This is the most traumatic podcast ever and iHeartRadio podcast. Chris Harrison and Lauren Zema coming to you from the home office in Austin, Texas. But last week it was coming from the office our new office up at Merritt Street Media that made some news and was newsworthy, and so we dropped the news that Laura and I are getting back to work. We're going back to TV. Our new network with Doctor Phil launches April second. We talked about the fact that I'll be doing some stuff with
Doctor Phil Primetime, which launches April second. Laurd and I are going to be producing and hosting other shows as well on this network, including a morning show, a relationship show, reality show, and we got a lot of questions.
Well, first of all, I want to say a big thanks. The support from you all has just been so so wonderful. I said this on Instagram, But you know, you guys are the most important thing to us in our career. I've said this, I guess in my own head many times as I asked myself, like what do I love
about my job? And what I love about my job is if I can make people happy and make people feel good and make people joyful and laugh and to see the positivity and the support from you all with this announcement was just made.
It'll be a dale remember my whole life.
So thank you for all of your kind words, all of your support, and for congratulating and sharing us on with this new announcement.
I think one of the things I enjoy most about this business and I do love it, and this new endeavor has reminded me how much I love it. I think I was talking to an NFL coach this week. You and I were in LA and I was talking to this coach and he said, after he had been kind of kicked in the gut and knocked down, it reminded him when he came back how much that fire was burning and how excited he was and how much he really enjoyed what he was doing. And I said,
you know, I guess you're right. I have obviously been knocked down and kicked in the gut, but it made me realize how much I love this business and what I love about it. It's always been about relationships, and
that's not a play on the Bachelor and all that. Yes, that show is about relationships and love, but my job in general has always been about creating a relationship with you and fostering that relationship, and that's what made it fun and entertaining and exciting for me, as I always got to interact with you and it felt so genuine.
And I love the fact that we're going to merit Street Media where it's going to only be about this relationship with you guys, and as Lauren just said, thank you, and your excitement, your love and your passion for what we're doing and coming back really just stokes those flames even higher. So I'm excited because our relationship just going to grow that much stronger.
Sometimes this business is like a little easy to you know. When I was at entertainment tonight, it was like my dream job, right the job I wanted as a kid to be in entertainment news, and I loved it for years and then I started to like not love it, and they're you know, kind of the dream became a reality, and I learned things and saw things about the job that I, I don't know, I maybe got a little jaded about. I realized there were parts of it I
weren't what I thought it was going to be. And I never wanted to be ungrateful, but at the same time you have to look in the mirror at some point and say, wait, is the reality actually the dream? Like do I actually love what I'm doing? And I realized it was time for me to move on from there. But one thing I have never taken for granted and I have always cherished and I have always been so grateful for again is.
You guys, So thank you.
And on that note, with the Merit Street media announcement, we kind of wanted to answer your questions because I noticed I was like, some of the comments on Instagram were like, but what does this mean? Let's get into the questions. We have our producer, Emma on who has got them. Thank you Emma, and Emma, let's dive right in.
Okay, first one is from Macy and it's for Chris. Yes, Chris. Has anyone from the Bachelor franchise that you didn't expect to reach out to say congrats about the news dropping?
Nobody that I guess I didn't expect. I was pleasantly surprised at a lot of messages as far as I know, the names, the cast members and stuff that everybody's thinking of. It was you know, those probably that you saw at
our wedding, and I did. I got a lot of very personal messages, text messages that I really adored, and people were very excited and happy for us, for Lauren and I because you know, Lauren, Lauren knew a lot of these people even better than I did in sometimes some cases before me, and so they reached out to
both of us, which is great. The other thing that struck me was I heard from some producers, a lot of producers I worked with over the years that reached out personally, some I had not spoken to since I left the show. Really meant a lot to me because I felt like, you know, we did touch each other's lives.
We spent so much time together. And then some crew members and that really meant a lot to me, from lighting to sound audio, and from our camera department, from some of our photogs that reached out to me and sent me very personal messages, and again some people that I haven't heard of since I left the show. So yeah,
it didn't surprise me, but it felt really good. And I like it when there are things in people's lives like a birth or a wedding, or maybe a new endeavor like this that creates contact with people, because again, I'm a big relationship guy, and so it's nice those relationships still exist.
