Bachelor Mansion Takeover Recap: Drama, Competition, and a Mansion That Needed Help

The Bachelor mansion might be the most overdue renovation in reality TV.

In this episode of In My Hometown, Jamie and Pascal break down the new HGTV show Bachelor Mansion Takeover, where Bachelor Nation meets design and home renovation.

Twelve fan-favorite contestants from ABCs The Bachelor and The Bachelorette (and Bachelor In Paradise) return to the most famous house in reality TV to redesign and renovate the iconic Bachelor mansion — and Jamie and Pascal have thoughts. 

They discuss the premiere episode, the contestants, the mansion itself, and whether this crossover between Bachelor Nation and HGTV-style competition actually works. Pascal also gives his insider perspective given he lived in the mansion during The Golden Bachelorette season with Joan Vassos.

They also preview the upcoming Bachelorette season, because in Bachelor Nation the drama never really stops.

If you’re a fan of the franchise — or just love reality TV — this recap episode is a fun insider conversation about one of reality tv's most recognizable houses.

In this episode:

• First reactions to Bachelor Mansion Takeover

• Former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants competing

• Why the mansion might be overdue for a renovation

• Whether the Bachelor + HGTV crossover works

• The Golden Bachelor and Bachelorette cast members being targeted 

• A preview of the upcoming Bachelorette season

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:22

Hi, you're in my hometown. I'm Jamie Stein. I'm here with Pascal, and it's the two of us today. Hello.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Excited.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

It's exciting. We're going to talk a Bachelor Mansion Takeover. It is a mouthful. It is a new show on HGTV, and it's a competition show. And with it's really for Bachelor Nation. And uh we're gonna talk that today. I'm excited about it because we are we've been really we've been wanting Bachelor talk. So as we prepare for the Bachelorette premiere and our recap series we're gonna do for that, this will this will warm the the um water or prime the pump. I don't really know one of the two, and then we'll give a catch-up on ourselves. I want to talk about some travels you've done and some I've done, and uh and so that's what what today is. So uh we watched the show. Yes, okay, yeah Bachelor Mansion Takeover. And Tom, you could pull up the um yeah, the image. And this premiered last week uh with I think it was like a two-hour episode.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

That long yet?

SPEAKER_01 1:30

I watched it and fast forward. Oh, okay, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

You fast your commercial.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

And then this this week will be the second episode. Um, and I really enjoyed it, but I was surprised that it was more survivor-like than um than I thought it was going to be. What about what about you? And and by the way, I think this has been, we've talked about it, it's been in the makings. I mean, the bachelor mansion is probably most the most overdue for a renovation on television. The most, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Yeah, I mean, I think the the mansions is 20, 20 years old.

SPEAKER_01 2:04

20 years old.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

Yeah, and they haven't done it. It's a beautiful real estate, but it definitely needed an upgrade. Yeah, needed the revamp. I mean, I've lived in the mansion for about uh six weeks, right? So I'm very familiar about what needs to be done. And right now, what they did is the uh bedroom takeover. There is really three bedrooms, and there is bank bed in each bedroom, and I believe then the competition, I didn't know it was gonna be a competition with a money reward, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

$100,000, right? So I don't know. And they have let's set the stage too, because I'm I think m most of our audience maybe have has watched it or haven't, but it's like we said, it's a competition show. There are six women, six former bachelorette, uh bachelor, bachelorette, and the mixture of bachelor and bachelorette. So six gals who've been on the bachelor uh bachelor, and then six guys who've been on the bachelorette. Yes. Or bachelor in paradise, like the bachelor's friends. So and and of those people, so we've got like Brendan, uh, we had Chris from The Golden, your friend, your Chris, yeah. Okay, and then Dean, who I think is the cutest guy. And then we had um, who else? We had uh Courtney, uh Alicia, and Jill, and then Joan um and Sandra from the Golden Bachelor, your your ex-girlfriend Joan, of course. And then Tammy and Noah, um, some other uh younger, younger folks. And and interestingly, as they introduced them, you know, they gave their experience. So, you know, you had some interior designers, which I think anyone can be an interior design.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

An interior designer, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:39

I mean, I have a lot of friends that are interior design.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

