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October 25, 2021 14 mins

Ben has an inside look at everything going on in Bachelor Nation! 

 

Listen to stay up to date on Ryan Fox and his Bachelorette “Playbook” and the breaking news around Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes split!

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Benn and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast
with her radio. There is a lot going on in
Bachelor Nation, and that's why you only hear my voice
on this very very special mini episode of the Almost
Famous podcast Ashley and Jared are. She is out today
because they're at some syrup lab making a syrup for

(00:24):
their new coffee shop, So she's out of the studio today.
This was unexpected that I was going to be jumping
on today, but there's some big headlines in Bachelor Nation
and we didn't want to keep anybody waiting until tomorrow
to announce them. So I'm gonna spend the next few
minutes with you all doing something super exciting reading through headlines.
So the very first headline, and it feels weird doing

(00:45):
this without Ashley anyways, Hey, the very first headline in
Bachelor Nation is Chris Harrison is engaged to Lauren Siema.
The caption on their photo says, the next chapter starts.
Now why I think all of us and Bastelination can
celebrate this incredible love story. Uh. Lauren Ziema is is
the host that you've seen on Entertainment tonight. Um. She

(01:09):
has been had an incredible career. The two of them
have met years ago, uh through her work kind of
interviewing people in The Bachelor. They started dating. Uh just
a few years ago they announced that they were dating.
They had been dating quite a bit before that, and
now they are engaged. People were wondering for a long time,
was this ever gonna happen? What was their plans? You know,
Chris's kids are gotting ready off the college, one's already

(01:32):
in college, So we didn't know kind of where they
stood in their relationship. But now we can finally officially
celebrate their engagement. What an incredible thing to two awesome friends.
So we're sitting at the almost famous podcasting, congrats, guys,
it's something incredible. Well, next headline reads The Bachelor at
Michelle Young, she is. The next headline reads The Bachelorette

(01:55):
Michelle Young on balancing reality TV fame with life as
an elementary school teacher. This according to Variety. Obviously, we
just had Michelle Young on the podcast and we talked
to her about what it's like to be a teacher
and to go into school and probably have everybody just
absolutely loving on you and watching you then date on TV. Well,
Michelle is her quoting this, Uh they think it's cool

(02:21):
when speaking about her students and UH co workers. They
want to know the details and they're like, we won't
tell anybody, Michelle says. She responds, and you sound like reporters,
Young tells Variety with a laugh. And maybe there are
some future reporters that I'm seeing in my classroom. But
I absolutely love them and would not want to be

(02:42):
anywhere else right now. Well, it's really incredible. Obviously, they
they've pushed back her season of The Bachelor because of
her time as a teacher. UM super important that she
was at the school this year, and so now her
season is airing and they have previously taped it. Next
headline is James calls Rachel Kirknell the brightest spot in

(03:02):
the year since his Bachelor journey. Isn't that cute? Well,
this is according to People, and the article says James
and Kirknell, who's twenty five, have come a long way
since passed. Racially insensitive behavior of her surfaced online earlier
this year, engulfing the franchise in controversy amid the terminal.
The pair confirmed during his seasons after the final Rows

(03:24):
special March that they had split, but Archer continues they
found their way back together, with James confirming the following
months that he was pursuing a relationship with Kirknell again.
Just being able to take her to my favorite spots
and really enjoy Nimicole and for the beautiful property it
is and not have to move around and secrecy is
going to be so nice, he told People on Thursday.

(03:46):
There's been a lot that's happened over the past year,
and she's been the brightest spot of that. I'm excited
for what lies ahead for us. So Matt and Rachel
are doing well. They are all over social media document
in their lives. After Matt James's departure on Dancing with
the Stars, next headline is The Bachelor Sarah trout Moren's

(04:08):
Father's death years after a LS diagnosis. Honored to know
you Disaccording to People, well, this one hits hope close
to home and this headline is the one that I
know many of us were involved in her story while
she was on The Bachelor. UM. But just about a
month ago, my best friend was diagnosed with a l S.

