This is Suckers, Ben and Ashley I almost famous podcast, the.
Most traumatic podcast ever with iHeartRadio.
Everybody.
Welcome to Suckers and a very special episode because it's also an almost famous episode, but an even more special episode because we have the one and only Chris Harrison joining us. What suckers, it's well, let's think about Obviously you got lollipops or suckers.
Some people call them suckers, but.
Suckers is our podcast with Kaylin and Jared Haban, who I'm sure obviously you know. Well we named it that because we're suckers for life, and we we well we just cann't really think of a better name, so suckers.
I do have a question about suckers. Yeah, because today I saw the promo picture.
Yeah. Are you happy that I'm blond?
Mad that you're blond in the promo picture that will now live probably for the next ten years.
Yeah, it's mixed emotions. I don't like the way I look, but it's funny and I just smile every time. You're still blond here because you have a hat on her, I do. Yeah, you'll see me with a hat on the entire time here.
Well, it's kind of growing out though. You almost have like a little leopard print thing going.
Yeah, no, it's not good. And what's it like.
When you're so handsome that you can just do anything and not care like a normal person can't do that. I'll tell you what, because you'll look like a buffoon if it was. If you do it, you're like, I don't care. I'm so effing handsome, it doesn't matter.
You're too sweet. Chris.
If you asked me that question ten years ago, i'd have an honest answer for you. But I've since gone well past that. I've getten a lot of weight. You know you're married, you don't, Yeah, exactly, Yeah, yeah, yeah. I actually got to say though, it's my first time seeing Chris probably in three or four years. You literally you look twenty years younger than the last time I saw you.
It's because I'm married. You're married to a younger woman. I had to really get a lot of work done.
Stress you look less.
Yeah, I lost. I lost about a thousand people in my life.
It kind of Chris Chirs looks so young.
They were trying to flag me down in the airport, and I just walked by them because I didn't even recognize.
So we we we flew in from Austin, they flew in from their home, and so we had this layover in Phoenix and so I'm walking through the airport and I go, oh, there's Dean and I go, he's walking at me with shades on, and Dean Dean Dean by me, like, Laura Lauren goes, does does he hate you? Like maybe he's mad at me?
And I.
Go, honestly, I don't know. Maybe maybe I.
Didn't recognize you. I was like, who's that a handsome thirty year old over there trying to flag me down?
And then we went through the you know, the what you do in an airport where people are yelling your name and you just kind of like you ignored it first, and you hope it's gonna, you know, go away and.
Well, and also seems blonde. I don't think I've ever seen her blonde. So I don't think i've seen her blonde wearing a hat.
Luckily, Kaylin was sweet to us, and so we talked to him.
She's texting me, was in the bathroom. She's like, hey, Chris and Laura are here. Be nice to them.
Yeah, guys, yeah, I know it's the first time I've seen them since they got married, which is we both kind of got married close to the same time.
I would think. So you guys got probably a few months before us.
Yeah, October and November because we had two weddings. Yeah. And then when what month?
Oh we were September, so I guess we were right before us. Oh.
Interesting, And so when when was the wedding day?
September twenty third?
It looked amazing? Yes, yes, exactly, check got it? And no, it looked incredible. It looked like it and save to yours. I mean it's you know, and same to years. Look at us, we're all married.
I mean I'm deep into this thing now, Yeah, you're too.
Sunk it that, first of all, all three of us would be married. Second of all, that you would be married the longest, although we had just been married.
Over two years and three months. Now, I mean, we're in it.
How's that going?
It is incredible? Is it? It is like the best thing ever I have.
I was actually talking to Jason Tartik, who's also hearing this trip, and we're going to be sitting down with him a letter date to kind of dig in. But he and I flew one on the same flight, and I was telling him just about life, and I said, hey, here's what I know, because whatever you're going through right now, I've been in that.
He's on the beaches of Normandy right now. Yeah, he's taking incoming fire. It's like the world is coming at him like he's drinking out of a fire hydrant. It's a lot.
It's a lot, and it's going to be an interesting conversation with him. But I told him because I remember when I was in that season, I was like, you know what, I don't know if marriage is actually going to be that great. Like I really started to get in my mind, like every relationship I've had is like hurt me deeply, terribly.
We need to dig into it. Yeah, but like being married to Jessica is like it takes stress out of my life.
You called her jess or Jessica both.
Yeah, just depending on where we're at and what we're doing.
I did that, I guess with Laura.
But uh yeah, it's the best. Like she is a great partner. I my life is a lot better. I'm very happy. But she's really incredible, Like she's very sweet. You know, her and Kaylin are good friends. Her and Laura are good friends, Like they're just they want to make our lives better, which is really wild to have that in somebody.
Y'all spend a lot time apart, a.
Ton of time apart do Yeah, a lot of time?
Is that just work and just your lives are going different directions?
Yeah, I mean she's she has I think probably the most successful esthetician clinic in Denver. Like she is very busy, and so she's down there Monday or Tuesday through Friday, sometimes Saturday and Sundays. I travel probably once a week to do something for generous or something for iHeart or something. And it's actually great because she grew up in a household her where her dad traveled two or three days a week, and then when day he came home, everybody
was super excited to see him. And so when we get together, like both very excited, but we never get sick of each other. It's it's like when we're in bed watching a movie together, it's like our vacation.
Because you're you're like that too, right, because you're you're off going, yeah, kill him in Jarrow or I don't know, living in a tree.
Yeah, But Ben's got his successful nonprofit Jess as her successful esthetician clinic. Kaylen and I are both unemployed, so we spend a lot of time together.