I mean, I would have loved to see an architect to come up and reconfigure a little bit the mansion, I think. But I mean the the mansion takeover is just redo in the bedroom, and I think they're gonna do now the the rose room the next, and I think they're gonna tick uh they're gonna take the mansion apart and they're gonna do a competition. Each week they're gonna do something. But uh, I think to me, you know, they it's it they need expertise, they need to, you know. I mean, and I right now I feel like it's a mixture of uh young kids and a couple of them from the the golden bachelor, who most of them don't have any experience in design.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Yeah, so so Noah um is I think like a uh I forgot if he was a contractor. Joan says she's an interior designer, Dean is like a DIY renovator, and then you had a real estate agent. Sandra is a real estate agent. So uh Chris, your your friend Chris from the Golden Batcher General Contractor. You had Brendan, who's a roofer and a painter. So you have a mix, and then you do have an architect. I think that um Jill is um, I wrote her down somewhere, but I think that she was an architect or historical architect somewhat. So you had some, they gave a little bit uh about them that could give some credibility to them. But then we got to see in the first couple minutes this uh challenge that really maybe highlighted some of the lack of experience. Experience. Experience knowledge you were talking about that.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

Yeah, we're talking about the lack of experience that they didn't know the equation for the square footage to be able to find the combination to open the box.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

Right. Now, do you think most people who are in design in the world? Oh, they should know that.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

Yeah, yeah, definitely. People who are in the designer, people who are contractor, they should definitely know what the equation it is to cover a square footage. I'm bad at math, so I think I would have been holding, like I wouldn't have been able to get into the box, but but you should know if you are Yeah, I mean if you are in that field, man, I'm not in that field, but I've flipped a bit with design because I design all my salons, so I understand if you get a hundred square feet room, how many tar do you need, you know. I mean, it's it's it's simple, it's a simple equation.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

Yeah, so I thought that was that was funny. And then you have um, and then you have Taisha and um Tyler. Wait, no, Cameron. Cameron, I think, who is um the one of the j the two judges. Yeah. And they want he has uh he has experience. He has has his own show on HGTV. Um, but I don't know what you know if Ty Taisha has any other experience other than hosting. And then um, so those that those they were the judges.

SPEAKER_00 6:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:22

And like you said, they are gonna do room by room. So this first episode was really the bedrooms, and you have experience sleeping in that in those bedrooms, and they are really they were old and they were old, they needed to be, I mean, you know, uh they changed the the furniture for every season.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

If it's a bachelorette, they will put a pink pant. If it's a bachelor, they put the blue pants. So basically they keep adding the pants, but the the the concept of uh the number of people the pants, okay. The pants. Okay, the the the the concept of the having the big room with nine beds, the other room with six beds. Yeah, I think this is the equation. This is what it is.

SPEAKER_01 6:58

They're not gonna change, they're not gonna give you a private room. No, they're not giving you a private room master suite, no, right. But but I think they were addressing that with the privacy. So we've got an image up that the ladies, which I really did think did a better job hands down. Do you agree?

SPEAKER_00 7:12

I think they did a very good job. I I'm very surprised.

SPEAKER_01 7:19

For somebody who has no experience, but they did have some people on set. They did say that they got um carpenter. They had carpenters.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

They had to.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Right. I mean, how I I'm sure they contributed to it.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

I've done sure. I'm sure they put a little pen, they put a little nail, they put a little the you know, ironing the fabric.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

I've I participate in Habitat for Humanity some years, and you go and you help build homes. Yeah, but I mean, I might hammer.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

But you wouldn't take this. And I painted what I find very interesting also is you know, for safety measure, when you see them cutting with the stone, there is no helmet, no gaggle, no gloves.

SPEAKER_01 7:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

You know, meaning.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

So you think it was for TV alone?

SPEAKER_00 7:59

I think that I think definitely it was meant for TV.

SPEAKER_01 8:01

Okay. I also thought that, you know, they made a little bit of drama. Oh, this is the guy's room. The guy's room.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

I thought the guy's room was cool. I think the blue skill, the blue ceiling with that the more like the the the how you call mykonos type of feeling, the Greek feeling with the blue roof, the white furniture. Right. They call it the mykonos room. Same, same thing. Santorini.

