Ben and Ashley break down all the hot Bachelor gossip, like Peter and Kelley making things official! What does Barb think??
The Bachelor is planning a huge series this summer that will look back on all the unforgettable moments throughout the franchise, will Ben watch his “moments” with Jess?
And Ben & Ashley break down this week’s episode of “Listen To Your Heart”, and we have Bri Stauss with us for the inside perspective!
We find out how she felt saying “I love you” for the first time in front of an audience, and she opens up about the real reason she went on the show!
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
This is the Benn and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast with i R Radio, and we're back for another week with my amazing co host Ashley. Oh thanks, Ben, You're so sweet. Um. I think that you are feeling good today. Yeah, I feel like you're feeling good today. I can see it. You have your shirt off. You just revealed to me and the producers that you love being shirtless around the house, but that you have a pet peeve. And that is when the when Bachelor Nation guys habitually post shirtless pictures on Instagram, is this your bend's bitches of the week, Yeah it is. You know. Nick Vile is one of my friends. He's one of your friends. I will tell him in a second that I think it is unreal how many shirtless pictures he posts. I think it is. I just think it's weird. I think it's odd. I don't like it, especially when you have a significant other. That's where it really crosses, doesn't Well he can. I I'm saying like I can still get on him because he's a friend, and we all think it's like funny and ridiculous how often Nick takes off his shirt. I think he even thinks it's ridiculous. What really gets under my skin is when you have a significant other and you're posting those pictures knowing the comments and what you're doing to everybody out there, It's it's a lot, so wait, what are they doing to everyone out there? Is a trap? It's a thirst trap. It's making me envious, It's making me and probably others mad, It's making people kind of probably think some some very uh interesting thoughts. I don't love it. I don't I've never understood it. Um And I think it takes a lot of confidence, which hey, if you've got the abs, maybe maybe it changes things. And I just don't. Um, But wouldn't you think would be weird if Jared every let's say, once a every three weeks posted a picture shirtless on Instagram, it would be weirds As we're married. And I want to go back and defend Nick for a second. I think Nick takes shirtless picks, but he's very self aware of it. He's like, ha, ha, isn't it funny that I'm posting other shirtless pick? What about Tyler Cameron who literally doesn't seem like he owns a shirt. It really feels like it's like working from him from an attention standpoint. But I I look at it and I'm like, I can't follow this because it's it's it's not fun for me. Like that's not like I'm not a dude wanting to follow a dude who takes off a bunch of his pictures with his shirt off all the time. It's not my thing. Um, yeah it is. It's a pet peeve of mine. I'll put it out there. Um. And also, so here's the reason my shirt off today. So yeah, and then I'll reveal something silly about myself. I went on a long run just about ten minutes ago. I was working on the driveway and then Jessica's brother wanted a haircut, so I cut his hair. So I took off my shirt so I didn't get hair all over it. And then I was sweaty from my run. I was like, I'm not putting my shirt back on. In fact, i'm with family here on this podcast, so I'm just gonna sit down and through the whole podcast shirtless to cool down. But also, I'm just feeling good today. I had a good call. I'll close it here. I had a good call today. Already, it's been a rough couple of weeks for me personally professionally with the restaurants in the coffee shops. I've talked about it. We don't need to talk about anymore. But um I had a call today with a group of people from Generous, the Generous Ambassadors, and they all shared stories. There's forty of them, of stories of good things that are happening in their life and around the world and what they're doing. And it fired me up because there's some people out there doing some awesome stuff during the shut down for others. And so I was like, I'm just I'm encouraged today. I'm so encouraged that my shirt came off. Okay. So I've had a habit of wearing my underwear around the house, like my men's underwear, so like boy short underwear and just's a tank top around my mom my, sister and Jared, and they're like, you know, you should probably put some pants on. It's kind of weird. It's weird, and you don't look like ever to Sucremol, you look like Tommy Pickles and those things. And I didn't think I was sexy, but there is something that I don't like wearing pants. I prefer shorts for sure, but here at my parents house, I don't really have a lot of shorts. So I'm like, hey, I'm wearing boy shorts like they're very covering. They're far more conservative than my bikini bottoms. And sometimes when I wake up and I come up the stairs and I have a cup of coffee in the morning, I'll sell on the couch just my underwear. But apparently it's not sexy nor do they appreciate it. So it's too bad. Sorry, are you gonna change? He's gonna keep going. Yeah, Well, they gave me to talk about it, and and then the next day I did again. But the reason was because I was cleaning the house and I didn't want to get like clorox and bleach on my my pants, so I said, I'll put pants on what I'm done cleaning that Ashley. This is This summarizes quarantining with your family in one story. Things are a change in, but things are not a change in. Here we're back for another week of the Almost Famous podcast. If you listen, and if you appreciate this podcast whatsoever, please go to wherever you listen to podcasts and rate us and comment on our podcast. Things aren't changing here, Ashley. It's been awesome talking to you week O a week, and I'm telling you, Bachelor Nation hasn't slowed down, not at all. It's unreal. It's crazy. So we have some hot topics that we're gonna run through real quick today. We're also gonna break down this week's episode of Listened to Your Heart. I've said it last week that I thought the show really took a big dip in like kind of my my personal um interest towards the show. Yeah, but I think this week it picked up again. And actually, I'm excited to hear your thoughts in just a few minutes because I know that you've stayed very engaged. But before we do, let's take one break. When we come back, we're gonna break down the hot topics in Bachelor Nation. We'll be back on the Almost Face podcast and we're back on the Almost Says podcasts, and we are here to do hot topics. Ben The first hot topic is the announcement of a new show for the Bachelor, but it's basically a bunch of reruns. So ABC is set to air Bachelor the Best of Series in place of the Bachelorette. So actually crazy crazy is that The Bachelorette was supposed to premiere in uh literally a week and a half. Isn't