You got a lot of former producers saying, hey, let's work on something together. I noticed that there were a lot of people who really for similar reasons I've left the show or you know, had said some issues there being like, hey man, I love you and and there are some people I think we'd be happy to work with you.
Yeah, there's some people I've talked to over the last few years since we left that have been very open about wanting to work together again. And it just didn't I didn't have the fire and the project to get going in that. But now that I do, we've reconnected and I can tell you there will be some very familiar names, at least for my life that will join me and join us and do some of our stuff together.
So I'm excited about that because I've worked with so many talented men and women, and I want to get the band back together in a lot of ways, and so I'm looking forward to reconnecting with some of those people. What else you got, Emma?
Okay from Joe, what will you two cover on your morning news show?
Great question, I think that we want the show to be like a lot of fun. I want it to be a place where you all, like I would even say for me anyway, I want to lean into even a little more comedy like I used to do with Roses and Rose. So it won't be as news focused on Merit Street Media. There will be an hour or actually I think two hours of morning news leading into our morning show, which is going to be excellent coverage. They've hired an incredible team and pair of amazing female
anchors there for the morning news show. There will also be hours of evening news on Merritt Street Media.
So you will get that. You will get Doctor Phil.
Primetime, his new primetime show, which Chris will be on. Nancy Grace is going to be on the network. Bear Grills is going to be doing some stuff on the network. And there's more names to be announced and a lot more programming to be announced. But I feel really amazing about the team, the Merit Street Media team that's going to be together. It's a lot of people with a ton of experience. But yeah, I think the morning show
will be for me leaning comedy. We will definitely get into some relationships stuff will continue that from this podcast and anything you want to add to.
That, Babe, No, I think that you know, the idea of the new work, and I think I mentioned this in the initial podcast, is that there is this great synergy that's going to work throughout the day, and so you will, you know, we'll be talking about what's on Merritt Street, what's coming up, because there's some fascinating stuff
going on. If there's a great subject on Doctor Phil primetime, we'll kind of dip our toe into that, and if there is something, as you said, you know, we're not going to go deep into the news, but if there's something interesting in the news, you know, maybe we will bring in one of the anchors or whatever and kind of explain it better and maybe in layman's terms, and if we have kind of more general questions about what's going on in the world. But just that synergy that
I think we're going to have throughout the network. But I agree, it's going to be fun. If you're going to start your day with us, which we hope you will, we want it to be entertaining, we want it to be fun. We want you to feel connected to us. You know, Lauren and I are excitedly building our team right now. We are putting together the people that we want to work with that'll have that vibe and that energy and that creativity to put together the type of MOE show that you're going to love to be a
part of each and every day. And it won't be the same every day. Yes, it'll be kind of formulaic and that we want you to kind of understand what you're getting every day. But I think who knows what you know? We'll we'll throw at you every day.
Amy asks, well, you have to move to Dallas or get a place there.
Good question, because we live in Austin, Texas, which is where we're doing this one today, we're doing another podcast. Austin's going to be our home. That's going to be where we're gonna, you know, drop anchor. We love it down here. This place has welcomed us with open arms.
Now we don't want to leave. We love Austin.
And if you don't know, Austin is about two hours and forty five minutes from Dallas.
Yeah, and really so where this studio is is right between Dallas and Fort Worth almost If you see where DFW Airport is, that's kind of where the studio is that Doctor Phil has built. It's this, guys, It's this five acre, beautiful, state of the art facility that has sound stages, his talk show stage, has the news set. It is beautiful and so it's amazing when you all it's hard to not be energized when you walk in there because I've just never seen anything like it. So
it's a very special place to work. So it's kind of between Dallas and Fort Worth and look to get in the weeds. Maybe eventually we have to, you know, get a place up in Fort Worth or Dallas, but our kids are in Fort Worth. So honestly, this has been such a blessing.
I don't know if we could have picked a better place, especially since it is closer to Fort Worth, which is where TCU, where both our kids go to school.
Is like every time, you know.