SPEAKER_01 8:21

But um, I think that it does have a little bit of a uh someone said a child's room feel to it.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

I agree.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Uh, but the other room, which I don't have an image of, the the guys did two rooms, and the other one was a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 8:34

The odor room was nice, but very masculine with a casino. I thought it was very pretty. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

I think part of the issue, do you agree, is that uh they the the the big part of the competition was the timing of it and how fast they had to do it. And that there really wasn't a lot of um well, I guess there was discussion around the paint colors. The guys spent way too long talking about the paint colors. I just wonder if you again, you're a fan of HGTV and you watch the show for the design part. I'm not sure you're going to you're gonna love it because to me it was more a bachelor uh uh nation uh um and survivor than it was design.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

You know, to be quite my my personal feeling is I think the dimension needed a major makeover, okay? We've talked about that. And I think they took advantage of the makeover to try to do a series out of it. Yeah. And HD TV say, hey, what we that's what we do. So let's do it. But I think they should have it would have been better for them to hire the people who are specialized in modeling than putting a pantry of bachelor and bachelorette together and say, hey, we're gonna make it because it become a HD TV or it become a bachelor nation. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

Yeah, it has it's interesting. The crossover aspect of it is interesting. And again, I'm gonna give it another week because I did by the end of it, I I was getting into it. I didn't love the fact that they had to, each team had to vote. So they had the the the ladies against the men with the bedrooms is the first project, and they had to vote off one of the ladies, and the ladies had to vote off one from their team, and the guys had to vote off someone from their team. And it was even before the challenge was over. And what do you think happened? I don't know, were you aware were you anticipating that they were gonna try to vote off the older people, the golden?

SPEAKER_00 10:23

No, I don't, I mean, uh for what they were gonna try to vote him out, but they realized that he has a lot more values because he's a general contractor, and he did a very good job with the desk, yeah, the desk he built in the in the Chris. So he did. So I think it was important for them to keep him because of the experience he has. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

But they were all that said, I think they it was an immediate sort of who was gonna go off, and they all said Chris at the beginning. And then I think it was Ty.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

That was Chris and the other guy at Tweetui. And then finally the guy came up, the guy who had the silver or the gold hammer, yes, had to make the final decision. Dean he said, I'm gonna keep Chris because he has more experience.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

Yeah, which was great. Which is smart. But I but I got the sense, and again, you don't know with editing, but that I think initially they all just thought Chris would be the one to go, the the one from the uh golden bachelorette. But then uh maybe they had some conversations and realized that he actually was the one that was doing the most work.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

Yeah, I mean he's the one who's got the most important.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

And then on the lady side, it was Sandra.

SPEAKER_00 11:23

Sandra, I mean Sandra. Sandra was funny because she said, you know, there you go. I'm I'm gonna I didn't even she didn't she didn't last in any show, Sandra. I know. You know, so I feel bad. I think it would have been nice for her to be there a little bit longer. Was she funny?

SPEAKER_01 11:36

So Chris was uh off of the Bachelorette uh episode two, I read. And I think Sandra probably around that time too. You know what? I think she was trying to play it sort of um under the radar, but she didn't know that the vote-off was gonna happen so quickly, probably. So I think she just didn't really contribute anything. Joan is extremely adept at the whole dynamic.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

She's definitely the best. I think she's she's yeah, like you said, she's adept very well. Yeah, you know, she's got experience a little bit on design. I know I've seen a video about the I would love love to see her in a cooking show because that's what she does a lot.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

Well, what I'm saying is she, I didn't even, I'm not even saying about her design yet. I'm talking about her, she was so demeanor. Yes, that she was able to play it with the with the ladies, and she was making friends, and she just uh she definitely knew how to play the game.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

You know, you know, that's what we said when when I was when we're in the Bachelor, yeah, the the Bachelor. And we said then the Joan has the ability to engage a conversation. Yeah, she's the type of person who will ask you questions, she's engaging, and that was very easy for all of us as a golden bachelor to talk to her because she was always initiating the conversation, she's got a very friendly personality.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

Love her, that's what it's about. Yeah, and and I've had the opportunity to spend some time with her. Yeah, I mean when we were in a together, yeah. And I couldn't agree more. So I'm not surprised that she stayed on. I think that she probably will go farther. I was a little okay. So here's another hot take or surprise. Why was she, Joan, maybe not the guest judge like Hannah Brown was? And instead, um, maybe Hannah Brown would have been a contestant. Like I just was surprised maybe that Joan wanted to be a contestant on the show versus that role as the guest judge.

