Here To Make Friends - A Bachelor Recap Show

Before we begin our coverage of “Love Island USA” – we did a little cast preview during this episode (!!!) – we had to discuss Netflix's latest addition to the reality romance space: “Sneaky Links: Dating After Dark.” Hosted by Chloe Veitch, the show follows pairs of people who were once each other's “sneaky links” (a.k.a. situationships), and challenges them to explore those relationships for real – or just date another hottie who has checked into their shared motel. There's a lot about the show that doesn't really work. The structure is murky, the casting is meh, and the goals are confused. However, one thing that it does make clear is that the men are NOT alright. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In recent weeks, *a lot* has happened: Two more “Love Is Blind” babies were announced (AD and Ollie! Lauren and Cam!), Ashley Adionser gave her first interview since separating from husband Tyler Francis (of “LIB” S7), and both Peter Kraus and Cassidy Timbrooks gave candid – exceedingly off-contract – interviews about their time within “The Bachelor” franchise. So naturally, we had to hop on and discuss it all. Come for the Ashley tea, and stay for the production reveals. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It may have taken “Farmer Wants A Wife” a few years to warm up, but after watching the end of season 3 we are ready to declare that this show scratches the itch that old seasons “The Bachelor” once did. In the two-part finale, Farmers Jay, Colton, John and Matt meet some families and then make their final decisions. There are some genuine surprises! And genuine drama! And genuinely romantic moments, despite the fact that there is an overarching dark-sidedness to it the whole enterprise! And throughout it all, Kimberly Williams-Paisley's outfits get increasingly deranged. Thank you for your service, farmers and prospective wives/farmhands. We truly love to see it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NYMag Features Writer Rebecca Jennings joins the pod to discuss her new book, “Be The Bombshell: What Love Island Teaches Us About Dating.” We dig into how “Love Island” reflects the hellscape of modern courtship and simultaneously offers an antidote to our app-forward dating culture. (Our main takeaway? Girl, leave your house.)  We also discuss how the show reflects our increasing political polarization, plays into the growing tendency to perform our relationships for external approval, and releases everyone from the tyranny of “the right reasons.” To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As “Bachelor in Paradise” filming continues, we finally have some casting leaks! We discuss some of the big names who will be appearing on the beach. Then we dive into the latest episode of “Farmer Wants a Wife,” in which the farmers and one of each of their finalists introduce their families to each other. As farmers' siblings and mothers make sure their potential future sisters-in-law plan to have fruitful wombs, the ladies bring their moms for that bff-level support and their dads for that FBI-level questioning. One step closer to finding the four tradwives to rule them all! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're talking about two shows with polar opposite vibes this week! First, we get into the final solo dates on “Farmer Wants A Wife,” and discuss who each farmer picked to be in their final two. Then we switch gears into the Bravo-verse and discuss the new dating show, “Love Hotel,” which takes four iconic Housewives and puts them in a villa to mix and mingle with a bunch of eligible-ish men. But some of them don't have money, hunny! And that's a no-go for these ladies. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This season of “Farmer Wants a Wife” has been the juiciest one yet – so we were thrilled to sit down with Julia Mya (Jay's farm) and Rachel Eve (Matt's farm) to find out more about these bonafide city girls and their foray into agricultural dating. We discussed how they ended up on this show, what we missed about their relationships with their farmers this season, and some of the shocking details about their in-house conflicts. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Build the life of your dreams and learn from the world's most successful people. Emma Grede, one of America's richest self-made women - wants you to make the most of your life. On ‘Aspire with Emma Grede', learn through thought-provoking conversations with some of the most successful and smartest minds on the planet. Each episode will unpack their habits, philosophy and strategies, covering career advice, well-being, psychology and of course how to win in business. The show offers personal stories, data-driven advice, real-world strategies, and the experience you need, to turn your dreams into reality. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bachelor Nation's hottest singles, regular and Golden, have hit the beach in Costa Rica to film a new season of “Bachelor in Paradise”! We run down the news and speculation about who and what are going down this season. Plus, we get into the seventh episode of “Farmer Wants A Wife,” where, lo and behold, Farmer Matt is finally forced to make an active decision! And Farmer Jay is really focused on “picking the brains” of his remaining women to do informational interviews on the subject of whether they have feelings for him. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of “Farmer Wants A Wife,” the agricultural dating show goes full pronatalist, as the farmers display their deference to their mamas – and let them have a shot at picking the next women who will clean up after them for no pay. We dig into the show's deeply conservative vision of motherhood, especially white motherhood, and the fantasy of overflowing wombs the episode weaves for us. Next, we discuss the Netflix crossover reality show “Battle Camp,” a sadistic summer camp featuring stars from “Too Hot to Handle,” “The Circle,” “Squid Game” and more. The show is brutal physically and perhaps even more brutal socially, but at least they're ruled over by their new god: the wheel of misfortune. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Farmer Wants A Wife” is in full swing, with the farmers going on solo dates to figure out whether they want a wife who stays home with their 2-3 kids, a wife who stays home with their 10 kids, or a wife with an impressive career they can brag about to their grandkids. Plus, we binged the Hulu show “Got to Get Out,” a competition reality show in which reality stars and regular people try to escape a mansion to steal a shared million-dollar prize. It features several Bachelor Nation veterans (including Susan Noles as Most Likely To Botch An Escape), as well as our new reality enemy: a man known as Doodles. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No reality show reflects our current moment better than “Farmer Wants A Wife,” a show about modern city women who dream of living a wholesome life as a tradwife with four kids and raw milk from their husband's very own cow. And it's currently back for season three of the current FOX reboot, featuring Kimberly Williams-Paisley as the host (and ultimate former city girl). Also featured: at least one farmer with rizz and questionable politics, innumerable MAGA Barbies doing farm labor in denim minidresses, and even some classic reality TV villains. The first four episodes of this season have been the liveliest since the reboot premiered in 2023, and we're loving every minute. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“The end of Grant's “Bachelor” season finds the franchise in turmoil: “The Bachelorette” is on pause indefinitely, the showrunners and EPs have exited amid complaints of a toxic work environment, and no one has any idea how “Bachelor in Paradise” is going to gracefully combine original flavor and Golden contestants. Where does the franchise go from here? Lizzy Pace of the Game of Roses podcast joins us to discuss the chaotic present and uncertain future of Bachelor Nation. But first, we had to sneak in a gossip sesh to catch up on not one, not two, but THREE brewing Bach Nation beefs.” To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The past few months have brought us a bounty of reality dating shows – and with them, a bounty of reality dating show gossip! For the first part of our show, we're joined by the TikTok gossip queen behind Storytime with Rikkii and the Reality Receipts podcast, who helps us make sense of all the “Love Is Blind” and “Temptation Island” madness. First, we break down the post-show “Love Is Blind” season 8 drama, including the fallout of Monica calling out Joey and Sara for secretly dating. Then, we react to all the “Temptation Island” tea, along with all the jaw-dropping antics (mainly from Grant) from the unofficial reunion on The Viall Files. Finally, we end with “The Bachelor” news: Grant and Juliana's post-season press rounds, Litia's social media ascension, a bunch of ‘Bachelor' babies, and Katie Thurston's cancer diagnosis and marriage. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Temptation Island” has officially moved to Netflix. The reboot quickly shot to the top of our queues, and we finally gave into temptation… to watch a bunch of maladapted men cheat on their girlfriends in Hawaii. We go through the highlights of the season, the way that gender roles play out within the franchise, and, of course, “rhythmic wet slapping.” To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's finale week, and our guy Grant is going through it on his way to a happy ending! He finds himself in a bit of a pickle after he's told two beautiful, dynamic women – who both “carry themselves” so well! – that he loves them. His good-on-paper girl and his fellow lone wolf are going head to head, and he's torn. Grant has just a few days to go on some last-chance dates, introduce both Juliana and Litia to his family, and then make the big decision. (Spoiler alert: He does! And some all-time high-quality drama ensues.) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Monica Danus's time on “Love Is Blind” season 8 ended in heartbreak at the altar, and she revealed on the reunion special that the heartbreak only continued after filming wrapped. We had so many questions for Monica about her time on the show and everything that has gone down since. We discuss how she feels about her engagement with Joey after watching the show (and his choice to longboard down the aisle), the fallout from her sister's skepticism, whether Joey led her on after the wedding, and her explosive revelation that her pod friend Sara and Joey are now dating. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

