The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous PodcastBen and Ashley are hanging out with Leslie Fhima from The Golden Bachelor and getting the real story about her “date” with one of the guys from Joan’s season of The Golden Bachelorette!
Leslie tells all about what’s going on with Jordan Heller, and reveals that we *almost* saw her in a much bigger role after she wrapped the Golden Bachelor!
Plus, we get Leslie’s honest take on Gerry and Theresa’s break up!
This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast with iHeartRadio.
It's Almost Famous podcast. As promised, as usual, we have some of Bachelor Nation's favorite contestants. We get to the behind the scenes scoop on their life, their experience, and what they're up to. Now, Leslie, welcome to the Almost Famous Podcast.
Thank you, and I have to say thank you for saying my name correctly.
Leslie not Leslie.
It's Leslie, not Leslie.
Okay, that's hilarious.
Everybody says Leslie.
So when we were on Winter Games, our friend Dean was dating a girl name Leslie, and I was always like, you say her name is a funny say Leslie. He's like, isn't that the way it's supposed to be said. I'm like, I don't know. It's like it's always been Leslie to me and apparently not.
Well. I okay, I have a really good friend name is Leslie like mine, except she hates being called Leslie. She wants Leslie, and I hate being called Leslie. I want Leslie. So that's how I grew up. My family called me Leslie every all my friends, you know, call me less really and so yeah, so when it's kind of funny. The only two people I've heard say my name correctly is you and Reality Steve.
No.
I thought you were gonna say, Gary, Yeah, yeah, you vacillated even after I told him, But whatever, Okay, got to jump into that a year removed. What are your feelings towards Gary? Do you look at him now and think like, oh, totally get it. I was so in love or are you like what was I thinking?
Or somewhere in between.
Well, now it's the latter.
Yeah, yeah, how long did it take to get there?
Pretty much like when I got to the wedding, I was dumb. I was like, yeah, no, I actually, you know, thought they're actually proved the couple. That's what I was thinking. Really, so you know, I was like, no, he's not for me. I mean, you know, you guys know you're in a bubble and you know, I mean I've said this on other podcasts. Gary was very focused and kind and sincere, and I felt safe with him and I did feel my feelings with him. I totally did. And but you know, then you get out of that and you're going, yeah, that's probably not my person.
I tell you. Speaking of the wedding, you and I had an incredible moment at the wedding we did. I still get asked about it today. They said, hey, I saw you on TV and you were dancing with Leslie and I said, yes, it will go down as one of the most fun events actually I've had in all of my bachelor experience. That was a great wedding, and thank you for for making it as little amount of awkward as possible. I don't think people watching it understood there was no music playing. They were like, hey, you two go dance together, and we're like, to what and they said, just go dance. The music's playing, we're live, and so you and I we did our thing and they.
Told me I was dancing to you. I'm like, oh, thank god, because if anyone can make me look better.
Because I'm moves, dancing moves because.
I'm so bad, look incredible. We just got to put Ben next to her because he's going to look like one of those blow up machines at the car wash that kind of flops around.
It's his move.
It's gonna be great.
Oh.
I was trying. I was trying to be the crazy older women dancing with you. But it's hard because you know, I'm.
Like, you know, I don't know you so funny, Okay, So were you shocked when like what were your feelings that don't put words in your mouth, how did you feel when you found out that, like ten weeks after that wedding they were getting divorced.
I was a little shocked, but it was a little bit of a progression because after the wedding, then I there was three times I was with Teresa and Gary after that, so it was like, well, for sure, two times I don't know if they were at the Mental Hall, but I was at the Mental or the Women Tell All, the finale of Joey season, and then celebrity family feuds. So it was kind of a progression. And you know, Teresa and I were really good friends in the house, so we after the initial getting home and whatever we did, actually she invited me to the wedding. She called me up and invited me to the wedding and yeah, and she really wanted me there, and so after that, you know, we kind of fell back into how we were in the house, and you know, we were really close and yeah, so it wasn't like a shock like everyone else got shocked because I kind of, you know, heard things. But I was shocked initially, like really, I mean, yeah, I kept saying, why did you get married?
I know, were you hearing things or were you witnessing things when you saw them together?
No, I wasn't really witnessing it, per se. I was hearing things, and I guess, you know what, I guess they weren't. I didn't feel like they were as close as I would think they should be when we got together in person, I could see a little space between them and stuff, you know, so I felt, you know, like it was maybe not working.
