upon anybody.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Did you respond?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
She did. She responded a few weeks later, and she
left you.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
She left you read for a for a few weeks.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
She went on vile files.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
I feel like in this world there's nothing that I
can really stay or do. Everything comes across is very disingenuous.
And I think before she ever even responded to me,
she went on bile files and I think tried to
take a crack at me for it, and and really
I just came from a place of like just sincerity.
I felt awful for it, but it's it's the way
(13:18):
the things go. But she ended up responding.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
She just said, thank.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
You, sorry, I've been busy with all this, which I'm
sure there's a there's a level of truth there, and
I think there's also a level of like she probably
saw my message like, yeah, I'm not responding to this
guy right here.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
So you know, I get it. I see it for
what it is.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Nice. Well, I mean you got you definitely seem like
you have a good head on your shoulders. I know
it's it's we all go on reality all of us
have been on reality TV. You know, I didn't experience
the level of hatred that I'm sure you did, like
you definitely in that, but it's true, like people, I
don't I don't think people realize the volume of people
(13:59):
that are giving you hate all at once. And it's
tens of thousands of people that I'm sure are sending
you d ms that are all like you know, and
I'm sure I'm sure you get some love, but a
lot of them are mean and just like it's brutal.
So then, you know, you really it would make it
make wouldn't make anyone not want to go back? Right?
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Why did you make the decision to come back on Paradise?
Speaker 3 (14:22):
I think I think I owed it first and foremost
to my to my family and my friends.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I owed it to my community and also owed it
to myself.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
That was it wasn't easy, and it wasn't easy for me,
but it really wasn't easy for my family either to
listen to what I had to say whenever I first
got back, and then to watch it all unfold on TV.
You know, I'm sitting there like, holy shit, I don't know.
I don't know what to do right now. So I
think to be able to to be able to watch that.
(14:56):
It definitely hurt. It hurt watching my mom, you know,
lose sleep at night, my brother in law loose sleep overnight.
We're the type of people that are very protective. We
all know who we are, we all know where we
come from. I think just to watch it all get
destroyed on TV was it was super tough and you
don't know what you don't know, and the filming aspect
(15:17):
of it was a lot of fun. And that's what
I think I felt bad for was that nobody else
but me got to experience that. All they got to
experience was the hate and the backlash on it. And
my friends and my family they went to war for
me the same way that I would do for them,
and that's just kind of the way that we move
out here. You know, we'll fight first and then ask
questions later. And it doesn't make it. It doesn't mean that
(15:40):
everything I did was justifiable or anything like that, but
in that moment, they did their best and they did
everything they could to make sure that they knew that
they were in my corner. So I think, coming back
to it all, I was definitely kind of betting on
myself a little bit, and I still am. Everybody did
not like the idea of me going back, and I
(16:01):
really didn't even make a decision until three days before
I flew back out to Costa Rica, just because of
there's a level in which that I can control only
so much of the way that things will be portrayed
out there. And I think putting my faith and trust
into the hands of the same people that kind of
(16:24):
twisted some things last season was something that I just
I had a tough it was a tough time trying
to swallow that pill right there. But I went back
out there bet on myself, and I think I did
a good job. I think I did, you know, I
think I did what not necessarily what I even accomplished
to do. I just feel like this will be a
time that America gets to see the person that I
(16:46):
actually am and not what they think they know.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
What was your goal going into Paradise. Did you have
like a plan or something you were like, I want
to do this differently this time, or.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Find My goal was to find find that person.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
There were some people that I was really excited to
or that you know, I was really excited to meet
on Paradise, and I think that's where my head had
to be at first, and then you know, whatever happens
from there. I can also control the you know, control
my emotions.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
A little bit more.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
And and Paradise, as you guys both know, it's it's
a different it's a different vibe out there. You're not
chained down, you're not forced to be put in these environments.
And I think that's what was so difficult for me
to first go around, was that I couldn't remove myself
from the situation, which is what I was so used
to doing. If there was ever any conflict, I just
wouldn't deal with it, and I could leave it, I
(17:45):
could leave it all. And on the Bachelorette they stick
it right in front of your face and you can
only do so much out of there. So with Paradise
also too, you know, the person that you're in a
relationship with, that's your sole priority, and is long is
that she feels you the same way that you feel her,
and there's really nothing, there's really nothing to worry about.
(18:07):
And so yeah, I think first and foremost was meeting
the people that I wanted to meet, and then second
was remembering that my friends and family back home they
didn't support me going back out here. I just wanted
to make sure that I did my best to make
things a little bit easier on them.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
You know, this next go round.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Who was on your list of people that you were
interested in meeting?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Okay, so there was only one and it was Ali
Go from Grant season.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Okay, nice.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
After the season on the Bachelorette, I didn't reach out
to anybody because you don't know what people think about you.