(04:31):
If you went out to social media UM today you
can see me talking about it. For the first time,
and we're gonna start talking about a lot more. But
it's the same friend as months ago. Uh you heard
me talk about saying he had lined disease, and he
did have lime, but on top of that, he was
also struggling from a LS for the last year, and
just a month ago, UM, his diagnosis was confirmed. Now

(04:54):
I'm not here to make it about my buddy. But
here's where Sarah's story, her father's story, and my friends
story comes along. A l S is UM a really
really difficult disease that takes life of many um every year,
and a lot of people's quality of life is not
incredible once the diagnosis happens. The problem is that funding

(05:16):
is short, that people don't talk about it enough. Uh,
that awareness and advocacy are out there. I mean I
remember just a few years ago, right, the ice bucket
Challenge was a big deal. But it can't stop. Um.
We there's a lot of people out there on the
search for a cure. That funding was available. If there
is awareness available, advocacy available, people would no longer have

(05:37):
to struggle with this their whole lives and so our
hearts here go out to all of those who know
somebody or somebody out there listening who is struggling with
a l s UM, we feel free you. I feel
free right now a lot. In fact, this week I
have to take off tomorrow of the podcast because after
the diagnosis, my my buddy Brandon and his fiance Sam

(05:57):
pushed up their wedding a year UM so that they
would able to walk down the aisle and UH and
celebrate in style. And so tomorrow is the rehearsal. And
I'm the best man, UM co bestman, I guess I
should say, and uh. And so we're gonna have that
wedding on Wednesday and celebrate them the best ways possible.
But UM, we're morning for Sarah. This is tough. It's

(06:20):
not easy to talk about, and so UM we just
want to thank Sarah for sharing about her journey. I
know she has been UM an advocate UH and I
know her father had a huge role in her life,
and so the work is still continuing even after her
father's death. UM from all sides, and awareness and advocacy
will be a part of I know Sarah's life, but

(06:40):
also the lives of all of us who have been
affected in some way UM from this terrible disease. And
we have some breaking news today. After a recent stand
up set, Katie Thurston and Blake have officially announced that

(07:01):
they are breaking uh their relationship ins just a few
months after their finale aired. Blake has been spending time
um over in Africa and Katie has been here in
the US. A lot of sources have been speculating that
their relationship was on the rocks. However, both Katie and

(07:21):
Blake supported their relationship and said it wasn't over. However,
today the couple individually both announced on their respective instagrams
that the relationship has been over, is over, and they
asked for the respect of all of us as they
moved through this next chapter in life. Ryan Fox's ex

(07:44):
girlfriend was shocked by his Bachelor appearance. Her quote is
does she think the notes were planted? Well, we got
to watch Ryan Fox. Uh. Last week on the show,
Becka couferan came on, talked about how he was a
bachelor actual live on stage. We shared and felt like
all Vachelination kind of shared their opinions on his playbook.

(08:05):
But his ex did come out this week. She's speaking.
Her name is Brittany Um and that his on She
says his on screen behavior was spot on. She goes,
I do believe the docs were real, said on Wednesday.
He's very calculated. He documents everything. He has a Google
doc for just about everything you can think of that
he adds to on a daily basis. Britney claimed that

(08:27):
the California native even has one about himself. She went
further to say he puts feedback on it from previous
relationships as well as a dream girl doc for all
the qualities future spouse needs to have. Well, I don't
know how well we take from this team. You know,
Ryan's behavior was odd, it was off, it was weird.
We haven't seen it before. Uh. Some people even stood

(08:50):
up for him and said, hey, he had a playbook,
Like Jared last week said hey, I could see my
friends putting the play back together. I think the difference
here is um is just how strategic it felt like
it was. But we don't really get to read the
playbook yet. Maybe we will one day. You better frame
that thing somewhere, because I bet that thing could be
worse some money if you if you put it out there.
But uh, his ex is coming out and saying yeah,

(09:10):
not shocked, not surprised. That's Ryan take it or leave it?
That is Ryan Well, as I just mentioned about Ryan,
a lot of Bastelation did come out and talk about
the playbook. I mean, I said, I even had my
name mentioned in it. Jason Tartek had his, Mike Johnson
had his, Blake hortsman head is like everybody had their
name mentioned in this. There's a lot of research that
was done and as you could probably find on Twitter

(09:33):
and according to a lot of articles this week, a
lot of people had quotes about this playbook. In fact,
Mike Johnson went as far as to say this, I
don't know if I should feel offended because I only
have one skill l O L or is this a
proud moment? Mike's referring to I think the sentence in
the play but that said, Mike Johnson's got a lot
of swagger. Um, I think that was what they said,