SPEAKER_00 13:25

That that other you know, I mean I think uh, you know, I don't know, I don't know. Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 13:30

I don't mean I don't know how the and people they all seem to have the same amount of experience or less experience. So that's what I don't really get yet. Um, and the judging, they said it was gonna be based on all this criteria, it was gonna be on um um creativity and it was gonna be based on execution. But then when they really got down to it, they walked in the rooms and they just sort of did it based on gut. Like this room feels really good, this room doesn't. Didn't you get so I wasn't sure I mean the judging. We'll see.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

So you think then you know they had the uh uh six weeks, uh four weeks lifetime and say, how are we gonna feed it up? Yeah, and that's what they decided to do. Right. You know, I mean, uh, I think that show has no business to be on AG TV, meaning on the you know, yeah. Uh uh, I think they took that advantage about the mansion needed remodeling and say, hey, they make a show out of it. Yeah, they bring the bachelor, the bachelorette, they put it together. But I just think then that's uh it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:28

What room do you so what room would you do you think it was a need most of a makeover?

SPEAKER_00 14:34

I think personally what they need the most in the mansion was a gym.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

A gym.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

And I believe that they're doing one. Oh, the gym. There is no gym. So you have you have uh 24 hours a day, you do barely nothing. Right. And it will be nice to have a nice gym with a lot of equipment to be able to go there and relax and work out. And that's that was my beef with them. I make them buy a bench, I make them buy some weight because I need a gym. Right. So uh I know then they're gonna do that later on. I think the next one was uh was uh they're gonna do the the rose room ceremony. Yes, they're gonna do this one, right now they do. I mean, to be honest with you, the whole mansion needs to be redone.

SPEAKER_01 15:10

But I was yeah, I'm just wondering. I I think the uh kitchen uh for me, yeah, uh, and they seem to really uh be showing them there was no seats in the kitchen, and you know, it just seems like that you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and the kitchen seems there was a seat in the kitchen.

SPEAKER_00 15:26

There was there was a table where you could sit a lot of people.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

Maybe they took it out.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

Yeah, and there was the counter where you could sit uh uh like five, six people. So no, there was a I think that I mean again, it's 25 years old. Right. Okay, and not only is 25 years old, but he's been season after season after season. The house got a lot of being. I mean, really, and I think it's definitely the makeover, the concept of doing a show all of that. That's that's fun.

SPEAKER_01 15:50

It's super fun. I love it. And you know what? I as a fan, I can't wait to see uh the the new season and how the house looks with the new season.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

But I think we're gonna see if you follow the the four or five this week of uh the you're gonna see the the you've seen the bedroom already. Yeah because that's what they do, the three bedrooms. Yeah, so we'll see how to do that. I think next week we're gonna see the robes celebration.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

But I just meant we'll see the ladies um or the gentlemen, actually, because it's the bachelor's. So we'll see how how they interact with the home and everything. I love to they had the homeowner interviewed. Yes, and he was uh he was interesting.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

He hit the he he he hid the jackpat.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

Yeah, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

He hit the jackpat that home.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

I mean, uh you'd think maybe that the bachelor people would have maybe even just purchased the house from him. I mean, I would say I can't imagine the renting for 20 years and all.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

Do you know then uh we were looking at to get the golden bachelor together and rent the mansion because it's an RBB. Oh, it's like a $30,000 like a week or I don't remember, but it was a ridiculous amount of money. Yes, because between the season it's an RBB, yeah, you know, and and people want to stay in the mansion. Oh, I stay in the mansion. Yeah, it's a beautiful beautiful piece of propriety, but uh uh the owner hit the jackpad meaning.

