The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous PodcastParisa Shifteh was sent home on Grant’s season, but she’s ready to spill all with Ben and Ashley!
Find out what she really thinks Grant is looking for in a partner, and why she isn’t surprised by who he picked for the Top 2.
Plus, Parisa opens up about going to Paradise and why looking for lizards was her favorite thing to do in the Bachelor Mansion!
This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast with iHeartRadio.
Hello, everyone, welcome to the Almost Famous Podcast. Today we are joined by Parisa Shifta. You may remember her as the cat Lady of this season. She also she talked about going home to her cat. She said it, I didn't. She also made a PowerPoint presentation showing Grant the life that they would live together if they were to get engaged.
Hello, and welcome to the pod. Parisa.
Hello, thank you for having me. And don't forget about my rock collection too.
Oh the rock collection.
That's right, all right, all right, this is great. I'm glad you said that. Let's start that out with this. You knew you were going to bring some shock waves with talking about a cat and your rock collection, right, like this was going to be like something that people spoke about afterwards.
I didn't think so much about my cat, Sonny, because I feel like every year there's always someone who talks about their pet can.
Yeah exactly, which is why I said, you're this year's catie.
Yeah, this year's But I don't recall there ever being someone even like a guy. I don't recall anyone ever having a rock collection or talking about the fact they have a rock collection.
No, so why did you decide.
To I don't know.
I spoke a lot about because you know, not everything gets shown, But I spoke a lot about just my interest in general and rocks. That just happened to be something that came up a lot because we were talking about traveling, and like that is something that's huge with me. When I travel, I love to like look up and see what types of rocks and minerals crystals are like really abundant in that country and or even like a state, and then I that's like my souvenir that I go and look for and I'll bring back from that country. So yeah, and I just I think they're just fun and it's that's different. And yeah, so I just talked about.
That a lot.
What else did you talk about that didn't make air any any conversation that stood out to you like five months removed?
Yeah, I guess a lot also about nature, animals and sex lizards. I told Grant, like during our time, our downtime at the mansion, there was just so many lizards, so it would be so fun just like kind of like walking around the perimeter and just like looking for just trying to, like, I don't know, catch some lizards. And there were a couple of girls that were down to catch lizards with me. It's Chloe and Natalie, So I knew I could always count on them.
To like go in a nice little walk.
But yeah, we talked about that and he said he was like, oh, that's cool, Like I used to catch lizards when I was younger, and so we talked about that.
Okay, so so far we've established that you were open with Grant about your interests. Yeah, we love your cat, Sonny. We're big fans of rock collections. I have one. I actually have a rock tumbler.
Oh does it work?
It still works? Oh yeah, big tumble.
No way, you have a tumbler dedicated to rocks.
Yeah. It makes them real shiny and smooth and you can see what's on the inside.
It's nice a tumbler.
Oh, it's a water bottles like.
You can put in like the polish and then all the raw rocks and it just like tumbles them and it polishes them so it's smooth them out.
Oh okay, So I just want to let you know what I thought when you said that. I thought that you had like a tumbler, like a website where you put all the pictures.
Oh yeah, like after ten years or nine years of doing this whatever you say, we've done it for you just are now finding out that I blog about rocks exactly. That's cool. And then you're into lizards. Okay, this isn't exactly and I think it's very I think it's awesome. What I love about the show is all the unique stories that come out of this. But it's not exactly how you lead off. Most people would lead off on dating, like, it's not exactly what you reveal on the first couple of dates. So what kind of guy are you looking for now?
Uh?
Like, would he have to have these similar interests? Do you want to teach him about these things? Are you hoping to teach Grant about these things and hoping he would at least find an interest enough to chase lizards around the yard with you?
Yeah, you know, it's more like the guy that I'm looking for, he obviously doesn't need a rock collection or you know, any of that. It's more of just someone who's down for new experiences and down for adventure, because that's how I am too, you know, anytime again, like planning trips. I just love to be spontaneous and I love new experiences. It's sometimes it's fun to not plan, you know, your full day when you're on vacation because you just kind of see what you want to see where you know, life takes you, you know, in a new environment. So just someone who's just down for new experiences and who can easily adapt.
Yeah, did you truly think that he was it like he could have done that with you?
He Actually, he seems pretty adventurous and he's he's just very.
Open to new things.
Then he like when we would have conversations about traveling, like we talked about going on a safari that's high on his list right now with travel and I was like, oh, wow, like that's incredible because I mean that's like not the most fabulous vacation going, you know, to a safari with all these bugs and dangerous animals that you know could attack you at any second.