College holds a mythic place in American culture, but behind the polished campus tours and glossy brochures lies a far more complicated reality. Each episode of Campus Files uncovers a new story that rocked a college or university. Consider this your unofficial campus tour.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grant and his final three are in the Dominican Republic for fantasy suites, and it's a pivotal week – because Grant still barely knows these women. Juliana shows off her down and dirty side, Litia convinces Grant she's adventurous, and Zoe is once again thwarted in her quest to have a conversation with her possible future husband. But – we do get the FIRST “I love you” of the season. And it comes from Grant! There may be zero narrative tension during Grant's fantasy suites, but heading into the finale it seems like we may finally get some drama… and some real genuine heartbreak. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most “Love Is Blind” reunions are basically useless. But 8 seasons in, Nick and Vanessa Lachey actually (mostly) delivered. Or, rather, the women of LIB Minneapolis came correct. They had receipts, and monologues, and striking clarity about their relationships during the show. Plus, the most unsettling update of all: Daniel's new tattoo of Taylor's eyes. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Grant's breakneck season sprints toward the finale, his former bachelorettes gathered for the traditional Women Tell All special, moderated (sort of) by Jesse Palmer. And it turned out to be another episode of the Carolina Show, as the women rehashed every moment of tepid drama – and Carolina came ready to win every point. Plus, some really exciting stuff! Like… weird Disney film tie-ins… and Grant's Easter-themed suit… and… bloopers? This whole reunion could have been an email. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The finale is upon us! Four out of five engaged couples make it to the altar, but will any of them actually get married? We discuss the telltale signs that someone is going to say “no” at the altar, some egregious fashion misses from the men, and who we're rooting for in the aftermath of the season. Plus, we get into some tidbits of gossip ahead of the reunion and our penultimate Friends to Enemies scale!  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's only week 6 of Grant's journey to find love, and yet somehow we are ALREADY AT HOMETOWNS. We're whisked away to see the skyscrapers of Manhattan (Zoe) and Chicago (Dina), the mountains of Wyoming (Litia), and the pizza parlor of Newton, Mass. (Juliana). Grant really digs into what he wants from a wife – namely a giant, loving family that he can nuzzle right into. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now that our “Love Is Blind” squad is back in Minneapolis, real life has officially rocked the couples. Protective – and overprotective – sisters weigh in, and the couples struggle to align on politics, faith, and social justice issues. Dave sets new land-speed records for assholery as he continues to obsess about Lauren's past situationship – and introduces the audience to his Sex Boss. (His sister, natch.) Plus, a juicy Pod Squad hang reveals some new nuggets of hot goss

