Welcome to Paradise

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Benn and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast
with i R Radio. Oh my gosh, we don't even
have an off week on this podcast. We go right
from The Bachelorette into Bachelor in Paradise and it's where
my co host shines Paradise time. Oh my gosh, Ben,
watching this had me feeling PTSD and I know that

(00:24):
we shouldn't use that out of like true contacts, but
like Wells used it though, So I mean I wasn't
pretty traumatized, to be honest, it's actually pretty close the
true definition. I was feeling Joe so much. And there's
just like this sense that I get every season that
comes around. It's just like I am so grateful that

(00:46):
I'm married. I married Jared and I don't have to
be their suffering. But okay, so this is how we're
gonna kick it off. And I think it's super interesting you.
I feel like you go back and forth on this
because I tell people in my time with him that
you really love Paradise, but yet there's moments where you're like,

(01:07):
I hated this experience. This felt like you just said suffering,
So what is it actually? Did you like it? Or
do you not no, no no, no, Ben, I did not
have a great and I didn't have a good time there.
Did I get a lot out of it? Yeah, I
like grew so much of the experience. I got so
much more mature um relationship experience just like communication. Like,

(01:31):
I got so much out of it, but very few
moments were enjoyable. But it's it's like this, um, it's
kind of like this Jonas s. Froller's quote that I
loved it throughout there all the time. Uh. The line
of the lyric of the song is the days that
seemed the worst, the days that were the worst seemed
to glow now. And it's kind of like that where

(01:54):
it's like, when I think back on it, I only
think I usually first think of the good moment and
like even the there's like there's like even a glow
to the suffering, right because everything turned out good? Yeah,
I get that, But I enjoyed my bachelor experience so
much more like that was just pure fun. Okay, Okay,

(02:15):
so you enjoyed the Bachelor. The Bachelor experience was more
fun paradise. I wonder, Astley, if your situation is a
tad unique, because it sure is well And I'll say
it why because your husband was on that beach with you,
which adds, like I would have to imagine it intensifies

(02:35):
the situation. You maybe didn't know it at the time,
you maybe thought, oh my gosh, like this guy, but
there was like a deep love and connection between the
two of you that was on the beach, which made
this so much more like heavy, Like it was so
really so real to you. Yeah, Like people say like, oh,
go and have fun, It's just like, no, no, no,
there's no fun about finding your person and it needing

(02:58):
to work out. You feel like that, You feel like
it needs to happen then or it's never gonna happen.
But then for us, I mean, it truly did not
have to happen then and it was supposed to go
st lower but definitely. But yeah, I think that from
like my fan viewers point of view, is probably one
of the reasons. Do you think the people today after
watching We're gonna get into a couple of things here

(03:20):
for all of you friends out there listening, We're gonna
announce a really exciting thing that we have going on,
um that will involve all of you, Like we need
all of you listening to to be involved in this
as well. The second piece of this is we're gonna
break down UM this week's episode of Paradise. But I
really kind of watched UM this week's episode and I

(03:41):
was like, I need to ask, actually some questions. Do
you think the people today go on the beach with
a similar mindset to which you and your friends at
the time we're going on that beach. You know? After
watching this episode, I kind of feel like, yes, I
feel like there was a lot of people that genuinely
we're looking for their part r and they know. I

(04:02):
think it's different because on The Bachelor, you're kind of like, oh,
the odds are really against me. I don't even know that.
You're like I'm just doing this for fun, like I'm
doing this for this reason or that reason. But then
when you've already gone through the process and you know
how real the feelings are that developed, I think you
go into Paradise with more of like an authentic heart.

(04:23):
That's so interesting because I think so many people, myself included,
I'm guilty of this. We watch Paradise and like, you know,
I I hear people all the time. Now ask me,
were you ever on that Paradise show? That shows so wild,
but I love it. I think people think that Paradise
is just this big party that is an excuse for
people to stay famous and get back into relevancy. But

(04:45):
I see it consistently. And I got to talk to
Wells about this in Memphis just a week and a
half ago, how intense these relationships become over time, and
so it is almost like, maybe is it. Do you
feel like it's the shock to the contestants system once
all of a sudden they get there and they go,
oh my gosh, like this isn't just funny games anymore. Yeah,

(05:07):
because just the experience itself is such It's just so
different from being on the main show. Because on the
main show, you're like, oh, you know, I can show
up and like be prime me whenever the Bachelor or
the Bachelorettes around, and like, I'm off just goofing off

(05:28):
with my friends most of the time. Um. But then
in Paradise you realize like it just never ever stops,
and the contestants kind of let that on during this
episode where they're like, oh my gosh, Like socially, I
had to be on for so long and it felt
like if I wanted to just relax and like take
a breather from it, that I was going to fall behind.

(05:50):
So there is like more of a constant pressure to
be on and like fighting for what you want and
you're always scared that somebody's going to come in and
sneak the purse and that you want away. So I
just think it's a more pressure filled environment. And at
the same time, because it never stops, it means that
you also never stop having time with the person that

(06:11):
you like. So I think feelings in relationships developed so
much faster. But yeah, but that comes with so much
pressure because you're like, if I don't I'm not with
them for like five minutes. What it? What's going to happen?
And that's just scary. It's just like you're constantly scared.
It sounds actually, I you know, I've gotten to know

(06:32):
you well, and listeners have got to know you well.
I'm shocked you could do Paradise well. I don't know
if I could be kind of didn't I didn't do
it well? You got married? Okay, Hey, moving on here
a little bit um into really the final piece nugget
that I find interesting and I don't know if anybody
else will but that doesn't matter because I got the
mic Um. I was looking back last last night as

(06:57):
we're watching the episode, and I was looking at some
of the instagram in a following of some past Bachelor
in Paradise contestants. It is interesting to me how large
of a following these contestants gain from Paradise. Like most
of the women, especially from this experience the Paradise show,

(07:19):
have more followers than our last Bachelorette Katie Thurston. There
is a huge I wonder if the audience watches Paradise
and they feel like they can relate a little bit
more from it, and as a result, they become followers
of the people in the show. And am I crazy?
Is this interesting at all? Or is this just a
weird thought? I think you're probably looking at people who

(07:40):
have um ended up in relationships and engage and married
from the show and like possibly had kids in the show.
So like that makes sense because every time there's like
a big life landmark, you go up a bit. Um.
But I also was thinking while watching this episode, like,
oh my gosh, this show well, I mean my personal opinion,
it's just like I love this show so much more

(08:02):
than the main show. Because you get to see actual personality.
It's like a lot of the things that we see,
I feel like moments that we'd see in the blooper
part of the main show. It's just everybody just seems
like more of like a real person than like this
person than a person like reading from a script of
like what they should say when they're falling in love. Interesting. Uh, well, Ashley,

(08:24):
love your insight. We're going to continue to tap into
your insight as we move through the podcast. Let's take
a break here. When we come back, we're gonna start
breaking down this week's episode of Bachelor in Paradise. We're
gonna talk about uh, David Spade, We're gonna talk about Wells.
We're going to talk about Kenny being naked on the
beach and the crabs that everybody is dealing with. Hey,
we'll be back with the almost podcast. Hey guys, it's

(08:56):
Teddy Melling Camp. I have a question. Are you listening
to Teddy t Pod? Because today I'm having on but
Cheva from My Unorthodox Life and you are not gonna
want to miss it. Listen to my podcast, Teddy t
Pod right now on the I Heart Radio app, Apple
Podcast and everywhere you listen to podcasts. All right, Ashley,

(09:17):
let's start at the beginning. I want to kind of
walk you through this because there's a few things that
we got wrote into us that people are interested in.
One of them is what was your overall honest feelings.
We know that, uh, you and I both uh cared
deeply for Chris Harrison. Obviously, we're moving into a season now,
we're we're no longer watching Chris on The Bachelor, Bachelor
and Bachelor in Paradise. We're getting used to it. We've

(09:39):
shared our opinions about how well we thought Caitlin and
Tatia did for the roles that they were given on
the Bachelortte. However, uh we we personally, I felt like
the show was missing Chris during the Bachelor or this
the familiarity of the show was no longer there and
it's changing and we're getting used to it now we
roll in the Paradise. So with that being considered, what

(10:00):
was your thoughts on David's Spade and Wells filling those shoes?
To be completely honest, I don't think David Spade added anything,
and I think it just should have been Wells. Interesting.
Why do you feel like the way um well Wells
did most of the actual hosting, he told the contestants
what was going to happen to them throughout the week,

(10:21):
and then even there was that moment where David was like,
I was gone last night, Wells, what happened? Catch me up?
And it's just like this is kind of ridiculous, Like
why didn't we just have Wells who fits so well
in the paradise role. It doesn't make any sense, Like
with Caitlin and Taitia, like we had two alarms. They
did what they did great with the main show, and
then we have Wells who just seems like a natural

(10:41):
fit who's already there as a sidekick normally, and if
he's going to deal with the rose ceremonies as well,
It's just like, I don't understand why we didn't just
have him do everything. He's obviously confidante for the contestants.
They feel very comfortable with him. And Sade was like,
you know, of course she was funny in parts, but

(11:04):
I didn't. I wasn't thinking previously that his apathetic type
of humor how it would be here, and it actually
just came across to me like he was sort of
disinterested in it. Yeah, okay, So I think if you
asked the producer on the show, they would say David
Spade was there for the comedic relief. He was maybe not.

