This is that Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast Bachelor Countdown. We're here with another episode of the Almost Famous podcast. We are continuing our countdown to Grant season, which is airing January twenty seventh, and to countdown to this season, we are interviewing some past leads, some of the leads that you love the most, past bachelors from
way back when to more recently and today. We have a fan favorite, somebody who is beloved by both myself and Ashley, and the Almost Famous listener is somebody that's always a great interview, Chris Sols. Welcome to the podcast.
Thank you guys for having me. I'm just sitting here with my goosebump sharing your lovely voice. Ben. You are such a sweetheart and such nice things, so thank you for having me.
We gets so excited to have you on because it's so much fun and so giggly. I don't know why it's so giggly. I mean, maybe it's just because you know, ten years ago, like you and I I sat on your lap on a tractor.
Really good, right, yes?
Oh yeah, okay, So we talked to you a couple of months ago about Whitney and that whole thing. We did a lot of the behind the scenes of your dates and your choice. Your choice, Okay, your final, your final decision, So we won't talk about that so much. Guys, if you do want to hear that you missed out on it, go back. I think it was like October or something.
Yeah, I love this question. By the way, Christy prepped for this question that asked was about to ask you. I want you to take it serious though, I really need.
If you need to like just be silent for a few minutes, totally fine, that's great, suspenseful sence, silence. And I don't expect to like move up in my ranks. But the question to you is if you had to re rank your season and reorder re order the girls, not the whole season, but like, let's think about your like top eight just so randomly, where do people lie? We can start with number one? Who would be your number one?
Give me number one?
Yeah, and let's be let's be really honest about this one.
It's not me, you know, it's so hard to look back at that. It's a very tough question because it's you know, and now it's the whole thing is with such an incredible experience just in general, and almost seems surreal looking back because you guys were also freaking great. That's really true, and you've all gone on to do things that you know we're meant to be for yourselves after the show and just you know, I don't know, I don't know.
That they can silence. Don't worry you. You have all the silence.
We're recording me thinking pondering here.
It's a little bit of a tough question, Ashley, honestly to ask the top because if you asked me my top eight, I wouldn't remember.
Okay, Okay, fine, okay, So if your top four, if you to redo your top four in orders and you could put me in the top four, would I would believe that at this point, being that you know me top four.
In coolness or top four in depth.
Of ability, and it's okay if I'm not in there, it's fine, you could it because no, no, no, all right, I'm going to lay this out easily for you. Okay. So we had a Whitney, Becca, then we had Caitlin, and then Jade. Those are your top four? Would you reorder any of your top four? It's okay, We'll give you the answer number one, you would have wanted to pick Becca.
You know what would that have been right for either of us?
You know, well you wouldn't have ended up together.
No, if the outcome was just completely like knowing that it probably wasn't going to work anyway, you know, if you know, because my feelings were intense and like I really was trying to make the pragmatic decision, you know, and trying to really find somebody that I thought it could work with. It's not just like, of course, I mean there was a top eight that could have worked with or there was a chance, So I was super pragmatic towards the end, like I'm really serious about who
I'm picking. It's not just like I could see myself being with a lot of the top eight actually, you know, And but my unique position being on the farm, like was put a different type of spin on everything. So it was it was there a chance that was gonna work with that with the top four. You know, I could go right down the list and tell you the specifics why I thought maybe it may not work with just because of my you know, the farming thing. But
would I really truly reorder anything? I mean actually just as a person. You know, of course you'd be in the top four. You know, did I think that? It was like there was a future for you in Arlington? And me I just felt, you know, I had to be realistic there. You know, Caitlin was spectacular, Jade, I probably would, it.
Makes sense, made pragmatically.
In every way she was she was. It was just too many I had. I had too many great people. You did, I did.
So you had an amazing season of the cast. I mean we could go down like with the Carles and like we can keep going and name so many people who have shown to be incredible humans outside of the show but also on the show, caused for incredible experiences, actually being one of those to prove both ways great on the show and great off the show.
Oh thanks, guys. Okay, we don't have to butter me up anymore, but I do.
She just needed it, Chris, I'm waiting for that for ten years.
I know that, I know, I know about how much Chris loves me.
Okay, so you were clearly.
A top four. Actually, we just knew you weren't cut out for the farm. We just.