It's week 5 of Grant's whirlwind journey to find his very own love worth of a romance book, and already – far too soon – the gang is on the precipice of hometowns. As they explore the streets of Edinburgh and the castles of the Scottish countryside, the women try to show Grant their most vulnerable, supportive, and fun-loving sides. But some of them reach a breaking point with Carolina's bouts of pouting. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our LIB couples have officially left the pods! They head off for a mostly blissful trip to Honduras, before being thrown back into real life in Minneapolis. Among the issues that arise: prenups, communal sock bins, knicknacks, sisters, women crying on TikTok, and an alleged ex who seems more like a person desperately trying to get on television. We also update our enemies-to-friends scale and ratings of who will – and should – get married. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's week 4 of Grant's “Bachelor” journey, and apparently we're already almost done. Only ten women remain as they embark on their international leg in Madrid. And the drama is swirling… around Carolina. Zoe has retreated from villainy, and Carolina has emerged. Plus, Rose is still struggling after her own Carolina drama from last week. Which newly-minted matadora will come out on top? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Love Is Blind” season 8 has begun, and we are moving our LIB coverage over to Love To See It. (Don't we… love to see it?) Welcome, pod people! In Minneapolis, our daters share some common experiences: going to Catholic school, decorating for Christmas, sometimes wearing sexy Halloween costumes and sometimes wearing silly Halloween costumes, and enjoying popular movies. Plus, there's an infuriating love square… and at least one contestant with online buzz so bad it ended up on camera. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In week 3 of Grant's “Bachelor” season, we're learning more about his unique interests: day trading, dogs, freestyling about private jets, and nurturing women. But which woman is the MOST nurturing? And how will Detective Grant figure it out? By the powers of girl math, we may never know. We also discuss the cultural (and political) impact of the soft girl TikTok trend and her male alter ego: the meme-stock-trading, sports-gambling crypto bro.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's week 2 of Grant's “Bachelor” journey and this man is definitely is NOT on television to advance his music career. If he showed up with a suitcase full of legal pads covered in song lyrics, that's just because he loves expressing his emotions! Plus, the women are still writing Mrs. Ellis on their backs. And they're never ever going to stop. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Bachelor has arrived at the mansion, and so has a no-drama llama who is destined to be disappointed. In “The Bachelor” season 29 premiere, Grant meets 25 beautiful women who *will* make great mothers and *do* love tiny neck scarves. And he's just looking for love – if, by love, you mean a flower, a kiss, a hug, and a conversation. Will these women be able to give him the love, and family, he's looking for? Plus, we discuss Grant's burgeoning music career. (By this, we mean the mysterious single that suddenly dropped out of nowhere, titled “Party Girls.”) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We finally got New York City hometown hero Jeremy Simon, one of Jenn Tran's final four, on the pod! We discussed his time on Jenn's season, his thoughts on the Devin of it all, and what he thinks we can expect from our next Bachelor, Grant Ellis. (Plus, we obviously had to ask him about his AirBNB… which is named Morning Wood.) And we couldn't let another day go by without discussing the absolutely baffling social rollout of Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell's abrupt breakup. After some rank theorizing about what happened with the seemingly happy couple, we discuss Christina Mandrell's long-awaited wedding to Brayden Bowers – announced with yet another fake-out styled shoot. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's cast bios time, baby! Grant's season of “The Bachelor” is almost upon us, so it's time to get to know the 25 bachelorettes who will be vying for his heart. We've got 6 New Yorkers, 5 health care workers, 4 women who aspire to have marriages like their parents have, 3 women with totally superfluous vowels in their names that make them very Googleable, 2 women with the last name Gupta, and approximately 0 body diversity. But hey – at least there are a handful of women over the age of 30? And they're all looking for one thing: a man who isn't a giant liar. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is all about YOUR burning questions. We asked our wonderful community what you wanted to hear us talk about, from “The Bachelor” to celebrity news to cultural phenomena to yes, my wedding planning updates – and boy did you deliver!  In this episode, we discuss: The future of “The Bachelor” The Baldoni/Lively legal feud Podcast behind-the-scenes Updates on Emma's wedding and bridal propaganda Toddler mom advice Where to find our coverage of “The Traitors” To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New year, new us, new news and goss in Bachelor Nation! In this episode, we'll cover… The ramp-up to Grant's season of “The Bachelor” Gerry Turner's cancer diagnosis Some ~buzzy~ relationship hard launches and engagements Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber's continued couple-baiting (and dating) Bachelor babies! Amanda Stanton's (faux) fashion drama with Taylor Swift Aaron Rodgers calling “The Bachelorette” a “bullshit” show To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're kicking off the New Year right with the movie that taught us all about mini gherkins. Join us as we break down the greatest rom-com of our time– or it's at least in the top 30 greatest rom-coms of our time. To help us along the way is friend of the pod and actor Molly Bernard!