that nuts? Like as of right now, Claire was supposed to be like getting engaged this week. So actually you follow this stuff? Is there any update on when and if and how The Bachelorette is going to be filmed, because they've been started yet. No. I mean, the last thing I heard was what we reported a couple of weeks ago that they were thinking about renting out a hotel and quarantining the entire cast and crew to that hotel for the five weeks shoot. And I still think that seems like the most pausible way of filming these days, and that they would be filming in July and August and then I would be set to air in September. If if this first headline does not point to ABC's reliance on The Bachelor, I don't know what does ABC to air Bachelor best of series in place of The Bachelor at Ashley tell us what this will be? You've highlighted it, but going to detail of bit so in the replace of The Bachelorette, they're going to be airing a ten episode series called The Bachelor, the most unforgettable ever. It's gonna start airing on June eighth, and each episode is three hours, and it's going to highlight the wildest moments from the franchise is eighteen year history. This is why The New York Post is reporting Chris Harrison will be the host, and um if it sounds like it sounds like he's going to be filming this from the driveway of the Bachelor mansion in you know, the Calabasas area of California, and that they're going to use a really small crew to work with him ensuring safety. Um, what's what always what these specials always make me think of, are what moments are we going to see? And how many moments that are truly pretty forgettable are they gonna air? If it's ten episodes with three hours each, meaning you know, I don't know the math on that seems like it would be a simple thirty hours, but then with commercials or whatnot, it's gonna be less than that. So let's just say it's to twenty hours. Am I doing this math right? Twenty hours of wildest moments from the past eighteen years, So it's gonna be a lot of Bachelor and Bachelorettes that we don't remember, a lot of cast people that we don't remember. Um. But I guess it's cool because a lot of the seasons that we as like millennials, have invested ourselves in um or haven't invested ourselves in will we'll be able to see those you know from our high school years and such. So it'll be cool. It's gonna be a really interesting show. I am not gonna be watching when it comes to my season with just beside me. That is just so sad to think about her having to see that season. But Ben, I must ask you, yeah, of your time on the show Bachelorette or Bachelor, which scenes do you feel will hit the air again? It's hard to say, um fully. I mean, I think the I Love you will definitely be a thing. Me not. But when it comes to the Bachelor at Caitlin season had so many memorable moments. One of the moments that I enjoyed the most was when Tanner uh and I and Jared want a sex ad date. I think that was I don't know if actually Jared was on that date, but Tanner, I know was there. That was That was kind of my first moment to relax on the show and actually start to enjoy that experience. The second, which is what I really hope they show because it has marked so much of my life, is me feeling unlovable. Like that moment to me was, honestly, to this day, the moment that I felt like I could finally be free of an insecurity I had held for a long time. And uh, and so it's just it's all I mean, honestly, it's just really good for me to see and to feel again, because that was really a real moment for me. So I think I've recently told you this, but your sex at talk was just your your moment that struck me as like you're going to be a Bachelor's star moment. Does that make sense? Like at that moment, I was like, this isn't gonna be some regular cast member, Like this guy is the front runder to be the Bachelor for sure, And I I mean, like Ben, it sounds really awkward, but like at that moment, my mom and I rewounded multiple times and I was like, I have a crush on Ben Higgins. I feel like all them did well and and that's sweet, you know, Ash, I'm glad, but it is it's like the first remember, because it was my first moment to like take a deep breath and be like, holy cow, I can I can do this, Like I can be myself here in the midst of this craziness. Ashley, What is it for you? What moments do you hope comes out with with you a part of it? Well, I know that the bad Lands will come out, and I know people love the bad Land scene and I love the bad Land scene too, And I think everybody who says that it's like the most unforgettable two on one ever, it's funny because every time I watched a two on one, I'm like, oh no, this one, this one is definitely more epic. Uh. That person was definitely wittier. That person has way better comebacks than I did. That's what I think of when I think of that scene. It's like, I know that I was so proud of myself for telling Kelsey off in the bad Lands, and I was very excited to see it again and the reaction that I got was thrilling, and I was proud of myself. But the only thing is that I wish I sounded a little bit smarter while explaining that I was smart. So, like, there I am trying to like prove to this woman that just because like I'm into some vain things doesn't mean that I'm a, you know, a surface type person and that I had depth and that I was really well educated and then I am smart. And then, um, I just didn't sound super as articulate as I imagined I did in the moment. But I'm seriously still very thankful grateful that people think that I was. So I feel like, every time I see that scene back, I'm like, oh, you could have done better, you could have done No. I mean, I think I think we all have those months to stand out to us. Uh, it's coming out soon, Bachelor Nation. You'll be having some more Bachelor stuff to watch. But we have been entertained, Ashley by this next headline one that I feel like is getting attention, but I'm confused on why it's not getting more. This is a big deal. The Bachelor's Peter Webber says he got it right with girlfriend Kelly Flanagan. They are officially together, Ashley tell us what you know, well, um, you know, and they're together. The mid a Instagram official this week. Um, he said in the Instagram caption you caught Me Let the Adventure Begin that was posted on Sunday, a longside a picture of him jet setting in the sunset with Kelly as his co pilot or in the you know the captains are the co captain's chair and then um, that's it. It seems like his parents also posted pictures of the two of them together reaffirming that they are official. Is there anybody more excited for this than Barbe No, definitely not Barbara. Barb is so happy, like so happy this this all worked, This all worked how how she wanted it to. Um, it's came full circle. But Peter Weber is with one of his ladies from the season, Kelly flannagain. They are still quarantining together. They seem happy. We've had Peter on, we had Kelly on and almost depth a few Yeah, it was like what three and a half weeks ago and they were like, oh