On today's Friday Feels episode of U Up?, we're joined by musician and songwriter, Spritely, who captured the hearts and attention of millions after posting a spoof song about her shocking breakup with her longterm boyfriend. Spritely breaks down the full story behind her viral video, reflects on red flags from the relationship and answers some tough questions from J&J. Spritely's new single, "Before I Fall Apart," comes out on March 7th and can be streamed on Apple Music and Spotify. Learn more...
Mar 07, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 638
Spring is only a few weeks away and J&J are here to get your dating life in tip-top shape. Jordana recounts a late night with the Betches that turned hairy when they almost got deserted at a Long Island steakhouse. Then, Jared gives his tips on how to make your dating app profile stand out and catch attention in only half a second. Later, Jordana explains how to work through an awkward texting dynamic early on in dating and Jared shares his own head-scratching situation. Then we dive into our li...
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 637
It’s Friday and Jordana’s feeling sassy. She’s got a new game to play with Jared called “Pack or Pass?” Here’s how it works—would you relocate to Buffalo to stay with the love of your life? The game explores just how far you'd be willing to go, literally, for your relationship. Later, on "Icky or Picky?," we hear from a listener who experiences an unforgettable ick when her date insists on carrying an umbrella for shade during an entire hike. Then, a busy single mom writes in about a new guy she...
Feb 28, 2025•46 min•Ep. 636
Jared’s officially off on his Australia and New Zealand tour and hopes to meet some of our down under listeners at his upcoming shows. Later, he tells a story about his own awkward encounter with a gastroenterologist and Jordana dissects a texting exchange Jared had with a woman he was seeing that turned sour. We dive into our email inbox and hear from a listener who is worried that sleeping with a new romantic interest on their first date may have jeopardized their chance at a committed relatio...
Feb 26, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 635
Lordy, Lordy look who’s 40! It’s the “Worst Day of the Year” aka Jared’s birthday. Now that he’s over the hill, Jared is embracing his “I want to speak to the manager” energy and reflecting with Jordana on the peaks and valleys from the past year. Then, we play Petty or Prudent and hear from a listener who got dumped the day after her boyfriend planned a romantic dinner for their one-year anniversary. Later, we dive into an email about a woman who tries to backpedal into dating a guy she once en...
Feb 21, 2025•45 min•Ep. 634
Jared’s fresh off of a trip to Montreal, or as he calls it The Coldest Place on Earth, and comes back with hot takes about the food and one glowing restaurant recommendation. Then J&J gab about their recent trip to L.A. and the difference in hotness factor between Los Angeles and New York (Gremlin Swamp People unite!). They also reflect on a strange interaction they had with a recently divorced man at a bar.Later, we dive into emails and hear from a listener who feels that her boyfriend made a j...
Feb 19, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 633
This bonus episode is sponsored by Netflix! J and J are reflecting on five years of "Love is Blind" and they’re doing it in the most authentic way possible-in the pods! They find out the hard way what it's really like to communicate in the pods as they test themselves on their emotional intuition. Then, they go on to share their two cents on the communication styles of some of the most iconic couples while breaking down the impact the show has had on modern relationships. Plus, Jared and Jordana...
Feb 18, 2025•49 min
Jared “Cupid” Freid and Jordana “Matchmaker” Abraham are here to answer all your Valentine’s Day questions. This year for V-Day, Jared’s off to Alpharetta, Georgia for a block of shows and Jordana’s staying in while hubby Mike cooks her up something special. J&J discuss what the perfect meal for V-Day is that still leaves room for romance (for our home cooks, Chef Jared suggests grilled chicken, penne and spaghetti squash). Then in partnership with Shake Shack, we play a special game called BOGO...
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 632
Jordana’s gone full-on suburbs. She’s enrolled in a “tennis clinic” and in between perfecting her serve is trying to infiltrate the neighborhood gossip circle. She continues to debate the pros and cons of pulling the trigger on getting a dog. Later, J&J give a pep talk to a listener who recently went through a bad breakup after realizing that she and her longterm partner were not on the same page regarding kids. On Awkward Encounter, things get messy after a dog steals a listener’s menstrual cup...
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 631
Jared’s 40th birthday is approaching and he might be on the cusp of an impending meltdown. He’s being haunted by images of how he’ll be spending his upcoming 40th: alone, on an international flight to New Zealand (in a Delta One seat, of course). And after purchasing a luxe coffee maker with insane upkeep, Jordana is having some buyer’s remorse. On Icky or Picky, a listener keeps accidentally going on dates with guys with the same last name as her and it’s creeping her out. Later, we hear from a...