No, no, Chris didn't get to know my personality well until after the show at all we did. I really don't feel like I knew you at all leaving the show, but have gotten to know you so well over ten years, and very glad that we could be friends. I want to know one thing about Kelsey, because I get asked about Kelsey mostly via Instagram, Like whatever I post like a throwback of our of our season, people are like, was Kelsey as crazy as she seems? And I always
say she was more crazy? So what's your take your memories of Kelsey?
I mean, it's hard to know because I was I knew her, you know, I knew all of you less than you guys knew each other. You know, I had what you see from my you know you know this Ashley, and then obviously no firsthand that just that amount of
interaction I was able to have. I took a lot of my hints from you guys getting to know you know a lot of cases between between talking to you guys somewhat off camera and we're on camera at some point about at Kelsey and but you know when I showed up to the row ceremony and and the panic attack and then you know, the kiss saying and that when she tried to you know, there were some things that just were some real red flags. So I didn't
necessarily see that. I have a strong feeling of genuineness, I would say, crazy, I don't know, because I just didn't know her that well, be honest, but I just didn't A lot of things didn't add up, and so I was just kind of in this position of like, oh, way too many questions marks here. So and you guys saw probably that, and you saw much more of her than I did. So I was just feeling like this was a little bit of a just felt a little uncertain.
To be honest, she didn't show you much, right, it was, she surely didn't.
There was a big facade there. I felt that she had had between what she was in front of me and what she was in front of you guys.
All right, Ben, do your serious stuff. Now he's laughing at me.
I'm laughing at Ashley because this, uh is stuff that she she would just love to sit down for like four hours and and just be like, all right, Chris, what was happening here with you?
Ashley? I would that's on my bucket list.
Oh my god, special series. It would be to be wild, Chris. I do want to get into some current life stuff. Start. We always ask you, and today I have a different approach as a friend, and again, somebody that loves you and thinks so highly of you, but I have a different approach. So I'm gonna start with this question dating now for you, Chris Souls. We are breaking down the Bachelor. We're talking about relationships. Obviously a question always comes up,
is Chris single or not? And I would love to get an answer to it.
Yeah, yeah, I'm still single. I haven't really been dating too seriously, but you know, yeah, still single, still working on no Marono for a little bit here, and yeah, still wanting to day, still wanting to find love and all of those things. So but yeah, kind of in that season of my life, where been through a lot of stuff, you know, so just trying to get myself in a good position to just to still find somebody.
You're working on yourself right now, which is always an incredible thing to do, especially when it comes from a genuine place. If there's one thing I know about you, there's an immense amount of genuineness and authenticity too. When you say something like that, what does it mean for you right now to be working on yourself.
Yeah, you know, just trying to you know, improve my my health first of all, you know, just sort of uh getting back to a discipline on getting to the gym, doing cold punches and things like that. You know, that's a popular thing these days and sana things like that. Just uh and just really my parents have have have you know fully retired, and I've taken over their portion
of the business and bought them out. So I've moved on with some things professionally there that have been been huge for me, just time commitments, and you know, it didn't health wise. Just uh. I I actually quit drinking in August and and plan to continue to do so for for the foreseeable future, which is a big deal for me. And so I've kind of been uh embracing that and uh, you know, hopefully that'll make make a lot of things better in my life.
So I have so many questions for you, uh one and and I just I feel like I want to spit them all out at you right now, but I'm going to slow myself down. Uh. We'll start with I guess the choice to not drink, obviously is dry January. Everybody's a lot of people, I guess are like doing it this month. What have you seen the benefits be in your own personal life since you've been sober since August that maybe we're expected or unexpected.
I think, I mean obviously just that the level of self made anxiety and stress. You know, internally, I deal with a lot of stuff to begin with, just with work and having as being an entrepreneur and agriculture. I mean, that's just it's something I embrace. But also alcohol does not make it easier, makes it tougher. So mentally I'm just much more clear headed. And it's pretty astounding. I think it's the longest I've went without drinking since I was a kid, a little kid, which is scary to me.