no, no, casual, not defining the relationship. But I guess in quarantine you define it fast. Yeah, So we're happy for him. I know a lot of bachel Nation is criticizing them, but ultimately, in ten years, what we'll look back on is are they happy and did this work? And I hope it is. It seems like it's working for a lot of people from his season because Bachelor alum Hannah and Slus spotted with Steelers Mason Rudolph. Yeah, so let's address the elephant in the room here. These two aren't doing the best job at social distancing. They've been seeing three times together, um out and about and they they're like on a coffee date recently, so they went to Starbucks, picked up coffee. They've been strolling and I guess this is the guy that Hannah kind of alluded to when we were interviewing her a couple of weeks ago. I think they're a cute couple for sure. Um, if you guys don't know, Mason Rudolph is the Steeler's backup quarterback and he um was the one had that crazy helmet hit in the head controversy last fall. And he is, uh twenty four and she used twenty four. And I don't know how this romance got started, but I'm assuming this is probably a d M situation. What do you think you know it's a Well, I I'm assuming that just because I think that's how a lot of stuff works. These days, especially when we are at a distance and there hasn't been a lot of group gatherings. Actually, this points to a common theme though that's been happening over last let's say three years, and it's happened off and on before, but really got heightened over the last three years. Is Bachelor Nation contestants dating celebrities or people already in the spotlight after the show. It's the d m NG thing. It's just it makes it so easy to connect with anybody who is famous. And there's a lot of celebrity fans out there, so of course of their age appropriate, they're going to reach out to somebody to think is cute from the show? You know what's funny? And I'm gonna make this about me for a second, is um You know if you asked me, and I think we remember talking about this when I got off The Bachelor app before I was the Bachelor, if there was one celebrity that I was just like wanting to drop if d ms were a thing back then, I think I said, Jennifer Anison or Courtney Cox. You know what I found out this week though Jessica looks just like Courtney. Oh my god, that's so funny. Yeah, so I had the pot just massive, massive home run for me. Uh. Next headline, why Tylor Cameron wouldn't go on Bachelor in Paradise is, according to e Online, Okay, Well, Tyler said that he's a one woman kind of guy, and um he said that he and then Dylan Dylan, who you know is his close friend from Hannah season, said that Tyler would absolutely be ruined by going to Bachelor in Paradise and he warned his friend h that they would make you look so bad. He also says, you had such a great rise that they'd be like, all right, it's time to have this guy fall. What else are we supposed to do? Just keep him rising. That's actually a really interesting that's a really interesting thought that he has. I think he's probably right. I think, especially with Tyler's dating in the dating celebrities and all of that, that they probably make him look like he was fame hungry, and I just don't think that there's a way that they would make Tyler look better than they did on hand A season, especially, you know, like some of his his TikTok's, they're like a little bit crude, you know, like you can tell that the guy has a wild side. Thank you. He's an it. He has a wild side. So here's my question, though, you know, when we can blame it on what they'd make him look like. But let's assume for a second it's completely up to the contestants to look like how they want to be looked. I mean, Blake, another friend of ours, would be the first to admit his decisions leading up until Paradise we're not good like he He he made some you know, he dated around Batch Nation pretty heavy. He set himself up for that storyline during Paradise. So does Tyler have that storyline that would that would crush him? Okay, I think so. I think he's just dated too much publicly for them not to be able to figure out a way to make his storyline not look player like. I also need to talk about the fact that it came out this week that g had deed as pregnant, and I think it's absolutely ridiculous with the what the headlines have said this week about Tyler being affected by it emotionally, like that that one night that he just had to play drinking games with his friends because he was so tarred up about it. Oh my God. Now, guys, so over it, Like, don't they're making something out of nothing? Yeah, it's it's nothing. Well, one of the people that Tyler Cameron has been spotted with, there has been rumors that maybe they are getting back together. That has been crushed by both them up to this point. But Hannah Brown is out here joking about her first performance in the Fantasy Suite with Peter Weber. This is according to Cosmopolitan. Al Right, before I explain this story, let's listen to the audio on Hannah Brown's TikTok, with the caption reading, when Chris Harrison asked you about Fantasy s Week week and were you nervous doing that? Do you know what I was nervous for my second performance? For my first performance, I was like, okay, wait a second. When I saw that on our TikTok, I didn't even think toolice about what she meant. Oh my god. Duh. So yeah, she's saying like for her Fantasy Suite with Peter, she's like a party. Let's like, you know, I'm not taking this one super seriously. We're just gonna have a ton of fun. And the second one, I was like, oh, pressure on. So Ashley just in case anybody else is out there going I have no clue what she was talking about. What is she referring to. She's referring to her overnight date with Peter and then her overnight date with Tyler. Now we know she didn't end up sleeping with Tyler. She decided that she wanted that their relationship was already physical enough that she didn't feel like she needed to test their physical chemistry. But you know, she's still saying that she was nervous walking in there. Maybe that was a decision she didn't make until later. Because we're all talk we're talking about performance here, you know, So that's so that's gotta be physical, right, I mean, I would assume, I think that's what everybody's pointing towards. If she meant something different, I would encourage Hannah Brown to maybe explain herself. But I think we're we have a pretty good idea what she was talking about. The headlines picked it up, Press was all over it again. Um, Hannah and Tyler have both stayed out there during this quarantine in amazing ways, uh consistently, um, coming up with just TikTok's and Instagram posts and also relationship rumors, but we have had. Our final update would be that Hannah Brown and Tyler have both said, hey, they aren't together. They're not dating um, but we may see them together again hanging out at some point. Uh. As Ashley and I said, Bachelation does not slow down during the shutdown. In fact, it feels like there's new headlines