The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous PodcastPodcasts collide when Almost Famous hangs out with Stefanie Parker and Jackie Maroney from “She’s All Bach”!
With all these experts together in one place, we go deep to try and figure out how to make The Bachelor better, including what’s REALLY going on behind the scenes of Grant’s season.
Plus, we have some secret info on the controversial way Grant might pick his winner!
This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast with iHeartRadio.
Hey guys, welcome to another episode of the Almost Famous podcast. Today's a girl talk podcast. I have Stephanie and Jackie from the She's All Batch podcast. They're the two hosts who I feel like do the juicy scoop when it comes to the Bachelor. You guys always get me with your teases. Your your social media teases are so good and I love this. I love this. You guys are not afraid to say certain things because you have no ties to the Bachelor franchise. You don't have to be on your best behavior. You don't have to meet people if you don't want to ever meet them, You can literally talk all the shit you want. Yeah.
True, we're very unfiltered in that way. It's such an honor to hear that. You think we get like such juicy clips and interviews and stuff. That's what we have been trying to do over the years. But yeah, we agreed. We sometimes can say whatever we want because we don't have to meet these people. The problem comes in sometimes when then we do and they're like you said about me on this podcast, this is this that I'm like, Oh, my god, I'm sorry, I forgot that sometimes Bachelor people also then listen.
Now, I will say we do like to obviously be fair and like we try to obviously keep that in mind, and we always tell our listeners too, like, this is about an edit on a TV show.
It is a tiaving show.
At the end of the day, we almost talk about it like characters, because it is characters. They're not, you know, we're watching a scripted not a scripted TV show, but an edited TV show obviously, so we we like to keep that in mind.
All right, So we want to talk about Bachelor on a macro level on this podcast, basically talk about all the things that Ben and I pepper into episodes throughout the year. Right, I think the number one question is when did the show go awry? Why did it get off the hinge after it seemed to be recovering after Joey's season. After Joey's season was like, we are back on track, we are a great show. There are tiktoks and memes being made about the Bachelor, how hot and charming he is, and now all of a sudden, we cancel Bachelorette for the season because you don't have enough spark in the franchise. What's going on in your opinions?
What is going on? Maybe you know more than us, No.
No, no, no, I talk about this all the time. I need to know from the outsider perspective.
Well, but wasn't there some deadline article that, Yeah, the reason why Bachelot actually isn't coming back is because there was drama with producers and stuff and that they weren't able to kind of agree on like a vision.
Yes, there seems to be that. Yeah, it seems to be more about casting than it was about ratings.
We heard your tea about the Rachel, Rekia and Maria.
Well, what's interesting about the Rachel thing is Rachel texted after that podcast and she goes, I didn't hear from them whatsoever, So that may have been behind the scenes rumblings, like as in the producers were considering her, but she didn't get the word yet because like they weren't agreeing.
Interesting, my take is that, like, I'm really excited that they're shaking up Bachelor in Paradise, with Jesse saying that in two weeks they're going to let us know like what they're really doing with Bachelor in paradise and how it's going to be different. I do think it's time for them to shake up this model. And I think the only reason why they didn't say it about the Bachelor two is because The Bachelor's currently airing and we're not going to get another Bachelor season until next year, and I think by that point maybe they will have made some changes.
So I don't know.
I think that could be they want to make some changes behind the scenes, and in order to do so, they maybe need to take a season off to like, I don't know, higher different people.
Yeah, get in a boardroom and figure out what the hell they're going to do. But we'll see.
I'm excited for I do think after all this time, we may need to shake things up a little bit.
And what does that mean to you? Do you have suggestions to me?
At least I feel like and I feel like we talk about this a lot too, like the audience has.
We've all been.
Watching reality TV now for years and years and years. I think the audience gets a lot smarter about some of the classic tropes of like some frank and biting or some editing, and we're we always talk on our podcast and we try to make sure we're like, Okay, this person said this to this person, but did you really see them in a two shot? Like what's actually going on? And I feel like the past few seasons they lean in a lot to this very forced, manipulated drama, and I think it would actually be a better experience if we acknowledge, like, hey, the audience is smart, they know what's going on, like break the fourth wall a little bit and kind of let actual genuine drama unfold. Sorry, Stephanie, I interrupted you there. What were you gonna say? Now?