SPEAKER_01 17:03

Yeah, no, it is it's it is really beautiful, and I think um so I also really liked Jesse, you know, when he hosts the bachelor and the golden bachelorette, you can't you don't really get too much of his personality. And I thought in this one there were a lot of scenes where he was sort of chuckling or like laughing, or he was just I really enjoyed him. He was like the best part of the show, actually.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

I I think so. I think Jesse in The Bachelor, Bachelorette, Golden Bachelor, Golden Bachelorette, he has to have a more that uh that serious attitude because that's a serious decision to find a mate. In here, this is more like a casual setting. You don't see him with a suit, you see him more relaxed. I I mean, I think Jesse is great. I think he did definitely bring a lot into the show.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Yeah, I agree. And then I saw the preview for sort of like what's coming this season, and they tried to hide a lot, just like they do with the Bachelor and the Golden and the Bachelorette, in that you see um some scenes, but you don't really know like who's necessarily stayed around for it, because I'm sure that they um do some creative editing, but it does look like it gets even more dramatic, and it looks like there's some arguments with some of the people. Um, so you know that that looks like it's a good thing.

SPEAKER_00 18:12

So, what is the elimination process? Okay, the first week they eliminate one one uh one man, one woman.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

Right.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

So as the week goes on, it's gonna be an elimination. Who's gonna stay? Who's gonna stand?

SPEAKER_01 18:23

I thought about that too. Who's gonna stand? Is it one person?

SPEAKER_00 18:27

That's gonna be one person staying. Who's winning the hundred thousand dollars? That I don't understand the concept. Right. Because if every week you eliminate one or two people, what is left in the hand?

SPEAKER_01 18:37

Well, yeah, I I agree. I was thinking that too. That does that mean that one person will be putting the whole kitchen together? Like, I don't really know.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

To me, take the the five guys, the five girls, and let them do the process. In the end, they get voted in, voted out, but don't eliminate anyone because now when you reach the rose ceremony, there is four girls, four guys. When you reach the the the how you call the the living rooms gonna be they're gonna meet up three girls, three guys. So, how how are they gonna be able to that? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

We will we will see. And then there also looks like there's some good, like Nate Burkis, who is um well, he had he's an expert, he's a designer, there's uh an actress, uh Rachel Bilson. So there's gonna be some like celebrity judges, which I'm looking forward to.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

I think they brought one in the end, am I right?

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Well, they brought Hannah Brown with one. She is from The Bachelorette, she was a bachelorette.

SPEAKER_00 19:27

Okay, what experience does she have?

SPEAKER_01 19:28

Well, she she's an interior designer.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Uh you know, they we're all an interior designer, are we? I am an interior designer.

SPEAKER_01 19:35

But that's what I'm saying. Why wasn't Joan in that spot? Like when Joan's an interior designer, she's a contestant. So I think I'm just I think what it's lacking right now, but we're gonna see, is the expertise and sort of how that is influencing and informing these decisions.

SPEAKER_00 19:51

And the concept of it. I think the concept to me doesn't make much sense, to be honest with you. I mean, if you eliminate people like it again, who's gonna win the hundred times? And you know what?

SPEAKER_01 19:59

I don't like when they put we're very, we're very confused.

SPEAKER_00 20:02

I've I but I like it though. I don't like to put money into the equation. Okay, you know, I think money, you know, it's always it's always about who's gonna get the money, and that's what they've been doing late. Yes, they've done that in the Bachelor in Barad Golden Bachelor, Bachelor of Paradise, they added money before. Yes, now they added money, so I think that's uh I don't know, it's like a wheel of fortune.

SPEAKER_01 20:22

Now you turn and I think that that that money could be used for yeah for different reasons. But I here are a couple other hot takes. I noticed a lot of um brands like brands within the show.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

So you have Wayfair.

SPEAKER_01 20:35

Wayfair, you had, oh, here's the Sherwin Williams paint truck, and then you had Jeep. Um and I think there might have been a couple of others, which I understand. That's marketing. Yeah, yeah, I understand it, but uh, that's what they get it dependent for free. I love Wayfair myself.

SPEAKER_00 20:50

It's good marketing for Wayfair, it's good, it's good for the for the mansion.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

So it's I think it's so here's a question I have. Where were they sleeping? So they did this thing where they all went up with their suitcases and they all went in the rooms and they chose their beds, and then all of a sudden the challenge is that they're redoing the rooms that they're in. Yeah, so I don't think they actually slept in the mansion. I think I don't think so. Okay, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

But that was like a roost or yeah, because the those are the mansion is actually have a lot has a lot of rooms. Has a lot of rooms, but those rooms are used for uh production. Uh so they there is no the the the three bedrooms are the three main bedrooms when you go upstairs. Yeah, those are the three bedrooms. Okay, and then the bathroom, I would love to see the bathroom down. I mean the bathroom, I mean the bathroom is a catastrophe.