Yeah, it'll be interesting in the Golden and I want to hear your thoughts on it. I'm saying, and it's interesting. I want to hear your opinion. It'll be interesting now as the Golden franchise continues if the show also tries to do these expedited weddings like they did. I mean, they did it with Trista and Ryan when I was a bachelor. They attempted to do it with me. The problem was we weren't together, so it didn't really work out that well for them.
It's the problem.
Yeah, I wonder just in general, if the show would be better off doing this, like a year later, giving it the time to kind of settle out, shake up, but they tried to make it so fast that it feels like it puts too much pressure on these couples.
Yeah, I agree, it's saying it was ended differently, and Gary had picked me, I would have absolutely no way agreed to that. I just know I would have not done it.
If they say here's a million dollars to get married, she's like, well, darn.
You would have been a million.
I know if it was because that has been a number number that used to be used with these weddings. They said, here's a million dollars, and we're going to cover your wedding and cover the expenses of your family and friends getting there. You just have to get married, like two months after this thing stops airing. You would have said, no, it's hard.
It's a hard question. I mean, yeah, who doesn't want a million dollars? But who wants a third divorce? That's not my goal in life.
Okay, Well, it's only five hundred thousand after taxes, so I wouldn't.
I don't know if I would do it for.
That, I don't know. I mean I would try to, yeah, hopefully make money another way. I don't know, I just or negotiate for further, like can we do it in eight months? You know? I just I feel it's just too soon. And you know, it's too soon something you know, most really to get engaged, and then it's too soon to get married, you know. I mean unless you are at love at first sight and you fall in love and and no, I mean you know that this is my this is my person. But if you are a little hesitant, I don't.
Know, I think you got to say no. Well, obviously, you're coming off of the Golden Franchise as one of, if not the most recognizable cast member from this season. We have a lot of really great cast members, you know, and people who participate in the season, they're great friends. They've been out there doing their thing. Two questions, but I'll start with this one. What is it like to see this group of women kind of go off on this whole new journey after the show, you know, and see themselves kind of in this whole new light, doing entertainment, doing posting, all these things.
Yeah, I love it. I mean I had no idea, like, you know, signing up. And I mean I knew because of course I'm a you know, Bachelor Nation fan, but I didn't realize it was going to happen like that with us, And I really you know, it warms my heart and makes my heart happy to see everybody have their kind of little segment, you know, Susan and Kathy and Sondra and you know Ellen and what Faith doing your hair color. I love that. I just love it all and it makes me really happy. And you know, I think we're really good spokes people for our generation. And you know, I think that as long as we can write it up, I think, you know, why not. I think more power to us.
I like how you say Susan and Kathy in one breath, because that's how I say it too. They literally are together doing their things all the time.
They just had something done together as well.
They're gonna tell us about that.
These they have some alls, man, I like, yeah.
And energy, energy that does not exist by any other human at any age.
The two putting that out there for the world to see. I give them so much credit, you know, I mean, but I think that we all have our lane. Like I would feel really weird doing that, but it wasn't weird for them to do it. You know what I'm saying, like, I think we all have our lane, and I think we all have our following, and we are trying to cater to those people. And you know, so I think it's cool. I mean, we each have we all have different steg of you know, people that are fans, and I like that.
It's fun to see.
Yeah.
So I know that when Joan was announced as the Bachelorrette, it was like lots of positive responses. She's done a great job. But I think there was a lot of people surprised that it wasn't you. How did those talks go with them? Assuming there was them, I.
Didn't have any talks.
With them, shocking to me. That's surprising to me that there wasn't a conversation with you on would you even be interested in this? And if so, how you know, how do you want this to work? And there was never the initial phone call because when you know, in the bachelor world, when you're a bachelor, you're talking to the person they probably are going to choose, but also two or three others just to kind of have some people on the bench in cases.
I heard that. I heard that I kept waiting, but you know, I think they had something else in mind for me, and it didn't pan out at the final hour, so it was a little disappointing because I was waiting and waiting.
Can you give us any insight as to what that could have been? Yeah, maybe like a dancing show.
Well, yeah, maybe Dancing with the Stars.
Yeah, I think that's what they had from me. And you know, I had an interview with Dancing with the Stars and I was kind of.
