Brian: From Corvettes to Feathers!

Hey, everyone, welcome back to bet your Happy Hour. I'm Joe and I'm Serena and we are here today with our guest Brian. Brian, welcome to the podcast.

How are you good Will?

Thank you good good. We're this first time we're having you. So you were on GEN season. You kind of went home like the middle of the package, maybe a little at the beginning, right early early.

Yeah.

Were you shocked to get the call for Paradise?

I was surprised. I was.

It was debating on doing it, like I do, I want to do it, didn't really expect the call to be honest, and I was excited to get it.

Let's do it.

I feel like you were most notable on GEN season for your Night one tension with Jeremy over the car situation.

Do you want to break that down a little bit for.

Yeah, Listen, I didn't know we had these kind of resources. When I first came out of a limo, I had two syringes because I'm in medical aesthetics. Also on a restaurant, but I'm in medical aesthetics, and I had shots in syringes and we're doing these shots and the things that I brought with me, and then I see Jeremy pull up in like a sports car.

Yeah, we got resources like this.

Yeah, And I'm like, I'm taking that car. And I'm like I'm joking around, and all the guys in the house like you should do it, Like you should do it. Yeah, take a car, and everybody's everybody in the house is on board with it.

And as the night's going on, there's like no time.

To talk to jan Thirty two guys eighteen of them may have spoken to her.

I'm like, where's my opportunity. That's the opportunity.

So I go ahead and and you know, is that the best first impression. I would look back and say no. It was an iconic moment. I would look back and say.

Yes, okay, okay, okay. And you you you mentioned you own a restaurant. What a restaurant is that?

Yeah, it's the Whales Tail.

We actually just opened up in the Hampton's on Long Island, very exciting. I literally left Paradise. We opened the doors three days later. I was like in the middle of the build out. During the filming of Paradise, it was Hampton Bays, so it's it's like literally a minute from the beach. Punk Wuad Beach. It's a good spot Tacos, Margarita's and.

You is there? Is this the second one of these restaurants. Do you have another one in Florida?

We have one in Northport actually Northport, Long Island, Huntington area, north Shore.

This is our first one on the south Shore.

We always wanted to break like the out East area, get into the out East area.

Was it gonna be? Man talk? Was it gonna be?

East Hampton Hampton Bays is like kind of buzzing now, like it's it's gonna become like the next like East hamp the kind of thing like got in I think early. It's an area that's being very well built up. It was a great opportunity to do it. Did it with my brother in law. It has been great.

It's a lot of work. I'm exhausted, but.

Yeah, I was gonna say that's that's an interesting jump from medical sales to restaurants. Where have you been in like the restaurant industry at all before opening one?

So yeah, since I was nineteen years old, I started the first restaurant with my brother in law. We opened the doors together, like I was like the dishwasher, the fry guy, the painter, the exit out of the way to the bartender. And then I ended up actually running his business for four or five years straight out of college, so I knew the business in and out, okay, And that was his first phone call in terms of han, I need a partner.

Are you interested?

And I'm still doing medical aesthetics today, like I'm in Florida today and still in medical aesthetics sales as well.

So it's a lot to juggle him, but it's worth it.

Is that where you live Florida?

Yeah, don't right, Okay, cool?

Cool, all right, let's get into uh, let's get into the show a little bit. So you're on this new show, Bachelor in Paradise. It's different than anything they've ever done before. Were you Did you ever watch Paradise prior.

I did when I received the phone call. Yeah, me and my brother had some late nights watching the last two episodes.

Andrew was like my favorite character. That's why it was like crazy when he showed up. I was like, listen, I'm.

Like like a fan of you, like I feel it's like it's weird to see you and like a really like a person because I'm like a fan of like your character of like who you are on the show.

So yeah, it was awesome.

Yeah, it was just me and my mother would just watch all the seasons back to back to back because like what are you gonna wear?

So you know a little strategy behind it.

That's a good move.

We always say, like people that are like, oh, I watched like one episode and then I went on it's stressed?