Some people can see reality TV, and there's a lot
of people that can't see passing.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
I think this guy's the world's biggest piece of shit.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
And and I'm like, if I saw what I saw
on TV, I would agree with you.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
I understand it. But that's also not me.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
So she was somebody that we had spoke a little
bit before Paradise and uh and she was just super
sweet and stuff, and I figured that would be a
great girl to go meet out there.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
Yeah, I could see it. I can see that.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Really, I can't really, Yeah, what do you see? That's
not what I would have. No, she's just like a
she seems like a feisty New Jersey girl and you're.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
You picture with like a sweet Southern bell.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
I mean, well, that just makes a little more sense
to me because you're, you know, from South Carolina or
you live in South Carolina and you have more of
a mellow tone to you, and but you know, opposite track, you.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Know, Yeah, I do think I do think too. People
don't know me as well as they think they do.
And honestly, the feistiness was something that I liked. I
think I want somebody that can. Usually I stay pretty
much in my place about ninety percent of the time.
But if I ever, you know, decide to wander off
the beaten path, and I need somebody that can, might
you know, smack me with the stick and say, hey,
(20:11):
you know, straighten up a little.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Bit as well. So I think there's balance to a relationship.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
I want, you know, my partner to have her voice
and understand that what she says is important, whether that's
telling me to straighten up or you know, hold her
hand or whatever it is. Like, it's just kind of
one of those things I wanted. I want the fightiness
because that's you know, also me to a to an.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Extent, was was there anyone in your family that was
like fucking go back on, like like support it, like
wanted you to give it another try.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
I think so. My in my immediate family.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
No, in my my cousin though I ran into him
honestly a few days before I was supposed to leave,
and I hadn't made up my mind yet, and I
was telling him about it, and that's exactly what he said.
He's like, dude, fuck it go. He's like, you've already
learned this. You know, you've already learned the hard way
one time. And if it happens again, you know, look
at you now, he said.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
You know, that's what he said.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
He said, you came out on you know, it was
definitely tough, he said, but you came out better. Maybe
not in the eyes of America, but you as a
man came out better and you can handle it.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
And now if it.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Happens again, like you know what to expect and anything that,
you know, if it's even better, which I couldn't imagine
going much worse, I feel like I set the bar
pretty low. So like this time around, it's kind of
one of those things, he said, you know what to expect.
If they do it, so what, and if they don't,
then it'll all be worth it.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Yeah, And the good thing about Paradise is like the
audience loves the redemption story, and rarely is it like
someone has a really rough go on Bachelor and Bachhrett
and then comes on Paradise and it goes worse. I
can't think of the time that that's happened. Hopefully, hopefully
you're not the first.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
One look at Nick Vail like there's someone who I
think he he was. I didn't watch the season, but
villain villain, Yeah, on his season, then he went to Paradise,
got a redemption story, the mad him the Bachelor, and
now he got a fucking bag for his podcast.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Like there you go, yeah, yeah, I mean it happens.
I do think that.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Different energy this time around. I was super skeptical even
walking in. You know, whenever I walked into Paradise, I
expected for there to be people that embraced me. I
expected some people to kind of hold me at an
arm's length because they didn't know what to expect. And
then I expected the other, you know, the other group
of people to be like, fuck this guy right here,
this guy sucks. And and I understand it, I really do.
(22:44):
If I saw what everybody else saw, I agree with it.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
I agree with it.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
But that's so far from who I am, and then
getting to Paradise and everybody was just so warm and welcoming.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
It just felt different.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Things just super easy to kind of move out there,
and uh, I think it'll be good this time around.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Nice. Yeah, I think that's that's That's a nice thing
about going back on one of these shows is like
everyone gets it right. Like there's a lot of people
that they don't truly, like they don't understand the filming
process and the reality TV of it all, so they
see you kind of as one person and they they
hate you. But everyone here kind of knows like, Okay,
like you know, he made he made some mistakes, doesn't
(23:30):
make them look good, but like this guy really that bad.
Like this guy is not like you called yourself the
biggest piece of shit in the world is how you
came across. But like really not really like you know,
like it's not like you weren't that bad, you know, Like,
you know.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
People keep saying that I got a tough time. I've
got a tough time believing it. And maybe that's just
me because I hold myself to a pretty high standard. Uh,
living in a small town where I do, your reputation
is everything, and having a big fan. If you don't
know me, you probably know one of my sisters. If
you don't know them, you probably know one of my brothers.