So yeah, I mean he really does seem like that type.
Well I appreciate about you is your interest in things that not everybody else is interested in. I think that is I could ask you a thousand questions about how you got into it and why you do it. But I think it's very very cool, and I think it's something that somebody someday is going to say, Hey, let me join in on this. It's a great quality, is my point here. Speaking of great qualities, though, we do have to dig into Grant a little bit, and so here it's almost famous podcast. We love the franchise. We feel like we haven't gotten to know Grant at all watching this season. We feel like there's something missing, that his whole story isn't either being told or he's not communicating it effectively. So we're hoping you can fill some gaps for us from your experience with Grant and the time that you were there and the conversations that you had. What do you know about Grant that maybe the audience isn't seeing good and bad? Just help us make sense of him as a human.
Yes, good question, And you think, because I want to give you a really good.
Answer comes to mind, Like your first thoughts when you think of Grant ellis you're with him, You're on a season. And here's here's my first response to your hesitation. It's concerned. It's well, you should know this, like you just got off of a show with him where he was the lead of your season, you should be able to be like, hey, this is what I know about Grant. Instead, you had a little hesitancy. So I want to know if that's coming from your like you having a hard time answering it where you're like, I don't really know how to answer that, or are you just wanting to phrase it perfectly?
Yeah, I want to phrase it perfectly. It seems like he genuinely was looking for you know. Yes, he kept saying a wife, but that was more defined as like a best friend, you know, you know, and he would ask all the girls about all about themselves, like what do you like to do? You know, where do you want to travel? Just to find those common similarities as well as, you know, learning more about them and their background and where they come from. But I feel like he wanted to find someone that he really connected with, had both that emotional connection, physical connection, just his best friend that he can you know, do life with and such. I feel like a lot of the conversations were always around that of like where can we be in the future together?
Like how do how do you see the future with me? How do I see the future with you? So kind of I feel like that's what he was looking for.
Okay, that's great, that's on this show. But do you feel like you got to know him through this problems?
Oh no, and he didn't really get to know me.
Okay, Yeah, we're down to Latia and Juliana. Now, did there those girls stand out to you as being the front runner that he was? He always looking at them when you guys were in a group setting.
Yeah, I'm not surprised that it's both of them, you know.
I it's obvious.
We see like every episode Lati is always called first, you know, in the rose ceremonies, and.
With Juliana as well. You know, it's funny.
I would always tell the girls anytime, like I would kind of sneak up around the corners sometimes and like just like kind of watch if like a girl whoever is with Grant, because I just love to just watch. I love to watch how the girl's looking at him and how Grant's looking at the girl, and I just I don't know then I like kind of you know, like you just piece things together.
So that was something I would do. And I remember.
In Madrid, I like sneaked up on Juliana and Grant and then I told Juliana. I was like, oh, like that looked really good. And I just I don't know. I see things and you can just I don't know. I'm not I guess I can just say I'm not surprised with the final two.
It's always fun to have an upfront seat at during the show. Jared Ashley's husband and myself used to watch often and be like, this is crazy. Nobody's gonna believe this is happening, and we're sitting here watching it. Yeah, it is fun. So now that you watch during the season and now you're watching it back, what has kind of been your response as you see it on TV, especially the weeks you aren't there, Is there anything shocking to you?
Yeah, because even during my time there and then watching those episodes, we never none of us knew what was going on behind closed doors when you were having the private one on one conversation with Grant, So that was always always interesting to watch. It'd be like, oh, like, that's what they were talking about, or that's what that was. And yeah, now too with not being on any Yeah, I I a lot of it.
It's I guess it's it's.
Interesting to see now, like their relationships, how far they have come since my time there.
Now, you guys don't have a bachelorette? Do you were when you found out that news that there was no bachelorette? Was there like an explosion in the group chat where you guys were like, uh so sucks for us.
Yeah, we were shocked, and I guess everyone was more like concerned, like why why isn't there going to be a bachelorette? But yeah, that that was news.
It's interesting you're bummed, Like everybody's pretty upset.
I wouldn't say upset, maybe a little bummed.