Is me out for them? You know, like you should have something, you should have prepare.

You should have somewhat of a plan or a reason to go.

Just an understanding of what you're walking.

Yeah.

Yeah, you don't need it, but it helps.

And I think that was my problem on Gen season was I walked in completely blind. I don't get me wrong, but I walked in pretty blind because like talking to the other guys like, oh, this is what's gonna happen next, this is what's gonna.

Happen next, like talking in our rooms.

Okay, so you get you get down there and you kind of like hit it off with Zoe. You want to just like kind of give us a little breakdown of that relationship and.

And how was your day one?

And finding kind of that connection because you were other than Kyle. I would say, you were one of the guys that was less known probably to some of the way men because you did go home so early on Jen season.

Yes, so there's a lot to unpack there.

So I didn't speak to any of the guys when I got the phone call, so I wanted it to be a surprise. And we had Jonathan, Ricky, Jeremy Spencer all day one people, myself being one of them as well, So I was nervous going into it one because I'm like, I hope they don't the girls don't know me for the guy that's still Jeremy's car, Like, yeah, I hope they don't remember me for that person. So our little

Everyone's getting to know each other. No one knows me as the guy that took car from Genes. Okay, I'm in the clear here.

And then all the guys are like, yeah, no, he was on the show with us, so they're like, okay, he's valid, he's good. So I'm like okay, now I'm comfortable and we're just having conversations.

And Zoe stands out.

As like someone who starts like pressing me in a good way, like asking me like tough questions and like argumentative.

That's like the way it started off, Like the first half the day.

Yeascha, were you worried about any potential tension between you and Jeremy at all?

Yes and no, and I have gotten past it, you know, i'd like to think so I later find out that we did, But I don't know what kind of resentment he may hold from it, you know what I mean. Like it's not really the best look for him, not really the best look for me.

But it was a funny I.

Mean, but like like like overall, out of all the like beefs and and things that have happened on this show, this is very minuscule.

I just like, you know, it wasn't like this happened, and then you were on the show for five six more weeks to where you kind of like can get past it and like develop that friendship. So you never really know where people stand where he's just like made a judgment on you.

And is walking around being like that guy's a douche.

Don't talk to him, Like took the car Grant's beatboxing. Then I freestyled to Grant's beatbox about stealing the car from him, and like everyone of the room's laughing except for him, And I'm like, is there gonna be resent because yeah, we we had conversations post show and I thought we were good, and honestly, we weren't like the way, Yeah, when I came in the way he spoke to was like, I'm super surprised to see you, Like it's great to

Sokay, Yeah, well, well something's going on consations between you and Jeremy later.

A couple of weeks.

Well, yeah, we'll get into that in a little In a little bit, I would say to like kind of just like talk a little bit more about the Zoe situation. You know, Presa comes in, obviously you're not at this point, no one's going to be closed off. You go on the date with Prisa. Zoe really does not like the way you handled the situation. I guess, like, what's your take on that? Do you regret anything?

It's tough to say.

I mean, we're in the first week compared to and everyone needs to be op. Everyone's kind of on the same page as being open, except for Spencer and Jess.

They love at first sight and like that's it, yeah, and it just goes on. But everyone else like our options are open, Like it's the first week.

We have ten more weeks to you know, to go through meeting connections, meeting other people, seeing if you have a connection with someone else, have conversations with other people. And I was always open to that, and I felt as though I.

Had had the conversation, had you know, iterated that to her.

And it was like when the power shift of the rose, Like there's a very serious power shift of the rose. It's like when the girls have it, you know, the guys want the rose, and when the guys have the rose, the girls start to change up and people's mentalities start to change. It's like I woke up that morning and she was very uneasy immediately.

Like I said hi to her in the morning.

We had breakfast, but she was very tense and kind of closed off, and it was like it was it was tough to really have a conversation with her, and I was kind of like tiptoeing around her. I felt like I was walking on eggshells a little bit, and it was uncomfortable. Like I clearly look uncomfortable. And it's not because I'm trying to be like sleazy er. I have some sort of you know, alternate agenda. It's I legitially feel uncomfortable.