But you do know, Yeah, one of the things, honestly, one of the things I really appreciated about Kaylen and I can't remember where I ran into her and we had this conversation. God, what was it? But anyway, what I loved is she was talking about you in such a glowing way and how she really seems to correct me if I'm wrong. This might be a total lie, but she really seems to appreciate who you are. And I could seem someone marrying you for the excitement of it, but then wanting to change you.
Yeah. Well I'll tell you what you want to know. What our last big fight was about changing you. Yeah.
She has been getting very mad at me because I tend to pick my nose in public.
Like I'm talking mad, like mad, I'm going to take I don't see the problem here, Like I think she's a good partner.
I know I should back up my bro.
Here when you say she's not trying to change me, Oh, she's trying to change me.
So that's a big deal. The nose picking.
Well, I'll tell you, why is this a hill?
You're gonna die if you have a book in your nose and you can't get it through the traditional means of a tissue, kleenex or whatever.
You need to pick it. What if I'm out in public, I'm not going to wait until I'm in private to pick it.
Disagree, I don't want to look underneath your car seat. Oh no, I had a buddy who's a nose picker in the car and underneath. Yeah, so when she brings us up to you, because this is like, this is a very good thing for her to bring up for you to you.
Were you embarrassed initially like defensive?
Like no, no, like or were you just like I want to keep doing this because I enjoy it one thousand percent the ladder of that.
I say, Hey, I'm picking my nose, Like I'm sorry, it's just a fact of being with me.
Like you have to accept it. And it's funny.
Like I said, we actually had a legitimate argument about me picking my nose in public.
That's amazing though, that you actually stood up for yourself, Like.
Damn it, damn it, woman, this is me.
Yeah, it's not exactly you know, you're chewing loudly, are like, I don't love that you eat corn nuts in bed or something. I don't know, but it's like I'm gonna pick my nose.
Yeah, well it's funny. Actually, I think I can share this without getting in too much trouble. She goes to therapy often, which I think is great for everyone. And she said she told me the story that she brought it up with her therapist, the whole nose picking fight, and her therapist goes, I think that you're you you just are a little envious of his care free lifestyle. Is me paraphrasing what the therapist.
Picking represents a lifestyle? Okay, I get this. Yeah, so it's she's not mad about the nose picking.
She wants she well, and she is, and she'll be at the first admit that she's a little like not high strung, but she's a pageant girl, you know. So they've got to have their all their crap together and the opposite of that, I live in I've lived in a van for a bunch of years. So, uh, that's what the therapist said.
There. She was like, well, not that you're like envious of.
The care free lifestyle that he has. But like that's just like the disconnect there. Can I follow up with the question.
Yeah, is this about nose picking? Can we move on?
No a little bit, A little bit here, And I want to ask Chris's advice to here.
In marriage because I have a big nose. Yeah, okay, I get it.
In marriage, like it is beautiful, it is great.
But one of the things that jess Can I take very uh, we make very important in our life is to stay attracted to each other, like either that be working out, going on dates, dressing up for each other, you know, like if one of us is using the restroom, like play little music so that the person can't.
Hear you or whatever.
Like, there's things that we've tried to do just to keep a little bit of the mystery alive.
And the intimacy going.
I would say, from Caitlin's perspective, if Jessica was picking her nose in public all the time, I think for me, it wouldn't be that I care that much of you're doing it, other than the fact that it might gross me out just enough where I'm like, I don't know if I want to have sex with you anymore? Yeah, ever, ever, is that I mean, like so is that we're a little bit of where this is coming from.
You.
Well, of all the things I'm doing, picking my nose is like the not the least unattractive or not the most unattractive. I guess, like I said, I've age ten years and three, so I'm seven years ahead of the curve on that. I've gained twenty pounds, lost all muscle tone. So yeah, I guess I'm just kind of leaning heavy into the I'm going to be unattractive from this point forward,
you know. But I do agree with what you're saying, and one of my resolutions is to get in the gym more and get back to like being comfortable with myself again. Like when I was on the Bachelorette the first time. When I first met Chris, I was like in the best shape of my life. I was thin, I kind of had some abs. Those labs are so long gone, and I do think.
That I need to let me just jump in.
I've never had them. Yeah, but you at least have something under there, you know. I don't. I don't think I have much of anything. So I do agree I didn't need to get back into the lab and start making her more attracted to me in certain ways. Maybe yeah, keep.
Dating, keep dating.
I mean, I think it is very important. To your point, Ben, I always want to date Lauren, but I'm always I actually truly always want to. Like I think it's important too, but I actually really do want to. It's fun and and she's the first person I've loved enough in my life where I want to do that.
I am.
I agree, Keep keep the mystery alive, keep it, you know. Look, I know some of the bloom is off the rose your mayor. We've been living together, built a life together. It's not all, you know, fantasy suites. But I think it's important. I really do. I think that life is important.
How do you keep it? How do you keep that going? Though?
It is my question, Like we still go on date nights and stuff, you know, And it's it's funny too, because it's such a tale of two sides, Like Kaylen gets hotter every single day and I get uglier every single day, so she is stunning.
It does.
Scales are definitely uneven.
They've always.
I think it always takes effort, and it's funny even the little things about dating, continuing to date, you can fall into the trap of the mundane and repetitive of we always kind of do the same thing on date night now and now date night's not even special, so it's always kind of just mixing it up, of doing stuff that's different, leaving little notes, little just things that
are out of the ordinary different. The problem with I have with Lauren she is really tough, like she if she doesn't like something, she comes from a family of lawyers. She will just tell you. Like if I bought her this watch one time, this really was hard for me to take. It was a very beautiful watch. It was very expensive and it was early on and I gave it to her and she's like, why would you get me a watch? Have you ever seen me wear a watch?