SPEAKER_01 21:34

Did you ever go out on the terrace? You know how they're and what was out there?

SPEAKER_00 21:38

Nothing.

SPEAKER_01 21:38

Oh, there wasn't even a chair on there.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

Nothing, nothing. I think they've done a good job with the terrace actually. Yeah, nothing, just uh Wow, no furniture.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

Okay, yeah, that's interesting. All right, well, I think that uh you know uh one of the things that I think they did that for a purpose, Jimmy.

SPEAKER_00 21:53

They did that for a purpose because if there was furniture on those two terrace, a few people will hang upstairs, a few people and there was Yeah, so they wanted everybody to be downstairs.

SPEAKER_01 22:02

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 22:02

That makes sense, you know.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Yeah, and then I um so here's here's what I also thought about uh as I watched it. I haven't watched every single season of of The Bachelor Bachelorette, and you clearly have not because you didn't know who Hannah Brown was. She's a popular, yeah, a popular former Bachelorette. But what did you think about the cast?

SPEAKER_00 22:23

I mean, you know, again, you know, those I mean they mixed up the young with the old. Yeah, and uh I'm uh to be honest with you, I'm a little confused about their choice. So why do they pick up those guys?

SPEAKER_01 22:33

Who they must have made a call out to all of the bachelor nation people and said if you have design or you know, probably but I'm surprised there is no more designer and uh and contractor.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

I mean the franchise is 25, 20 years old, yeah, and they've done hundreds and hundreds of people.

SPEAKER_01 22:50

So well, maybe this was the these 12.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

It seemed like it seemed like the the the girls were just from the last season in Bachelor in Paradise. Um I recognize all of them. Like most of them, I think most the last season, two seasons back. Um, you know, I I don't know, I don't know who come up and pick up.

SPEAKER_01 23:08

I what I noted was that most of these people have been on at least The Bachelor or Bachelorette and then Bachelor in Paradise once or twice. Yes. So there's sort of you know recurring characters. I remember Brendan from when I watched the the um Bachelorette and I think with um yeah, he was with Tycia Taisha. So one of the judges, two of the men were on her season with her, and they were not in the mansion, they were at the La Quinta, I think, in um Springs. Okay, which was Kenny, Kenny's um season.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

I have no idea.

SPEAKER_01 23:44

Do you remember Kenny? We had him on the show. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So that that season you didn't watch, but um, so that was who I noticed, and Brandon's was sort of um an in like a polarizing character, and then I think another one was um uh my god, I thought I wrote all everyone down, but there was another guy that was sort of like a polarizing character. Oh, Chris. No, not Chris.

SPEAKER_00 24:08

No, Chris.

SPEAKER_01 24:09

Sam. Sam. Sam was sort of a villain from one of the seasons. So I don't know. I think the casting was really good. Uh, and I guess we'll see. I know that, you know, because they want a bit of the drama. So let us know what you think as you're um, you know, uh listening or watching this. We'd love to hear.

SPEAKER_02 24:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:27

I did DM with a couple people over the weekend, um, people that are fans and friends of our show. And uh it was mixed bag in terms of people liking the HGTV um Bachelor Mansion takeover. Some people thought it was a little cutthroat.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

Cutthroat? Cutthroat, yeah. So we'll see. Yeah. You know what I mean? I don't know why would they want to be cutthroated? I mean, I guess, yeah, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 24:50

You know, I mean cutthroat in the sense that they cut those people like mid-show and not even mid-show that the beginning of the show. Right. Uh I did love the drama though of the room where they go into and then they write the person's name down and then they hold the sign up. That have you ever watched Survivor? No, because that's what they do in Survivor, so it was definitely something that was sort of taken from that, and I liked it.

SPEAKER_00 25:14

You know, they try to, I think I think the franchise, the golden franchise, try to try to reinvent themselves and they try to throw everything to see what works.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 25:23

Uh, I think the the the people who's gonna speak is the viewer, yeah, the wedding. And then if the show is successful, they're gonna keep doing it. And if it's not, they're gonna, you know. I mean, I think they they already got the the the takeover with uh HD uh GTV where they do the remodeling and home remodeling, stuff like that. Yeah, so that's uh I don't think the franchise is gonna go that way. They had the opportunity to do that, but I don't think that's they're gonna go back to the bachelor, the bachelorette, and that's it.