Chris has filmed a couple of things with Doctor Phil before the announcement was made. He's been doing some shows that you will see on air. And when we've driven up for him to film this stuff, it's like we get to grab dinner with you know, your daughter Taylor. We get to go see josh as lacrosse games. So it's a two and a half hour drive. We don't mind doing it. We get to get up there, get some work done, see the kids for a couple of days. And we also have a lot of great friends in Dallas,
so we will not be moving there. We are happy to spend time there.
Okay from Kathy, does this mean that you won't record for the podcast as much?
We may have to dial it back a little bit. Yeah, I mean, but for now, the podcast continues. Obviously you're listening to it right now, but maybe it also changes a little bit depending on what we're doing and what we're covering. Which is fine because this I think this podcast and a good podcast like our Lives, will ebb and flow and change with what we're talking about and what's going on in our lives. But we are relationship people, and so you know, we'll continue to have the great
guests and talk about relationships and love. But we're also maybe going to delve into some of the things we're doing there at Merritt Street Media and will there be less Maybe maybe we have to. There's only so many hours in the day where we can pull this off. But for now, the most dramatic podcast Lives on.
From Julie, when is your morning show starting?
Great question right now we are, I will say, we are excitedly hoping to lock in an executive producer pretty soon.
We're looking at some names.
Someone who will be we need a third musketeer. Lauren and I are obviously creators executive producers, but we kind of need that third person who will be off air that can kind of help run the ship.
Yes, we were, so you know, this is launching a network, by the way, so it's a big undertaking. And if you all missed, like kind of any of the details of this or if it's confusing, Merit Street Media will be a channel. You will be able to get it as a channel. Think of it like when Doctor phils mentor Oprah launched own. So Merit Street Media will be
a new channel. As we get literally the info on like what number it is, we will send it out to you guys, because if you have direct TV, you know it'll be a channel number and we'll make sure to share that. So in launching Merritt Street Media, there's a lot of work that goes into launching a network, and they are having to you know, completely higher staff and for every hour of television.
And so it's a lot going on.
Honestly, I think Chris and I we were happy to take a bit of a back seat, like to get the network off the air.
Well. Number one, it's Doctor Phil's network. So the main two main things that we wanted to launch this network with and we I say all of us because you know, the great thing about Doctor Phil is very collaborative. I mean we're doing everything in the room together. And when you're sitting there with four or five people and Lauren and I are sitting there together, we talk all this
out and Doctor Phil's very open about this. We got the news network going the new so when you watch April second and we will be on Dish, we will be on Direct Tv, we will be on Charter, We're going to be on all the cable networks. We'll get you all the lineups and where you can find us soon and will post it on social. But you're gonna be able to watch this. There will also be a digital component, so if you're up in Canada people have asked or whatever, digitally, we're going to have a place
for you to go watch it as well. But the launch is primarily Doctor Phil Primetime he built a new studio, studio, audience, producers, direct, everybody has moved or been hired in Dallas, and so they're there the new as Lauren said, the the news department is up and running. They've been going through run throughs. We watched that the other day. So I think the great thing about this is baby steps. Doctor Phil does
not want to be drinking from a fire hydrant. The idea is, let's build things well, do it right, and then let's move on to the next. And so the long answer to this is our show probably late summer, maybe even early fall before we get going on air. But more thing's definitive.
Yeah, no, I think, I mean the morning show is probably closer to it is summer, and then you know, we have a reality relationship dating show in the works. But when I say we were just happy to take a back seat, like we just wanted to support this network getting off the ground, We're really happy to have found this home that feels so right for us with Like the basic combination is doctor Phil has the right
mentality that we wanted. He pivots like it's a startup, but he's got the experience and the backing of a very seasoned network. And then he's creative, he's innovative, he wants to think outside the box. And then that third component, it was right here in Texas. So for all these reasons, we're like, this is the place for us. So we wanted to support getting Merritt Street off the ground, and then we'll bug them about our morning show getting on the air.
And when you asked me, and I don't think I was eloquent enough in the last podcast why Merritt Street, and someone asked, why do this? It's because it checked every box, and even boxes I didn't understand that we had, you know, when people were pitching as shows, or when you and I were talking about different shows and when, when and how we would come back, nothing felt right,
nothing really lit that fire. And what I realized was nothing was big enough, nothing was broad enough that it really excited us to do something that meant a lot, and that we are not just going to host a show. We're helping build a network. We are helping kind of create a vision with Doctor Phil and in turn fulfilling our own vision and our own excitement to produce, to host, to do a lot of different things and wear a
lot of different hats. This is really a beautiful thing that I don't even know that we knew we were waiting for, and then when that opportunity presented itself. Patience is a virtue, man, did it pay off? Because this is the grand scale. I can't imagine anything bigger.