And I said.
No, that's the point. I said, you've I've never seen you with a watch. And I thought, how great, there's this beautiful watch. She's like, you know, and I'm like, I was crestfallen. Man, I was heartbroken. I've never had anybody like reject you know, just fake it, right, But she won't. She's like, why would I fake it?
I said, but what's worse that or her receiving it and then just never wearing it for the next however long.
You know, I.
Agree, No, I'm happy now I understand. I'm like, I would rather just go get something with you, Like when we picked out her ring, I'm like, I'm just going to go with you and let's build the ring you want. I'm like, and that's so I did for our engagement, because I learned my lesson is I bought her just a very simple solitaire and then I said, this is just the centerpiece. You go build the ring around it. And that's what we did. We are up here in have we told people.
Where we are Carmel. We do this trip every year. We've done it for the past few years at least.
So one of the benefits of having a podcast with iHeart are these trips that we get to do together. And over the years we've invited all these people who are coming through Bachelor Nation and you know, maybe in the headlines or just like the most current lead.
People, we just really want to hang out.
But now it's.
Turned into people that not only are recent but like that we just really want to hang out with and we catch up on our lives, we get to spend some time together. It really becomes a celebration. We have to do some fun stuff. We're here this week because the AT and T pro am is going on at Pebble, uh and it's a really fun week.
That's very active city.
It's a cool city and so uh yeah, we'll put up some good content for all of our shows.
We'll be catching up with a lot of people.
But really this is just people we want to hang out with now, Like, let's find an excuse to hang out again.
Like, it's been fun texting with you guys as we've been leading up to this, and like Guiney texted me last night, He's like, Okay, I'm gonna admit I'm excited.
Yeah.
So Guinea's here, Firestone's here, the three of us, Wells Adams of course his brother Brett. I just don't know. He's like a penny just rub me. Yeah, I just keeps showing up.
Yeah, he's everywhere.
I'm excited you're here with the group because I feel like you're always up here this same of year, but we haven't had the chance to all spend time together.
Yeah, I've been I guess I well, I used to play in the AT and T. It's changed so this year. It's weird because it's this not to get into golf, but it's an elevated event, so it's like half the field and half the celebs and all that. So but the cool thing is there's some absolute studs up here, so it to be fun. It'll be it'll be a great time. And I know I've never been able just to hang.
With you guys.
Yeah, and we're here at the La Petite yeah PLI.
Yeah, it's hard to find on a map, but it's a great hotel, a.
Very cute hotel.
Yeah, there's hotel. There's two of them.
Yeah.
Yeah, I mistakenly brought us to the Ocean one and we're at the the eighth Avenue one.
But I love this town. This is one of my favorite places in the world, just this part of Carmel, Monterey, the peninsula out here.
Is it tough with you traveling to places like this because when I for firm experience when I go, like when Kaylen and I came here for the first time. Yeah, we're walking around and she's like, I want to live here more than anything in the entire world because it's so beautiful and so great. And I was like, Kayln, look at that house. It looks like crap. It's seven million dollars, you know, seventeen Yeah, but even like the bad ones are seven million.
No, it's insane here. I've looked at prices here.
She's never been here. She's coming for the first time. Yeah, this will be your first trip. And she's a huge reader.
Uh, and she loves like little bookstores and cafes and good dinners. And so I was like, if you do any trip with me this year, this is a trip. I really When she come on, I think you're gonna love.
Well, this is how great this place is. Lauren comes with me when I play. She loves it. I mean we usually stay at the lodge over there at Spanish or wherever. And it's like you walk on pebble Beach. It's just this town is great to get lost in. Yeah, little little tasting rooms, just stopping at some oysters and some chowder, and it's cool. It's everything's kind of cozy here.
Even the airport's got the good chowder the airport.
Yeah. So yeah, l Z, it's really weird. She told the story. She's a big chowder person and she will eat she will eat the weirdest stuff no matter where it is. And her some of her favorite chowder is at the Monterey Airport. No way, But what's your take on she took it on the plane.
Yeah, that's not a big deal. That's a bad deal, clams. I closed.
Ashley just brought a tuna sandwich on the plane last week, and I gave a really hard time.
It's a bad movie.
She's not here, right, She's not here because she nat I'm pregnant now, kid, So I do have a rundown of who's here this week, and so I want to make sure to give everybody.
Uh so, let's.
Film me it because I I don't mean to be a well yeah, I kind of do, but I don't. I probably won't know some of these people. You have to fill me in.
Sure, Yeah, so I ask anybody you don't know, and and Dean and I will give you the run down.
That'll be fun.
So uh, outside of us, So, Kaylin's here, Wells is here, Sarah's coming up, Wells's wife love her most.
I was just with him last week. Sarah got this incredible tour of Disney that was wild.
That was weird. We need to talk about that.
Yeah, Bob Guiney and his wife Canyon obviously Horne Zema is here.
She's pretty hot.
So now we're getting into the people that you might have questions about. Okay, Kathy schwartz you know Kathy schwartz Is I don't know Kathy Schwartzel. It was a recent uh maybe at one point in her life. She's in her seventies. Oh, she was on the Golden Bachelor. Susan Knowles, who was on the Golden Bachelor, also a model. Yeah, I mean probably a model. She was the one that officiated the wedding. She's a brain surgeon, is she really? I think she's an efficient Okay, that's the same thing.