and more headlines and interesting headlines every single week. Ashley, let's take one more break when we come back. We have a really really special guest coming on the podcast and just a little bit. It's Bree from Listen to Your Heart. But let's break down this week's episode. Bring her on to clarify any questions that you and I may have. Sounds good coming into this week of Listen to Your Heart. The couples are shared and Julia, Matt and Rudy, Brie and Chris, Jamie and Trevor Brandon and Savannah and Ryan and Natasha again. This week, most of the drama was around Julia, So we started the episode with Julia and Sheridan. She's I think, hamming it up, making it seem like she likes it more than she really does. She's saying that there she's happy about their performance the other night, and Sheridan is feeling good about their relationship and he's saying that he feels like it's the best they've ever been. But then of course Chris Harrison has to come in and ruin every happy moment. Wait then pause here. I have to say, how cringe does Chris Harrison feel when he has to leave this conversation saying and don't forget to listen to your heart. Oh? I think he turns his back from the camera and just like shakes his head. I mean he has to, knowing Chris Harrison in real life guys like that's the last thing he would say, naturally, don't forget to listen to your heart. Now. I really think when it comes to The Bachelor and The Bachelor at his kind of taglines are one that he really enjoys, like they're good, solid taglines. He delivers them well. But listen to your heart, it just it feels it feels awkward, like it just doesn't work. Truly. I feel like he turns around after his little five second hit, he goes back to his house is just like I'm sure within five miles of this house, and he's like, I can't believe I'm doing this well, but Ashley, I really, I mean, I said to the podcast, I was saying it. Last week I watched this and I was like, hey, I don't know if this show has any legs, Like I really don't. Okay, I just want to say I'm still enjoying it. Yeah, I just think that Chris thinks it's silly. But this week I watched it and I was I felt, I felt more into it, and I'm gonna tell you why. But let's set up the story first. Chris Harrison comes in and makes announcement that the couples are going to go on dates with other contestants that are not in a relationship with These can be friendly dates, these can be romantic dates if you want them to be. I believe it was a way for the show to cultivate um not only a little bit of drama, but also forcing people out of their comfort zones because people kind of coupled up very quickly. Yeah. So we see that Jamie and Ryan are set up on a date, which I was excited about because they had an early connection. So I thought, you know, let's see if putting them in a more romantic atmosphere will uh fire that up again, and then Ris and Rudy go on a date because I think they wanted to see whether Rudy's man Matt at home would start farding flarding with anybody else. But I really think that the reason these dates were derived was because of Julia and Brandon and their love square sort of kind of with Sheridan and Savannah, and they really just wanted to put Julia and Brandon in a situation where they would feel that romantic spark again so that the drama would go down in the house here. So and I don't mind this idea. Actually think it was interesting television. I thought. I don't think it was insanely unhealthy, because as we saw, you know, Jamie and Ryan did just have a friendship, and it's actually really fun to see them just bond over their history and how much they appreciate each other. Also think that they wanted to test Natasha back at home because she never really explored any relationships with anybody else. And Chris and Rudy, you know, at this point, it just proved how much Chris is in debris and how you know, Rudy is in the Matt and that and that is going well so that was interesting. Now that Julian Brandon thing, I have an issue because Sheridan has been kind and considered this whole time, he obviously has put his focus on Julia. I feel like Julie up to this point has I mean, watching this, I'm still shocked at how quickly she all of a sudden became all about Sheridan, because I felt like the whole time she was always questioning her feelings towards him, and for the first time ever, it became very very present to me watching it, like Julie doesn't know, she knows what she wants, but it's definitely not shared in no no, I feel like I've known the entire time she was like sharedon is the the safe choice that God that's always gonna want me? And because he's so safe, I'm just gonna play around a little bit with Brandon now. I definitely think watching their date and their plan in the car sort of that the plan was to break up with Sheridan and with Savannah, and it seemed like he was breaking up with Savannah until he looked like he was a picking a fight with her, and then he said, uh, if you want what the heck was that situation Ben with with Brandon and actually this is uh so let's pause here, let's get our let's get our clarity back. I want to ask the listeners, Uh, what do you think about this whole situation? Are you enjoying this show? Uh? Comment? Uh? Email us at been an Ashley, iHeart media dot com or hashtag and the almost famous podcast on Twitter or read it. Okay, So, as we grouped together here, um, we're focusing on Julianne Brandon. They had a date that there obviously wasn't interest in each other. I don't think we've been proven. I don't think any of us assumed to this point that either of them were going to be focused on the person that they left back at the house. So we thought this could get dangerous. It definitely got dangerous. It very quickly became oh, no, Savannah and Shared are gonna think the brunt of this. And I personally was hurting for Sheridan and Savannah as they drove in the car back. I I felt like this, but the and and they breakups and feel and recognizing who you want to be with is not a bad thing. It happens all the time on the show, and even though it hurts, it's okay. However, Ashley, what got me is how they both handled these conversations once they got back to the house. So you have to tell me what the kids are calling it these days. But they both very quickly started to place blame on, for lack of a better word, the victim, the person getting broken up with. They they both made me cringe at how quickly they're like, why are you mad at me? Why are you acting like? Why are you walking away from this conversation? And why are you being so mean? Of course should be mean you're getting broken up with? Yeah, of course that was like very weird of her to respond to Sheridan with It's like, why am I giving attitude? Because, yeah, you're you don't like me as much, so I think that I don't have to be super nice to you right now. But and you promised me that you were going to do this. Yeah, that's that too. But then I guess at least Julia said I don't think I'm going to be able to get there with you that. Yeah, I'm