Waiting, Yeah, fun to see you on that. I think it would have been really good for you, but also for kind of the fans of the Golden franchise to see you again representing them.
And yeah, I mean I love again. I'm a huge fan of Dancing with the Stars and I watch it every single year. And when I had my interview, I just said, I want to be your oldest winner. I want to be our oldest winner, and not to say that I was going to be. I mean, it's really hard to complete compete with twenty nineteen year olds, you know. But I had the scamina, I have the drive. I've been training my whole life.
For this, and there's it never gets past the older people, like the older people never advance, and it would it would have been nice to have somebody represent the older relation, you know, because there baby bloomers are.
We're it right now? You know? So yeah, but maybe someday. I don't know.
If given the chance, would you have preferred Danjumin the Stars over the Golden Bachelorette role.
Just fits you more? I mean was it? Would it got you more excited or fit you more?
It's it's it was a perfect It would have been a perfect for me. I think that. I'm not saying I would have turned the Golden Bats aer down. I wouldn't. I don't think I would have. I just think that Dancing of the Stars would have shown who I really am, you know. I mean, they really have a chance to show who they really are and not the one dimensional person you see forty five minutes a week. Because our show was so short, you know, you know, I really wanted for the country to kind of like get to know me, you know, and who I am.
Do you possibly think that Jen took your spot last minute?
You know, I don't because I know that I don't know, but I don't think so because I think they I know that they took from fourteen people to twelve, and Jen was an add on she made thirteen, so I think she was last minute.
Yeah, and you know, she definitely deserved it. And I was just there last week and watched her dance. She was phenomenal, and Teresa and I went there together rooting Joe and jen On and it was phenomenal. But it was really hard for me to sit there going, oh, you know, you know, yeah, I don't know. I don't know who took my spot, but you know, maybe it was Anna what the ankle bracelet, I don't know.
Yeah. See, that's what I was thinking, is there's some people this season where it'd been really fun to see you step into that. I do think three Bachelor contestants probably was an issue for them, and at some level that was the conversation that they had was three people, as much as it would be fun to see that. So who knows, the future still could be there where maybe they don't have a Bachelor bachelorette, maybe fits the Dancing with the Stars world and they say come on back and yeah, and we'd be excited here.
I would. It would be my dream come sure, But you know, I kind of stopped, kind of have to stay relevant, and I don't know how that's going to happen. But you know, you just don't. I just don't know what's going to happen in the future. But you know, it was I got in shape and I worked out really hard this summer, you know, and it was, Yeah, it was. It was exciting to think that it was going to happen. So maybe, yeah, I know.
How you could stay relevant, how you could date one of the guys on Jones season, like maybe Jordan.
He's really cute.
That was that was really good. That was good. Sneaky little girl. But yeah, I guess there's something you want to ask me, Ashley.
I do are you dating Jordan?
No?
I met dating Jordan. I met Jordan.
Have you gone on a date with Jordan?
No? I went on a meet and greet with Jordan's.
A meet and greet pre date.
I don't know if it was a meet and greet. I don't know what you call it. Jordan had a suite at the soccer game in La last week. His childhood's friend is like the president of the club, and he had a suite and he invited me and I brought my girlfriend Wendy, who I was saying. I stayed with her for one night in La, and there were some other guys in there from the show and a producer that I love, and it was awesome.
So you flew for it?
No, I flew to La to go to Dancing with the Stars. Okay, I just happened to be I just happened to be in La a day early.
This was weird timing, So I need clarity on this though.
I knew that I knew that what we're going to do.
Yeah, out of all the women who are a part of this franchise, why did Jordan ask you? Had you guys ever talked before this invite? Was their communications consistent enough for him to say, Hey, by the way, you told me last night as we were texting that you're going to be in La and I have been to have a suite and you should come with me.
I mean we have been texting a little bit.
Your voice just crack. I didn't know that was a thing. As we got to I didn't know your voice could still crack when you get married.
How did you get the number?
Okay, you guys going to on. Just because we're older doesn't mean we're stupid.
Okay, fun same just because we're older doesn't mean we're stupid. We're reading through the lines here and saying it's it's not just a random invite to some suite. We just want to hear that, like there's a possibility in your future admitting that you have talked to at least one person from this season, or that you watch this season with a intriguing eye, going hmmm, he's interesting.
