Now that we’ve wrapped up this season of Bachelor in Paradise, it’s time to sit down with some of the success stories from the sand!
First up is Brandon Jones and Serene Russell! Find out their plans post-Paradise and if they truly experienced “love at first sight”.
And Ashley gets Brandon and Serene to spill their honest thoughts about the OTHER Paradise couples!
This is the Benn and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast with i R Radio. Hey everyone, welcome to the Almost Famous podcast. Today. It is just me, but not really because I'm joined by the happiest happy couple I think I've ever seen in my life, Brandon and Serene. Oh my gosh, welcome to the show, you guys. It's so great to see you guys again. Jared and I had absolutely no doubts that you were going to live happily ever after and be the couple that had smooth sailing the entire way. Um, congratulations, thank you, Oh my gosh, Okay, good to see you again. It was so good to see you. We have been telling everybody how like genuinely sweet as pie you two are. It's like there's not like any sort of there's like there's like no negativity around you ever. And um, I can just yeah, I can go on and on about just the bliss that is around you. Now, let's kind of go what's funny is that, Like usually we'd like to dive into Selesia stuff, but like with you guys, there's absolutely no Sealsia stuff. So I just want to like go like time by time throughout paradise and talk about like the happiest moments and like the biggest like heart flutters and all that. Yeah, okay, so let's talk about the time you guys both first laid eyes on each other. Who was down there first, wasn't it? It It was Serene? Right? Yeah? So you're the first girl, right, Yeah? I was the first girl, And honestly, I was down there for like hours before anyone like pulled me to talk like romantic Wait what Yeah, So it was like probably like six five or six pm by the time someone had pulled me to talk, and I was there that morning. And so when I went into this show, I was thinking, like, I just really need someone intentional that is gonna show me that they have interested in me, because usually it feels like I have more interests in people than they have in me. And so I just wanted someone to really like show me that they were interested. And then this guy and it's like you, I want to talk to you. Oh that's so sweet. So Brendon was Serene on your list of ladies you wanted to see in Paradise most definitely. The funny part was like I kept seeing people go by, like down to the beach, and I'm like, yo, like, once I get down there, like everyone's talking to everyone, everyone's probably coupled up, like I have to go just like I have to bolt to the people who are on my list, like I gotta talk to you. I gotta talk to you that you and uh so a little liquid courage and I came down the beach. I was like, okay, I'm not wasting any time, like, hey, let's go talk. He was almost like the last one though, like and he was someone that I was like, okay, like I really want to meet him. And so it was just really tough. So there all day and then like no one's talking to me, and then you just came right up. And then what I'm being told, it's like, oh yeah, everyone's making connections already, everyone's talking and I'm like, all right, thanks Jesse, I appreciate you. So when you saw her in real life, did you have a love at first first site moments? Oh? She was. She was way more gorgeous in person than you know what I saw a TV. So yeah, I'm pretty sure life just bumbled my words. I went, you know, back to my old self. I just got super corny. And then somehow it word Serene. You talked to the past episode about how you felt he was intentional, and for you it was always like a serious interest, but maybe not like love. And you said that it grew with time, which I know Brandon saw as a compliment and I know you meant as a compliment. Um, But how does that kind of love differ from the past kinds of love you've had? Yeah, I think with Brandon early on we had a lot of this serious talks to see like are we even compatible, like do we want the same things in life? Obviously we were attracted to each other and you know that that came super naturally. But for me, what really stood out was him opening his heart to me after kind of going through something super tough, Like I wanted someone that would be open with me and I've tried really hard to remain open after you know, any field relationship, and so for me, it felt like we were coming from a place of understanding with each other. And like I said, he was just so intentional with every little thing, like every little opportunity he could show me that he cared, he did, and you know, all the other stuff is there too, But for me, that's what was different, and that's what made it were of a gradual thing, because it just felt like every day there was a little bit more Brandon. You're also so emotional, and I can't get over how sweet that is. How how did all your friends and family what they think about you crying on TV out of love so much roasted like because I'm not like that, but I just really my dream is that, like you get that emotional and passionate about everything. Maybe no, maybe I want you to like reserve that for the love of your life. Yeah, for that and then never like like say the date that went on when I teared up because I saw her like I've never it was like soon. It's just like the show was capturing all those moments, just like yeah, see. But that's perfect for me though, because I've always like how people try to play it so cool, and so the fact that like you wear your heart on your sleeve, and I always is know what you're feeling because I know I'm not