No, you know, I feel really grateful and I I honestly feel like this is only really sunk in for me. Since the announcement was made, I've been like so happy the last couple of days.
You very mum, you have.
I think I was carrying a lot of like tension, you know, nervousness about announcing it and just wanting it to go well, and and now I've kind of allowed myself to be like, wait, I'm just really like and again, thank you guys for embracing it so much. But I'm really excited and really feeling that like creative fire lit in me again for the first time in a while.
So that, really, as you're saying, is probably why it was the best fit and and to be able to do it right and the way that we want to do it, whether it works out or not, I guess is really wonderful.
Yeah, Emma.
From Suzanne, what is the format of your new dating show, a reality matchmaking show or a relationship.
Advice format, wouldn't you like to know? No, dramatic.
It is not a relationship advice show. We are we we can confirm we have in the works a reality dating.
Show, a dramatic reality dating show. Now it really it is. It is a new concept. It is something different and it's something that we have. We're excited with that that I think is actually more formulated and that cake is baked probably more than our morning show.
Definitely More's I suppose I'm saying the morning show is going to happen sooner because like a morning show is just a technically a little bit of an easier lift. It might not sound like it, but like, once we have the staff in place on a morning show, that's you know, you have one set and you have just it's just the two of us. Yeah, we're the only cast members to worry about. So it's a smaller workshop and it can you you can get that on the air quicker. The reality dating show is a more ironed
out concept. We know what we're going to do with that more. I think for you that's just home more really for both of us, probably we're both more familiar with that format. But that's a bigger lift. You got to have more staff and casting and where are you going to film it? And that's just a bigger lift to get off the ground.
From Liz, did marriage inspire you too to partner up in business?
No? That the great part, great question.
What a great question have we ever asked ourselves that question?
From Liz's that's a phenomenal question and a very deep question. Lauren and I partnered in life but also in business before. One of the first things we did when we moved to Austin, and this was I'm going to say more on me because it's something I really wanted. I don't know if you thought about this getting into our relationship, but one of my dreams was to not only fall in love with Lauren, but to work with her. I
think she's brilliant. She inspires me. I am in awe of her her creativity and what she does good and what she is so powerful at is not exactly what I'm great at. I think we have different strengths and different powers, and I admire that and I really relish that. And so we created our production company, Next Chapter Productions, when we moved to Austin. It's based out of Austin at set in Texas, so it was another way to kind of set roots here. And that's what this podcast
is actually produced out of is Next Chapter Productions. That was our first production that we created with iHeartRadio, and we've done other endeavors as well and have done other things. This is by far our biggest, most vocal, and most visual, and so this has been a long time coming for us. Why I say long time, you know, we've been here for a few years. But for me it was always a dream and I don't know if it was always the case for you, but this is a dream realized.
And so when I go into Merritt Street and I sit with Lauren and she's at the table and she's commanding the audience and she's kicking ass, man, I love it. And I like she's been She said, she's been so happy since the announcement because we've been sitting on this for a minute. It has been this. I have relief and it's just been fun to watch her in this light.
Yeah, that's so nice. I feel like crying. That's so nice.
I have a hard time hearing compl I have a hard time even talking about myself sometimes that is truly or really all the time. That's a little bit why, Like I don't know, being interviewed is really hard for me.
Like I'm gonna say, guys, this has been a fascinating side of Lauren. I didn't know because she's interviewed me so many times, and I've watched her when Emmy after Emmy, including the one that's behind my head, our fourth one that we just put up on the wall thanks to Lauren's ema. She's not used to being interviewed.
I'm not I'm okay to like share my opinion on things, but I'm not used to being asked questions Like.
I don't know.