Yeah, And like feel as though.

And I've also heard from some other girls like how she reacts to things from Grand Season.

Yeah, how she reacts to things.

So I'm like a little nervous to be completely upfront about everything, but I am saying to her, like, let's keep our options open.

Yeah, she said she felt like you switched up that morning, But you feel that she switched up that morning in terms of where you guys are at, we're.

Talking about the morning after your date with police.

No, I'm talking about the morning after the road ceremony. I think is the morning you're referring to as well.

Yeah, there was just intense energy okay, okay that I was feeling from her, Like I mean we're sitting down eating breakfast.

I'm like eating the fruit. You could hear like the crunches of the fruit. This is nine in the morning. Like I will get to.

Like be a little enthusiastic, like, hey babe, what's going on?

Like you know what I mean?

Like it it was almost like she woke up and felt like it was over before it was over, and like that, I felt that energy and I was like, do I need to look elsewhere?

Like what is going on? And I know another way, But that's how I felt.

Was there any.

Like feeling of we should have a conversation or were you thinking of more taking like a backseat approach of our Right, Let's see how the day unfolds, let's see where this is coming from.

And at the end of the day, you now have the rows. So it's kind of like you know you do have the power. Yeah, well but he does. I mean, like like if he does.

Statement, it's it's it's a very true statement. It's the power shift is incredible, it really is. So it's true what he's saying.

It's very valid.

But I'm just kind of feeling things out and I'm yeah, let's se who else comes here, let's have conversations. But the energy immediately I'm being completely like the energy she was giving it wasn't like like I'm eating. You can put your arm around me and say like hey, good morning, and like give me a hug and a kiss too, Like not all the attention has to come from me immediately.

That's kind of like what was happening.

And it's not that I didn't feel wanted, but it's almost that like she I'm telling you, like she was came out that morning as if like it was over before it was over, and the game was literally didn't even start.

Okay, So then we see Parisa come in, you and Zoe, it sounds like on both sides you're both feeling like you're not in a good place that morning. Freeza comes in, you have a conversation with her. Definitely seems like there's kind of an immediate attraction interest.

Walk us through that.

Yeah, I mean me and Spencer and Jonathan are just throwing the football around on the beach.

It's one of my favorite things to do.

And then two girls just rip jet skis beach them and just baywatch their life jackets off and I'm.

Like, whoa Like it was it was a scene and I was like, who is this? Like I don't know, don't know who they are.

And then I didn't know who they are, you know previously from Grant season. And you know, we lock eyes and we're having good, you know, good conversation, good communication, and immediately, yes, I'm interested, Like I could.

Tell if she's Italian. I'm Italian.

There's some attraction to it, but like energy is the most important thing, So like I'm willing to just open to having a conversation, like it's not like love at first sight, but excited to like have conversations with people, Like there're still conversations I wanted to have with Alex, conversations I wanted to have with Lexi, which we can get into later as well that I may or may not have been able to have.

But that's like where my head was at at the time.

So then after you, guys, you clearly hit it off on the date with Parisa. After that date, are you at all like torn of like, oh should I should I get my roast Zoe? You know? Or you just kind of like, okay, right for the time being, I'm gonna stick with Parisa now.

The date so this is like the other thing I could say is like the date went like so.

Well, like yeah, way, yeah.

We're at We're on the date.

It's like the conversation is so organic and enthusiastic and fun and exciting, and I'm like smiling involuntarily ear to ear, And some things with Zoe felt like very forced on both ends, like Hey, you want to go for a walk on the beach.

I'm like, do you want to go for a walk? Is it a question like or do you like Let's just go for a walk. Tell me like, let's go for a walk.

And and like with Parisa things, we're just so natural organically, we're just yapping to each other without thinking about it.

Yeah, Like as soon as I saw that, I'm.