cool, and I just hope for the best. You're like the perfect combination of cool and uncool to any sense. You have swag, that's the thing. You have swag, but you're also uncool, which is the perfect guy. It's my swag, but dorky is out. Okay. So I want to know the two moments Serene, When was the moment that you were like, if this guy gets down on one day, I'm saying yes, Oh gosh, it's so hard to think of an exact moment, like it really is, just because everything was so gradual and we had those serious talks like very early on, like what are you here for? Like no one wanted to leave the other person on. I don't know, maybe I think for me maybe in like my like in the moment whenever we came back from the Beat or from the Vedanta when we were split up, we had already said we were falling in love and so we were both re frustrated and we're like, yeah, this is kind of wasting our time, Like we have a lot to talk about still and want to just like continue the growth that we've had. And so I don't think that you like fully see it on the show, but like the embrace was like crazy, and he like I saw it. It was adorable. He like runs me down to the water and he's like, did you go on any dates? And I was like, no, did you? And he was like, I love you. But it was just like in that moment where like we reconnected, and I mean we both were secure in our relationship, but in that moment, like there was a lot more to the conversation than we got to see. And so I think maybe for me the waves are crashing in the background, we were like half in the water. It was it was they cut it all out, but it was like we were I was laughing and I was holding her and we were laughing together, and I was like, oh, I missed you. She's like I missed you too. And I was like, wait, did you go on any dates? She's like no, did you? I was like, no, I love you. You see other people? Yeah? Right, Oh you guys, that's adorable, Brandon. When did you know that you were going to propose? When she drew exactly what rings she wanted on the naption and said, if you see Neil, let him know this is Oh that was kind of like okay, yeah, like I get the hint. Now what point was that? Oh? That was well that was after after okay, and yeah, so we all got together and she just like we were eating breakfast. It really wasn't that ye and she was like she came up with a napkin, she drew like it was like from the left side, it looks like, yeah, and you got what you wanted. I did perfect gorgeous. Well, Brandon, that's when you knew that she was gonna say yes. But when were you like, I gotta marry this woman. Oh when I got to marry this woman. Oh when I saw her coming from the date, like I teared up. I was like, oh, I gotta there's no way, my heart, my heart. You guys are seriously so sweet. So we all saw your engagement coming for real, for real, you know, like it was like the least surprising thing of Bachelor Nation, like history basically. Um, and I have to say, I'm not sure that I've ever seen a couple that I felt so strong was going to not only get engaged, but to be absolutely fine in real life. Then you guys, yeah, yeah, yeah, we're just we're just like, this is the day we're like free. We can go out to dinner together, we can like to walk in the park together, like you want to walk down the street together. So today's the first day you get to do that. What are the plans? Step outside, literally, step outside, we'll just see where the day goes. Now, we're gonna go on a date. We're gonna we're gonna go to dinner together. Yeah, like walking, I don't know. I don't know. We're just so excited to just be I don't know anything. Okay, after your engagement, Jesse walks up with a book and I go, oh god, they're going to try to make them get married right now. No, don't do this. As much as I want to see them get married, I want them to enjoy an engagement period, and I want these two to have their family and friends at their wedding. This is so unfair. Don't pressure them into this. Did you have any thought that you might do it or were you just like, oh heck no, Like I know Brendon News you mentioned that you called your mom and she said I'll kill you if you do this. Did you call her in the moment or were you like, guess what funny thing they wanted us to do? It was? It was? It was we both were like, yeah, we won't get married, but like, we're not getting married with you getting married without our period. It's like, Jessie, I love you, but you're not my pops. You know my mom like her family, and then yeah, I called my mom. I was like, guess what they just asked And I was like, Jesse came down with an ordained book Like I was like, I think about me getting married right now, and she's like, I'll kill you. The boom boom room wasn't really used by anyone else this year besides Jared and I, which makes me feel incredibly awkward. But Bachelor data, the Instagram account has tracked this and there's been no airing of boom boom room use. Did you guys go the boom boom room? No, nobody did. Did you really? And why is that with your cast? Because usually it's very frequently used. Honestly, I think for thee of the people want to love, like, I think it was like very daunting and people were afraid of like how it would like shift things in the relationship or maybe how it would look. I think, for like the whole cast, I think most people really just wanted to focus on the important stuff, like just like really getting to know each other and also not wanting to add something else to the equation. I don't know, I can't really speak to the people. Yeah, I think I think it was like, also people we were the most people don't concern to We're like, yeah, I'll do it, But then does that help my chances