I guess I'm just used to doing it the other way. And and I definitely I'm always in awe of you, like when we did press for the Merit Street announcement. You're just so good at being interviewed. I mean, your your bites are concise, and you're you're so good at being interned, which is why I always used to love interviewing you. I don't think I had as much that You're right, I didn't have as much of a conscious let's work together, but I tend to like go with
the flow. I think a little more than you. You're a bit more of a planner than I am, sure, and I think it just happens so naturally in our relationship, and it never it never raised red flags or caused alarm for me, like we because we'd even been quote unquote working together by me interviewing you before we were
ever even dating. It just always felt like a part of things, Like it's really probably one of the reasons I fell in love with you is because I always loved getting your opinion on things, like I would love you watching Roses and Rose and telling me what you thought of it. I really respect your opinion on like my work or our work, because you know, I just think you're so seasoned at this and you so know what you're doing.
Down to our wedding, like I was like, babe, what do you think?
Like I loved watching him work on what the lighting would be at the ceremony because you're so good at that stuff, and I trust you implicitly, So it's just always felt natural and good to me, and I never questioned it, and I never paused and said should we do this?
Great question by the way, Liz, thank you.
Sarah's wondering where she can watch Merritt Street.
So again, this is worth kind of repeating. This is a network. It is a television network. It's not a streamer. This is not Paramount, this is not Peacock whatever. It will have a digital component to it as well. Where that is or what it's called Meritstreet, dot com or whatever. We'll figure we're gonna well, we will announce that, but this is going to be a television network. You will go to your TV and watch this and you can
watch it all day. Morning news, you know, a morning news, a morning show that Laurena and I are going to be hosting. There will be other talk shows, Doctor Phil Primetime. There's going to be a lot of entertaining things that will be created for this network, including our relationship show reality show. But this will be, for example, on DirecTV. I believe we're going to be and I will confirm this on channel two fifty right between Comedy Central and
Oxygen Network. I'll confirm that because those are the big negotiations. We know that this will be and I know this is coming out in my bachelor voice. This will be the biggest network launch ever, and I'm not overstating that this will have seventy five to eighty million subscribers day one, that's before they go deeper. That is never been done before. Kudos to doctor Phil, Kudos to everybody who behind the scenes has been negotiating these deals. So this is no
small startup, This is no joke. When they launch April second, day one, seventy five to eighty million subscribers. To put this in perspective, usually you're lucky if you can launch with fifteen to twenty. So this is a massive, massive launch and is already a great success. And they're not even on the area yet. So we will check our Instagram and our social media, all that stuff on Merit Street Media and just watch Lauren and I. We will
and come back to the most traumatic podcast ever. We will methodically tell you where to find Merit Street Media and of course anything we are doing with it.
Kathy asks will this be available in other countries?
I hope That's the only thing. I don't know, you know, I know things are wonky when you're you know, trying to watch The Bachelor and people in England are like, we can't watch it, you know, And I don't know. If you've ever traveled abroad and you're like, oh good, I'm gonna sit down and watch Netflix, and you're like, oh crap, I can't watch Netflix or Peacock because I'm out of the country. There are so many different limitations and rules and where that applies to streamers and all
that stuff. So long answer here, I don't know. I guess the short answer here is I don't know because that is over our pay grade and it has to do with the legality of the FCC and all those liabilities and legalities and all that good stuff. So unfortunately, I don't know.
I love it, like liabilities and legalities and all that kind of stuff.
I don't know.
Like we all have these phrases. We kind of go to one of Chris's is all that good stuff? And sometimes I'm like, I don't know, they have legalities and liabilities.
That's not good.
I know. Look, I would love to tell you because because the folks up in Canada, I've had so many people reach out because Canada has always been so good to me. The Bachelor was huge. It was the number one show up in Canada for such a long time, and God bless you and thank you guys so much, our neighbors to the north. And I went and did press up there and spent some time up there with you, and I loved it, and y'all have been so supportive.
So you know, my dream is that, yes, I can tell you we're up in Canada, but I don't know yet and I don't know where that will be if that is the case, Like do you have to do it digitally? We'll merit street just be up there, but imise I will find.
Out from Laney. Well I have to pay for a subscription in order to watch.