SPEAKER_01 25:48

Yeah, I think they'll continue. And what I think is I think they're gonna continue to try to expand the show the way they're doing now. So they've got this HGTV thing, and I think there's probably some other properties that they're looking into. I mean, they've already started a bunch of podcasts, so I think it is, it's sort of interesting of how the universe opens up, but um, I like it. I just uh I'm a design um fan, like I'm design obsessed, and so I wanted a bit more around that, and uh and instead it was a it was a it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. So I mean I think we should get it. But I mean I love John, and we love John.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

Yeah, we love Joan, we love Chris, you know, Jesse's done a good job. The other kids I don't know them. So we'll see.

SPEAKER_01 26:30

We'll see.

SPEAKER_00 26:30

So see, I think I think it'd be interesting to see what the the what the concept of the show is. I think right now I'm a little confused and lost, but yeah, as we go on, let's see what happened. I think the next week is the rose ceremony, and then we go from there, we see what happened.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

You know, there's a road, uh you mean the rose room.

SPEAKER_00 26:44

The rose room, the rose. Yeah, the rose room, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:46

Um, okay, all right. So let's switch uh switch gears for a minute. So let's talk. Um, we were both in Vegas recently for different reasons. Oh, at different times and different reasons. Yes, we were not together. Where where were what were you doing?

SPEAKER_00 27:01

I was uh uh one of the golden bachelor named Guild uh was I invited him to spend some time in Chicago over the fall of last year. And uh and we were talking about I said, Oh, I would like to go to Vegas to see the eagle. He said, Oh, you like the eagle? I said, I love the eagle. So as a as a token of his appreciation, the eagle, yeah, as a token of his appreciation of him entertaining him here in Chicago, he got me two tickets to go see to this to go see the eagle in the spear. And uh he him and his friend and me and my friend, we went there. And so I spent the weekend with him in Vegas. We went to the Spear. It was fantastic, yeah, fantastic weekend. I mean, uh Vegas was slow, not as busy. Yeah, uh, Vegas is under a lot of construction. There is a lot of rumor of hotels who are going bankrupt. There is less attendance, and I believe I believe then all the major cities like Chicago have is gonna have their own casino. Uh and uh when you bring a casino in Chicago, why would you gonna fly to Vegas to go gambling when you could do it in Chicago? And they get built in a hotel, they're gonna have an entertainment center, they're gonna have shows. So it's gonna be a little mini mini Vegas in Chicago, but if every city has that mini little Vegas, why would you want to go to Vegas?

SPEAKER_01 28:12

I don't know. I don't think anything replaces Vegas. I mean, I don't think a casino I understand that is Vegas. I know what you're saying that they're gonna add some entertainment. I I I think it's great like to have more of that if you you know, if if the cities want it, but to me, nothing replaces sort of that energy.

SPEAKER_00 28:31

I agree with you, but the gambling in Vegas is down. I mean, I walk around some casino. To be quite honest with you, people don't gamble. Like we use.

SPEAKER_01 28:40

I don't gamble. I don't gamble. Uh so actually that's what I don't do when I'm in Vegas, but I do everything else. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 28:47

I dine. Yeah. I get a lot of people. Yes, I love it.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

But I do know, I've read this, I've read some of the stuff that you're reading that Vegas is um uh, I guess can't the Canadians are one of the biggest um uh contributors to the market of Vegas. And I don't think as many people are coming in anymore. I I heard that that is going down, so I think that's affecting it in a big way. And um I don't, but I do know they're still building, they're huge, they're building a huge hard rock.

SPEAKER_00 29:20

Yes, but the mirage behind is Bank Rop.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

Okay, you know.

SPEAKER_00 29:23

Okay, and the and I heard the Frontaine bleu It's all a mirage there. Yeah, and the Fontainebleau is gonna go out of business. Uh-huh. It's located too far from the strip. Yeah, MGM is in trouble. Uh Caesar is in trouble. I mean, from the people at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

But if you build it, they will come.