okay, That's what I'm saying. Like that's good. But what Brandon did trying to like sort he didn't was he breaking up with Savannah or did he have a totally different mentality and then Julia did walking into that house. Was he actually not sure or did he want Savannah to just kind of like leave and he was going to make it as sloppy as possible so that he didn't have to formally dump her and she would just decide to leave on her own. He I think he wanted everything. I think he also couldn't take responsibility for the decisions he had already made. I think he didn't want to feel guilty for ending a relationship. I honestly think Brandon was running away from conflict. I really disliked this moment because, well, what sure, and I think a lot of people feel that way. I don't think Julian Brandon handled us it. Well what do you call it? When you is? Is that that's not gaslighting? Right? But like when you when you like flip the switch and all, you're the one delivering bad news, but you manipulate it to make the other person, yeah, to feel guilty about it like that? That was not okay and it really angered me because you know, I think Savannah was like, whatever, this is not right for me. I'm just gonna go home and like, I know, I'm gonna be fine. I'm super talented. I'm gonna pick my self back up. Um, she's hurting because of another field shared in though I think this hit him deep, Like this is a real emotion. Sharedan is the sweetest. You can feel his kind soul emit through the television. He's so nice, so rutable. You can tell the kind of relationship we had with everybody in the house. Um, you know, Savannah deserves better, and I truly think that Sharedon deserves better. And I know that everybody's always so sad when they're leaving the Bachelor mansion and it's like a self pity party. But but the experience that you get will ultimately help you find the person that you're meant to be with. And he's meant to be with somebody both of them that respect them far more than Julia and Brandon did, and our context cluses fans are this. Brandon Julie walked back into the mansion after their date. Brandon says, Hey, we're gonna go have really tough conversation, but we're gonna come back together and this will all be okay. So the assumption is they're both in the same page that they're gonna end there current relationships and get back together. Well, this takes us to a point where that happened, you know, even though we don't love how it happened, it happened. Relationships moved on. Julian Brandon come back together. They both are hurting a little bit from this. And this is where things get really weird now and and I think it's a good question for audience, whose side are you on? But there's a question asked to Brandon that's that says, Hey, if Savannah would have said I want to fight for this, would you have said yes? And he mouse right in front of Julie even though she can't hear it. Yes, I would have said yes to Savannah. That's where things get weird. Actually, what happens from there so so weird. I'm so confused by him. I don't think that he really has strong feelings for either woman, so he's just gonna flip flop back and forth. He's a total player. And um, so what happens from there is that Natasha, backstage before they're about to perform at the Novo in l A, tells Julia that Brandon said that he would have kept Savannah if she really wanted to fight for it, and then Julia gets very piste off that she would offer up this information so close to their performance time because it's obviously going to throw off their chemistry. Then Julia goes to Brandon's room and he says, I didn't definitively say that I was gonna choose Savannah if she was going to fight for it, And you can just tell in that moment that Julia was like, oh, not definitive, but it was something on your mind. So you definitely didn't stick to the plan that we had coming home from our date. You still had feelings for maybe both of us. Nothing frustrated me more, Ashley. And maybe it's because I liked wh like this episode. I was so into these moments. I was like, you, guys, this is causing so much damage and so much pain to the people around you. Brandon, the way that you're like looking at Savannah during this breakup and the way that you're uh like kind of lying still to Julia and you can't decide what you want makes me, makes me angry, makes me mad, And hey, I haven't honestly invested any emotion into the show until this point. So I don't know what that says about me, but do you know, Okay, so obviously I feel like Natasha had poor timing there. She had very um she had timing that was going to strike up a lot of drama. I'm assuming that the timing wasn't necessarily uh something that she came up with the I think that she was probably you know, said you know, I think there was like a little manipulation into that topic being brought up backstage at the performances. But I also don't think that like Julia should have hid that information. I just think that she said it at a bad time for Julia. What do you think? Yeah, I mean Natasha said it, and if she was trying to sabotage a performance, well she did it. She did it, and it worked. And I guess at the end of this, you know, people call it a game, people call called a contest, and this, more than The Bachelor, definitely feels like a contest in Natasha, Well she won the battle. Now, before we get into the performances at the Novo um, let's take one more break. Actually, when we come back, we're gonna break down the performances at the Novo. So cool. So then it's time for showtime. Chris Harrison announces that the performers are going to be performing at the Novo in front of celebrities, people from Bachelor Nation and singers. So we got Rachel, Lindsay and Brian. We got Andy Grammar and Tony Braxon huge names, but yeah, yeah, totally. So how did you feel about the fact that Brian didn't didn't show Brian speaking at all? Every time Chris Harrison went to Rachel and Brian, she spoke on behalf of them on air. From what even notice that I'd even notice that, No, but now I do. I remember. I think I think the only time we saw Brian was when he walked down, and I think he whispered in somebody's ear, like maybe Tony Braxon's like, yeah, she's nervous something. The only thing I think we heard from him, which is kind of sad. I felt bad. Brian just doesn't like the guy, has never like he had He was overshattered by Peter obviously during that season, and then you know they get married and like people want to celebrate them, but we just don't. Like Brian just is never like it's not like if anybody knows him yet, nobody knows Brian. He's like the only final one that people can't say that they know. So first up in the performances is Rudy and Matt and they sing Tennessee Whiskey. They do a great job. They sounded so good together. I felt the chemistry. Rachel and Brian loved their performance, and they loved the way that they embraced and kissed afterward. Um, I feel like it just was overall good. I mean, I guess I wasn't blown I was. I was like, yeah, like I would have been so