That honestly a lot of that, But like it is twenty twenty five, and I feel like they're not really adapting to the current times.
I do think breaking the fourth wall would hell.
Love to break the fourth wall. Those are the most exciting moments best.
Yeah, even in the Women Tell All recap that we just recorded the girls yelling at Carolina and saying like you shouldn't have pulled Grant at this point.
Because you already had a rose, like all this stuff.
If you are actually taking this seriously, why does it matter who has a rose?
Like she's just trying to pull the guy and talk to him.
So I hate, like the rules like, let's actually, if you're actually going to convince us that these are girls really trying to date a guy and find a fiance, then actually do it, but in order to have to like follow certain rules.
And I don't know, roses are just flowers.
Outside of the bachelor world, So why are we like treating it any otherwise? Like it's so crazy in this bubble, and I think we should pop the bubble a little bit.
Okay, Yeah, and I think that they should. As I've said so many times before, the audience always thinks are a broken record, but it's like, we need more funny, lighthearted moments. We need to show how the date actually was not just the serious conversations happened for like twenty percent of it, because I find that you see the real connection in those moments where Carolina says, will you make out with me intensely? And then can I smell your armpits? Which is the weirdest thing, but that's a freak you get any and obviously like they had a comfortability in which she can say that, and then it shows that she's funny, yeah, and then it.
Leads us to then want to be more invested in these people down the line too. I think sometimes what I've been struggling with as a fan of the show is because they're only showing us those very, very small, oh, let me tell you my trauma moments, and we're not seeing as much of people's true personalities then as the show. Once the show ends and the season raps, I'm not as inclined to like, want to follow, want to keep up with what they're doing. If they are brought onto Bachelor in Paradise or if they pull someone from another season to be a lead, I want to be more invested in their story, and I think we need to see more of those authentic, funny moments so that we are invested, Like I think you're actually a perfect example of this, actually, because we have seen so many like authentic moments from you over the years, so people continue to keep up with you, they listen to your podcast, they follow you like the contestants. Now we're not getting the same types of followings in the same it's of engagement as they were back in your era, and I think that's part of it.
Like huge differences And yeah, I know, social media and just following in general is a little less of a thing these days. You know, like our algorithms aren't designed as as much for follows. Yeah, but like the difference is a mens and the difference well chows the decline in ratings of course, because there's like one fourth of the audience that we had during my season, so obviously that's reflected in it. And then I do think there's just like a general like disinterest in following them beyond the show, and I think that we need to bring stuff back, like talking to parrots, Like I think it was hilarious when they had me talk to a parrot and that was the parrot was the producer, Like those are ridiculous in the Red and yeah, yeah, no, Claire had a raccoon.
I know, but like the same same kind of.
Exactly exactly because so much more fun. Also, like you know that that's a producer and that makes these conversations funny too. I know that's just like a paradise thing.
But do some there's like definitely an audience of people that don't know.
I feel like it's still two days.
Yeah, it's very very alarming.
Yeah, no, it's weird because like on our show, we are Our show is all about like exposing what's really happening and trying to see the edit behind. That's what I like to do when I watch the show, like how did this really unfold? Like even Carolina not to keep bringing up woman tell All but her walking off stage. Sure, she may have walked off on her own, but I can also see a producer on like the Outskirts being like, come here, you're upset, Come here, let me get you to get her off, and then they get.
The scene they want.
And I feel like there's still people that see the show at face value, like when someone gets a bad edit, they're a bad person. And yeah, there's we like opening people's eyes to the fact that. But like I think the real villains sorry every season are producers, not the people on the show.