(09:53):
and I think that's the only thing shown, So Mike's
assuming that's only school he has. Um. Well, a lot
of bastel Nation did come out and talk about the playbook.
It's obviously the talk of the town. An episode one.
I doubt it's gonna be brought up again, or at
least not until after the final rows next headline is
this future Bachelor or at least assume bachelor. Clayton Echard's
Season eight teen Bachelorette debut didn't make a strong impression

(10:16):
on fans. This according to US Weekly, We're a little
surprised here as almost famous podcast. We thought it was fine,
He's not gonna be the start of this season, but
he's gonna be there. But the article goes on to
say that made Clayton did make his Bachelor Season eighteen
debut on Tuesday, and viewers had a strong feeling about
the future Bachelor's introduction. Not everyone, it says, and Bachelor

(10:36):
Nation was impressed by the firmer college football players. Nice guy,
your team The quote is this all the men I've
seen just tonight? I'm still confused how Clayton is the
next Bachelor? One viewer tweeted. Another social media user question
the orthopedic sales reps choice of footwear for such an
important occasion, teasing Clayton didn't even get nice shoes for

(10:57):
the first night of That's the New Bachelor. Hey, let's
give Clayton a break. Guys, just trying to figure out
he didn't know he's gonna be the Bachelor when he
signed up tonight one. But yes, there are some great
guys in this season. I am uh excited to see
how Clayton kind of rises to the top and why
producers felt so strongly that he needed to be the
Bachelor and where they already started filming while Michelle's season
is airing. You know, I guess here we're kind of

(11:19):
expecting clan to do like magical big things. The franchise
really rallied around him. But yeah, so far, uh we
we didn't get a seat on night one. So hopefully,
hopefully soon we'll get to see him shine because we
really want to cheer for the next next lead of
the Next Bachelor. The next headline reads this Bachelor that's

(11:40):
Claire Crawley reflects a messy breakup with Dale Moss. He
knows the truth, little secretive there. The quote is this,
My biggest regret is trusting the process, trusting a man,
a man's words and he and who he showed me
he was. She said, I don't think that that's a regret.
Like I trusted somebody. I believe somebody that they were

(12:01):
who they said they were, or that they would hold
up to the promise this that they made when they
got down on one knee. She continued, I don't know
if that's a regret I loved and I've always loved,
and I had such a deep love for Dale. The
reality star went on to address the former couple's very
public breakup, which came amid rumors that Moss was somehow

(12:24):
involved with his fellow franchise star Abigail Well. We know
that can't be too true because she's very happy with
no one now. But following a split, Moss issued a
statement via his rep claiming that Crowley had blocked him
on all social media. It can get messy, he says,
very messy and very icky, and I always try to
air on the side of taking the high road. No,
isn't that sweet, even though there are a lot of

(12:46):
things I could say, Well, these two, uh, these two
just don't seem to be getting along, and they haven't
really for a while. Now. We hope here they both
move on and move forward. We followed this relationship really
since the beginning. When they got together and celebrated that,
and they broke up and we talked about that. Then
they got back together, we celebrated that, and now they

(13:08):
broke up again. It feels like this time is probably
um over with. Both times have felt a little messy right,
both times haven't felt clean. Uh, but well they're done
for now and both sides are speaking up and it
feels like both sides have pain in her involved. Well
that's all the headlines we have for you today or
for this week. Thank you for spending some time with me. Yes,

(13:28):
I know you probably missed our resident expert Ashley as
she broke down the headlines, but it was kind of
fun to sit here and read through them and try
to follow him and try to figure them all out again. UM.
Congratulations to Chris Harrison and Laurenzima on their engagement and
also our deepest condolences, UM, and just an awareness of

(13:49):
the difficulty of the last few years and of this
situation for Sarah Trot her family, UM and in remembrance
of her father, who I know had a huge impact
on his life. Again, get out there and UH, if
you have some time, UM, start to study a ls
uh possibly advocate for it. Bring awareness to it. Is

(14:11):
an incredibly difficult disease that so many struggle with and
UH and I will be talking about it much more
next week after we celebrate my buddy's wedding um. But
for now, reach out to Sarah and just show her
some love as she mourns the death of her father,
who had struggled for years with a l S. Well again,

(14:31):
thank you for having me today. I've been Ben and
well Ashley. We'll be back tomorrow. Follow the Benn and
Ashley I Almost Famous podcast on I Heart Radio or
subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Hosts And Creators

Ben Higgins

Ben Higgins

Ashley Iaconetti

Ashley Iaconetti

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