into that in real life, right, But like, I guess I wasn't blown away the way I am later in the episode what About You Now, I was more blown away with Tony Brackson's uh common of play that guitar like you're playing her And I'm kinda with her when she said like I want to watch a performance a duet and be uncomfortable, like I want to be in my chair being like I shouldn't be watching this because it's so romantic, and and they kind of had that Like I think as much as I mean, Nan, Tasha and Ryan kind of had that too, but like they definitely you could sense that they really are into each other. Um, which is cool to see. Yeah, I love that. I love their performance. So then Jamie and Trevor went and they sang like I'm Gonna Lose You, and the judges thought that they were a little off. It seemed like Jamie was really nervous, especially the first half, as um as um Andy Grammar pointed out, and yeah, it seemed like she was nervous. Um. I think that kind of nerves is probably going to be more evident to the people who are watching in person than us watching on TV. Does that make sense? Do you think that? Yeah? But at the same time, I mean again, I watched it, and I'm like, I don't know what musical talent is, Like, they all sound good to me. I don't know if she like, she sounded great so much better than I would. So I was only picking up on that because I think there was this you know, unlike um, Rudy and Matt, she had her hand on the whole time, and it looked comfortable to have it, like I want to touch you and sing with you and know you're there. When uh, when Jamie would do that it would almost just feel like a little uncomfortable, like neither one. She wants it, but he kept backing away. So that was my only sign up. I feel like Jamie's still twenty one. I still feel like she's getting to know herself and getting comfortable in her own skin. I don't know if it's just a performance thing. I think it's just an overall human thing. It could be, but she wants it. She wants it so bad. Next up was Chris and Brie and they sang Taylor Swift's lover. Tony Braxon loved the performance. She says she really saw a connection. You know, there was definitely chemistry between them. They sound great together. That's all I want to say. Yeah, I would agree. Um, they they're just two people. They're consistent. But there are two people that I'm watched in the show that I say, this is beautiful, Like I think this could work out long term. And this is what keeps me coming back to being a fan of the show is watching these two just sing together and relate with each other is really a beautiful thing to be on TV. They teased them getting married in Vegas next week, and you know what, why not? I think they might m why not. The biggest part of their performance was, of course her admitting that after it she whispered I love you, and then she told the whole audience what she said and that he didn't hear it, and then of course he said, if I had heard that, I would have said the same thing back to you, and they kind of exchange I love to use backstage afterwards. Very very sweet. Um. Julian Brandon are up next and they sang Pat Benatar's Amazing ballot We Belong Together. Rachel felt that they were a newer couple and she was glad that they admitted that because she felt like it was kind of like a karaoke performance. And Tony said that she felt tension. I felt tension. I felt like his body language was so off from her and she was completely turned in to him and she was trying to connect with him, but he is just like I'm performing for the audience. Now you. I watched this and I missed Brandon and Savannah because I felt like they did have a connection. Now was it a healthy one? I can't say, but I don't like Julian Brandon just didn't like it was so it was like hard Jamie. It was not hard for me to watch Julia and Brandon hard for me to get through because it just it felt so weird. He just didn't seem into her. H is rough. And then there was the performance of the night you love that you love this guy? Oh my god, it's amazing. Ryan and Natasha saying the best thing that ever had. You are the best thing that ever happened, And it was hot. They are so equally talented, like he has this amazing, amazing tone to his voice and she has pipes and strength and they they don't I don't think have chemistry off the stage, but damn is an electric on the stage. I could watch them before all day long, and I'm good with that. Like I think watching the show, I watch it because I want to see connection on stage. Just listen to your heart, right, if love happens with Chris and Bree amazing, how beautiful. But if you can and this is the wrong term, but like if you could fake it on stage similar to Bradley Cooper, uh and uh you know they like that's beautiful and it makes us intrigued and it's fun to see and and so Ryan Natasha definitely have that um here's a cool part. Last week, and I thought it was true. The judges said Ryan, Natasha could overpower you, like she could run you out of this room. Ryan stood up to it. This week they were equally as great. I completely completely agree. They have different voices, but the way that they work together is so amazing, and I think you're right for them. It's about performance. They're kind of singing and acting at the same time. They know that give a friendship and like they're probably attracted to each other, but there's not some great romance there. But for us as viewers, it doesn't matter when they're on stage, not at all, not at all. Well, that leads us all up. There's a performances that leads up to the road ceremony where the judges have the power. Brie and Chris stay not a surprise, Matt and Rudy stay, not a surprise. Natasha and Ryan stay. Their performance was incredible, but it was down to Trevor, Jamie, Julia and Brandon and the judges I think made the right decision. Actually do you. I was actually surprised that the drama was sent home. So next week, I think we're gonna be concentrating more on actual connection and performance chemistry. Julia, I mean Brandon. Brandon doesn't care about any of this. He's so nonchalant. And Julia, she was the drama queen of the house, so it was kind of like, all right, let's let's get rid of this and concentrate on the important stuff. Next week, Julian Brandon are sent home, and the drama doesn't stop there. Julia's exit starts to bring up how mad she was at Brandon, how disconnected he was, and how she wishes she would have chose Shardan. Now I'm all confused, and in fact, I'm so confused, I'm just saying I'm I'm happy to go on to next week because I don't think I can take another week of the going as back and forth as much as we had. It always takes being screwed over from by a bad guy to appreciate the good guy that you had. You never know what it's what you had until it's gone. I think that's a song at some point. It's a Nick Jonas sung song, Do Know what You Got? Deal? It's good? I don't I think there was like I think I'm thinking like an oldies song too. I think I don't know, ash Um, Well, that was this week's Listen to Your Heart. Uh, it