Feb 07, 2025•37 min•Ep. 630
It’s February, which means we can all complain about it officially being the coldest month of the year. To start things off, Jordana tells Jared about her sister’s recent stay at her place and the creative new ways her seven-year-old nephew stress tested her new furniture. Jared’s hot off of a star-studded show at the Comedy Cellar, where Madonna inexplicably performed a 40-minute comedy set. Later we dive into our mailbox, and hear from a listener who worries that all her longterm relationships...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 629
Another Bachelor breakup broke the internet this week. After four years of dating and no engagement in sight, Matt James called quits on his relationship with Rachael Kirkconnell. With all the confusion and discourse over this breakup, Jared and Jordana enter the chat with their own takeaways. On “Icky or Picky,” a listener ends up dating a meme king which is all fun and games until he sends her about 30 memes over the course of two days. When things don’t work out between them, he sends her a V...
Jan 31, 2025•42 min•Ep. 628
We’re one month into 2025 and J&J are here to keep you motivated, even if you already quit your New Year’s Resolutions. Jordana is fresh off of hosting a housewarming party and Jared is struggling to find time to write a book about dating while actively still dating. Later, we hop into emails, including a listener who wonders if her friends actually need to know the guy she’s dating and we answer the mother of all dating questions: How do I approach the gym hottie without being creepy? Today’s “...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 627
More than 25 years later, "Sex and the City" is still on our minds when it comes to how we would handle dating and relationships. However, since Gen Z has entered the chat and millennials hit double-digit rounds of rewatching, the discussions have shifted from identifying as the Carrie of your group to Carrie Bradshaw arguably being one of the worst characters we know. Still, Jared and Jordana aren't ready to hop on the hate train yet. They break down why we're so repulsed by some of Carrie's mo...
Jan 24, 2025•43 min•Ep. 626
It’s the dead of winter and we’re all in “hamper girl mode.” Jordana and Jared shake off the cold by jumping into some heated dating questions. Can a person have too many ongoing chats on a dating app? How do I know if breaking up was the right decision? And TikTok has spoken: Ghosting is out and “avoidant discarding” is in. J&J discuss this new dating term and how it’s even worse than just leaving someone on read. Later, a listener meets his Reese Witherspoon-esque dream girl. The catch? She li...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 625
It’s a second-guessing time of year on the podcast and in the dating world! Should you go out even though you're not feeling it in the thick of winter? Should you go for it with the cute person you met in your hometown? All the kinds of questions that J&J are tackling this Friday! They play a round of “Petty or Prudent?” about texting an ex’s family that his cheating is the reason your relationship is ending. Plus, a listener writes in about wanting to pursue the guy in her hometown thousands of...
Jan 17, 2025•38 min•Ep. 624
In the midst of reflecting and changing, this episode is on theme for the new year shifts you’re trying to make happen! After J&J catch each other up on their holiday breaks, a listener committed to keeping casual wonders how she can keep her anxious dating habits at bay. The Awkward Encounter would be a nightmare for any parent and teen. Then, after dedicating his 20s to his career, a 30m listener asks how to make his focus more dating-centric. Can a demanding job complement his dating life or ...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 623
If someone isn’t for you, let them. Easier said than done, but in today’s episode, we’re joined by Mel Robbins (@melrobbins), motivational speaker and author of “The Let Them Theory”, to tell us how. After Mel comes in hot with a reality check that we may be the cause of our biggest problems, Jared and Jordana question how listeners can apply the Let Them Theory to their lives whether they’re on the apps, ready to have kids or in a constant communication rut with their significant other.For more...
Jan 10, 2025•55 min•Ep. 622
This week, J & J are fresh off a dinner party together, but Jared’s own awkward encounter at a bar afterwards has him regretting that nightcap martini. After some daydreaming about winter getaways, we dig into the e-mails, starting with a listener who put their friend onto the pod, watched them succeed at finding love, but keeps striking out on their own. They tackle a couple of listener’s dating app woes, like should you stop replying if they make an edit to their profile you really dislike? To...
Jan 08, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 621
Dating Coach, Hinge Relationship Science expert, and friend of the pod Logan Ury (@loganury) is here to help J & J answer the question haunting single women everywhere: Where are all the guys?!? Her new Netflix show “The Later Daters,” where she coaches singles over 55 on how to get back in the dating scene, is now streaming – and proving that some dating struggles never change, even with age. They really dig into Logan’s 2025 passion projects: the gender imbalance in dating, the need for male s...