Sorry, I don't know if I could say that her touch has really changed since I've been there. I don't have a lot of close ties there. It depends. It depends on who you are talking about. And two and I have a few there that I do love so much and I do genuinely think that they care about me, and nobody can convince me otherwise. Sure, jam yes, really it's so crazy because last season I saw it again through like the eyes of being a contestant when I you know, I signed my friend up Sidney for the show, and I would have people come at me in my DMS being like she's like she's a bad person, like she's this, she's that, like she's evil, she whatever, And I was like, this is so you guys, I just need you to like take this a moment to really think about this. You are DM ing me about my friend who I've known in real life for two years now, and you're telling me that what you have seen on TV and only the clips that you've seen on TV, means that you know her more than I know her.
Right person, Yeah, you're a bad person for being her friend? Why don't you know that?
I Luckily I didn't get any of that, which was, oh really that was surprising actually that I didn't get more backlash for just being friends with her. But like, it was crazy how people were like, no, no, like she's bad, Like you you really think that what you're seeing on TV is more than what I know of her?
It was.
It was really fun. It was funny honestly for you know, it was fun for me, and it was not fun for me to have to her obviously be so sad, but it was so interesting to see it when they're not talking about you.
Yeah, those crack me up too, because it's like, Okay, if she's such a bad person, you are bullying a stranger on the internet, so like, what does that make you?
Like?
The people who actually go to message these things are like, oh, that person is a bad person. That person's a bad person. It's like, okay, but isn't it also kind of bad to just be sending strangers messages that these people are bad people. It's just so funny to me.
Yeah, we literally tell people that if you're the type of person that goes in the comment section and harasses people from the show because of their edit, like please don't listen to our podcasts, Like, I just don't support people that act that way. And they are like the prime example of the people that don't get it.
They literally think.
The show is what it is and it's not an edited show.
Yeah, okay, So what do you guys think about Grant?
He's hot.
I like him.
Yeah, I've been pleasantly surprised by Grant. I think for a lot of the past few seasons, I've felt frustrated when they announced the lead because I feel like they haven't done a great job of showing us like contestant's true personalities when they're on their season. So then they announced them as the lead, and like, wait, who what was their situation? So I felt a little bit that way about Grant. But I feel like I've come to get to know him. He's so great. All the girls seem to genuinely really like him, which I think makes for a much like juicier season because I feel like people's feelings are real and so yeah, I've been so pleasantly surprised by him and his season. I've been really enjoying it.
Okay, So I think he's so good looking, and I obviously think he's so sweet, and I do really think that he is there for the right reasons. He really wants a wife. But I also I don't know that the girls have been that drawn to him. I don't. I think they've been very attulity to him, but I don't know that anyone feels that they've had like really deep connections that they really lost to great love.
Well, that I think is true, though, because I don't think Grant is having really deep connections with any of the girls. I think whoever he ends up with, he is going to be as in love as he can be at this phase in his life. But we kind of were talking about this, like when we're thinking about who. In my opinion on the two frontrunners, Juliana and Latia, I feel like he's leaning more towards Juliana, but a lot of their conversations do seem a little bit more surface level. Maybe we're not ready for full engagement. We're going to be like boyfriend girlfriend vibes. But that's where I feel like Grant is at, Like I believe he wants a long term girlfriend, but someone like Latia is kind of more ready to like settle down, have kids, And I don't know if like Grant is ready to like have those conversations really not on the show, Okay, Stephanie.
Yeah, I think he wants a serious girlfriend for sure.
I'm not so buying that.
Like there was a lot of focus this season on like, oh, we're going to bring all these random kids on the basketball date because Grant wants kids, so therefore kids have to be around. But like I'm I don't think a guy releasing a single called party Girl is looking to have kids in the.
Near future, Like maybe in a couple of years. I'm sure he is, I just.
Don't think today, and I'm just not getting serious father figure vibes today. I'm sure he's going to be a phenomenal father in a few years, but I just I'm I'm not buying that too much. And I agree, like when they announced Grant one, I think ABC did him dirty with the announcement because like they didn't even did they didn'tven announce it on TV when they could have, like they had a show airing, they could have just like put the promo up and let us all get excited and did it. Wasn't it that like someone tweeted it from the show Instagram poster, by the way, and then their reason was, oh, we did that because we want all the girls to sign up. But I'm like, if you wanted more girls to sign up, why wouldn't you air it on TV where everyone's watching.