Justin Glaize and Susie Evans. So Justin Glaze on a recent season he had to be a stunt man, and Susie.
Evans was the one that Clayton picked.
Now, they recently just announced their dating and they came all the way here to give us some exclusive content and interviews about their dating life.
This is exciting.
Yeah, Andrew Firestone and Havana Firestone, Brett Adams, as he said, and then Jason Tartick is here as well.
So that's the list of the people that have came to Carmel.
That's a good mix. It's a good honestly though. Here's the thing. One of the things I love about iHeart and being a part of this is, you know, I will meet these people at some point and it's like it's it's great because obviously I haven't been a part of the franchise for I don't know, got three or four years now, so I don't know so many people that have been a part of the show, and and when I you know, and obviously I don't watch, and
so I don't know the storylines and all that. But when I meet these people, nine times out of ten, they are unbelievably lovely and it's fun to kind of add them to the family. There was one one guy, forget who was one of he was I think he might have been the Bachelor or something. He lives in Austin, Zach maybe Zach.
Yeah, yeah, he's a good guy.
I want to hear about the one out of ten times stories oh for another time, for no time.
No, there's I mean, look, even you know, people always ask me, and I'm sure they asked you guys, do you like everybody? Or who's you know? And most of the time I liked the Bacheler I liked the Bachelorette, but there's always those outliers that you just don't get along with. It's impossible. We've met thousands of people at this point after twenty years. You know they're not all great.
There's more people that I like than I don't like. But there's definitely people that I have would prefer never to see again.
Like who give us one name, Give us one name.
I can't do that. I'm not that guy.
But I felt like we just made eye contact. We're thinking of the same person.
I think I'm.
Three one two three webs answer that. But now I.
Think Wells has worn out as welcome.
I's be honest, he's been around. But Dick, it's going to be a good group.
You can look forward to good cond I'm actually excited because I've been with them and they love the show when you were on the show, when you were there, and they're very funny, and they're they have so much energy and they love getting together so much. They're very sweet women who are just gonna have a blast year and double down the amount of wine that you and I could drink together. They will consume on their own.
You want to talk about Disney Okay, when does it become weird that six adults with no kids are at Disney with the shirts and the ears and all that. I'm just I'm not judging.
I'm just saying you're asking questions. Yeah, can I ask a question to return?
No, just gut instinct. Six adults at Disney with no kids.
I think it really depends on the amount of times that you go. If you're going once a week, yeah, that's weird and bad, not bad. I don't want to say bad. Disney adults are cool. I will say one set of every ten years, maybe it's okay.
Yeah, you're telling me, l Z. If you were like, we're gonna.
Go to Disney, those zero chances she's going to Disney. We don't like We don't like crowds, we don't like amusement.
No, but if you had a plaid, which literally I know refers you to the back, yes.
To all the rides you're in and out of those things. No.
I look, I've talked to LZ about this.
She's a Disney girl.
Oh god. No. We like Disney movies and stuff like that. I mean, were not anti Disney, but we would never go to Disney World or disneyl like that would be our nightmare.
I will tell you this, it was.
That would be a last So what we did was we did have the whole tour thing. Yeah, we got to ride all the rides and then we'd drink around the world at Epcot one day. It was a really fun trick I went.
So, I mean, my kids grew up around Disney because obviously when I started the show, the kids were born Abc Disney, same family, so I got the benefit of seeing it through my kid's eyes. And in all seriousness, I loved it, and we got to do some crazy things Disney cruises and all that. I just know it's one of those things I'll never go back. Interesting because I just make my kids are in their twenties now, and unless maybe my grandkids go or something. But yeah, I wouldn't go as an adult.
I don't think.
I think after going, I would only say the reason we want to go back, it's kids would be unless we had a guide. Again, yes, because all we we actually played a game where we had a drinking game about how many kids we saw one on leashes and then two crying, and it looked it looked like a terrible day for a parent, like, unless your kids are a certain age, it looks like a Really.
It's a nightmare. It's an expensive nightmare. And you're doing this and you get back to the hotel, you're like, why did I just spend twenty grand?
I gotta say, after hearing both of the guys talk about it, I'm more on your side now. I don't think I'll ever go to Disney unless it's like a work function for whatever that means. If a friend's out of town visiting and they're like dying to go, then maybe I would go. But I would never you know, ask Kayln if she wants to go to spend the week at Disneyland.
Is it is still a magical place? Will like?
There was moments like on Guardians of the Galaxy where I felt like a kid again. There were rides that I got very scared for or very nervous for. Uh, it's a different perspective, but I would still I would encourage anybody to go as an adult. I think Jessic and I, even if it was just the two of us, would have had a great time because without the plaid, well it's hard to say the plaid is really nice.
There's no lines, you get ride right as wild. I mean, you feel a little guilty. Laura and I've had this discussion too, where you know, it was my my ex wife and the kids and we'd be there and it was kind of you had to tell the kids because you kind of go in through the exits and you know, you're standing across and everyone's been standing in line for hours. They're giving you the death stare, and I'm like, don't don't look at them, just don't look at them in
the eye. You're just we're just let's get on. Let's just act like things out of normal here, because you really feel very small and horrible, not so much that you won't do it.
No, I did it. I did it. You guys want to hear the story that I haven't shared yet.
But I'm I'm pretty fearful of roller coasters and it took me a bit to kind of get into them. But we went on the Tower of Terror, which is maybe my most not.
A roller coaster, you're just bouncing up and down in your chair, yeah.
But definitely the ride I was most nervous for that.