(11:25):
I mean, I think I don't think we need comedic
I don't think we need we need comedic relief on
this show. No, not on Paradise. There was already plenty. Yeah,
that's interesting. Well taj Juan took the comedic relief. She's
so outrageous, hilarious. Love her. Uh, she's just sweating bullets

(11:46):
on that scene, and I'm like that poor girl is
miserable and somehow she found herself back on this beach
and she is just so unhappy. I have a feeling
this Paradise season goes well for her. I don't know
if it does, but I hope it does. Anyways, So, uh,
you're in the camp of Hey Wells, Wells can do
this thing. Like we're watching Wells form into this host.

(12:09):
He's obviously a professional host by trade for years. I
wonder if in the future Wells will just carry this
Paradise show on his own. But for right now, we
do have guest host coming in and it is interesting
to watch Wells kind of come to age in a
in a sense in front of our eyes. And I
do think he carried the show well last night. I
think he needed a great job. Okay, but you'll be

(12:32):
honest too, do you really feel like David Spade was necessary?
I think it was necessary from an idea point before
the show started. I don't know, I'm not and I
don't know this. I don't know if anybody expected Wells
to be able to carry this show on his own. Uh.
And I think the guest host was almost like a

(12:53):
security blanket and and kind of like a risk eliminator
just in case Wells couldn't do it. But I think
you and I both knew Wells could. I don't know
if the if others felt that way, But after watching
the first episode, I'm like, of course he can, Like
we don't need anybody else. And and I really think
for me, it hit me when Joe and Wells were

(13:15):
talking because I've been in a situation similar right on
on Winter Games and I had you there to kind
of like work with, and I was like, this is
all a reminder of something that went terribly wrong, and
I'm sad and I don't want to be here and
this is overwhelming and it's I and I feel like
I'm now kind of trapped. But yet it's also healthy
because I know this is like a step in the
right direction for me. I get that, like I can

(13:37):
relate with Joe in those moments, and I felt deeply
for him, and Chris filled that role for me during
that time where I got to sit with him and
I'm like, man, we've we've got to be together outside
of this show, you know, like my heart, like I
just need you in this moment. You were the same
person for me. I saw it with Wells and Joe
and and I know for Joe that was a big

(13:58):
moment in his life, could really big moment for him
to take the next step forward. And Wells did it
great and he cared deeply. And I know he does
care deeply because I get to talk to him off,
you know, off the show. M hm. Yeah. So yeah,
I don't know if we need them. Well, we'll see.
We'll continue to see how the other hosts go. And
I'm sure that David is probably there for two weeks. Yeah,

(14:20):
I don't think he's there long. And I mean he
was so funny at at the end so funny when
he talked about the crabs, because he's right, crabs are
really spiders with a good pr team, and um, we
talked about it every year. But just remind our listeners
before we jump in. Right up next is the Bachelor
Paradise breakdown. How bad are the crabs on the beach?

(14:42):
Are they really everywhere? No, they really are everywhere, And
you really can't open a door without like one there
and like afraid of killing one because they like love
hanging out in the cracks of the door. Um, they
are everywhere. And as long as you don't look at that,
like really think about how much they are spiderlike, it's okay.
But then like but when you do, you're like, oh
my god, these are just like spiders that crawl around

(15:04):
all over the place, except for they have really funny expressions,
Like they truly look like you caught them in the
middle of committing a crime every time you look at them. Yeah,
they're they're not just spiders to me. I've been in
Paradise and I've gotten to do a few things down
there at different points. Like, those crabs are intense, they're bigger,
they have chompers. Uh, they're hard um, they look at you.

(15:26):
Spiders at least like half the time you don't see them,
and when you do, you're just so much bigger than them.
Crabs are a little bit more intimiding to me. I
don't know, really, yeah they are. Anyways, Uh, Ashley, here
we go. We're gonna break down this week's episode of
Bachelor in Paradise. I'm gonna let you take it away.
Let's start. Uh. I think at the entrances and all

(15:50):
of them are very similar. But I want to talk
to you because Jessica and I got to watch Bachelor
in Paradise with Kenny's entrance, obviously it's a huge deal. Yeah,
let's talk about the ones that really stood out. What
in the world did he He was not really new,
There's no way. Well I asked like we were watching
and we went backwards. I don't think he was, but

(16:12):
yet some of the guys said he was. Because nope, Like,
there was not one person there who acted like whoa
there is you know, there is a there is a
uh an antenna hanging out of you know, hanging off
of Kenny, and it's staring me in the face. Like
all of them were very way too comfortable for him
to be completely right or is that just paradise? Is

(16:34):
everybody cool with this? That was exactly what I was thinking.
And there's no way these girls are just going up
and giving him hugs. Yes, the hugs are from far away,
but like he definitely had one of those sock things on.
There's no way that Marie sat down with him on
a bed while his penis was just hanging out next
to her during the first conversation. Yeah, I mean, and

(16:55):
if so, I want to know, because they made it
seem like he was. They even had contest saying that
he was. Yet it was just nobody reacted in the
way I thought they would, like I even for me, right,
I I I've been in locker rooms. I see myself
every day. I think I would have been thrown off,

(17:16):
like just at least have a reaction of like whoa,
Like that's new, Like that's that's intense. We needed some
justin facial expressions for this. Oh, they definitely should have
montaged that in UM yeah, every So, I don't know
for sure. My vote is that it's not. We'll find out.

(17:36):
We'll let you know. UM other entrances that kind of
um surprised you Obviously, we have Victoria. Uh, we have
a Tammy entrance, um, where it's very comfortable with David's baby.
She doesn't even know who he is. Who else stood
out to you and their entrances? Um. I mean Abigail

(17:57):
is cute and flustered. UM. I think Joe is so
authentic to himself. I like the way he was wearing
just a regular T shirt. Um, we'll talk about Let's
talk about Victoria for a second. Um, the goddess thing.
She's definitely less extra than she was last time, but

(18:21):
I think she's gonna have a hard time getting somebody
to give her a rose. And she hasn't been getting
as much screen time as we would expect, so I
don't know if she's gonna be sticking around next week. Um.
And then I think Tashwan was just hilarious. She like, legit,
did she leave on her own last last season because

(18:42):
she couldn't do with she did. I'm just going to
pretend like that's what happened. And now she's back and
she's just hilarious. UM. I get it. I the way
that I'm feeling now, like if I was pregnant down there, well,
I already I told him I could not go because
I would die, Like I would die. But normally I'm
okay with the heat. But if you're somebody who can't

(19:04):
deal with the heat and you're down there, it's basically
like you're not functional. There's no escape. Yeah, there's no
air conditioning, right other than the boom Boom Room. You know,
the boom Boom room does not have air conditioning. The
interview rooms have air conditioning. Oh wow, So like the
boom Boom Room with like a real legit bed, you're
sleeping with another human and like you're just sweaty. I

(19:28):
thought the reason that um Jade and Tanner chose the
Boom Boom Room to move into is because it was
air conditioned. No, it's there's a boom Boom room. And
then there's where j and Danner were they used to
sleep at the top of the quote treehouse and that's
like a really private area with like a king bed
um and there's like a couple of big fans on it.

(19:50):
Uh yeah, that makes sense. Okay. So another couple that
stood out to me just with excitement that we haven't
mentioned is Brendan makes a huge appearance and uh he's
good looking as ever, Uh, he did not get the like,
I don't know if there's a guy there yet that
stood out to me where it's like, oh, this is

(20:11):
the guy that everybody's gonna go after. He was what
I thought would be him and Ivan, but neither of them.
I thought he and Joe. I thought all the girls
will be over Joe. You know, it's interesting. I wonder
I think they could have. But I think Joe's first
impression to them was like, hey, I'm not ready, which
you know these girls like, Okay, I'm gonna pull away.
I'm gonna focus on somebody else, like give him the

(20:33):
time and respect he deserves, and so we just didn't
see it. But the guys that are very open, I
thought Ivan and Brendan really bring in, like be the
ones that everybody is going after, and it's just not
that way yet. Usually you see kind of the hot commodities. Uh,
Sena p was obviously one of them, but with the
guys there, there isn't one yet necessarily. Yeah, I would
say you're probably right. I feel like Joe was the

(20:55):
main character of this entire episode, and I just like
people to like kind of put themselves in his shoes,
like I feel it in paradise exactly where he was.
But you can put yourself in like think of where
you met like a significant other and think about like
where you guys would go, the restaurants you would go,

(21:17):
like whether it was college and it's like the actual
campus or whatnot. And then like all of a sudden,
years later, after experiencing what you did with them, you
go into that same spot and you're expected to find
something with somebody else. It is it'll it'll whack you out,

(21:37):
you know, and you are only going to reminisce, and
like you're feeling all this nostalgia. And I bet you
that Joe in that moment was just thinking like there
was there had to be a thought like maybe I
should be back with Kendall. I think, Yeah, the emotions
flooded in, and you know, Jessica and I are like this.
I've always been a believer that when you end a

(21:59):
relationship ship that was a good relationship, but it needed
to end for whatever reason, right, you weren't meant for
each other. Uh, it is important or it's it's healthy
to have a respect and admiration for that human still,
to care for them deeply, to know that you want
what's best for them, for them to fine love or
whatever it is they're out there pursuing like you don't.