My hope is no, And my thinking is no short answer on that. I think our You know, when I say digital platform, it's not going to be like in Netflix, where we're charging you ten dollars you know, a month or whatever. This is a free television network. First of all, you're just well free, you know, if you pay for your cable subscription, Direct TV, Dish, it is a part of that package. It is a must carry is what
they call this network on everything. So you will get it a party as a part of your subscription and it'll be on your channel lineup and then as far as digitally, we will tell you where you can find that online from Jeff.
Are you afraid of being in the spotlight and getting canceled again?
A good question, It's a really good question. The answer is no, I'm not. You know, and I don't know if it's you know, like when you're pregnant you can't get pregnant, or but I have been down that road and learn the lessons, felt the pain, and it was painful. I'll admit it was not easy. I don't wish that on anybody. It was a very difficult time for both of us, for Lauren and I. But with that said, I know who I am. I know the person I am.
I know the man that I am, and I believe in that person and I know that I am a good human being, and so I'm ready to spread that love. And what I have felt from you the viewer, is that you are ready to reconnect and to have us back on TV. And so no, I guess the short answer is no, I'm really really excited.
Really, Doctor Phil has been a really lovely comfort because we've had some of these conversations with him and his confidence in us and his confidence like his zero hesitation and his full embracing of us and being like, you guys are smart, you're awesome, you're talent, please come beyond.
This network was so wonderful and also like just like we've kind of talked about some of this stuff with him, and he's like, look, you guys, I've I've had my own show for twenty years, and let me tell you some somebody's always going to say something bad about you.
And that's true.
Like, do I think it's gotten worse than it was twenty years ago? Yes, because of social media and and kind of the fear that can be they can prove very quickly. But I also know that like we've been through it and we've come out the other side, and
so I just I think I've just accepted that. Like today, Kate Blanchett said about her last movie that she's like, you know, there's just always going to be critics of anything you do today, any art, And I feel that way, like there's always going to be some bad comments and we're just going to have to roll through it. And so I'm more than I'm ninety nine percent just excited to be doing this, feeling great about it, and feeling like, most importantly, we have to be true to who we
are like. That's the biggest comfort and joy for me is I now feel that confidence, especially because we're doing this on our own terms. It's a little harder to, like people say, be yourself. It's harder to be yourself when you have bosses at a job where like you are yourself on TV, it is your name, You're kind of supposed to be being yourself, but you have to
do it through their lens. It's kind of tough. Now I feel a little bit more ease in our ability to do what we want to do, do the content we want to do, and so if people like that are not at least it's like, this is what I feel good about the choices we made.
I only know one way to be, and I am an eternal optimist and I've been knocked down before and I've failed before. I only know one way to be, and that's move forward. And that is move forward unabashedly with everything I got. And if I do something, I do it with everything. And I'm going to give this one hundred percent. And so I'm not afraid to fail. I've failed, you know, whether being canceled, failing or whatever.
But leaving the Bachelor before then I have not gotten jobs or I've been fired from jobs, and I just always move forward, and so, you know, getting knocked down is inevitable. What I always judge people by is a do you get back up? And then what do you do after you get back up? Do you keep moving forward? And so I'm excited. I am so fired up to get back out there, and I don't have one bit of apprehension in me at all. All right, Emma, this is the final question tonight.
Lisa is wondering what is your relationship like with doctor Phil?
A friendship? And thank you for asking that, because if we're getting to the end of this podcast, I want to give credit where credit is due. Doctor Phil has become a very good friend of ours. I have confided in him. He has given me and Lauren given us great advice, life advice, business advice. I have learned so much from him. I was always had great admiration for him because he's a legend at what he did. He's
also very humble. You know, he was the number one talk show, but he'll tell you how do you get to be number one? Well, number one had to retire and that was Oprah. He was number two for forever, and when number one stepped aside, he became number one. But he still, you know, writes Oprah Winfrey every year on their anniversary of working together, to say thank you, and so he knows where to give credit. And he is a very bright man who takes in all the
information in the room, thinks and then speaks. And he's very thoughtful and very caring, incredibly loyal, just a big he'll hate to hear this, because he's very imposing, and he is intimidating. He's a big teddy bear. But he is very fair. And that's not to say he's a pushover by any means, because my god, he is not. But man, if I had to sum it up in one thing, I would call him a friend.