I was hoping nobody wanted to go on, but they did, so I'm in the back and I'm like this, this isn't my thing, Like I don't enjoy this, the heights and everything. And so I'm sitting in the back of the ride and the door is closing, and what Chris's point is, you do come through the exit. So everybody's kind of maddie you or there staring at you, and they're like, this is stupid.
And there's this little girl. She can't be any more than ten years old. She looks at me as the doors closed. This is not a joke. You can ask anybody, and she goes.
Hey you, hey you, and I look up. She goes, you're gonna die tonight. You can ask.
Wells Brad say.
They all heard it, and I'm in the back and they already knew I was nervous, and they all look at me and I'm like.
That's like some like shining stuff. That's crazy.
Internextor I think she was just very angry that we cut the line, and I think she was trying to get back in me.
But I thought, it's not even the ride, like I'm going I'm going to haunt you, I'm gonna kill you.
Look, you guys had the whole ride to yourselves that we did. Okay, yeah, by the way.
That's just what a bunch of elitists. No, look, it looked like y'all had fun. I just I don't know, man. I just like if you called me and said, hey, like, well, Sarah Jessn are going, I'm like, yeah, No, Like, we'll meet you guys for dinner.
What would it take to get you a minus the grandkids? What would it take do you think to get to you to Disneyland?
A massive amount of money. It would be a huge endorsement deal, which I don't think is gonna happen now after this endorsement. I just I did it. But you know, it was a phase of my life with my kids, and it was I will say, I get it like I saw it through their eyes. And when you do see it through your children's eyes, you know, you go through the phases too. Of the first time you go, you're not even really going on rides as much as oh, let's go see the princesses, let's go see Mickey Mouse.
You do all that, and then you go, you know, the small rides, teacup, and then you graduate to the roller coasters, and I will say, Disneyland and Disney World are very different. When you're with a plaid, as you call it, you kind of are just in a van all day. You drive a lot. When you're Disneyland, you're just you go out of the park and you're there all day. But so you're like, oh, we want to go on this ride. You drive to the back of that ride and you go and it's it is, it's heaven, it's I see.
The marketing material now after they hire you, the a bunch of quick shots. You haven't fun at the very end. Disney even Chris Harrison likes it now.
So maybe I can be convinced.
Sarah, Sarah and my wife are like huge Disney kids, Like they're just grown adults that love Disney the song.
Yes, yeah they are.
They find magic and seeing everything there and I really had a good time.
I want to bring up a subject because I've never talked about this ever, and I want to know if you remember this me. Yes, okay, Dean, So we're in Paradise. Did you do you do Paradise? Just once?
I did it second time?
Okay, yeah, so I don't know if it was first or second, but so so what happens is when we get to rose ceremony. It's four or five in the morning whatever, and we separate the men and the women, right because we're about to go into the rose ceremony. And if you remember in Paradise, I don't know if it's still like this, but they would choose each other, so you had to separate, finish up interviews and all that.
So the women would be taken like up to the dinner area they little gathering where the bar is, and the guys we'd usually kind of take down to the beach where Wells is at the bar, and and so we're down at the beach. I'd come hang with you guys. So we had like an hour. You got to turn the room around and get the you know, cameras set and the director's taking a look at the lights and all that. So there's like an hour and a half where we're just killing time. And so we're all really tired.
And so you and I are down there, we're staying together at the beach, and you say to me, it's like and again it's so late and we're tired, and you go, so you have enough money to retire, right do you?
Yeah? Why do you do this?
And I said, yeah, Dean, I said, you know, I honestly probably could you know, step away and live a pretty good life. And you go, so why do you do this? Why why are you still working? And that is stuck with me.
Man, it's hot.
Yeah, kind of like that little girl says she's going to murder you. I was like, huh. And you know my initial reaction was and my answer was, I honestly like what I do? I enjoy TV. I like making TV. But at the time, I thought, you know, maybe I don't like I'm I'm on this beach at four in the morning with a bunch of people, some of my.
Life drunk years old, I drunk twenty three year olds.
And I'm like, I'm away from my kids, I'm away from my family, and I don't think I was married at the time, but I'm like, if I was dating anybody, I'm away from whoever I'm dating, and you know, I'm not going to date anybody. And at the Vedanta so it's like, you know, it's like a weird, lonely month. And that's how I spent my life, was separate, lonely months of just traveling around the world. And I'm like, it really stuck with me, and so I asked Dean.
I said, well, if you could walk away, would you? And I don't if you remember what you said. You said, yeah, man, if I could like make enough money to live for a month or so, I'm going to drop out and go live for a month. Yeah, and then I'll come back and make enough to live for another month. And I thought, what kind of like how Calin resents you for how free? I thought, this guy really hasn't figured out maybe like and maybe I'm like on this, I'm like a Gerbil on this like treadmill.
You want to so about that?
So the first time I did the show, the first few times I did the show, I would just resort to drinking the whole time, because you know, you have a lot of downtime and you're around a of people that you kind of know but don't know super well, so you just drink just to like ease the tension or whatever. That season, I wasn't I didn't drink announce alcohol, and so I was around all these drunk people the whole time, and so I didn't want to listen to
anyone talk. So I was just like literally sitting there thinking all the time.
And then it just hit me. I was like, what is he? What is he doing this? What is he doing here?
Why is he staying in a suit and tie on.
A beach in the middle of a monsoon, Like we're on a mont soon? Hold right now? Oh my gosh, that's funny.
But you did it. I mean, you gave the best answer possible.