(22:21):
I don't think there's any health unless the relationship was
very unhealthy and disliking or hating or wishing anything ill
on that X And I think for Joe being getting
to be around Kindle and Joe, you know many times
through this podcast and through other events, they're both terrific
humans who cared deeply for each other, and I think
they still have a lot of respect for each other

(22:42):
even though the relationship needed to end, which probably makes
those emotions even harder because they're probably confusing because now
he's back in that environment feeling and remembering some of
the past, right, Yeah, And isn't it funny when you
have a breakup, you only remember the momentous moments, the
good and the bad. And so if that beach is

(23:04):
full of good, momentous moments for him and Kindle, those
are the things he's remembering. He's not remembering the disagreements
about where to live and the disagreements about what life
was gonna look like. He's only remembering the good, and
he's surrounded by all these people who are fresh to
the environment and experiencing it for the first time, and
they just don't understand because he's who who is? There

(23:28):
were like two other alums from Paradise, so it was
Tajwan and Demi and Demi Um and Joe. Yeah, you're right,
and we didn't get to see a lot of Demmi
this episode. I think we will as time continues. We
obviously got to really dive into Ta Juan and uh
and Joe. But okay, so we move out through the entrances.

(23:50):
Everybody's now there, they meet each other. David Spade and
Wells stand in front of the group and say that
the guys now have the roses for this week. How
how does that change the dynamic Ashley, especially week one
when everything's new and everything is exciting. Well, of course
that the guys are going to feel extreme relief, and

(24:10):
then the pressure is so on the girls to like
even create some sort of report with somebody that like,
even if it isn't long lasting, like is enough to
get you through the week. And I do think that
there's some truth to the matter where it's like, now
the guys can kind of lay back and see which
girls come up to them. There's definitely more of a

(24:32):
power struggle. Now. It's interesting because also the guy's mentality
of this week, they've got to come to me, They've
got to earn it. Is okay, right, I mean, it's
fine because they have the roses. However, as we've seen
in Paradise, that dynamic will quickly change next week and
so this like hey, let them come to me mentality

(24:52):
might not be beneficial, especially when the girls now would
we're going to have the roses, and maybe these guys
haven't put in the effort they needed to to make
these connections. Is that true? That is true, But at
least they have a whole other week to kind of
make up for it. But like I said, you know,
things do move fast, and you can see already the
coupling up, and that's gotta be stressful for people who

(25:15):
aren't feeling it with anybody. Yeah, let's let's dive into that.
A couple of couples that really stood out to both
of us, uh know and Abigail. Obviously, Abigail gets the
first date card. She asked Noah to come along. I
you know, I didn't know how I felt honestly personally
about Noah from his time on The Bachelorette. Same same,
but this was incredible not I mean just watching him

(25:39):
and Abigail interact in his care for her as like
a human and just wanting to understand her and get
to know her, and his interest like just a really
beautiful couple so far that I'm I hope it goes well.
I'm into I know Noah is a totally different person,
Like I kind of like started fresh with him. I
was just like, Okay, maybe I didn't know this guy before.

(25:59):
I really liked his personality, his demeanor, and I feel
like I trust him with Abigail. And at the same time,
I feel like Abigail um dolls have a lot more
walls up than I would have thought, and she is
going to get be slow for him to get to know,
but it'll be nice to see. I trust that he's

(26:19):
going to give her, like all the slowness that she
needs as long as she's not showing interest in somebody else. Yeah.
I agree. You know, when I really started to like
Noah what so, it's obvious that he was into Abigail.
There was no like complacency with him. He was he
was into Abigail. This was something he was interested and
he and she asked him the question this. I was like, no,

(26:40):
I like you, um, and I don't know him as
a person at all. But she goes, are you surprised
that you're on the first day in Paradise. He goes, yes,
I am, because if not, I was going to sneak
away to bed. And I was like, no, you're my man,
because that's exactly That's exactly the mindset I would be having,
is I'll have fun all day into the moment my
wall hits, and once it hits, I'm sneaking away to bed.

(27:00):
Oh my god. I love the way that Brendan freaked
out when I was at tas. Watton was like, you,
there's probably gonna be a date card that comes in tonight,
and You're like, the sun's already set. The sunlight doesn't
sit there until nine. And You're like, wait a second.
You're telling me that I might have to be going
on a date tonight. That would stress me out so much.
It's just different. Like Jessica and I now plan our

(27:23):
dates for dinner. I get on open table and I'm like,
is there a reservation between the six and six fifteen
time frame? Yeah, It's like is the latest. We ain't
going because Ted Lasso is on and we're going to
watch the show starting at nine. It's uh, it is,
it's funny. Uh. Kind of that mindset, but that was
like something that would make me very anxious and one

(27:44):
of the reasons why I think nowadays I just couldn't handle. Okay,
so we like knowing Abigail, we're fans that also, I
just want to know, you know, Ashley nice opinion on
no was was just kind of up in the air
based on his time of the Batchelor. Yeah, it wasn't
like I disliked him, but like he had like more
of an edge and I see he's like more of
an instigator. I felt like, well, so maybe the takeaway

(28:08):
from that is was he the problem or was Bennett
actually the problem? And we I mean we can kind
of point to that, right, Like we saw some things
they were like this doesn't feel right. Uh, and so
maybe just maybe Noah No is the right there. I
don't know. One of the things that conclude one of
the things interesting to watch. Okay, So we see some kisses,
then we see the other coupling up outside of the date, Uh,

(28:30):
Connor Marissa kiss Trey and Tajwan kiss. Uh. That's an
interesting one obviously because the uncle narrative, which I hope
ends now because every time it said it makes me
feel just a little bit uncomfortable. Can we like please clarify,
like this has got to be one of those weird
situations where the uncle is super close in age too
like the other maybe not maybe not, I mean maybe not,
but like maybe within fifteen years, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah,

(28:53):
that makes sense, but that should end now, especially if
they're gonna couple up, Like I don't need to. I
don't need to be playing that scenario in my head
too often. Uh. We then see Kenny uh and Maury kiss,
which is something uh that we probably I mean, at
least I foresaw coming from the start of the show,
like they were interested in each other, she was interested

(29:13):
in him, so like, not shocking, but a cool couple
to see couple up again. I don't know if Kenny's
naked the whole time during this. If so, Um, this
really intensifies that moment to a level that I don't
ever need to see. But something going on. And then
obviously we talked about Joe talking to Wells. Wells kind
of encouraging Joe to stay open and to put himself

(29:35):
out there. And we see Joe and Serena Pete, which
they're very cute together. I like that Joe is so awkward.
He's great, I know, but that's what's so real real.
I love it, but like it was a charming, endearing
awkward too, and it was almost like, oh, I've been there,
done that. I don't even care about being smooth anymore.
Every turn though, Joe is awkward, like and it's great

(29:57):
because like it's it's fantastic stick to watch because it
is relatable. But it's a cute couple. Uh. It's one
though that does give me anxiety actually as a season progresses,
because we obviously know Kindle shows up to the beach,
that's gonna be hard no matter what. I have so
many feelings, so many feelings about what's going to happen there,

(30:22):
and I'm very nervous for them, and um, and I
guess that's all I have to say about that, but like,
oh my gosh, it's gonna be hard. That was a
really real relationship that they put a lot of effort into.
It's gonna take them having some really healthy, um decisive

(30:44):
conversations that will be intriguing to watch from our perspective,
but yeah, I don't know, it's hard and uh. And
so that's the storyline to continue to watch through Paradise,
and hey, kudos to Paradise to get both Joe and
Kindle to show up. I mean that's a big deal,
I know. And then we see in the teaser that
Joe says, Serena, You're the second girl I've ever loved

(31:05):
in my life. I don't know how that feels. Yeah, Joe,
it could have been a Joe awkward moment where he's like,
I thought this is gonna be cute. Definitely backfired. Hopefully
Serena knows him well enough at that point to be like, alright, Joe,
Well that didn't feel great. But see, I don't know,
I think that that's kind of cute because he because
she clearly already knows that there was the other girl,

(31:26):
that there was a Yeah she does, but that's an
age of difference. It is. It was well again, I
keep going back to us watching it, and Jessica was like,
that's twenty three is the age of her little brother,
who I think she still sees as her little brother,
which he is, but he's also a man now thirty
five dating a year old. If you know, it's not