I have such as you just said, admiration. And also I've been so truly inspired by him because I look at this man who's obviously older than me and doing the press for his new book. He did something like seventy interviews in two weeks. His energy, his passion for
what he does. He's launching a network. He's launching a network because he realized he wanted to feel good about his work again, and he wanted to have this network be a place where people could look at the facts, make decisions for themselves, and not be inundated with just talking heads screaming at each other all the time. He wants to analyze issues and give people good takeaways and approach with a fact based assessment of things.
He's very like, what are the facts?
Before he does any show, he researches the topic with a team, and he researches it from all sides. It's not about what I agree with or not. It's about what's the truth here. And so for all those reasons, I'm incredibly inspired by him. I feel like he's kind of getting back to what I first got.
Into journalism for.
And again it's just like his zest for life, his love for his family, His wife Robin has been incredibly supportive and welcoming to us and excited for us to join the team. So we've just felt nothing but love. I kind of feel like we've found two kindred spirits in them, like a kindred couple who also works together and supports each other.
And it just feels like a really good fit.
And by the way, just on a professional front, he's good. As I said last week, as of the taping of this podcast. I've shot several shows with him. I've been on stage. I'm not going to be on every show, by the way, I will be in to certain topics that he's covering. Tomorrow, I'm flying back up and hosting another show with him and a host to host. When they say talent recognizes talent or game recognizes game, dude's got game. He is very good. I love being on
stage with him. He raises the level of my game of hosting, which is exciting for me. I've been doing this for going on thirty years now, and he fires me up when I'm on stage. I got to be on my toes because I want to be at his level and I want to impress the guy, you know. I want to show him that I'm good and I got what it takes to be on that stage with him. The guy is unbelievably impressive. As Lauren said, he'll shoot two shows and then he'll go work the rest of
the day and to that point. By the way, if any of you are ever in the DFW area or make a point to get to the area, come see Doctor phill Primetime live studio audience. He has created this whole immersive experience. When you get to Merritt Street Media, you will have a show. You kind of walk through this experience. Then you come to a taping or two.
He does two a day Monday through Wednesdays. So get your tickets, go go to Merritt Street, get your tickets, and come visit us, and hopefully I'll be on stage that particular day as well. It is a wonderful experience and I love that's just doctor Phil though. He's like, I'm not just going to have a studio audience like I did back in La I'm going to do it differently. I want these people to have a day, have a show. You arrive on a red carpet and you can have
your phones out, you're taking pictures. There's a gift shop, there's all this great stuff, and that just go. That just shows the kind of showman and the kind of professional that Doctor Phil is. He thought bigger and broader.
Definitely a fun thing to do if here in Dallas. And thank you if you are listening and you have been to a couple of the tapings where Chris has filmed, thank you for not spoiling our announcement because there were we were a little nervous because Chris has dipped a few shows now before the announcement, and some of you were in the audience and had great reactions to him being there. And there were a couple of times when truly we sort of got lost backstage and we accidentally
walked through where the audience was being held. And then I and like we like pulled back a curtain and saw this a couple two hundred people in front of us and heard Chris Harrison, and I was.
Like, oh, gosh, I appreciate Yeah, thank you all.
If you're listening, thank you, We really deeply appreciate you not going online being like I saw Chris Harrison at Dark Like.
Thank you for that. Thank you for letting us have the announcement. We appreciate it.
Thank you all so much for your questions. Hopefully that that answered some of them. I know when we announced, we were talking about a lot of personal stuff, and Lauren and I were so excited. We tried to get as much information out as we could, but really we were just giddy to finally just release this to the world. And so there I know, there's more details about Channel lineup where you can see us when our shows will drop. Trust me, we will keep you posted and thank.
You for your patience with that, and not just I guess patients with this, but you know, the past couple years we have I can't even count how many people or messages have come up to us have dmd us and said, like, you know, when are we going to see you on TV next? And we are so excited to now finally be making that happen. So thank you. You are always the most important thing to us. We value you and love you.
So much and we are excited to have fun with you again.
Love you all. Nothing I could add to that. That was perfect. We will do it again next time because we have a lot more to talk about. Thanks for listening. Follow us on Instagram at the most Dramatic pod ever and make sure to write us a review and leave us five stars. I'll talk to you next time.