And I do see your point, Like, if you really love doing it, that's great, but you I mean, I think where I was coming from with it was you've done it for so long, You've already kind of like established and proven your worth and all that stuff, and like if I was I think what I was actually thinking was if I was in your position, I would just golf every single day. And I know you love golf too, So that's kind of what I was coming from.
But you know what's funny is so when I left the show and I decided to part ways with them, I thought about that question, and I cause I had such relief. And Ben and I have talked a little bit about this, about that weight off my shoulders, and I really you know, and I've I've mentioned before how things were very toxic and you guys know what was going on and all the things behind the scenes, and so yeah, I was. When I left, I'm like, you know, those words kind of stuck with me. I'm like, why
was I there? Like I wasn't happy. I was kind of I kind of lied to myself and lied to other people of how happy I was. And I realized later he's right, like I love doing what I do for a living. I enjoy this passion of TV, but that wasn't it anymore. And and it's it was really
weird how that, like that really hit me. And I was even thinking about it in the shower this morning because I knew you and I were going to be talking and I remembered that, and I'm like, he was right, like I wasn't happy, And I was thinking, did he know I wasn't happy at the time?
You know?
Was he looking into my soul? And so I was. It was really interesting how I never told you how much that stuck with me. And I don't know if you said it flippantly or if you actually meant to have that deep of a conversation.
Well, it's kind of hard to pull away from everything I was going on to try to, but I was genuinely just curious about it. I remember the first time we met too. I walked up to you. We were at the Bachelor mansion and I was like, hey, Chris. Remember I don't know if you remember this, but Tomorrio and Rachel or even their whole big thing. He came back to the mansion. Everyone's outside, and I walked up to you and I was like, hey, Chris, how's it going.
You look at me dead in the eyes, and you go, Dane, I'm doing really really well, man, how are you?
And I was like, the does he know my name? How does he have any idea who I am right now?
And that's really suck with me a lot too, actually funny enough, but I remember I got back into the mansion later that night and one of my buddies, who I was like kind of buddies, but at that point, was like he thought I was a producer plant because he's like, I'm pretty sure Chris doesn't know anyone's name here except for yours.
And I was like, that's news to me. That's it.
I remember, you know, especially back in the day, I would I used to get a book on everybody. They'd give me a book and I would memorize everybody's name, where they're from. I mean I used to have a picture, but then I kind of went by the wayside, and then I would just get to know people through through the show, and inevitably, the producers would obviously tell me, Hey, there's this guy Dean we really like. They would tell me who the front runners, you know, of who we
thought it was. It didn't always turn out that way, but they're like, oh, this Ben guy is gonna be really good. But yeah, I was. And some people just get to kind of hit it off with more than most, and that night one I would, you know, usually kind of walk through the house, get the vibe and kind of see some people, and then the producers would tell me to get the hell out. They're like, I'm bugging you know, I'm bugging everybody and ruining the mood or whatever.
But I was curious with Ben, if you could walk away right now, I don't know what your number.
Is, if you could last for a month and then like go back in a month and start working.
Well, let's say let's say let's say I don't know, let's say general numbers like twelve twelve million. Let's say you hit that twelve million Mark, that's my number. Would you walk.
Away from what, like everything everything just kind of chill.
And maybe just keep your passion project, whatever you truly love or do you love what you do?
Generous woulde hundred percent stay? The coffee would one hundred percent stay. I dream like one day of doing that when I'm like and like people ripping it from my hands. Yeah, everything else, Like if if I heart said hey, here's twelve million.
Bucks ADVI say I'm good, see you guys a podcast anymore, I'm out, Like that would just be nice. So if anybody wants to do, that'd be great.
But there's a few things in my life that would stay, but not I. You know, I think for me, what's happened oddly, and as I'm listening to him thinking about this, you had like a very successful career, You had built something you were, you were known you were, you know, you're crushing it, you're in it, and you easily could have said, hey, I'm done, and everybody been like, well done, Like you put your heart and soul into this thing right there? Really isn't that for me right now? Like
there isn't that. Generous is the closest thing to it. The podcast has been going on for eight years. It's getting close to what I feel like, Hey, if anything were to happen to it, or if like it ends, then maybe somebody would say that was a good run, Like you did well, that you worked hard on, that you busted it for it. It's getting closer and closer. It feels like something that could stick with me. But
I don't have that thing right now. Necessarily they're all pretty new and and so I don't know what to be walking away from.
Yeah, I'll admit I got competitive. I'm a hugely competitive person, whether we're golfing, playing checkers, whatever. I'm just I've always been competitive. I hate losing, and so I definitely got caught up in that. Of Partly I enjoyed the show, but also I enjoyed like hosting Miss America and getting you know, the next thing and the next thing. I've always like been a chaser of things. That's always been
my mo to this day, I'm always chasing things. That's where I don't know if it's where I get my happiness, but I'm definitely happiest when I'm doing that. I have a hard time just shutting it down.
I had to rip it away two years ago when
I went through I mean I moved back home. Even when Jessica and I were dating, I moved back home because it was like that time that we've well Dean and I have experienced probably where you like the Bachelor and then stuff isn't getting You're not getting calls anymore, You're not getting the opportunities used to and like it was an identity crisis where stuff was It felt like I was trying to be competitive but nothing was working, like nobody was responding to anything.
And that was hard.
And so that took about six months for me to kind of reposition and find something new. So what are you now? Like, what is what is that competitive?
Like?
Where's your outlet?