It's just nothing makes sense.
I think they kind of did him dirty in the beginning, but I think he's really held his own and I think the season's been pretty good.
It's better than past seasons.
Joey aside, No, obviously, no, I mean, honestly, I mean Zach.
I was about to say, I say or not, but like, for example, I think in Zach's season, I didn't get the sense that a lot of the girls were that into him or attracted to him, and that leads to just more of like a dry season drama wise, whereas I feel I do feel like all these girls really like him. What do you think about his potential music career? Going back to Grid, I.
Was going to ask you guys that because you just talked about a single. Yeah, it hasn't really crossed my mind lately. I did think it was very swoony when he when he played the piano to Alex, And apparently Alex didn't think it was spoony. She said it was icky.
Yeah, I know on File five? What wait you thought swoony? Like smoothing? I was like, wait, is that a cool word means.
This isn't Ashley word means good? I think because you're like, it made me, it would make it would have made me swoon. I would like I wouldn't have really known how to deal with it, Like I would have been like probably like beat red, but also like I thought I was a romantic But apparently you think icky.
Yes, Alex thought it was icky.
She said on The Vile Files that she got the ick and like that's where it started, and apparently continued we continued, really, oh.
I don't Maybe I'm misinterpreting.
What I don't know. No, you know more than I do.
Probably not, but I don't know.
I think if a guy honestly in previous seasons, remember Casey from like Ali Fedotowski's season, and he's like when I was flying in the helicopter and she's like awkward, that's kind of what it was like, I think, randomly singing yeah.
No oh.
She said that if it was a guitar she would have felt differently. And I guess maybe like that's the piano girl in me that I'm like, give me some Taylor Hanson on the piano, and well, yeah.
You know, I would have loved it. I feel like when men can like play the piano and stuff, it's like the most attractive. Yeah, I think I would be spooning.
But it wasn't a song.
It was a song. I thought it was a great song that spot du do dude, yeah, do dude. They put in all the pre and it got stuck in my head. Well, it was no party girl.
But party girls just want to live the lyric of a lifetime.
Yeah, you guys, I didn't listen to party girl.
You don't go to my instagram?
Is it good?
It's a nights like this don't come around too often. She want to party and a key get in, locked in and.
Then party girls. They all want to live.
Which do you think that he really wants to pursue a music career?
Well, why else would he release it in January twenty twenty five.
I know, I'm surprised I let him do that. I'm really surprised. Same.
And to answer your question, I mean, like what happened to the days of when someone was aspiring musician? They were there for the wrong reasons. Now our own bachelor is allowed to release a single the month that your own season comes out, Like Jed Wyatt is like cringing somewhere.
I don't think.
I don't think it's like really fair and granted, like you could, granted you could be a guy that like wants to pursue music. I think the timing is weird. It's not like your Spotify list was all these past singles that you've tried in the past. You've always been into music, you've been trying to make it big, and it just so happens you're the Bachelor. It was January twenty five, twenty twenty five, that your first single comes out.
No One is Suspicious. Yeah, it's weird. It's hilarious to see the difference with Jed and him. Well, Jed had Yeah problem wasn't the music?
Okay, going back to the Jed thing. That was kind of my point is like, did we like Jed's music? No, not really, but we all knew it was something he wanted to pursue. And the real reason why people were so unhappy with Jed was because of the going on the show with a girlfriend kind of cheating thing. Less so about the music.
Yeah, but that got the music got cringy at a certain point.
Oh for sure. I mean it was like, what was he played dog jingles? Food jingles? Yeah? Yeah, dog food jingles?
Okay, Ashley on your season though, Britt got harassed because she had an acting background and everyone's like, oh, you're just here to be an actress and look at her.
She couldn't be further from the limeline. It's the least like she wants nothing to do with.