was a a better performance for me. I'm going to grade it this week on a scale of what we expect, a B plus good. I write it a B plus as well, and I'm intrigued. I'm gonna watch next week, excited to watch. I'm not gonna be dreading it. Um, it's actually it's it feels like these couples have some potential, Ashley. Uh, let's bring on Bree to break down this week's episode a little bit further. But also, I mean, what do you think, like, just really focus on Brie and Chris because their relationship is beautiful. I agree, and like I like I said to Brie, I think it's going to come down to their real life love versus the passion that we feel between Ryan and Natasha on stage. Let's bring in brief Ye, so I's promised we have one of Bachelor nations favorite Listen to Your Heart contestants, Brie is here with us on the Almost Famous podcast. Hey Bree, Hey, how's it going? Really good? Brie? I got a burning question for you. It seems in this episode that we're going to narrow this season down till there is one couple standing. Is this couple going to be there standing at as the last couple in the end because of love or because of their performance passion together? Mm hmm. So it's definitely going to be a little bit of both their chemistry on stage as well as their chemistry UM in their relationship, So it's equally judged on both. I'd say, can I make a prediction as to who's standing in the end? Yes? Man, I think it's gonna come down to you and Chris and Natasha and Ryan. I feel I like that prediction. I feel like you and Chris definitely have the genuine love, and I feel like Natasha and Ryan have a talent and performance that they really mend melt together. Natasha and Ryan are very very hot on stage. There's no denying that they're quite a duo. Bree. Let's start at the beginning here. What was this a whole experience like for you? Listen to your heart. The experience for me was everything. Um. You know, I have performed a lot in the past, but never with someone that I genuinely love. Um. I've performed with other musicians and stuff, but for the most part, it's just been me. So it's a really interesting experience to you know, not be given a lot of time to be super prepared and then just to be on stage with a partner and um having to you know, impress the judges while also communicating chemistry that you know is there but hoping they receive it. Well. So there were just a million things going on in my head the entire time. Um, so it's really fun to look back and see how it was communicated now that I'm watching it. We saw you guys totally. If all I'm going to say you kind of like fell in love during that scene at the Guitar Center on Sunset, is that you feel like that was the moment you started to fall Yes, definitely. Guitar Center will always have the most special place in my heart because, um, you know, it's just one of those things where the I can't we forgot the cameras and everything. It was just us, um and when we were playing Calpfall and and Love by Elvis on the piano, it it was just such a moving moment, as stupid as that sounds, but the feeling was just incredible and something I've never experienced before. And there's just no denying that. That's the moment when I started to fall in love with him and um and him as well with me. What was it initially about Chris that stood out to you? Chris has the most genuine, open energy that I've ever seen in anyone. Like when we first met, you know, he he just came right up to me, UM in a very non aggressive way, UM, and introduced himself and then kind of like backed off because there were other guys talking to me, UM. And then as like the night progressed. Um. He I just noticed that when he would walk in the room and things would get brighter and people would kind of flocked toward him, and he could just bring up best in people and would start to see music that really united all of us. So it's just his open energy that he gives off. It's very genuine. In this episode, we see that you say I love you to him for the first time in front of a live audience on stage, and it just slipped out. How did you feel what that just popped out of your mouth? Honestly, I feel like a stupid school girl that's like so giddy. I it was just ridiculous, But again, Um, it was natural everything's just been so natural with him. So usually when I perform, you know, I have family come that supports me, and so I have that like that comfort, but being on stage with him, um, he's the only comfort that I had because we didn't you know, know anyone, and it was just really it was a lot. And so for me to naturally hug him after and say I love you, there's no forcing that. And it just showed me how, um how William I am to give him my heart and to feel like I can trust him. And this is a big moment for you because as we learned early on this season, it's been a storyline throughout. Uh. One of the moments that I think most affected everybody that's watching the show is you admitted and kind of opened up about being previously engaged and during what I remember, right when you picked out your wedding dress, your fiance at the time had called you and said, hey, this is over. I know when Jess and I were watching this, we both know we just recently got engaged and we were watching this and just like her mouth was like on the floor, like just hurting for you. Yeah, that experience was really difficult, just because, um, you know, it was very traumatic for me, just because I had physically picked out the dress. It wasn't it was making it real, you know what I mean. And so when you're wearing it, you envisioned your dad there and your mom, and um, it just kind of becomes it's very it just it's brought to lie and so um to have that kind of just taken from you, it caused a lot of, um, you know, deep pain and so it's been hard to to trust again because I never expected him to do that. So you know, when you get in the next relationship, you're like, well, I hope you don't do this, but I never expected this guy to do it. Um. So with with Chris, you know, it's just been very natural and I haven't had the same kinds of fears that I've always had. And yeah, I know that he wouldn't ever do anything like that to me. So Ben has been talking throughout the season about how he can't relate to the impasity the intimacy of writing songs and performing songs together. Can you enlighten us no musicians how that feels. Yes, So, first of all, with our guitar sturd day and our freestyle and It was definitely rough because we hardly knew each other, Like, let's just bury that, Okay, let's just forget about it. Um. It really was so fun. But you know, we didn't we just we just met and so we were like trying to figure out our musical chemistry because we haven't really like sung together. But honestly, it comes very quickly and easy when you just both put yourself out there, your vulnerable. Um. It's a really amazing process when you both do that, because you get to places that you never would have gone through words, because music just brings this other element that you know, no one can deny, like