Jan 03, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 620
Happy New Year, U Up? listeners! J&J are ringing in the New Year doing what they do best: going a little bit off the rails. Jared plans to celebrate the New Year by toasting his martini to the moon (and hopes you will toast him back, wherever she is). They reflect about their 2024, before diving into some of Jared’s 2025 dating resolutions which include new-and-improved dating lines, personal improvement, and why you should be an even worse first date. Then, we hear from one listener who wants t...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 619
The holidays are coming to a close, the New Year is looming – is it time to get your shit together? We’re ending 2024 by welcoming author, entrepreneur, and returning guest Ramit Sethi (@ramit) to the studio for a (seriously) fun conversation about money and relationships. His new book, "Money for Couples", is about how to create your most "Rich Life." It’s a touchy subject, but Ramit holds our hand through it all: how to broach the money convo early on, reframing financial conversations through...
Dec 27, 2024•58 min•Ep. 618
‘Twas the U Up? before Christmas so J&J dressed up for fun. Regardless of your holiday plans, you won’t want to miss this one! With unhinged holiday spirit taking over the entire studio, they play a round of “Naughty or Nice?”, offer up Jared’s first date of 2025, and end with a holiday competition of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas rewrites by Jared and our producer, Candice. Plus, the Awkward Encounter involves a feline funk and J&J give a reality check when a cheating woman writes in with ho...
Dec 25, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 617
What does 2025 hold for your love life? Kelley Knight (@kelley__knight), psychic and owner of Modern Mystic Shop, returns to the studio to help us see what’s in store for each of our futures! First, she surprises J&J with gifts and they catch up since she gave Jared a reading in an episode last December. Then, Jared and Jordana each ask a question about different aspects of their lives for a quick reading. The episode ends with a round of Tarotscopes as Kelley makes predictions for each zodiac s...
Dec 20, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 616
After a couple weeks away from the studio and just days after Jared’s special taping, Jordana starts this episode by giving Jared his flowers and catches him up on her girls’ trip as the hosts settle back in. The first email asks for advice for everyone traveling to stay with family over the holiday season. How do you balance dating and family time when you’re away from your city, but don’t want to take a break? The Awkward Encounter, sponsored by A24’s Babygirl, comes from a woman unsure when t...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 615
Feeling lucky? On par with Friday the 13th, Jared and Jordana ease into the episode with their thoughts on superstitions, energy, and beliefs. Plus, Jared shares where his head is at ahead of a recording break for the Thanksgiving holiday, Jordana’s trip, and his special taping. Then, they play a game called “Is That My Wife?” inspired by Jared’s DMs. The episode ends with an email from a 26M listener wondering if he should be feeling more for the woman he’s been seeing for a couple of months or...
Dec 13, 2024•41 min•Ep. 614
Why won’t Jared go to therapy? We get this question often and, this week, he shares his own thought on why as well as a helpful TikTok, "Men Who Wear Masks And Struggle With Conflict" by @elisemicheals. Plus, he and Jordana are slipping more into f*ck it mode for the holidays. The first email is advice ahead of office holiday party season when your coworkers knew your ex: how do you introduce your new boyfriend to your coworkers without any awkward moments? The Awkward Encounter has a strange co...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 613
J&J are feeling good for this Friday episode with big plans for both hosts, and with this kind of energy, you never know where the conversation will take them! As you’ve seen on IG Stories by now, Jordana should be on her way back from a group trip and Jared is gearing up for his special taping in Tarrytown. With live performances on their minds, and as with most conversations lately, Wicked finds its way into their chat–except it just has Jared missing when he was into Marvel movies. Plus, Jare...
Dec 06, 2024•39 min•Ep. 612
We’re officially in “let’s circle back in the new year” territory, and to embrace it, J&J set out to make this the most unhinged U Up? episode this year. They talk about the pursuit of meaningful relationships and how the distraction of dating apps is clouding the way for the people making actual efforts. Plus, after the public reaction to Benny Blanco sharing that his relationship with Selena Gomez started by her asking him out*, they talk about the public’s perceptions of their relationship an...
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 611
It’s the biggest shopping day of the year, but before you get the new iPhone 16, J&J want you to know how a new AI feature on the iOS 18 update could affect your dating life. With breakup texts submitted to our Instagram and a ChatGPT assist from our producer, Shannon, Jared and Jordana break down how the conversations went and generate what an AI version would look like. They also determine when a breakup text is appropriate and play out their own breakup scenarios. The episode ends with a roun...
Nov 29, 2024•54 min•Ep. 610