But yeah, just I mean mentally the clear that that, uh that you get from that, and and starting to work on other things that you know, just meditation and things like that to start to you know, it's you're getting to be an old man now, I get the next you know, four years of my life ahead of me, so trying to really hopefully embrace that and and uh uh, you know, it allows me to be a better person to the people that I love, you know, and more more there, you know, more present, which is huge, you
know with my family and and friends and and starting to you know, start to uh uncloud my my whole well being and and uh you know, then being able to focus on you know, if you like going to the gym instead of you know, kind of being a struggle and just recovering every every so often from you know, all calls is not really healthy for you. The more you learn about it is it's not good for you. And it's just a way of life for me for
so long. So it's to start to change that is Ah, it's a huge you know, it's a sense of like
acomplishment too. To be able to to do that gives you a strong sense of uh, I don't know, just feeling of you know, I don't know, it makes you anytime you accomplish something like that, that's not it's it's just very tough that it makes you better at everything, you know, makes you want to go out and do more, and whether it's building better relationships with friends and family, or or do better in work in my career in agriculture, and and just makes every life a little bit better.
So I'd recommend it to anyone.
Yeah, something to be proud of something that you should be extremely proud of. I mean not, you know, I'm not sitting here being like, hey, everybody needs to go sober. But the people that I do know who have made that decision and done it, you know, since August, Goodness, what an accomplishment I have met. No, I haven't met one person that's like, I regret that decision to go so, you know, to stop drinking. I'n't met one person yet. And I know many right now that have done that
for you know, a multiple array of reasons. Chris, Uh, just congrats man. Uh, there's very I want to say this to you because you and I spoke on the show, on a show or personally, and maybe I'm sharing too much, and and growing up in Indiana myself being an ag drinking just becomes more of like a cultural thing, right You're you're just doing it throughout the day. It doesn't really mean a cocktail at night by the fire. It's like, no, this is just what we do in the Midwest. It's
it's what it's our world is. We we drink and we do what we have to do. I want to say it's incredibly courageous. It also just proves to me once again, how strong you are personally to be able to stop in the midst of what is a very normal thing, I'm sure in your area of the country.
Yeah, well, thank you, Ben as always kind of words always, but no, it is the hardest thing I've ever done, I think. And yeah, I mean there's it's a NonStop It's cultural. I mean, it's really a deep cultural thing in the Midwest, especially in a your culture. I mean I can remember I was I drank long before I could drive, you know, before I had a license or you know, beer was a very, very much staple and it was just a common and there was not much to do, you know, in the in the country. And
it stress is huge. Mental health is is a I watch a lot of friends. I've had friends my age commit suicide. Very you know, I know many friends at farm and have committed suicide. I know they had problems with drinking. And you know, you know, in the middle of winter, like it is right now zero degrees out right now, fairly above zero, and you're living with stress.
I mean, people are going through a lot of financial straits right now with with agriculture being very tough, and uh, this is like you know, depression city in a lot of ways, and and the only way to a lot of people cope is alcohol. And it's a cheap form of of of stress relief. And so it's it's something that I've seen a lot of people struggle with. You know, I have myself obviously and not obviously, but I have,
you know. And and so it's it's something that exists in a big way, and it doesn't get it's not something that a lot of people know about. We're kind of still in the flyover states. So and you get it too, man. But yeah, So it's it's uh, kind of just made my mind up. It's like enough is enough, and hopefully I can it can help people out there that they are seeking to do the same.
I don't know, if you want to share. It's very obvious to us when we got on here. You've lost a lot of weight. Dude, I mean, you look good. I know.
I'm sorry. The way that I was like, why are you so skinny? It's like the most ashly way of saying it. Do you look great?
It's very empathetic, like it comes from the most beautiful place in Ashley's heart. Is like, Chris, you're skinny. Something's happening. It's like in my Italian grandma exactly.
That's where I come from a Jewish Italian family. So it's like, I'm sorry if I have no filter. Yeah, but Chris, how much weight have you lost?
I mean I don't really know it probably at least ten goodness? Yeah yeah, oh yeah, I mean my average. I don't weigh myself very often, but I could tell I'm as skinny as I've been since Hize school.
So yeah, you're looking good man, you look great.
I'll keep working on I just you know, can't eat enough. I've been really you know, yoga, I've been really getting into yoga, Ben, Yeah, you should. I'd like to.
I do it every morning, do you really?
Yeah?
It's like, well for four days a week. I guess I shouldn't say every morning, four days a week.
I like it.
I can touch my toes. You should see it. It's pretty awesome.
It's like amazing. Wow.
You guys want to like give like a lifestyle, uh, like class to Jared or something. He wants to get into this wellness? Uh do you mind? Chris? If we ask what was there a certain thing that inspired you to go sober? Over the summer or was it just like a general thing that you were thinking of for a while.