Well, there was a part of me, a really sick part of me that when everything happened, I kind of got excited again. It took a minute, but to start over, like to start from ground zero, I can start. I can do anything now. And look, yes, there was the cushion of I had twenty years worth of very great success and money and all that. But I was able to kind of reinvent myself and figure out what I really want to do, and that that to me is exciting.
I love a blank slate. I love that exciting. Like there was I remember there's a long time ago that there was a show deal or no deal that Howie Mandel was doing. They were moving it into syndication, and there's other this this other game show and they had asked me to come in an audition and I and
I hadn't auditioned in a while. I just typically what happens was I mean, I hate to say this, but when you get to that level of the bats or and when you're doing all that stuff, usually you just get a call like, hey, we want you to host Miss America. Hey will you host who wants to be a Millionaire? That stuff is appro They approach you, you're not approaching them. And so there was this show and they had me auditioned for it and I had to, you know,
read the sides and go through the process. And I was I was nervous, and I was excited, and I hadn't had that much fun in a long time. And just that fear of failure and the ability to fail, I think, is a very exciting thing to me. It's enticing. It's why I like, It's why I like playing in these celebrity things. Is walking on that tightrope and not having a net below you and really being able to fall on your face is exciting to me. I don't know. The being so nervous you can barely stand it and
having to go out and perform is fun. To prove to yourself you can do it, and to harness that and to walk out in front of an audience or do whatever, and you know you're good at what you do and to actually do it, to me is phenomenal. I love that. I still get off on.
That by this therapist a long time ago.
This is kind of tangential here, but this therapist a long time ago who said to me obviously that I like to dig myself into a hole just to see if I can get myself out of it. Yeah, not saying that's what you're doing, but there is something to be said about, Like for you, you're saying the grind never stops, like you're always excited to achieve new things and that type of stuff. For me personally, I know
no one asked, but I'll answer the question anyways. I feel like I'm looking for a generous or I'm looking for something that I can like wake up for wake up and be excited to accomplish that day.
And it hasn't hit me yet.
But I have gotten to this point now where you know, you come off the show and I'm sure you experienced this too, where brands are just gonna give you money for posting a picture. You don't have to work especially hard for it. You just have to do what they ask and then they'll pay you. And it's like it's in me, at least over the past couple of years. It's embedded this like laziness in me where I'm just like, oh,
I don't need to do anything. This brand is just gonna give me money for posting a picture, So what does it matter? And it's gotten frustrating. It's not feeding you, oh not at all. I'm really disappointed in myself because I don't have like the fire that I once had a long time ago, when I was living paycheck to paycheck and you know, if I didn't get paid.
One week, I wouldn't be able to pay rent.
So like if you had a dream, like you're like, okay, Dean, here's ten million dollars, go start this. What yeah, what do you know? That's what would that be.
I asked myself that every single day.
When I went on the Bachelorette, i quit my job and I was like, in one year, I'll have my dream figured out.
And it's been six years now, seven years now. It's crazy.
And that's why I'm so envious of you guys who have been able to find your niche or your whatever it is and really just lean into it and be successful at it, you know.
Well, and part of that is just I had a friend say, hey, like, this is You're never gonna do this thing. Well, like, this is never if you try to stay relevant and if you run this race, you've never been made for this. You've got to You've got to find something that could be bigger than yourself.
Well, he's right, I mean eventually it it is a roller coaster ride it you know, what goes up must come down. It's like it's so yeah, I agree, it's like trying to chase that relevancy is impossible, you know. But I will take umbrage of you're going to stay relevant like you are the rest of your life. You're going to be relevant to a certain degree. It won't be the super hot you know that that you were,
but you're always gonna be relevant. Both of you are, like, so you're always gonna have a modicum of fame and a modicum of acknowledgment in that way. It's just how you use it and that will change. And that's that's something I learned a long time ago. I came to it from a very different place than you guys did, because you guys were shot out of a cannon. You know, y'all went from zero to one thousand miles.
Being done like that was maybe the hardest part. We didn't we don't have any tangible skill sets.
Well, well it was, I would well, I mean, that's that's cutting yourself short, both of you. The problem is what I found interesting in watching you guys, and I say you guys in the plural of everybody on the show. I had a steady assent, so I had a wonderful foundation. And that was honestly easier for me because I have a foundation of television. I've been doing it for over
thirty years, from broadcasting and majoring in it. When you guys were shot out of a cannon, it was almost unfair because like, well, y'all don't have the foundation, so you had to quickly start building something that you weren't even aware of. You didn't even know what you were building. And so I admired that in both of you that you found a niche and you've both held onto it very well and built businesses around something that.
You know.
I know, people listening to this go, oh, well, it's so easy. I was like, he was on a show and he did this, and he did this. It's like, no, man, think about how many people have flamed out, how many people have gone by the wayside, and you guys have not. I admire that. I really respect both of you for that. And and you know, Kaylin the same way. And some of these others who have come through the show and Becca and who have really made a life out of
something that didn't start that way. And that's not easy.
I gotta say, Becky might be doing the best out of any of us girls killing it. Yeah, you know.
And it's honestly, it's easier for women. It is much easier for women to do brand endorsements. They get thrown a lot more.
I don't sell anything, like I don't know what people want me to sell, but like my wife sell a bajillion products, and I do the same thing, and it's like two people.
Lauren does a lot more than me. Yeah, you know, and I have ten times the followers. Yeah, but it's the women have you know, because those are the purchasers, those are the people that.
Are buying things.
And but yeah, I mean, I I'm excited for my next chapter either is. I'll tell you guys, there's some exciting stuff coming up very soon.
Goodness, gracious, very since the best teas we've ever got. Can we just end on that?