(31:48):
as like different than being like twenty three and dating
eight you know, somebody that's in college like different. You know,
they're both in life and they're both at winning love,
and they're both excited about the possibility of it. It
could work, it has worked. You know. There's a lot
of age difference, but that is an age difference. Same
with Mary and Kenny. That's fifteen years. Yeah, yeah, that's interesting. Um,

(32:13):
we'll see if that becomes a storyline, like if age
does become a storyline. However, I'm I'm more in the
mindset now that as long as the two people are
both aligning on their interests in life, that that can
work well. But there's just a lot of life between
twenty three and thirty five. I'm a different That's what
it is. Yeah, there is. It's not so much that
it's a twelve year age difference. It's the age difference

(32:38):
that it is currently early twenties, mid thirties. Yeah, there's
just a lot of life to be lived and a
lot of lessons to be learned and a lot of
things to develop over that time, So I don't know.
I sit in Josie and I honestly be a little
self conscious for Serena, And I don't know if it
matters very much, but if I was Joe, I know that.
You know, as you get older, you get a little

(32:59):
more self conscious about that you like how you know,
are you interested in somebody my age? Are you wanting
somebody that's like wanting to have dinner at six thirty
at night and being bed at nine thirty? Like? Is
that something interesting you? Are you still wanting to get
out there and explore at an energy level that I
just no longer am interested in. Um, so we'll watch
it was go okay. Final big moment, Dimmi walks down

(33:22):
uh the steps, says Hi to David. We see Demi
enter into paradise. Are you surprised that she's there? And
what do you expect at a Demi this time around?
I worry that Demi might be too cocky going into this.
I think she thinks she is like she is like

(33:44):
a senior here, right, so there is like a certain
seniority and she is a very well known member of bagelination.
I can understand it hitting your ego a little bit,
but she might be walking in a little bit too overconfident, um,
and I'm worried She's like not, it's she's not going
to make friends there. It's interesting and I could see

(34:06):
how even I would have that perspective after being there before,
feeling like I know, I understand it all, feeling kind
of almost immune to the emotions that people are experiencing,
like I've felt this before. I know it's the calm,
I know it's gonna and and then all of a sudden,
the show finds a way to just totally rock your
world somehow. They will. They will. Yeah, being overly confident

(34:28):
walking down those steps or walking onto this show is
one of the greatest ways to set yourself up for
for some her or at least for an experience that will,
like you said earlier, mature you change you, uh and
hopefully every time enhance who you are as a human. Well.
I think it's a great conversation, Ashley to tie into

(34:48):
our guest who has been on Paradise, who has is
familiar with this show and familiar with the world that
is the Bachelor. Ashley Frazier Williams is going to be
joining us right after this break to talk about paradise
and talk about what she has going on in her life.
Right now, I know I'm not alone and thinking like

(35:13):
what is in that tampon cotton? Like, I know there's
chemicals in there, and that is weird. It does not
feel okay. And we all have heard a lot about
how tampons are not the best for the environment. Neither
are pads. So if you guys are looking for something
to change your lifestyle for the better and the planet,

(35:34):
you've got to try flex. Flex is innovating period care
with products that are body safe, made for comfort, and
made to keep you moving. There's the Flex disc, which
is a one time use menstrual disk that fits perfectly
inside your body. It's one flex disc that can be
worn for up to twelve hours and holds as much

(35:55):
flow as three super tampons, which is crazy because you
know that normally you wouldn't be able to keep a
tamp on in for twelve hours safely. So I mean
that that's pretty innovative. And if you want to go
zero waste and have the planet love you even more,
pick up the Flex cup. It's a reusable menstrual cup
that Cosmo has rated number one. So with helpful videos,

(36:20):
in depth diagrams, gifts even and flexperts available to walk
you through the entire process, You'll never go back to
products from the past once you try Flex, the say
goodbye to cramps, put sex back on the table, and
lend mother nature a hand. Go to flex fits dot
com slash almost and use the code almost for off

(36:44):
Flex disc starter kits or ten percent off your first
Flex cup plus free shipping. That's code almost at flex
f l e x fits dot com slash almost. Well.
We thought that the Flex was so cool that we
decided to have the inventor of it, Lauren Shalty Wong,

(37:07):
onto the podcast, just to explain a little bit more
about a product, because I can understand how it's a
little mind boggling at first. You launched Flex in two
thousands sixteen with the hope and dream of transforming the
lives of people with periods. What was it that inspired
you to start Flex? I was getting East infections for

(37:28):
fifteen years and years and ten years of these infections. Yeah. Um,
I'm originally from a small town in Georgia, and honestly,
I never really thought that much about my period products. Um,
but I just spent years researching and trying different products
from all over the world and trying to find something
new and trying to find something different, and I couldn't

(37:51):
really find anything. Um So I decided to be the
first period care brand UM that would code design period
products with real stomers to solve their problems. So, then,
how did you come up with the flex the period cup?
Because I will be totally honest with you, Oh my gosh,
I can't believe I'm saying that on this podcast, But like,

(38:11):
I was horrified of sandpots until like my tool ENnies,
I was like that, they freaked me out. So, like
the period cup also seems a little intimidating. How do
we get over that thought? Yeah, so we have a
couple of different products. That first product was a disk,
and I heard that people wanted more sustainable period products,

(38:33):
but they didn't like the idea UM of rinsing and
reusing something. So they wanted something more to SUSA animal
than a champ on our pad. But we weren't able
to fully commit to let's say, rinsing on a cup
in a public space. Um So, our disks disks are
our first product and their designs so that you can

(38:54):
wear them for twelve hours, so the only disposable period
product that can be worn for twelve hours. They reduced
cre MPs and sixty of our users you can wear
them for mess free period sex, and those benefits for
a lot of folks are enough to get over the hurdle.
But the thing that I love is you can use
the bathroom and empty it on the go like hands
free emptying, so you can free emptying hands free emptying,

(39:18):
so there's no rinsing and reusing, and once you're back
at home you can you can take it out and
and toss it, but you end up using six less
waste than um traditional period products. And the cup is
different because we're the only cup in the world that
has a patented poll tap that helps break the seal

(39:38):
um so it helps prevent it from getting stuck, which
is something that I think a lot of folks are
afraid of when using for a cup for the very
first time. Definitely, And what about the mess is there?
Is it any different than taking out a tampon? You
feel it is different than taking on a tampon, and
absolutely takes practice and there's a learning curve. So the
question I always ask people if they're thinking about trying

(39:59):
a new period product, is is it worth testing something
out to see if all the other benefits outweigh, you know,
getting your hands a little messy while you're learning to
use something new for the very first time. Okay, that's understandable.
And then, um, I hope it's not to t M
I for this podcast. But how do you insert the disks? Yeah,

(40:22):
they're pretty straightforward. You pinch it in half and it
actually gets about thinner than a tampon, and you push
it all the way back and down and it pops
open into place. So if it's in properly, you shouldn't
feel it at all. And it's got um this nice
brim that molds the form of your body, so it's
ultra comfortable and pretty easy to remove. So you talked

(40:46):
about how you are getting used infections? Is tampon use
a common A common um a common thing to cause
us infections? Tampines can for some people disrupt the pH
of your of your vagina absorbs. You know, they just
absorb all of that um, healthy bio flora that your

(41:09):
body works so hard to produce every month to keep
up immunity and help prevent infections, So not for not
everyone has issues with tampons, and I'm not trashing campbons
by any strate of imagination, but for some people they
can throw off the pH of our vagina which can
lead to um use infections and bacterial vaginosis. So it
was really important to us that we used fully medical

(41:31):
grade materials that would not promote the growth of harmful bacteria.
And the discs are actually the only period product in
the world that haven't been linked to TSS. Amazing, Yeah,
because you said that you can keep it in for
twelve hours and it absorbs as much as three super
tampons were, so that is pretty incredible that we don't

(41:53):
have to worry about toxic shock. Is there anything else
about your product that you want to talk about before
we let you go try and help from mos thy
period sex? I mean, I've never really had an issue
with period sex personally, UM, but you can have all
different types of sex. Doesn't have to be penetrated sex
to be able to enjoy the disk, and some people

(42:14):
find that to be very free. Well, thank you so
much for joining us, Lauren UM. It was very informative
and makes me a lot less intimidated by the new
inventions which are so popular. Our friend and colleague here
at I Heeart, you know, Tanya Rad, she cannot stop
talking about how much she loves the flex cups. Oh

(42:36):
that's so great to hear. I'm really proud of our growth,
and I think it's just because customers, like I said,
are experiencing those real benefits. It can always be really
scary to try something new, but you know, if it's
going to make our peers more comfortable and eliminate cramps
and give you more sexy time, it's worth a shot.
How does it eliminate cramps? People? So it's not gonna

(42:59):
eliminate pre menstrual cramps, but a lot of folks get
more cramps and they're wearing a hard tampon inside of
their vagina because your body is essentially trying to contract
to relieve, believe all of the menzies. Um. And so
when you don't have like a hard felt our object
in the middle of your vagina, the flex this sits

(43:21):
in a in a different states around your vaginal for nex,
with a fewer nerve endings, and it's stopped and it's flexible, um.
So it moves with your body and creates that leak
free seal um. And so that's where a lot of
folks tell us that their cramps are so much better. Wow.
So interesting. I always thought there would be something to that.
All right, well, Lauren, thanks so much for joining us today.