Cozy sweaters? Stunning getaways? A little romance after a crappy breakup? Um, yes please! This week, we're watching another holiday classic: The Holiday, starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black. We're joined by the delightful Rachelle Hampton, co-host of the Slate podcast ICYMI!

Today, we're revisiting the friends-to-lovers film that kicked off the rom-com renaissance of the 90's: When Harry Met Sally! This “will they, won't they” takes place over twelve years asking the question: Can men and women be just friends?

Daters over 50 are *so hot* right now. After the success of "The Golden Bachelor," we should have known that Netflix would wanna get in on the demo. In this episode, we discuss the placid vibes of “The Later Daters,” the joys of quirky first-date conversation, and how compelling a dating show can be sans drama.

Before online dating and social media, there were radio therapy shows. This week, we're diving into Sleepless in Seattle, one of the first great parasocial love stories! Joining us to break it down is friend of the pod and Normal Gossip producer, Alex Sujong Laughlin!

Today, we're revisiting our recap of another holiday classic: The Best Man Holiday, starring Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Regina Hall and more. Along the way, we'll talk about just what makes rom-coms so important. Joining us is rom-com lover and Bachelor in Paradise contestant Andrew Spencer!

What's better than a movie about falling in love with the perfect person? A movie about falling in love with the perfect family! This week, we're kicking off the holidays with While You Were Sleeping. Sure, it has its plot holes, but we love it nonetheless!