it's music is very truthful, um, and so it really brought us together way. I feel like we've like skipped ahead of year in our relationship, you know what I mean at this point, because um, because music just does that. I Astley's right, And a lot of this show I am watching now from a perspective of, Hey, I can't relate at all except for the pursuit of love piece. You know you singing in front of people would make me have hives, or me singing in people make me have hives? Literally breathe, What was it about going on listen to your heart that you were interested in. Was it love or was it to increase your musical kind of exposure, which would be fair too. Um, you know it was definitely both. Because I'm a musician, I think naturally we're always trying to be like, you know what's next, looking further our careers. Oh cool, this is a great opportunity. Why wouldn't I do it? But I wasn't going to go into it if I wasn't truly open to finding love. Um, I can't say I totally believed in it, and I didn't think that it would happen to someone like me. Um. But you know when I was deciding, and I was just like, you literally nothing to lose, um, love and music or everything you've ever wanted, So you'd be an idiot not to So obviously I'm very thankful that I just went with my gut and and went with it. Next week, we see that you guys bring the show on the road and you'll be you'll be sharing a tour bus with Chris. Does that change? How does that change the couples? Because I feel like given that more private time, that quality time, you guys are gonna learn more about each other and you're the dynamic of living together. Yeah, I'm really excited for that because, um, you know, they always say, like, go on a road trip with whoever you're interested in, do this, do that, So it's it's definitely a next big step. UM. And then just getting that one on one time is something that we haven't had a lot of because we're in a house with a lot of people. So I'm just really excited for that time to just be able to focus on us the breed. This all kind of summarizes here at the end with um hopefully a great love story and also a great opportunity to further your music career. Looking back at it all, was it worth it? You don't have to give us any hints any ideas of what this meant, but just for you, sitting where you're at now, was this worth it? Definitely worth it. I I would never want to go back to the life that I had before. UM. I wanted all to be what it is right now, and yes, it was a thousand times worth it. You and Chris seemed to be unbreakable at this point in the competition, and I'm going to assume right now that if you don't win the show. You're still together? Am I right? I guess we'll have to see. Okay, okay, So we've talked a lot about your love story. It's great, we're huge fans of it. Um, it's keeping me going during this show. But can we just take a second and what was it like being in the house with the drama that ensued this week between Brandon and Savannah and Sheridan and Julia. Was it Was it as wild as it seems? Yes, the drama is definitely as wild as it seems. Um, as much as Chris and I, you know, have tried to stay out of it, Um, there's an energy there and me and him are both big feelers. We feel for people, and so it's been really heavy and definitely, you know, you take stress into um relationships and performances and you hope that you can just do your best because we all kind of are a family living together. So yeah, it's been challenging, but it's definitely there. I felt like it. Mm hmm, alright, well I can't take it. Thank you Bree so much for joining us today. We're rooting for you and Chris in real life and on all the show. That's right, Thank you answering. Thank you. You guys are great. Have a great day. Al right, guys. So we got one email about the Matt James versus Claire drama that we addressed during last week's Hot Topics. This is from Amy. She says, I had a thought on the drama of Matt James. My feelings about it are that it came across like Claire is assuming that Matt James is going on her show to get famous as a result of being a contestant on the Bachelorette, when in reality, he's famous already because he is friends with Tyler and everyone who is following the Quarantine crew. I feel like more people know more about Matt than I know about Claire. What do you think? I certainly don't agree, Amy, um My. My thoughts are that Matt maybe famous amongst uh gen z gen z right. Matt maybe famous to TikTok watchers and people who follow Tyler and his group of friends very closely on social media. I feel like Claire is far more famous amongst the nation Bachelor nation. I feel like what we've gotten to know about Claire over four seasons of televised programming is more than you guys are seeing from the quarantine crew house about Matt. You are getting to see from Matt what he wants to put out there for you guys. And Claire has had a whole bunch of things that she probably wishes she could edit it out be broadcast on national TV. I also wouldn't call him famous. I'd call him um a social media personality right now. I I think it's weird to call anybody from pass Nation famous. And I think that I would repeat with what you're staying here by saying Matt going on an ABC prime time show is just gonna make him more famous than he is going to be from social media. Yeah. So even if you think he already is famous, I don't think that he is. I think that there's always ways for him to be more famous. Yeah, I mean I think now, maybe as we sit you could have the argument who's better known if that's how we're gonna do it, And maybe Matt James right now is better known, but let's not forget I don't think he's better known. I feel like Claire Crawley is going to explode here when she becomes a Bachelorrette like she'll go from zero to a hundred in terms of a recognized person personality very soon. So yeah, being on an ABC show always helps your relevancy. Being on AB show definitely helps the attention come to you more. So if we're defining who's more known, I really think that it Claire very soon will be one of the most recognized people in the use. Don't you think it's a generational thing because like, yeah, like millennials, probably no Claire More and then gen Z who was like the newcomers on TikTok People below the age of two, they probably know Matt More. Hey, I'm on TikTok to and I'm trying hard actually and I'm thirty one. Hey, uh, this has been another awesome episode of the Almost Famous podcast. We really do appreciate all of you listening. It's been a blast, uh talking to you through this shutdown. Again, Please rate and comment on our podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. In addition to that, um, stay strong. This is a wild time and we hope that you can find some escape during this podcast to just hey, let your mind go, because we know this isn't easy on everybody. With that I've been been to Later, guys, follow the Benn and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast on iHeart Radio, or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.