(43:43):
We really appreciate it. Yeah, thanks for having me. Why. Hey,
sucky daters. This is Dean and this is Jared, And
this week we have Kaylin and Ashley come on our
podcast and tell us what they absolutely hate most about us.
Be sure to listen to our podcast Help I Suck
at Dating right now on the Heart radio app, Apple
Podcasts and everywhere you listen to podcasts. Hey, everybody, Kendall

(44:09):
Cohen is joined the podcast. Kindall has been behind the
scenes producer of the podcast now for the last couple
of weeks or months. I guess. Uh. She is from Indiana,
so we know she's great. We know she's awesome. She
had the opportunity to attend the premiere party of Bachelor
in Paradise this week she got to interview the contestants,

(44:30):
hang out, get some of the scoop. Kindle's here now
joining us, Kinda, What did you learn? I learned a
lot and I also came into the premiere party, not
knowing what to expect, like my impressions on people and everything.
And one takeaway I have is how much I loved
Goddess Victoria. She was amazing and she has a new look,

(44:51):
and you know, she told me blondes do have more
fun now that she has blonde of a brunette, which
is something I loved. And I also loved Connor b
He stood out to me. And he actually did bring
his cat costume, but he didn't get the chance to
wear it, which is a bummer. Okay, And do you
have some sound bites for us? We do, yes, So
there's a lot of conversations I had. So Victoria, I

(45:12):
asked her if she brought the crown with her to Paradise,
and she did bring up how goddess is what she's
going to go by. But something that also stood out
to me was she said that this appearance on Bachelor
in Paradise was going to be redemption for her from
Matt season, which I found was really interesting. I have
a goddess crown. You have a goddess crown. Okay, so

(45:34):
that's what your look you're going for? I love it?
And Connor, are you going to be dressing up as
any other animal in Paradise. What a great question. I
will say, I brought the cat suit to Paradise. I
didn't wear it the first day, but it may or
may not make it a pass. Oh my god, that
cat suit is way too hot for him to be
wearing in Paradise. He should be dressing up like something different, now, Kendall,

(45:55):
did you also get any insight into when Victoria says
this is gonna be emption for her? What does she
mean by that? What redemption is she looking for? Because
showing up as a goddess doesn't exactly change the narrative.
Here I did, and we will play that for you.
Paradise was definitely my redemption, and like letting everyone see
a different side of me and ask for what I

(46:17):
look in a bar and a guy like I'm always
learning and growing, But definitely Matt Susan taught me, I
want someone who trust me and listens to me. Um,
because I still think my side was valid. Interesting. Did
you get any insight as to like how long she
might be sticking around if that really did come to
fruition for her? You know, I tried to get that

(46:39):
out of her and she was very put her foot
down on that, but she definitely says or from what
I got from it, I feel she wants a new
image on herself for this, which will be interesting to
see how that will play out. Now we also know
that you got to talk to Kenny, who obviously showed
up to Paradise in uh in a very fashionable way.

(47:02):
His skin suit was on. At least that's what we think. Uh.
What did can you have to say, Kenny? I love
talking to He did bring up being naked and everything,
and he obviously and I talked to him and just
then at the same time he made it seem like
he was actually naked, So I don't know. But he
did say that the new dynamic is wild, and he

(47:22):
gave me a little insight on that as well. It's wild,
it's I think it's it's way more over the top
than you're used to uh there. There's just more people.
There's obviously with the uh Chris not being there, it's
a different dynamic with different posts and uh Wells doing
a little bit more than he normally does. So like
it's it's it's it's a kind of a whole different show.

(47:44):
It's the same show, but it's different. Did anybody talk
about what their favorite part of being in Paradise was?
A lot of them did, majority of them. One funny
thing I found was they said that Wells makes great
drinks as a bartender, and we have a lot of
practice at it. I know he was he was experimenting
when I was with him ten days ago. He was
worried that he doesn't make good Dreams drinks and he's

(48:05):
gonna experiment in the off season so he can get
better at it for next year. So it's good that
they thought he was. He was pouring some nice strings
for him. Now find a couple of things here, Kendall.
We did, uh pick up some audio clips. You got
to talk to Hannah Ann and Mike Johnson, who we
know are not showing up to Paradise, but they were
at the premiere. What were they doing there and what

(48:27):
they have to say? Yeah, So Hannah And and Mike
Johnson were there on behalf of The Ultimate Surfer, which
the premiere party was also for, and that will premiere
on Monday as well. But Hannah And told me she
was so excited to see her old cast mates on
this season. And Mike also said he wants to be
jealous of the love that he will see on this
season since I'm not there. I want to see drama.

(48:49):
I want to see love, and I want to see
I want to make I want to be jealous. That's
what I want to see. When I watched all my
TV screens all the August six I want to be
jealous because I wasn't to be JeOS because someone else
may love. And I'm being very genuine I say that
right because I love love. You know, one of my
favorite movies A Notebook. Okay, Well, Kendall, before we um

(49:11):
let you go, I did want to talk. I wanted
to talk about something we haven't even talked about yet.
Oh my gosh, how do we forget about the connection
that Natasha and Brendan seemed to be sparking there. I
don't know if they kissed, which is maybe why we
left them out of that couple list, but there definitely
had something. Uh. Natasha is actually really good friends with

(49:33):
Joe though, because they host the podcast together. So did
she talk about her relationship with Brendan or her friendship
with Joe or anything like that? Yes, so there she
did talk about her friendship with Joe, and she also
gave her opinion on Joe and Kendall, which I found
very interesting. So I definitely want you to hear that,
you know, me and whom are really close. It was hard.
And I adore Kendall and I've met her separately from Joe,

(49:54):
you know, when they were not together, and I adore
her as well. She's really sweet. But I was like,
look here, y'all, I can't get in the middle of this.
This is hard. This is hard for me. And it
was weird, I mean, and I felt his pain, you know,
like he was like, oh, what's happening, And the moment
he walked in, I mean, or the moment she walked in,
it was it was like, yeah, I filed for him,
could on one? I mean, can you imagine your your

(50:16):
dating someone? Maybe last time he was there, he fell
in love with her, and now they're on the beach again,
not together together crazy or maybe they get back together.
I don't know. And that was Tammy with her too,
saying maybe they get back together, so we'll have to see. Also,
Tammy and Natasha both gave me their opinion on Greg
and if he was showing his acting skills and Natasha

(50:39):
has a side where she supports Greg, but Tammy has
a side where she's friends with Katie, so it's different.
I'm very good friends with Katie, so I am going
to take her side no matter what. But I do
see the point of his side a little bit, and
her side, I do see where she's seen a little
bit blindsided for the way he was acting, because they
were very strong up until that point. So I mean,

(50:59):
it was just a bad breakup, you know, and it
hurts no matter, no matter. Yeah, I personally think I've
also talked to Greg and I you know, we have
a podcast. We talked to a lot of people here
in the nation. Um, I think that it was a
hard breakup. I personally, and I said this on my podcast,

(51:20):
I personally resonated with Greg Moore just because I've been
in relationships where I've sought validation. So watching it, I
don't think that Katie was invalid in her feelings. I
also don't think that Greg was invalid in his feelings.
I do think that they both could have handled things
better on her side and his side, And I do
think that it was a really bad breakup. I really

(51:42):
have you guys take on that Yeah, yeah, I do.
And I think that people who like the world out there.
It was so Greg versus Katie versus thing. There's some teams.
It was a bad breakup. Everyone had their points yea,
and it just didn't work out. Yeah, And I'm and
and to say though, when I look at Kadie and Blake,
it's like that's your person. Yeah, Kendall, thanks for showing

(52:05):
up to the party. Thanks for getting these interviews. It's
super fun to hear their reactions. You did great. Thanks
for all your work. Uh and we'll see soon. All right, Well,
we wanted to get alums on almost every episode of
the recaps of Bachelor in Paradise, So today we have
Ashley Fraser Williams. Hello, Ashley, Hi, Hi. You were on

(52:32):
Bachelor in Paradise season one, which is so crazy because
it was because what are we in? Season is a seven?
Now a lot has changed. Let's just say that what
do you think has changed the most? Well, it's still
like just the whole dynamic of having social media mixed
in with everything creates just a different environment of people

(52:53):
to respond and act, and um, be kind of different
in the world, I guess, right, because everybody's putting on
a show a little bit more, I think, right, because
now you understand the importance of keeping the audience, so
you know, definitely speaking of putting on a show. We