My parents graduated in this area right here too, so
(24:09):
you know my last name. There is a reputation that
I like to keep, and I think maybe that's why
I just took it such. I took it to heart
so much watching it all back, because I thought, this is,
you know, outside of embarrassing. It wasn't even somebody that
I didn't like. It was somebody that I just absolutely
hated on TV. And it makes things a little bit
difficult to try and you know, to try and convince
(24:32):
anybody otherwise.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
But but yeah, that's just that's the nature of the beast.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
If I remember correctly, your family was active on social
media and defensive view during the season. Do we expect
that this season as well? Or do we have new
boundaries in place? What's the vibes at family dinner?
Speaker 2 (24:54):
No?
Speaker 3 (24:54):
No, everything is everything is it's it's cool, calm, collected.
Think I wouldn't want to put them through what I think.
There's a level of responsibility that I had to take
with it all, and knowing that I did put them
through some of that, even though that some of it
was unwarranted, there is a level of accountability that I
had to take and watching my you know, my friends
(25:16):
and my family go to war with everybody.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
But this time around, no, it's it's just not worth
it. It's not worth the.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Well, you'll never beat the internet, right, You're just never
going to be You're just out, You're out gone for sure. No,
you never.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Exactly, it's not worth it. It's not worth it.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Also, anybody that you know wants to believe everything they
see on reality TV, it's probably somebody not really worth
arguing with. And I think that's kind of the level
that we all got to. And it doesn't mean that
you don't take what they say and try and make
yourself better.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
It just means you filter everything.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
But but yeah, so this time around, there's going to
be none of that.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Yeah. Yeah, I think I think your situation was also
a little worse too, because you know, you were you're
one of the better looking guys in the season. You
have a connection with Jen, you're kind of like.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
You're also going up against her other connection.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
And you're but you're like you're kind of like like
episode one a lot of people are looking at you
as like this is going to be the hero, this
is going to be the stop. And then when it flips,
everyone's like, ah, it's like so much worse because you
are kind of like a little bit on this pedestal.
And then it's like the fall from that, it's like, oh, it's.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
Tough, tough.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Yeah, it's how it goes. It's it's just how it goes, though.
And I learned so much, honestly about myself.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
I think in that environment right there, understanding that I
can't fight ten thousand people, you know in my DM
saying this, and that you just have to learn to
get over it and you really have to solidify into
who you are and remember to keep growing and keep pushing.
But like I said, it's just filtering everything. He had
something to say that was mean, if there was a
(27:03):
lesson in there that I could take and apply to myself,
than I would and then the rest of it I
would just throw out the door. But people's opinions and projections,
they're just like it's just not mine to carry. And
that was the point that I had to get to
and just saying this isn't worth it. Take what you
can from it, make yourself better, and then after that,
you know, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
How has the response been since the cast has been
announced and it's out there that you're going back on TV?
Oh no, oh, he's shaking his head, you know.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
So I haven't looked at I haven't looked at a
whole lot. I don't get as involved in it as
I think I did when I whenever I first got back,
because I was so excited about it all. I think
this time around, I'm more just letting, letting the cards
fall as they do, and really, nobody's going to know
anything about me, and you know, until July seventh, and
(27:55):
whenever that happens, then we'll see what the response is
like then. So for now, it's still a lot of hate,
but it's it's probably fifty to fifty now because of
you know, what Devin did and blah blah blah.
Speaker 5 (28:08):
So it's uh, yeah, yeah if if before before we
let you go, what is what is one thing you're
hoping the audience learns about Sam as a person after Paradise.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
I think that I'm just kind.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
I think that's what I want people to see, is
that I'm very kind and much more soft spoken than
what anybody knows. Also, my emotional intelligence might be a
little bit deeper than what everybody thinks as well, so
but I think ultimately it is just that I'm kind.
That's what I want people to I want people to
remember the way that they felt whenever they talked to
(28:48):
me or whenever they were around me. I think that's
kind of my what I aspire towards in life is that,
you know, how do you want to be remembered? I
want I want to be remembered as that guy that
made somebody feel good, somebody feel confident, and.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
The exact opposite of what they all saw a year ago.
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Can you give us one word that you think describes
this season of Paradise.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Messy?
Speaker 4 (29:18):
Okay, I would like to hear that.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
I'm Sam really appreciate you taking the time out. I'm
rooting for you. I hope this all goes well. Thank
you so much.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Yeah, I appreciate you, guys, seriously, thanks for having me.
This is my first podcast, so well, I'm glad it
was with you, guys.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
We were happy to have you on and you did
great and I'm sure we'll see you again soon as
the season starts there.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
I'm sure you will for sure.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
To our listeners, thank you so much for tuning in
the bet Or Happy Hour. Make sure you download and
subscribe to a podcast.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
We'll have new and exclusive interviews coming your way. Thanks
for listening. Bye,
Hosts And Creators
Joe Amabile
Susan Noles
Serena Pitt
Kathy Swarts
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