Yeah, it's kind of it's I mean, I had a different scenario, I guess, but I think I would have enjoyed seeing somebody from my season like become the Bachelor if it wasn't me, Like it's fun to watch that play out, like, oh, I know that person and I'm rooting for that person, and yeah, it's kind of that way with me in Paradise. I've always enjoyed watching people I know go on Paradise and seeing their stories play out, which brings us to Paradise because Paradise is still existing as far as we know at this point, would you go on Paradise. Does that feel like someplace that you could find somebody? Have they called you?
If the opportunity comes up, Yes, it would be really nice. I feel like there is a higher success rate with couples coming from Paradise. And I mean, as you guys, but now, and I mean that's very that's inspiring, and I definitely am I am looking. I mean, I was trying to find the best way to word it. I'm not getting any younger, and I have been looking for a while for like my best friend and you know, someone that I can stay young with. And so if that opportunity comes up, I feel like that would be like I think it would. I would be very appreciative of it, and it would be a blessing because like looking at the setup of Paradise, I like the fact that you are taken away from like your everyday life, no distractions, and you're just thrown on this island, you know, girls and guys, and then it's just like okay, let's just see what happens. And it's nice not having like social media as a distraction work just like the every day, every day the troubles, there's nothing coming in and distracting it's just you and that other person and the time to develop a connection, And I mean, you don't really get that here.
I mean that's not really interesting.
Have you been a fan of the show. Do you have any guys that you would like to put on your list for the producers to bring on down to Paradise for you?
Yeah, I was thinking about it, but then I feel like, too, I have a thing like, I don't know, I feel like just looking back with dating, I can I can tell you like five different times I've gone to my girlfriend's and I was like, Oh, I think.
This guy's cute, or oh I kind of want to pursue this guy, and.
Once I speak it out into the universe, I just jinx myself or something happens and it's just like, oh, okay.
So you don't want to say names? Yeah, no, come on, give us a name.
Just one name. This is a good place to do it, because we just had Mercedes came on and just threw it out there and he hit her up afterwards.
Like that's so scary to think about.
No, you're going on a dating show. This is the easiest part. They're not even here. So one name of somebody from the franchise that sit out to. He doesn't mean you gotta it's got to be the guy, but it does mean that you'd say you're looking pretty good on the beach.
Yeah, okay, that I will say a name. But I also want to throw out there that I really don't know much about this guy, his personality, you know, his dating history. So all I know is what I've just seen on Instagram.
Yeah, let me guess it's Greg Oh no, oh yeah, who Blake Blake minds okay.
Yeah, just very adventurous and you know, love to travel.
I feel like we would get along very well. But again, I don't know, you know, his personality.
And it would be wild if he came back. Now I'm not saying it won't happen. It very easily could happen. He would be competing with Chrisky Bukowski as the most appearances on any season ever.
He would he would?
I mean he has a longevience.
No, no, you would have three, so he'd be tied with Nick and me.
He's only done Paradise once.
Actually yeah, oh, he was only a Paradise ones.
Okay, okay, So as we kind of wrap up, you're interested in Paradise. Let's make sure everybody hears that. Who's listening. The producers of the show are going to be listening. You're interested in Paradise, you'd be open to relationship in Paradise, and you're willing to throw names out there of people you would want to see in Paradise. That's a great start. You're doing great. That's awesome. As we close up, I want to go back then to Grant season. Okay, viewers I think have had a mixed relationship with this season. I think it's gone where viewers have really wanted to root for the season and then kind of they've they've been lost, and now they're kind of going to come back, I believe for the final episode. It's always a big episode. If you were to give a sales pitch on why viewers should tune in, knowing Grant and knowing the two women left, what would be your sales pitch to them, like, how do we get viewers to tune into this episode? Why should they and why should they be rooting for Grant and whoever he picks at the end.
Not a great question, or.
Your answer could be I don't think they should and that's fine too.
Oh no, no, I like this stuff. But see I don't have a background in sale, so like that thought processing skill is very slow.
Okay when you think about.
It, well, I will have another question that could be perhaps you don't need the sales degree for I'm thinking that I would love to know your opinion on if Grant should have picked someone. If in the end and he was as torn as he is to the point in which there are rumors that he might flip a coin to decide.
I know, so I guess with that.
I like to be very specific with words and like emotions and everything, so like feeling torn, I feel like that word it can mean so many different things, Like I feel like immediately when someone hears the word torn in the situation, they're like, he just doesn't know who he wants to pick.
It's like fifty to fifty.
But I feel like it could mean so many other things, Like it could mean I don't know. It can mean that he's he's scared, or it's.
Not I don't know. I don't know what I'm trying to say.