Yeah, I think that. I think I did. I like Jordan when I was watching the show. I liked him the best for me, Like, say, for me, you know, I think all the guys are great. I don't you know. I'm just saying if it was me, if I was the Golden Bachelorette and I was and he was on that show, you know, you know how you think, and but you know, what's good for me isn't gonna be right for Joon or whoever else. You know. I think that's the beauty of those men there. I think they appeal to certain you know, women, and I like that. Hopefully they'll be some connections. Jordan. I feel like we have a lot in common. I know that he's funny. I love funny. He lives in Chicago. I live in Minneapolis. He has a dog. I have a dog. I mean stuff like that's important and we're all Jewish, and you know, at the end of the day, that's important to me as well. I mean it's not you know, hard stop I have to have someone Jewish. But I mean if he meet someone and they are, you know, your faith, that's just icing on the cake.
So have you guys called and texted each other since this weekend read up?
We have texted? Yeah, I mean not a ton, but a little bit. And you know, it's really not it's for me. I don't know where it would it go. If it's going to go. I just think he's a great guy and to be friends with him first if fine with me, and you know that kind of thing. It's like, I don't need to jump into anything. I mean, he's got a whole year of this ride and I want him to enjoy it and I want him to experience it and I don't want to get in the way of that. So but I'm here as a friend and he you know, after he goes through all his dms from all the women and the daughters and the sons, he knows where I am. But I mean, you do have a common bond when it comes to that I think he's probably like me, where he's not suber religious, but you know, you are into your faith and more of the heritage thing and all that stuff.
And yeah, so I don't know, and I know we'll see.
Kind of switching gears kind of not the chapter after the show gets done. I think we all assume that, you know, it was similar to our experiences where you do get off the show and your dms do blow up, and you know you're going to these events and people are like, I wish you could meet my dad, or I wish you could meet you know whoever? Is that? Was that your world? Is it still your world? Kind of give the listeners a perspective and what life looks like from the time you know you left the show to now.
Well I did have a few of those, not the ton and then when I had when they did do that, they showed me a picture of their dad and I.
Was like, yeah, no, sorry, you know, but there was one person and this is kind of a funny story, I think I should share it, but there was one girl that and she's for a doll. I mean, oh my gosh, it was gorgeous, and she goes, you need to meet my dad and all this stuff. So just I'm cutting to the chase. But this man was in Miami, and my son and my grandkids were in Miami, and I had Zach go do a meet and greet for me.
I love this expression meet and greet.
Yeah, no, the second time I've used it. I don't know, maybe a recon, I should say. Anyways, with my grand kids in the uber, they're getting they're.
Going there and I'm cutting, and I'm I'm cutting a lot out and so they meet this person, and I'm sure he's a lovely man. I did talk to him once on the phone or twice on the phone. He seemed like a lovely man, but I was like, you know, I kept saying, I don't know my life is going to be. And he kept saying, well, if you're the Golden Bachelorette, you should take it because I'm waiting for you. And I'm like red flag, you know, stuff like that. So anyways, Zach met him, a lot of things kind of happened.
But he gets back in the umber and he facetimes me and he's in the middle of my two grand kids and I said, so would you think, And they've boss lean in Glama, not for you, not for you.
That's hilarious, so good.
Yeah. So anyways, that did happen, and I'm sure he's a really nice person. It just wasn't for me.
Yeah.
Yeah. But I you know, I live in Minneapolis. I say this a lot. I've lived here my whole life, and I call it a small big town or a big small town whatever. And I know a lot of people even before this show, because I, you know, I was I'm an instructor and I teach a lot of people, thousands, I've taught thousands, you know, and I just know people, and there's just not a lot of you know, I don't want to date someone's ex husband because I know them probably, And you know, the Jewish community is small here. I mean it's big, but it's small, you know. And I you know, so that part is hard to find. And I just don't find anybody here that I want to date. So I really, I can honestly say in a year, I've been on two dates just once, like one date and another date.
That's shocking to me. That really is because you want to like, right, I do for it?
Oh my god, I'm I am so ready for love. I mean, I'm just like ready, but I'm not desperate. So you know, there's a fine line. You know. I I have my family at my life is full. I have my grandkids, you know, I do. I go to concerts every week. I you know, I work out, I teach my classes. I do a lot. But I do want somebody. And I had been ready, and I was really ready when I applied for the show. I mean, I've been literally divorced for twenty three years. I've had, you know, a few long term relationships, but I have been single for a long time.