Like, Okay, there's a spark. There's a connection. Don't get me wrong. There was a spark in a connection with Zoe as well, but like this one is the flames are much higher, right, And I don't have my mind made up at all because I'm still getting to know her. I'm like, you know, if I give her a rose,

Okay, So then we jump to the next you know, you come back from your date. We see you and Freees are still kind of sharing someone on one time, you're going swimming together, and then we see a conversation between you and Zoe where she expresses her frustrations with how you handled that situation. Do you see where she's coming from? Do you have any regrets? Is there anything you want to add that maybe we didn't see.

That conversation was much longer than we showed, obviously for you know, reasons. But television can only go on for so long. This week, that season could be a year long if you wanted to watch it.

Well, that's what I tell people. A lot of people that come on, they're like, well, they didn't see everything. It's like, well, well, no shit, Like you know, you guys are filming fourteen hours a day. If we saw it all, it.

Would take a long time, actually twenty four to seven because we have the audio and cameras in our room.

So yeah, at all times. And it was a much longer conversation.

That was obviously for trade because whatever restrictions.

And there's a lot of things that I didn't like that I.

Heard and a lot of things that she was completely you know, validated and saying, but the way she approached it.

I was completely I'm like, you're completely turned off by.

Like again, she came in with like knowing the game was over before the game was over, and that's how she handled the situation. Like she attacked my character, my integrity, called me names, said a bunch of things to me. I completely bit my lip. I'm like, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna get involved with calling people names and describing people, giving you attack people's character.

I'm not gonna do that.

So she did that, and I was like, okay, Like at that point my decision was made up based on that conversation.

Yes, yeah it was.

Was she valid in a lot of things that she said, absolutely, the way she handled it, absolutely not. And after that conversation, my mind was ninety five percent made up. She does approach me later on at the Rose ceremony, does have a nice conversation with me, does apologize, and she's like, listen, I think I came on to you like really hot and really strong.

I could have approached you better, and like now.

We're at you know, it's the eleventh hour, and I'm like, well, wait a second, Like okay, She's.

Like, you know, accepting that, like maybe she didn't approach it the right way.

Now it's the rose ceremony, and I'm like thinking, do I give her another shot?

Or do I go with Parisa.

So it's weird because that day I was like pacing the entire resort, super upset about the conversation we had. And then the rose ceremony, She's starting to like convince me that like she could have handled it better the conversation, and now I'm in a toss up and it went from like ninety five percent to like sixty four.

Okay, all right, so you end up you end up choosing Parisa. We'll cut. We'll cut to this episode because you and PRIs So win the Overnight Challenge where the challenge looked like like I personally would have absolutely hated it, Like I like we watched it. I was like I would never.

This is Joe's name.

Were like having a dress, if in any costume and playing any sort of like performmance kind of game.

It's like his literal night that's my nightmare.

It looked like watching the episode, you guys did great and it came across very fun. I would imagine it also felt a little awkward, but it.

Did you guys want you guys won? Did you think you were gonna war?

More so?

I was in an outfit for about eight hours, really upset about it. Like, but when all the guys got into a room together, like we started playing playing music or listen to Future and a bunch of other songs like We'll again hyped up and everyone just leaning into it, I'm like, all right, we're gonna do this, like we're gonna do it.

Yeah, We're gonna lead into this and do it.

And then like once everybody, even like the Goldens like Keith and him like had some crazy outfits on. They took it super serious and we all just leaned into it. Like that's when like all of those feelings.

Like right away, like I don't want to do this, I don't want.

To be dressed like this, I don't want to I don't want to do it, and it became like, honestly, it actually became like fun. We had a blast doing it was it was a good time, and I'm like, one, I want to have like one on one time with Briso, like away from cameras having depth conversations. And two, like all my buddies like my nicknames, like the dancer, like I'm out whatever the bars, clubs, like I'm always dancing having a good time.

So I'm like, I need to like rep the nickname. I need to win the challenge.