Yeah, I mean it's I'm really I haven't been this excited in a long time, and can anymore. Well, I'll say this to your point, I thought about your question. I do love what I do. I'm very excited to get back to it. And but I learned from my mistakes of don't just do it to do it, don't don't just jump into something. I want to be happy and I want to love what I'm doing, and so I was able to find a passion project and something I truly love and do this with the woman I love,
and I cannot wait. There is something very imminent, very exciting on the horizon. I haven't talked to anybody about it, Like literally, you two are the only one outside the outside of my bedroom that I've talked to this about.
But do you have a lot of energy right now?
Like are you Yeah, I'm on a high right now. Yeah, it's I'm really excited. I've been this excited in twenty years.
That's awesome.
Yeah, it's gonna be cool.
Let's go.
Well, and you Morena are kind of a power couple too, I would say, like, she's always been a great broadcast.
Now this Laura, Okay, I knew I was going to say yes, no, no, no, no, no, no.
You guys are like, she's so she's so good at what she does and obviously you had twenty years is an incredible run for anything.
So she's a badass. And in my dream and you talk about what you want to love and I was like, if I do something, I'm doing it with you, like I never again will I? And I hate to say never because my mom always taught me not to, so it always rings in my ears when I say that word. But you know, I'm not going to be alone on the road ever again. Living that life, it was a it was a very empty life. I was very blessed and people have heard me say this many times. I
loved what I did. I am not at all begrudging that life. It was wonderful and it changed my life. But I'm not going to go back to that. I have the choice now to not go back to it. I guess that's what I should say.
And you at all to me, I do.
And when I say you, I mean Ben.
Chris.
Just before we go, I do have a funny story because I'm so excited for you.
I mean, you know that.
I think you're the best to ever do it. So whatever this next thing is, I think.
It's gonna go. But thank you.
I want to know if this is true, because if if it's not, I've lied to Hannah, who works on our show. We just recently rented out the Bachelor Mansion and did a whole kind of similar thing there. We brought in a lot of cool people, did a lot of interviews in one night, and we specifically our room for almost famous was a closet, and I said, I think this is where Chris used to sleep on the first night on.
Front Door two rights no upstairs master bedrooms? Was I wrong?
Or that was like life was so janky back in the day, Like towards the end, I got a trailer and stuff like that. But in the beginning, well, I
first started shooting there. We did stuff so on the cheap, and and so we would use that master closet and as not only a dressing room, but it was the only place I could hang where I knew no cameras would come nobody would come in, and so I would just lay pillows down and I would climb under in the closet under the racks, and that's where i'd sleep until they got me.
They were shocked. The team was shocked. I was like, I think, this is this is what Chris was telling me. Is the room that he was Gina and Carrie.
Gina obviously wardrobe and Carrie, uh my wonderful makeup sorry by Carrie Wardrobe, Gina my makeup artists for many, many years. And so yeah, we'd hang out in there and just sit and talk, and I would go to sleep. And that was one hundred percent. Slept in that closet so many nights, and that's when I thought.
What am I doing? That's this is it?
Man? And uh, you guys, obviously you've rented it from a friend of mine. Yeah, you know, I know the owners of that house because.
There's two of them.
Yeah, and so they they they owned that house. So their son went to high school with my son and they played lacrosse together. So it was really funny. The year in lacrosse party was at the mansion. Wow, but it was at Marshall, So Marshall as my friend Harridan is who owns that house and so Marshall and you know, I was there and I was.
Like, this is really weird a house.
Yes, so like their TV is there there there, I've never seen it unbachelorized. I've only seen it, so I was. It was. I'm like, oh, don't don't sit there, don't do not want to go on that hot top, guys, I wouldn't keep your hands up. But it was really weird to go in and like have dinner at their house and just hang out. It was so weird, like just very meta world's colliding.
It was weird to be there.
I'd never seen it unbachelorized either. It's very weird too, but it wasn't. It was kind of bachelorized.
When we were there was no furniture, the place was empty. Sure, sure, but it wasn't it wasn't a home.
It'd be weird to go back. Do they still shoot there? They do, so they still shoot the show like the first couple. Okay, So I don't know it'd be weird to go back. I mean, I know Marshall really well, and I you know, it'd be weird to be back that. I don't know what it would feel like.
It felt weird for me. There's a lot of memories.
I Jess was there, so I was kind of showing her around and then yeah, I mean it's the start of, you know, the next chapter of her life for you know, at least of people sitting in this room, every one of us showed up to that.
That would be weird. If you and Jess had sex with the mansion.
Yeah, how do you know? He didn't?
And you know did I hope you did? But what if you knocked her up and you, like, you like, conceived your baby at the mansion.
In the closet that Chris Harris underneath the racket clothes.
All right, Hey, we got to get to dinner. We have a big week, a big week of content coming out with some incredible people.
Again.
We're in Carmel, California. I gave you the list of people that are here. It's gonna be really fun. We got to get to dinner with everybody though, and say, hello, it's gonna be fun dinner. It's gonna be weird, and it's gonna be it's always weird, awkward fun, and then everyone is. It's that first kind of like four or five minutes, everyone's like, what do I do with my hands?
And then we kind of have a cocktail, and then it's it's gonna be great, and then then all of a sudden, it's four in the morning.
That's a lot of our friends it is.
It's gonna be a great time, like we you know, when we did this h in Santa Barbara is the greatest ever. Hey that one. Raise a glass. Boys. Always good to see you.
I love you guys. Hey, thank you guys so much for tuning into Suckers Almost Famous.
The most dramatic podcast ever. 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.
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