I know that the show sort of, you know, pushes engagement on you. Would you want to get married again or would you just companions for life?
That's a hard question. I think I would want to marry the right person. I know that, I mean, but I want that companion as well. I mean, if I found the right person and they said, I don't know if I want to get married, but it was the right person for me, I'd be completely fine with it if they If I find that person they said, I really want to get married, I probably would if it's the right person. But I also like having my freedom and I love, you know, and the longer you're single. The harder it is to compromise a little bit. You know, used to doing my own thing, going where I want, and so I have to like scale it down a little bit and become one with somebody. But I'm totally ready for that. You know, I'm kind of open to anything.
So open anything. Question. And as we kind of wrap up here, the rumor is that the Golden Bachelor franchise might be trying to start a spinoff, maybe like a Paradise type show. If they called you and said, hey, we would love to have you part of this spin off show. Would that be a world you'd enjoy entering back into or would you stay away from it?
That's a hard one. I would like to do it because I think it would be fun and I know more now I know to keep my mouth shut, you know, but you know, you know, you know, you're just kind of like and I tried not to be the loudest voice in the room in the house, but you know, then all of a sudden it just comes out. But I think that and I would love to be with the girls again in you know, be with all the girls. That would be so much fun. The scrutiny part is hard. The bullying online is hard, and that I would not miss, you know, And even though I don't even read half the things. I mean, I don't ever go and read it. I don't ever you know, go on happy sites. But that would be hard, but you know, so it would be, and it kind of would depend on where my life was at that time. If I'm say I might want.
To, Yeah, don't let the negative opinions of others ever ever stop you from doing something. It over time and it becomes you know nothing in your life no matter what.
Yeah, Natalie's had to tuck me off the cliffs sometimes, and she really put it to me, like where I could understand. She goes, there are millions of people that watch a show, and the fraction that are commenting are like a pin head. And that really helped me because I've watched the show my whole life and I've.
Never taken written in under the body's picture.
I wouldn't even think about it or my friends wouldn't, so so that really helped me, and that really put me put the whole thing in perspective.
So, yeah, if this show does happen, we kind of can assume that Jordan would have been be on your list as the guy that you'd want to see there. Okay, you kind of admitted that you were, like, you know, I picked it for me. Now can we play matchmaker for a second? Who do you see together from your season and jokes season?
You know, I've been thinking about that and I actually I think Faith and Jonathan would be really cute together. Yeah, I just yeah, I think, uh, she's a free spirit and that's I don't know what they just came into my mind. I don't uh, I don't know about the others. I actually think I don't know what happens at the end. But if guy doesn't get picked, I actually see him with Nancy.
I don't I don't know it was going to Nancy.
I love her.
Yeah, you know, we grew up in the same lake where neighbors growing up.
Really, I did not know that she's sweet. She's a sweet girl. Yeah, amazing, amazing, But you know, than Cathy again, same breath. Yeah, you know, Jack, you know, there's Kim. I don't know.
I mean, I you know, I met I met doctor Bob and Gil the other night in the game, so I mean, they all they also been very very kind man, very kind there's.
A lot of potential for this show, and I think we would all be super interested in what it would look like to see this mixed match of contestants going down to the beach and seeing who would partner up with each other. I think it could have wild success in terms of love. I do because I think there's a lot of freedom of choice and freedom of exploration and excitement on these spinoff shows that I think everybody would enjoy it. I'm pushing for it, and if they ask you and you are single, I would highly highly ask you to go because I love to see you on this spinoff finding or at least exploring the idea of love again.
Yeah, the guys would love this.
You there too.
I'd be open for you. Know, I'll hit the pola is a little bit stronger and I'll go.
You're r Leslie. It is a absolute pleasure to have you here and we're so excited to catch up with you. We wish you the best and whatever life takes you, whatever direction life takes you in next, just know we're supporting you and we're happy to see it.
Yeah, thank you, man, I can't wait to dance with you again. Yes, and both of you guys. I love you both so much.
Thank you.
From the Bachelor, I'll be asked to go back on Dancing with the Stars and we can.
Maybe they should have just a you know how I feel we should have a spin off. That's that's amazing race Yeah, amazing race off.
That would be my other strow. I'd like to do I just because I'm a bowler, I'm a door like it's off.
Well, this has been the Almost Famous Podcast until next time. I've been Bet, I've been Ashley to see you soon.
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