Fame, and everyone was like you you were an actress, obviously that you're here for the wrong reasons. So I just feel like we're changing the way we view things here.
But the musicians not also want love. My opinion is both these can be true. He can be pursuing his music career because it's a great opportunities on national television, but also won a long term girlfriend.
Yes, I agree, Yeah, you're totally the timing of it. Musicians can have love. I think the timing is a little weird. I also think ABC had to have been either behind it or approved of it.
Because they well, they definitely approved of it. I think that they were just I just think that they're making the strangest decisions and that that's all I have.
And then he's sang multiple times though too, not just with Alex.
Then the other date, the date it was like two dates in a row, he was singing, and that's when all paired together kind and then he.
Wrapped on the plane with Carolina. I think there was a lot of performance. I don't mind. Yeah, I'm like, the whole wrong reasons police thing.
I'm not down for that because, like, I think you could be there for multiple reasons, and I would consider myself there for multiple reasons. But I think as long as you actually want to fall in love and get married one day and one day in the near future, you're all good to be there. Anyway, what do we think about fantasy suits next week? Did you hear that he's celibate? What?
No, I did not hear.
Reality told me that he's been celibate since his last girlfriend, so he's going on a year, so he's going to the fantasy suites like this, So maybe Latia is not going to have to have some awkward moment where she's like, hey, by the way, like obviously a Mormon. I know that is.
Grant, also DM ing him telling him about his personal.
List, said it somewhere. I hope it's brought up next week and may and may not. I don't know.
Yeah, why wouldn't they bring it up in the show?
Oh?
I don't know.
It seems like the perfect tease. Oh look, we're getting a People article. Oh yeah, People dot come is saying the fantasy suite's a year after being celibate.
Wait, so that that would mean he's a born again virgin, right.
Well, I don't know. It's importing.
Does he celeb it by choice or by just a circumbidance that he hasn't happened to be with someone serious enough to hook up with them.
He could just walk it anywhere. He could be in the grocery store and be like, hey, you know, definitely definitely got to be by choice.
Isn't that also like a dry spell? Like so he's not trying to not have sex?
No, no, okay, So fantasy suites is really tricky, but I think I handled myself very well. There was a lot of kisses, but I do feel like in fantasy suits I really reserve myself because when you get physically physical intimacy involved, that changes things you're connection with somebody. There could be some red flags there and then then you guys have sex and then everything's wonderful. So I try to handle myself really well, and I tried to be really responsible. But he said on the viol Files that files, yeah, I know. I don'tly know why, I said one of my best friends saying that word. He did say on the viol Files that yeah, he's been celibate for a year, went in with real intentions. He said he got out of a seven year relationship and he was hurting, and that he just just seems like he didn't want to he didn't want to get into the bed.
Okay, So this wasn't like a lifestyle change.
And no, it wasn't like he was going to be like a Sean Lowe and like, yeah, it would be a born again virgin where you're like, yeah, okay, I'm not going to have sex until like marriage. No, this is more of like I'm waiting for the responsible and right moment. M hmm.
Okay, is that in the fantasy Suite?
Is that in the fantasy Suite? It sounds as if no, just listening to his quotes here, right.
Well, bummer, I was looking for I was kind of looking forward to like a Maddie Prue Peter Webber situation where she gives.
Him the ultimatum and he doesn't know what to do. I feel like that. I mean, he says in.
The preview, look forward to my demise or stay tuned for my demise.
Oh yeah, I think I know what that is. Oh what, let's just say we have intel where you cannot release any sources. It may not be true. There might be a coin, there might not be a coin. There might be a coin that's never aired or whatever. If there was a coin flip, let's just say.
There's a coin flip. That's what I'm taking from this, I know, but I don't know.
Okay, sure, but if there was, is this even something that they would air because it would villainize him like no other I believe No.
They would not air that. But that's crazy. If that actually.
Happened, I wouldn't they air it? It would villainize him, but would make for great television. Well, since when do they care about protecting their leads and not villainizing them. I feel like, true, they've had some Bachelor like the way they treated Clayton. I'm like, I don't know. They like to make a villain out of a lead.