But I feel like we mean it in the sense of conflicted. I cannot decide between the two people in love with both emotionally just torn, Yeah, because how do you say goodbye to somebody that you love to say hello to somebody else?
And I think looking back to it other seasons, I mean it's with whoever is the bachelor, you do spend so much time, like you know, with like the final two, where of course it's I think it's easy to develop such strong feelings for both of them, and now it's getting hard. You know, you're coming down to the decision of okay, like yes, I you know, could potentially see myself with both of them, but now I need to think like long term, you know, taking this relationship that was that developed in a fixed environment. It's you get torn to think, Okay, now I'm going to take it out into the real world, like will this love in the real world?
Will it make it? Like we'll make it, you know, with our busy lifestyles.
And so I feel like it's just the back and forth of like thinking, going through those thoughts. And it's scary too, because what if sometimes I don't know, but like has a bachelor have they ever thought like, Okay, this is the girl that I want, But what if she says no?
It's like it's that fear too. I feel like, yeah, it.
Goes through all all all of the leads thoughts at some point. I don't think there's one lead that's like, yeah, she's gonna say this, look at me. Well, I actually I can't say that. There's probably been something that's like, I I've got this thing shirt up.
Yeah, I don't know.
At the end of the day, it is, it's just so tricky and like it's so hard to get into someone's mind and really know everything and how they're feeling, and all that you can do is just you know, hope for the best for them, and hope that they are you know, really happy, and you know.
And just you know, wish them the best.
Okay, Well, I got one final question for you. Okay, you mentioned past seasons. So my assumption is that you've been a fan of the show or you've watched past seasons at some level. You've now a part of the Bachelor alum. It's on your resume. It is a degree you have. So are you happy you did it? Did it live up to all of your expectations and thoughts outside of finding love? Was it everything you hoped it would be?
Yeah, it actually was.
It was a really great experience for me. It helped me just become more comfortable with who I am. I remember coming back home after filming and you know, like you're back on your phone, back on social media, and I remember going on my Instagram and I was like, wow, this feels different my page because all the pictures posted on my page there are pictures that I want to post to show everyone of like who I am, and like it was never the real me because I always felt like before The Bachelor, I never actually told anyone about my rock collection that I have an interest in nature, animals, and sex all that. Like, no one, only my best friends and my family knew that about me. And so when I came back, I'm like, oh, I don't really like that, Like I don't like how I you know, wasn't showing who I was previously. Because my whole time on the show and you know, with the girls, I was so accepted and everyone was so nice and asking me questions about my travels or just my experiences, asking me about my rock collection all that stuff, and like even you know, when I'm walking around like the MANSI if I pick up a spider, any bugs, anything, I would tell them like oh, here's.
The fun fact.
And there was even a snake that like came out by the pool and I was inside and everyone's screaming for me to come out. I'm like, oh my god, I'm like, don't touch it, I'm coming, and I ran out and I wanted to pick it up, but then I wasn't allowed to.
But it was just like things like that.
I'm like, it's just so nice, like feeling accepted, and then it made me just so coomfortable. I'm like, you know what, there's no point for me to like hide these things and you know, not speak up about like who I am in my intro. So I I think like this experience really brought all that out of me. And now I'm like more confident to be like, yeah, I have rock collection, so what you.
Know, lean into it. I'm telling you, it's one of the greatest things that happens from being on this show is the revelation of what you've been hiding for so long, and what you've been maybe ashamed of or not talking about, or maybe not even knowing how to put words to it. Lean in to this new level of confidence. I wasn't kidding when I said I think it's very interesting. I think it makes you you.
It is.
It is unique. It's unique, which is exactly what people are attracted to, is uniqueness. And so lean into it and have fun with this kind of new season of life. I hope it brings you a ton of joy. I hope we see you on the beach.
You're perfect for it.
I can see picking up all the reptiles and all the crabs.
Everything Ashley complained about. You're gonna be like it.
It's gonna be like crabs in my bed. Heck, yeah, I will.
I will help anyone who's scared. I will pick them up, you know, gracefully and let them back, let.
Them go outside.
Yeah, it's gonna be great. Hey, thanks for coming on the podcast. We appreciate having you here. Again. For anybody listening, tune in pay attention to who's the cast is gonna be for Paradise. You've gotten to hear from a few people that were rooting for in the last few weeks. Uh is one of those that were thrown in that bucket. So until next time, I've been Ben.
I've been Ashley.
See Hey, guys, follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast on iHeartRadio, or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