You know, I don't think I can put a finger on anything. I just it's a great question. I think that I have a lot of responsibility in life and in general, I've you know, it's just getting to a point where the hangovers aren't getting any easier. It became more of not necessarily doing it as much for fun as much as your doing it is something to cover
up just stress in general. And I felt like I'm at a point in my life where still single and still want to I want a family, and I still have a farming business that I care about tremendously and want to see see it through to uh, you know, to build on and and there's just nothing good that was coming from me from drinking, and so I feel like it uh And from a health perspective, I wanted to wanted to be the best that I can be, and and as I get older, that's getting harder, you know,
So continuing to poison myself, you know, wasn't helping that process. Figure. You know, this is time to its Alcohol has not always worked for me, you know, So.
Have you got on a sober date.
Yet that's the one thing I have not done. I have not done that yet. I've done a lot of things like, yeah, being around friends that have I've you know, all my friends like to drink a ton, you know, it's you know, So that's that I have not gone on this over date yet.
Offacially, the UH I wrote about the book. It was the first time I really like it came out publicly, but I had a you know, opioid addiction. Didn't really realize it was until maybe post and it was. It was a numbing practice for me. I realized how much I was numbing things. Right, you get off of it, you get some clarity of mind, and you're like, how did I live life for so long numbing all these things or getting more anxious about things. Maybe that I now with a clear head, don't have to be as
anxious about I can process them, work through them. So that's why, you know, when we talk about this, Chris, I'm like, it's it's never a bad decision. As soon as the light bulb goes off. Some will never choose to make the decision to correct course. But as soon as that light bulb goes off and you're like this might be something I want to stop. It's incredibly courageous to stop, and and I just think it should be
celebrated well. In our closing moments with you here, because we only have a few we've talked about the reordering of picks actually made the top four. We didn't get any other clarity on that, but that was a big deal. That was a huge deal for Ashley. She cannot wait you to tell you too. It's okay, you would have been there. She's going to run down stairs and say, I can just see it now, Jared, guess what, Crystal me. Yeah. Chris,
we've talked about your career. We've talked about all these things, and what are you looking forward to now in this new kind of season of life as you take over the business, as you're still in Iowa. Obviously you said romance is something you still desire. But my what I was going to do on the show is tell you, like, hey, if that's really something you desire, like you got to go do it. Man, Like this this excuse of where you live maybe, uh, is only going to work for
so long. So what does life look like moving forward?
You know?
Uh, that's a good question. I mean I think the same things, just sort of getting back to, you know, focusing on on my my career and and you know, I think that person's out there, you know. I think when I'm at my best, that's when I'll find that person, right, so, you know, making sure my side of the streets clean, so somebody that when I do find somebody that I'm ready with an open heart and and proud of myself, you know, being able to to be that person that
they are looking for. So I just that is, you know, I'm I'm yeah, I feel like farming and and just doing what I'm passionate, passionate about there it's here, and I was still feeds my soul. So now just finding a partner to go along with it. And and yeah, I don't know that hopefully the future has got a lot of surprises in it for me. But farming is
pretty much where it's going to be. And but but yeah, going after, like you said, being a little more proactive, I think here in the next few years to sort of get something done. Ben.
Yeah, so we still have to find a girl that'll move to Iowa for you. So if we want to do any setups, that's still number one right.
It's always been you know, you know, yeah, but it's uh, I mean I think that that Iowa and in another place are super achievable. You know, having having a balance there is very much real.
So we have to look for some girls in Des Moines.
I mean, trust me, as soon as Chris starts looking, it's not gonna take long. The guy's gorgeous, he's kind, he's considerate, he has his own business.
Like No, nobody's worried for you.
No, it's just a it's like a thing of like, well, what are you going to start? Man, it's zero degrees outside, I don't know. Go out there and find somebody to struggle with. It helps keep you warm. Chris, it's always a pleasure. Thanks for coming on. Thanks for joining us on the countdown to The Bachelor. Are you watching the show at all anymore?
I will tune in. I'm not like an avid watcher. I just need to get better at that.
Yeah. Well, a grand season will be premiering January twenty seventh. If you want to catch.
It good, maybe I'll try to tune in for this one.
Yeah, it'll be worth it this season. Until next time, I've been ben Bye.
Guys, I've Been Ashley. Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast on iHeartRadio, or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.