I feel could you imagine being a woman and realizing that you got proposed to because of a flip of a coin?
No, And which is why I think there's a chance that granted single.
Okay, because after the fact she would find out that she was chosen with the flip of a coin.
Yeah, or realizing that it was so like frivolous one or the other. Yeah, that he wasn't as sure as maybe he was saying.
Do you think if you're that torn, that perhaps neither person is your person.
Yes, correct, I do think so. Maybe it's a crazy concept to go on a reality TV show and in six weeks get engaged to someone you barely know.
Yeah, I feel like Tenley said not to be so oj But like Tenley said that to Jake because he's like, oh, it was a really close call between you and Vienna, and she's like, well, I'm glad that I'm not Vienna then, because if it was that close, I don't want to be the girl that you chose.
And it's like accurate.
Yeah, And just to know, the whole poll this whole season was he doesn't know which one he's going to pick between the two girls, Like there is one girl he does pick, though, and how do you think she.
Feels exactly, which is why we have to predict that if he's with the girl, it's not a solid relationship right now. And even if there's no dramatic way in which she chooses the girl, it definitely seemed as if there's some reason that the audience isn't going to love him at the end.
There's like no way they will show him flipping a coin. That is maybe a mockery.
Maybe I know, I know. Maybe I'm just coming up with that at the top of my head.
Boy, that it's like classic. The promo is trying to trick us and make us think something is more dramatic, Like how many times has Jesse Palmer said to me, this is the most dramatic ending ever and guess what it wasn't Like. I sometimes get really skeptical about what they show us in the promo, what they tease. Maybe it's nothing, is that possible?
Or this is behind the scenes te He's not flipping a coin in the promo.
You would think if it was a coin thing, that they would like have this dramatic moment in which like a coin hits a hand or like a coin hits the floor.
And they're like, why is he flipping the coin?
And then like in real and normal bachelor seasons, it would be like part of a group date and then you'd be like, oh my yeah, that coin flip is part of a group date. They had to decide who went first.
I know exactly that like trickery that I'm always looking out for.
Who knows, we'll see I guess I want to end this by asking you guys, who your prediction is that, Well, okay, let's pretend it's not a coin flip. Who do you think that he actually has a stronger connection with And will Letia's Mormon faith play a role in his selection, because to me, she's the front runner, She's the greatest connection he has. But perhaps it's all too intense for him when it comes down to it.
That's actually kind of exactly how I feel. I think he's going to pick Juliana. I agree that Lytia is an incredibly strong connection as well, but I do think like the back ground of Lytia and going into her Mormon faith and just the fact that she seems so ready to want to like have a family immediately, and I think Juliana is maybe a little bit more in the phase of life that grantson where she would like to have a really long engagement or date long term, Like Juliana just seems like the better fit for right now.
Yeah, the age difference between Juliana and Lytia makes a difference too, because you know, Lytia is thirty one, she's Mormon, she's ready to do this, and Juliana will give him a little bit more.
Eas But maybe that's the right choice for him because he has a new song out called party Girl, and maybe that's he wants a long term girlfriend that he can go to the club with.
Right, so he would pick Julia's not go into the club with Latia. Latti is not going to go to the clo.
No, no, I'm saying Juliana. I'm saying, like I do.
I agree Latia is probably that I would choose Lytia and I want to date Lya, But like I think he'll choose Juliana and maybe that will be the better fit long term because of what he really is looking for right now, and then he can then pursue Latia later when he wants marriage.
What's the coin? And he's like, all right, Juliana for now, I'll get serious with Latina in three years.
It's perfect. All right. Well, ladies, this was really fun. Please come back again and we can have some more fun speculating about coin tosses in the future of the franchise. Until then, though, I've been Ashley, I've been Stephanie, I've been Jackie. Thanks forgetting it, guys, We'll see you next time.
Bye bye, follow the Ben and Ashley I almost famous podcast on iHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