Okay, so you you win the challenge and we see a little bit of your overnight now again. Like like you mentioned before, I'm sure there's a lot of conversations had in that room that we don't get to see. But what we do see is kind of I would call it an argument of your You guys are kind of like She's like, what's your favorite color? And you're like, I'm not playing that game right now. Let's you're laughing,

Says in her interview like I was just trying to be playful and he snapped at me. And that is kind of how it reads watching it as a viewer. So can you provide more context?

Yeah, or maybe you don't have a favorite color?

Yeah, To be honestly, I don't like I've chosen one.

Like I really don't have a favorite color. It's like depends on the time of the year, the season, what out but I'm wearing.

Yeah, but I was in this outfit that you said you don't want to be in.

I don't want to be in neither. And I was in this alphum for like eight hours.

It's raining, I'm sweaty, I'm exhausted, it's two in the morning.

It's literally a full moon. The stars are incredible.

Yeah, we have an ocean front view, there's a pool, there's a hot tub, there's like five bedrooms, five showers, there's two kitchens, there's an elevator in the place. We're drinking champagne, and like, I just want to sit around the pool and like have like a romantic moment and like just have simple conversation and be left alone.

So I'm kind of fire you. With the camera crew in production, this is.

Exactly what you said.

Yeah, literally, like I know exactly what's happening here, Like they want them to film a chat in the pool, and Brian doesn't want to be on a TV show anymore.

I mean, really, go on the show. Go on the show long enough I mean, you go on the show many times and you'll you'll be able to pick up what's happening.

But yeah, it's and I'm always like respectful to the production crew and things like that, but I'm like, listen, it's two in the morning.

You guys want us out of here. Date six hours together.

And then so she's like, so we're having a conversation, and that's her opener. Start sitting in the pool and she's like, so, what's your favorite color?

And I was like, I'm not doing this. I was like, I'm not doing this. I'm not doing this. And then she started crying and I was like, oh my god, what did I do?

And it was a lot of you know, what I was doing preemptively with the camera crew and stuff like that that created that. She's like, yeah, I was just trying to have like a fun conversation. I'm sorry, and I'm like, I shouldn't have reacted that way. I shouldn't have.

And I was like that was it?

That was it?

Man.

I was just like I'm not doing this.

I'm not doing this, and she got upset about it, which is then I felt bad for because I don't think she would react that way.

And then immediately like I settled down, I calm down. I'm like, okay, like was that why you got upset?

Like trying to figure out like what, what where the emotions are coming from?

And we do move beyond it, like we we end up having a kid great night, like okay.

That's over with leaves like me and her talk. We're in the pool, a sick time in the hot tuble just leave it to Tad. We're drinking champagne, we have the charcoutery board, and we take full advantage of the vip VIP suite and end up having a wonderful night and can we completely get over Okay?

Interesting, it doesn't.

It doesn't look that way in the morning, and we do see Preeza say I kind of wish we didn't win the challenge because it was so difficult. Do you feel like you were on the same page in the morning about how the rest.

Of the night, what.

I think we were Okay, Okay.

There was maybe just a little bit of lingering frustrations of from that specific moment, but the rest of the night, you guys did get past.

It because I'm like, don't worry. I'm like, they're not going to use that for the show.

She's like, they're definitely gonna use that for the show, like me being just insanely naive, And.

There was some yes, literally all they used.

There's doesn't be some residual frustration resentment from that moment, but the night that.

We had was incredible.

Okay, that's great.

Okay. So the last thing we the last thing we want to touch on real quick is you and Jeremy are in the bedroom together. There's pellicles. You guys are aware that you're being filmed. Correct, we are aware.

You're aware, but you just to the extent no like qums like blowout that he had that was I love him to death, but I had to rewatch it five times because it was hilarious.

But I love him to death at his expense. But I don't think he knew he was being filmed. Okay, So going back.

To this moment, there's definitely as much as you like, this is never gonna make the cut. We do see Jeremy as like hiding from the camera, like fiddling his mic a little bit, so it couldn't work more obvious that you don't want this conversation to be on camera. I mean, you're on you're on camera. He's hiding in the corner, but we can hear what's happening.