(53:14):
see at the end of the episode, Demi is walking
in and we were just talking. Okay, so so what
were your impressions of Demi walking because they're just talking
about this, but I would love another person's opinion. Well,
I think she's really good for ratings, the one you
want to watch, and um, you just hope that they

(53:34):
can really bring it. I guess, you know, so, I
think she'll be really interesting. I don't really like the
bully tactic that she has of like, oh, let me
come in and create drama, and that just makes me
feel like she might be mean. She kind of scares
me a little. It is an interesting thing to admit,
like coming down those stairs in the mindset of I'm

(53:56):
gonna come in here and mess things up. We've seen
that before with the mindset of some people walking down
those stairs. I never have known it to go well,
Like that just never works the way they think it's
going to. And so all those all of the people
with that mindset do get humbled at some point. With
when they when they think they're gonna come in there

(54:17):
and just tear things up absolutely. And I mean we
see her crying in a little clip of the future episode,
so there may be her humbling right there. I was
talking to Ashley like an eddie about this, just a
little bit to goo and Ashley Fraser Williams. I want
to hear your thoughts. What about paradise brings out the
emotions in the way that it does? How does how

(54:38):
does twenty some people show up to a beach and
all of them feel something so deeply if they're in
a romantic relationship or even if they're not. I think
there's several answers to that question. Number One, you're isolated,
and so you realize there's just a certain amount of
time that if you don't connect games over right, and

(54:58):
you don't want to go home because and you hope
for someone else to come in to match you, right.
So I think it's just a bunch of different reasons
why it gets so hyped up, right, ash That's exactly
what I said, is that pressure of time, especially if
you're somebody who is a little bit more slow to
open up. Yeah, Um, what's the girl that she said

(55:21):
she was um Abigail yeah, which, by the way, I
have my notes on her. Oh my god, I love her.
First of all, I'm so far behind on The Bachelor
because now I have two kids running around me and
it's a madhouse around here, so I barely have time
to eat myself. So, um, I'm so far behind. But
I really liked her so and now I want to

(55:42):
learn more about her and Noah. I think they're so cute.
It's so cute. Would you say that they were the
couple that you're rooting for the most as of now?
I mean as of someone that I think is more
on my level of calmness now that I'm old der more.
I hate to say mature because I don't want to

(56:02):
say it sound like anyone else is less mature. But
it's like they seem more ready maybe right, Yeah, they're
they're there for that and they're excited for that. I
felt that, and I understand what you're saying. It's not
like you're saying I'm more mature than the rest of
this cast. He's saying you can tell that she's ready
for this romantic connection, just similar to you know, when

(56:24):
I was watching Ashley, I ken Eddie on the show
before we were friends and before I knew her, well,
you could tell she really wants to be in a
romantic relationship. Um and and that was something that is
visible now to both of you. And then I'm gonna
step back here, But to both of you, I have
a really interesting question that I've always been intrigued by.
When you so you as you said, you couple up

(56:46):
because you are interested one in the person, and too
you want to stay around just in case maybe your
forever person comes down those stairs, which means that there's
a ton of breakups or there's a ton of relationships
ending a new one starting. I know in my life
breakups are really hard, and I maybe I put too
much weight on but they also sometimes feel very awkward,
like you don't really necessarily want to see that person

(57:09):
again just because you've shared moments with them. And then
it's like, hey, on this beach, you're surrounded by your
ex is for the entirety of the show unless you
couple up week one with your person that you're gonna
be with at the end. How awkward is it to
break up and move on? Or is it just kind
of like a spoken rule that yeah, things are gonna
end the most awkward thing ever. Okay, that's what this is. Like.

(57:30):
Oh my gosh, it's so awkward when they somebody breaks
up with you and you're like, okay, but I'll still
see you at breakfast tomorrow morning. So um, then we'll
look at each other and smile awkwardly and just will
know it won't happen. But you know, maybe I'll see
you go on a date with somebody else and it'll
be really weird because we just kissed the night before,
and I'm okay, I'm with you there. I totally agree

(57:53):
with that. But I also feel like in this specific environment,
there's some sort of way and how we all, all
of the bachelor nations somehow gets through it and we
all stick around and we're all still there, Like as
awkward as it is, we still do it and are
still able to I guess compartmentalize. I'm sure it's very

(58:17):
similar to what a fraternity and so already go through
because you know how you have like you're the ones
that you're paired with and you always have to have
parties and dances and stuff of them, like if that
happens all the time there, so that might be more relatable. Yeah, true,
that's true, but it's interesting because I feel like it
doesn't really bother me. I feel like I didn't play
my season very well looking back, But I think my

(58:41):
problem was on my season was there were more friends
on my case then, so I kind of felt not
stuck because it was still my choice, but I felt
like Graham was like my only option kind of, and
so I was like, well, I'm going to stick it
out with him because everybody else here's my friend. And
then I kind got into deep and then didn't know

(59:01):
how to get out, you know, looking back, So I
don't know, I feel like that's kind of part layed
into a different thing. But I mean you still like,
I guess it would have been awkward to have not
been with him and seeing with someone else, but I
mean we all see how that went. No, you're actually
really right about that. Is their privacy in this place though,

(59:23):
like we see everybody. I mean we only see like
the camera angles from the people watching, and it feels
like everybody can watch each other kiss and hang out
and make out. Like is there any place to just
get away? I mean, if you really want to get away,
you could, but you're gonna have a camera follow you.
But if you didn't want everyone seeing you, right, ash,
don't you feel like, yeah, they're go like balconies and

(59:45):
like little areas. You can definitely get like privacy to
make out what I mean. Clearly you can tell that
they don't care, right, They're like, hey, let me let
everyone know. So it is taken, that's true. You almost
wanted to be out there. Interesting, that's that's heavy. So
you're like, there's a moment in the mind of the people,
like I want to show that I'm with this person
so nobody else steps on. Yeah, because I can remember

(01:00:09):
people not knowing of like certain couples, and then you'd
be like, oh, and then there's so and so and
so and so, and then like the other person that's
been around for just as long as you was like
wait what No, it's like oh yeah, oh yeah, you
didn't know that, right, That's good stuff. That's what I
would get into, Like I really love yeah, I just

(01:00:30):
love the like. But then you have a demmy girl
come in and she's like, oh really I really wanted him. Oh,
but now that he's taken, let me hop in. And
then happens to you've seen it, we see it. M
how often is that successful? Okay? So, uh, you have
your notes in front of you. We've just mentioned that
Abigail Noah relationship, we've talked about Demmi coming down the stairs.

(01:00:53):
You really want to ask about that? Um, what are
your feelings after watching and being a part of this
on David's age rule and also in comparison to Wells
with Wells being there as well, like, how do you
like this dynamic? Okay, here's what I think. I think
Wells needs to step up and be the hell Okay, yeah,
oh really okay? Yeah, So I didn't think about that

(01:01:16):
until I saw him, and just the way he is
on camera is so good. He's really good. I like
I asked questions. He's on everyone's level. He's been through it,
and I think he's witty enough to kind of come
up with his own lingo for the show and maybe
take it into a different avenue versus saying the same
the most drama season ever, you know, like our same

(01:01:39):
terms we've had forever. I think he'd be really good
for that. David Spade, I was like, oh I don't
get this. No, now, Chris Harrison, we know is really funny.
He has really like witty personality, So I think that
wasn't really shown into the handful of last so many seasons, right,
he didn't him his personality at the beginning. So I

(01:02:01):
think having David Spade is awesome. I wasn't sure. I
was like, oh, how's that going to go? But I
was hooked right away. I'm like, yes, yes, he's funny.
But you're saying that that you think if you even
took David away? Yeah, Okay, he filled a comedic role
that was necessarily kind of, like we said, maybe a
risk alleviator for the show, just in case Wells when

(01:02:22):
it stepped up. But you're seeing Wells now you're saying,
I think this guy's got it on his own. He
doesn't need anybody else. He can do this thing. And
we came to the same conclusion. Okay, two parts to that.
One for the Bachelor, Bachelor, Yes, I think Wales can
do it on his own. For Paradise, there's a different
way that they edit and film. It's funnier, like it
has a more freedom type of show to it versus

(01:02:47):
Bachelor is so much more serious. Right, so you see
all the funny humor and all the wittiness of the
characters that we saw in Bachelor and Bachelortte come out
in paradise. So that's where I think David would be
really good. Interesting, you know what I mean? Yeah, so
you're you're taking it one step further and saying you
believe well as Addams could be the host of the

(01:03:09):
Bachelor and Bachelor at the big, the big show. Yeah. Interest,
I think for sure, I think you could handle it,
and I think America loves him, so he's a good option,
you know. All right, Well, let's talk about you for
a little while. Yes, all right, So you have two
daughters now, Everley is ten months and Nabe is two

(01:03:31):
and a half. As somebody who's struggling through their pregnancy,
how how are you um? While I was pregnant? Yeah,
so Navy it was a lot easier. I thought it
was hard. It was so much easier than Everley. Everley.
There was one point where I was in so much pain.