if someone else were to come down those steps but tryangle what I get in, what I'd be in a deeper triangle. I don't know. I think here we saw a lot of like sticky situations in season seven that I'm sure sure yeah, maybe people were like yeah, yeah, definitely last season it was it was a complicated point of complication for sure. Okay, now I got to ask you about the other couples. What do you make of the whole Johnny in Victory situation? How awkward was it to watch that showdown at the reunion? So we actually didn't see it? You didn't you're aware of it? Yeah, yeah, we're close to them. I think ultimately we just want them both to be happy, and if they're happier separately, like we just it is literally coincidence that I was closest with Victoria of Beach and then he was close with Johnny, and we haven't really doubles, um, so I think just both of us looking at our friends and seeing like okay, like if you're deciding this isn't working for you, then you know, we want you to be happy. We just want them happy. Um, I don't think Greg should have been there. I think you should have just been them too, yeah, working it out. But other than that, yeah, we just want them happy. We love them both. So yeah, why would you feel specifically about Greg being there? I just I just I think he's a great guy and everything. Awesome guy. But I just I just think it was like a moment for them to like kind of have stuff out. I don't think he needed to be there necessarily, you know, I can't speak on him. Maybe Victoria needed support or whatever. Sure, that's why it was so um, but I just think, you know, in that moment, you know, if if we were you and you had a new guy and I was there, it kind of hurt me even more than what I'm going through. So yeah, I'm just for sure it is a dagger. When you guys sat down at that dinner with Victoria and Johnny before Fantasy Suites, did you feel like they were ready for engagement? Did you feel like they were on the same level as you guys. Um, I thought that they were ready. Yeah. Really, yeah, I think you know, they had some more stuff to work out. There was a lot we didn't know about like during that time, like what just like any any um like uncertainty. Like I was like, oh my gosh, Johnny's like head of reveals for her. He's gonna propose, Like I didn't know that there was any like you know, you kind of seen his interviews He's like, I don't know, there's a big commitment. I know what she wants, but like, am I ready for it? Like is it something that you know anyone's ever ready for? Like do people just you know, so you like watch these thoughts play out in his interview, and you know it kind of like makes a little more sin No. But I think at the time, we thought that they were ready, and you know, we spent time with him. That was really cool. We got to spend time with him like as a couple to after that and we thought, you know, we're gonna be hanging out for years. M hmm. But yeah, I thought I thought they were ready. And plus she was changing Johnny for the best, Like because I hung out with Johnny a lot and he was like, I don't want to go home with daughter, And I was like you, I mean you don't have to, So Shad, let's talk about Rodney and Eliza. Everybody was so distraught about that breakup, and then it looked like a lies. I kind of wanted to get back with him. At the reunion, I personally was glad that he was like I wish you the best, which is kind of like a passive aggressive phrase. I was tossed around a lot this season. What's your take? I think, first of all, I didn't even cry during my own breakup on Bachelor, and I cried like when all this, I was like, like, we all just love Ronnie so much, so that was hard to watch. I think ultimately we we understood from the start, like everyone has a choice. I think what made it so heart wrenching is that he thought he was in the clear, like he had the rose, and yeah, I thought we can move on from this, like two day's a new day, and that's all he was talking about all day long. So to just like watch that happen, it was really tough. Um, that's part of the reunion I wish I got to see. I think it's messy. I think Ronnie did an amazing job holding standing to his ground. Yeah, I think it's messy. I don't think, Hey, you leave Ronnie, go to Justin. Justin ended up not wanting to be with you. Then you try to come back to Rude. I think it's messy. I think at that point you need to sit down, you know, words, stuff out, heal yourself, and then you know that person will ride. And I think that's what Ronnie's doing. So, yeah, he's doing great, He's alright. The final question that I want to ask you about is Tyler and Brittany. I love Brittany. When I was there, really like felt a kinship to her, and something just seems to be missing from the explanation of her breakup with Tyler. You guys have any insight. I think maybe it's just that they live in different places and have different lives. Like it's one of those things where you know it was great in theory, but then you get to the real world and there are all these obstacles that you have to overcome as a couple. All right, Well, thank you guys so much. Please go enjoy newlywed. Yeah, I'm gonna call it newlywed bliss. All right, that's what it feels like. Newly released from the Bachelor Vault bliss and who's who's having Thanksgiving with? Who he's going to my family? And okay, nice? All right, Well, I hope you have the most magical Thanksgiving and family time and you guys just live it up. Thank you so much. We're so so thrilled for you. You have a good Thanksgiving to Okay, we will tell Jared I listened to Oh we will, we will, we all tell him they Hey. 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