Yeah, okay, and he basically and he says I don't want What.

Did he say?

Jeremy says, I don't want to win this competition with Bailey.

And I miss Susan and I miss Susie.

And essentially like I wish i'd given Susie the rose, and if she came back tomorrow, I would I would give her my rose over Bailey. We hear you talk a little bit about how like Parisa wants you guys to win the competition and like that, you know, you want to have that time together. So it's kind of like this polarizing conversation of you know, you and Prisa really wanting to win this challenge and Jeremy essentially exposing like I don't want that private time with Bailey.

Which which I will say not to sorry to cut you off. Was strange to me because it does seem like watching the show that Jeremy is into Bailey.

Yes, as a viewer, it's shocking because they present as such a strong coup ballot.

Yeah yeah, but they seem like they're into.

Each other totally, and I think they are, but it sounds like he is not as into her as we thought.

So it wasn't that surprising because when Justin tries to.

Give the rose to Susie and Justin walks off, it's I'm like next to Dale, Jeremy's like one person away from me, and.

He literally turns over and he's like f and I'm like what it is?

Like, I thought Justin was gonna give it to Susie and Susie was going to accept the rose, and I'd still have options open to talk to both of them.

And I was like, oh yeah, we wondered that when that played out. We were saying, I wonder if Jeremy would have made a different decision had he known that Susie wasn't gonna excit Justice rest.

You can see his facial expression.

He's not shocked that Justin left and Susie didn't accept the rosies more shocked, like oh she's got yeah, And I don't know how deep it is until we're in the room together, you know, trying to win this challenge and he opens up about it like deeply me Dale Jeremy, and he's like, dude, like I as soon as I get out of here, like I'm dming Susie Like he's like he's like, bro, he's.

Like getting getting like so emotional.

He's like I would propose to her like on a spot right now. I'm just like damn man, like really it's like that. So I don't know what to think of it. And I'm just you know, I just listening, you know, and I'm not judging because I'm like listen, like I get it, like you.

Guys have only been there for a short amount of time.

This might be week three and like we're still exploring connections. She was a later rival. It's like I'm not here to judge about it, Like I understand, I get it, like explorable. They're both great people and Bailey's an amazing person. Susie is an amazing person. Like you know, he went on a great date with her as well, and I could see him cheesing ear to ear and he was like, that was this has been.

My best day of Paradise I've ever had, like so far, and like he meant that you could see him.

So I think he was really struggling with like did I make the wrong decision? And I think the words were a little strong, saying like I don't.

Even want to win this challenge.

But maybe he was just dealing with an internal emotion at the time, like I think I made the wrong decision and.

Struggling with that.

Okay.

Do you think Bailey was aware at this time of how much he was struggling with Susie leaving.

I don't think anyone was, aside from Dale and I at all.

Okay, So this wasn't like an open dialogue that him and Bailey were having. This was like something he was dealing with internally and confiding in you guys privately.

One percent.

Yeah, So you know, the episode ends, it seems like you and Freezer in a good place. We don't know what's going to happen with Jeremy and Bailey, but what we do see in the teaser is that the format of Paradise is going to be changing in the upcoming episodes, and there is half a million dollars at play. Without giving too much away because obviously we haven't seen it yet, can you kind of tease what this does for your relationship and the rest of paradise.

You can start with the relationship. Prees and I go through a lot of hives and a lot of lows, but it continues to build us, but a lot of highs and a lot of lows which.

Bring us together in an interesting way.

And the money situation becomes interesting because people begin to act very differently when money becomes into the situation.

That's how it usually works. Nice.

Well, Brian, it was great meeting you. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day and hopping on this podcast. All right, cool, Thanks yep, And to all our listeners, thank you for tuning in to Better Happy Hour. Make sure you download and subscribe to the podcast.

We have new and exclusive interviews every single week. Thanks so much for listening. Bye.