(01:03:52):
I mean, t am I but from I could not
get from my bed to the bathroom. I was frozen
and I was freaking out. Call air and I'm like
I don't know what to do. I could not my
pain and my tailbone was so excruciating. I couldn't put
my toe down. I'm not like a third trimester. Um no,
it was at the beginning. Why in your tailbone? Why? So?

(01:04:16):
What I've heard and what my doctor said is if
you have previous injuries, a lot of times they'll come
back in your pregnancy. And when I was younger, I
fell and fractured my tailbone, and so I think that
came back to haunt me. No way, it was rough.
I had vertigo with Everley. That happened. I got the
flu at six weeks, which this was right before Corona hit.

(01:04:41):
So thank god it wasn't Corona. But um, otherwise you
know I would have been freaking out anything and everything
happened it was, it was rough. Well, Ashley is currently
pregnant as you know. Uh, what is the best advice
that you were given or that you could share with Ashley? Uh?
Through the can see and then into early motherhood. The

(01:05:03):
best as advice is to not take anyone's advice. You
will know your child and what you want better than
anybody else. And so what someone told me was take
it all in. Oh, thank you, thank you. No one
knows whether you take it or not. You don't have
to have a conversation with them. If it's not what
you believe or how you feel, you don't have to

(01:05:24):
do it. When you get home and it's just you
and your family, it's whatever you want to do, So
do whatever feels right to you. That's a really good advice.
No one knows whether you take it or not. So
why even like I have to worry? It all comes
to you as it's happening, Like the with Navy I

(01:05:45):
my first girl. I was just constantly worried and try
and figure it out. And I was like, this is
what society says to me. And then once it clicked
at probably like maybe I don't know, month six seven,
I was like, okay, I just got to relax. I
am stressing out. This is freaking me out, like everyone's
opinions are like weighing on me. And once I let go,

(01:06:08):
I swear everything became easier. And it's not easy, but
it just was like, oh my gosh, this is what
I should have been doing this whole time. I get
it now. So you s good advice. Thank you so much.
You're welcome. Very empowering too. I mean I'm hearing it.
I'm like, that's awesome, you know, I mean somebody who
hopes to be a father someday, just having the confidence

(01:06:28):
in yourself to say I've got this and you're gonna
know yeah, you know your baby better than anybody because
you know you're gonna be a loving mom. So yeah,
really really cool advice. I've never heard that. Um, So
thank you, thank you, And then we'll just talk about
your husband, Aaron for a second. You guys got married
in twos seven. Yeah, how did you? Of course, how

(01:06:57):
did you guys meet? And like how was that dating process?
Isn't did the Bachelor teach you anything from it? Oh?
Good questions. So I met Aaron years and years ago
when we were all going out having fun, going out
to the club and bars and all that stuff, and
I really liked him. He was so handsome, Um, came
from a really good family, but he's so quiet and shy,

(01:07:17):
and I did not think he liked me because he
wasn't really taking that initiative and so it kind of
just faded away. But we would see each other out
all the time and hang out and I felt like
there was a connection, but nothing ever came from it
because he never was like Hey, you're my girl, let's go. So, um,
we would stay in touch and then finally, um, I've

(01:07:40):
reached out to him, or he reached out to me,
I can't remember. And we started talking and again I'm like,
does this guy like me? Like he's spending all this
time we were much older. This is going back to
where we first started dating again, and I was like,
does this guy like me? Like he's hanging out with me,
he's taking me to dinner, but he's not saying the words,

(01:08:02):
you know, because he's just such a quiet guy. And
so I wasn't gonna ask, you know, I needed him
to tell me. So finally I was like, all right,
I'm gonna move to l A. And then he was like, oh, well,
can we be together before you go? And I was like,
wait his boyfriend before you leave? Yeah, like one of
like like exclusive and he's like yeah. I'm like okay,

(01:08:24):
I thought he was joking. I'm like, oh, I'm moving,
So now he's going to like say, oh, now it's
safe to say that, right. So then I moved. Six
months later, I'm like Aaron doing coming home and he's like,
I'm going to step it out that I'm gonna be
there and then that was it. That's so cute. Yeah,
and he was basically at home waiting for me. So
he's a good looking good do I just I just

(01:08:45):
googled him. Yeah, he's a good looking fellow. Yeah, he's
a good looking guy for sure. Now I gotta go Instagram. Yeah,
he's not on any social media, which is the most
amazing thing. Like he has no idea, Like he doesn't
get it at all. Like I have to break everything
down for him like you would your parent, are your grandma?

(01:09:08):
You know, like that respect for Aaron. Yes, stay on
to that buddy. Yeah. I like that guy. He found
his girl, he has his family, he's got his career. Yeah.
The social time is like I think I need to
get on Facebook and check in with my friends and
well that was six months ago and oh so good. Well,

(01:09:29):
yeah he's a great guy. Actually you are awesome. Thank
you to thank you for having me. But actually, before
you go, you do some really cool things going on
in your life that we want to touch on. Ania Hill,
can you explain it to all of the people listening
what it is, why they would like it, why they
should check in on it. Yeah. So Ania Hill is
a lifestyle brand that I created. I felt like there

(01:09:52):
was such a disconnect and wanting people of norm to
have the same feeling and experience that US bloggers and
influencers get, and I wanted them to have um, really
great product come to them in really good packaging, and
so I created a NEA Hill. It's Aaron Navy, Everley

(01:10:12):
and Ashley, and that's where Ania came from. In Hill
is basically this feeling. It's this place you want to be.
So you know when you put on an outfit that
you feel amazing in and you're like, all of a
sudden getting compliments and you're like, how is this possible? Today?
I'm getting the compliments on something I just bought for
the first time and I'm wearing it. That is the hill.

(01:10:33):
That's that feeling, that place you want to be, and
that's on top of the hill. So that's where the
name came from. And it's basically it started off with sunglasses,
which are our ride or Die pieces. UM. I've styled
and designed each piece from scratch from the ground up,
and so they're sustainable, everlasting, basic pieces that are for

(01:10:55):
women UM. And so we've been adding clothing and all
kinds of different things to the brand, but um my
plan is for everybody to have a piece and for
them to have it for long term, which makes it sustainable.
So it's been really fun designing. I love it. I'm
looking at the Instagram right now. It's at shop Ania
Hill and that is a n E A Hill And

(01:11:20):
there are really nice staples. Thank you. They go with
everything and they are the kind of stuff that you
would keep in your closet forever. Yeah. Thanks. I need
to send you guys some the wife and Ashley send
you guys and stuff. Don't help me out. I like
myself some lifestyle pieces. Let's send you the dress that's perfect.
Thank you Ashley. Thanks again, Annia Hill dot com. Check

(01:11:43):
out Ashley's brand. Also, thanks for coming on and talking
Paradise best of luck. Thanks for your advice and joining
the Almost Famous podcast. Yeah thanks guys. By So obviously
it's been a big week with Paradise. As we just mentioned, Uh,
they had their launch party, Uh that Kendall was able

(01:12:04):
to go to. It was great talking to her. Now,
we mentioned at the beat of the podcast that we're
finding new waves ways to be interactive with all of you.
We want to continue to connect with you and have
fun with you and experience the show alongside of you.
And so we thought one of the cool ways to
do it was to bring on the Batch Bracket. Start
a bracket for Paradise. This year, Ashley and I are

(01:12:25):
competing in it, UH doing the best we can uh
to win it. The winner will uh get a prize.
So we're bringing Batch Bracket on now uh to discuss
the details and everything good about it. Welcome to the podcast,
Caitlin from Batch Bracket. Caitlin, as you're coming on the podcast,

(01:12:47):
we're gonna talk about what this means, the Batch Bracket.
Do you mind just given a quick recap of what
a batch bracket is and then how our listeners can
join in and compete against so many other people. Yeah? Absolutely,
I am happy to So. I love Batch Bracket because
it does give you an opportunity to compete against all

(01:13:09):
your friends watching the show that we all spend way
too much time watching already. UM Batch Bracket is essentially
like fantasy football, except for the Bachelorette. So UM Batch
Bracket is a show an opportunity for you to compete
with friends, get on and um make picks every single week,

(01:13:30):
so you essentially choose your team of contestants. They are
going to win or lose you points based on what
they do that week. So whether they're saying, um, you
know that someone is or isn't here for the right reasons,
or they're making out in the ocean or reading a
date card, things are worth positive points, things are worth
negative points. And at the end of every episode, scoreboard

(01:13:51):
is updated and you find out how your team did
for the week. So super simple to join. Everyone can
just go UM to back bracket dot com Join a league. UM.
The almost famous league is They're right at the top
of the join a League page, so super easy to
find UM and yeah, you can just join a league
right there at any friends that you want to play

(01:14:13):
against in the scoreboard. UM updates and scores automatically after
every episode, so it's not like your regular like n
C double a bracket, right. So for Paradise, especially because
so many people are coming in and out the whole time,
there's not a lot of consistency a week to week,
so UM very much more so like Fantasy Football than

(01:14:34):
March Madness type bracket style. UM very much choose your
team every week. Every single episode is a new chance
to win points and a new chance to pick a
new team. It's uh. I think it's gonna be a
really fun way for the listeners out there to kind
of join on and get even more involved in the show.
I know fantasy football, I've loved football forever, but fantasy
football really gets me hyped on every game and watching

(01:14:56):
every time a game is shown. Now, you had some
success with batch Bracket. Do you mind sharing where it
started and then where it's at today? How many users,
how many people are actively involved? Yeah? Absolutely So. A
group of friends, three other friends and myself started batch
Bracket back in UM just kind of as a fun whim.

(01:15:18):
UM begged our friends and family to join our little site.
We had three hundred people our first season of v
I p Um that we launched for As of the
last season of Bachelor that we had over two hundred
thousand people playing um or. Yeah. So it's been pretty wild.
It's been a wild ride kind of learning what that
means to be able to support a site for that

(01:15:40):
many people. UM Since its creation, over five hundred thousand
people have played on batch brackets, So it's been pretty
fun to navigate that and just um keep trying to
improve it, just keep trying to build a better experience
for everyone. And um, it's it's been fun to see
how it's how it's grown. Well, congratulations, that is so cool.

(01:16:00):
Then you did already fill out your bracket. I still
have to do. Mind my bad. What were some of
the things that you like wagered on? Yeah, so I
to not give away who I picked, though, I really
went with some of the consistent faces. I thought the
veterans uh in Paradise would do well this season. I

(01:16:21):
thought they knew how, they would know how to navigate
the process. I also wanted some people that would make, um,
make some noise, like maybe some of those bigger characters
that would shake things up, that would be on camera
a little bit more, even if the camera time wasn't
maybe healthy time for them, because I know that the
more they're showing probably the more points that I'm gonna get.

(01:16:42):
And so I kind of weighed both. I took my
safe picks with the veterans. I also picked some more
outliers that I thought would make some noise in Paradise.
Um and and and it is fun. Now we're obviously
one weekend to Paradise already, and some of the people
are just hearing this for the first time. So, Caitlin,
is it too late for listeners to sign up for
our bracket? No, So that's one great thing is that

(01:17:06):
the bracket is open throughout the full season, and there
are so many opportunities to win points throughout the season
that just missing one week does not, by any means
exclude you from coming up at the top the next week.
So definitely tons of opportunities to win points still, no
matter when you join within the season. Awesome, very good,

(01:17:27):
so great, Thank you so much for joining us. That's
such an amazing platform with amazing growth. So I'm excited
to play this season with Ben. Yeah, we're super excited
to have you and uh cannot wait for the rest
of the season. So before real quick though, before you go,
the winners of this season's almost Famous Batch bracket are
going to get a prize. What is it? So this

(01:17:49):
season we're very excited that that the winners of the
almost Famous league are actually going to be able to
make their own appearance right here on the podcast. So
very excited and Ashley hang out, um and yeah, definitely
high stakes for this league. Let me tell you, it's
worth it. To win because getting to hang out with

(01:18:11):
Ashley Connetti is a dream. Caitlin, thanks for joining us.
You're the best. We're gonna fill out of brackets every
week at batch bracket dot com, go to the Almost
Famous League. It's gonna be fun, it's gonna be great.
I hope it is something that has so much traction
to it from all of you listeners that we do
it every season from here on out. Caitlin, thanks again,

(01:18:34):
thanks so much. As the first headline of this week
uh includes Grey Grippo and it says that him and
mckinnadorn we're talking before he went on The Bachelor. ET.
I know, isn't that crazy? So McKenna and Greg used
to talk last summer. According to an insider, they really

(01:18:58):
hit it off, but long just came in the way. Um.
They talked for about a month before things cooled off.
They never met in person. She lives in Canada, he's
you know, lives in New Jersey. Um. There's some proof
of this connection because the reality stars both liked each
other's instagrams in the early twenties. In early UM and yeah,

(01:19:26):
so that's that's interesting. I wonder if I wonder how
that even came to be. Yeah, yeah, that's weird right, like,
because I don't even know whether he would have been
in casting early feels less juicy because they never met.
They never met. Well, next headline is this, obviously, well,

(01:19:47):
you have the opportunity to have Justin Glaze, who was
Katie Thurston's runner up on the season that just ended
at the Bachelor, on this podcast. So if you haven't
listened to it, I'd recommend going back and listening to it.
It's a great episode and he was very honest. Well,
Katie Thurston reacts uh to some of the things said
by Justin Glaze. Uh When he said he was blindsided

(01:20:08):
by their split, she said, I'm not surprised he was blindsided,
just because of what him and I experienced. Unfortunately, there's
a whole love story you guys didn't get to see.
But him and I both agreed it doesn't matter what
people got to know in terms of our connection. But
he said on art and then this is how he
responded um on our podcast, he said that you know

(01:20:30):
we've you guys should go back and listen. It's a
great episode with Justin. We loved having him on. He
really opened up and you get to know what a
sweet guy is. And it was unfortunate we didn't get
to know him better on TV, but he said, we
spent a month together getting to know each other, talking
about our families. Um, this morning, I'm picturing how great
today is going to be and like what our life
is gonna actually look like. And that's that. But it's

(01:20:51):
so hard you don't want it to end. It's hard, man,
It hurts. Man. I gave this my everything. There are
a lot of emotions. Well, we really enjoyed having them on. So,
like I said, I would recommend going back and listening. Well. Uh,
speaking of Katie Thurston, it seems like her and Blake
moy's are having a lot of fun and enjoying their
first week out in the public. Uh. And we see that.

(01:21:13):
One of the examples of this is Blake moyne shares
video in bed with Katie Thurston after the Bachelortte finale. Yeah,
so there is a video Katie and Blake there in
bed for the first time since our relationship has been out,
and they're in there with his dogs and the the
In the video, it says, I don't want it, I

(01:21:33):
don't want your bone. Take that back, and that's what
Katie says in the clip. I think there's like a
little indu window there. But they're talking, you know, they're
referring to the dog bone. It's just them being silly
and bad. It's uh, it's a big week for them,
first week as a public couple. Well, the last few

(01:21:53):
headlines here, big one in Bachelor Nation, bachel Nations. Jeff
Holme files restraining order against be Hazed. This according to
E and well every other out there, Yeah, that's pretty crazy. Um. So, basically,
Robbie and Jeff and Chase mcnarry they used to all

(01:22:14):
live together in the Santa Monica area, and then Chase
got out of that brow house. Good for him. Jeff
and Robbie continued living together, and there's always like kind
of a reputation for being a party house. Um. And
apparently once Robbie moved out, he kept coming back in unannounced,

(01:22:37):
so Jeff ended up filing for a restraining order. It's
unclear from the documents whether their friendship was soured and
Robbie moved out, but allegedly, according to the documents, Jeff
states that at least once a week Robbie enters his
property without permission and it becomes hostile. He says, I

(01:23:01):
do not feel safe around him, and Jeff continues to
say that he threatens me and still hasn't stopped to
this day. He claims that he has belongings in there
and that is why he enters, but he's not on
the least and it's making me fearful. Wow, it's a
big step to get a restraining order, and uh, follow

(01:23:21):
that story as it continues. Obviously it's temporarily I think
in in place right now, and over time we'll see
if it goes and and becomes permanently granted. Well, Uh,
Tasia Adams was on this podcast. Uh spoke very openly
when she came on about her relationship with Zac and
kind of how they're processing through this season of life

(01:23:42):
or Tassia is super busy and Zack's running um his facilities. Well,
the headline reads this. Tasia Adams responds after fan questions,
then her cryptic never settle post about Zach Clark. Um,
all right, so basically okay should put out a tweet
on Friday where she said never settled dot dot dot

(01:24:04):
and then a fan said this better not be about
Zach and then Tasha responded saying, Chill Coralie and I
think that was the girl's name, Chill Coralie. Um, I
don't think it is about Zach. She was recently on
our podcast, like Benj just said, and she talked about
how she feels like their relationship while they have to

(01:24:26):
be away from each other a lot, it still works
for them. M Well, uh, obviously it's never easy to
be in a relationship, especially when the two people are
living apart and moving on. But again, she spoke about
it with Ashley on the Almost Famous Podcast, which is
this podcast, so it's pretty easy to go back listen
to that episode to get even more details about that headline. Well, Ashley, UM,

(01:24:50):
great podcast. Thank you to Ashley Frazier Williams for joining
us today. Again, go out and fill out your Bachelor
in Paradise bracket right now. Uh, it's not too late
at batch bracket dot Com. Go to the Almost Famous
League fill out your team updated each week. Actually, and
I are competing the winner. Come on and get to

(01:25:12):
hang out with us, which I think is just awesome. Well, hey, everybody,
thanks for joining, Thanks for listening with that. I've been
been Thanks guys, I've been Ashley See you next week.
Follow the Benn and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast on
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Episode Transcript

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