SPEAKER_00 29:38

You know what? You build it, they come, but you know what, people, like we said, American people has a very short uh tension span. And then I think uh Vegas at their time, it's it's gonna be still Vegas, still gonna be Vegas, okay? But I just think the attendance of Vegas are definitely dropping down.

SPEAKER_01 29:54

Yeah, uh, definitely. So I went also and what did you see there? We went to see the Backstreet Boys.

SPEAKER_00 30:00

Oh, you're right, you're right, you're right.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

And they were amazing and at the sphere. So were you dressing in white? We dressed in all white. I should have brought our pictures, but uh we'll put we'll put them up on um our Instagram um from your Eagles uh time and from mine. And so it was me and some of my friends, and we yeah, we did the all-white and uh we danced it up and we had a we had a fabulous time. We stayed at the um um aria.

SPEAKER_00 30:27

Aria, okay.

SPEAKER_01 30:28

And I've never stayed there before.

SPEAKER_00 30:30

What did you say before?

SPEAKER_01 30:31

Uh we love to stay at the win and the win and the win and the encore.

SPEAKER_00 30:36

Those are the best. Those are the best. Yes, the win hands down.

SPEAKER_01 30:38

I also I just love the encore because it's like the win. You get everything of the win, but it's smaller, right? And more boutique feeling. And uh, but the aria we did because they had the suites that we wanted because we all wanted to stay together, the girls, and we had a we had a fun time, but I don't think I'd stay there again.

SPEAKER_00 30:54

But it's funny because I went with my son for his 21 birthday. I went to Vegas, I stand the encore, went to see you two in the spear.

SPEAKER_01 31:01

Yes, my husband.

SPEAKER_00 31:02

And then when I go to the Encore, I said, you know, I want a suite on top, I want to have nice views. So they give me a suite in the 68th floors, 63 floors. So we go see the Eagles and we're very excited. Come back in our room, it's about 11 o'clock at night, and we go to bed, and all of a sudden I boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Yeah, and I called the front ass. I said, Hey, could you tell the guy next door to bring down the music down? Yeah, I can't sleep. He said, Sir, it's not the guy, it's the club. I said, What time is the club closing? Four o'clock in the morning. I got so pissed.

SPEAKER_01 31:28

Right.

SPEAKER_00 31:29

You couldn't mean the 60th door that you would do.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

The sound traveled. Wow, yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

The lower you are, the less you hear, higher you are.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

Right. I forgot what that club is called, but we have been there.

SPEAKER_00 31:40

That's what they said, Vegas never sleep.

SPEAKER_01 31:42

Yes, right. Well, I mean, I I'm surprised that you were upset by that because I need my booty of sleep.

SPEAKER_00 31:52

You know, four o'clock in the morning, particularly when I got to catch a flight the next day about 10 o'clock in the morning.

SPEAKER_01 31:57

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:57

I needed to sleep. And that day we went all over. I wanted to show my son Vegas. We went to the Caesar, where Aria, the Paris. We did a, you know, we're walking all day long, and then we go to the concert when you go home. You want to do that. Yeah, no, you want to be able to see.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

I I understand that. I noted too, you said that it was sort of dead. We were there like a Wednesday, Thursday night. What did you think? And it was all business people. And I've been there on business. I uh Vegas, when you're working, is horrible.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:23

But it's a different vibe. So when you're out to the at the restaurants and stuff, you're with people who are wearing their name tags and they're sort of at a conference, and it just wasn't um, I didn't love the vibe this time.

SPEAKER_02 32:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

I mean, the vibe at the Backstreet Boys was amazing because all those people were there for that. But the restaurants, we went to Jim Kana, which is this new Indian restaurant at the Aria, and then um I can't remember where we went.

SPEAKER_00 32:49

You know, we went to Couple Restaurant. I have a bad memory, I think. Very, very expensive. The restaurants are very expensive.

SPEAKER_01 32:55

Where did you go?

SPEAKER_00 32:55

I went to the Couple restaurant in the in the Wen. That was one was uh uh a fish place, I don't remember the name of the catch. Oh, okay, yeah, and then the other one was a Mexican restaurant, beautiful. I mean, those restaurants are gorgeous.

SPEAKER_01 33:10

Yes, they are, they are gorgeous.

SPEAKER_00 33:11

Yeah, the money they spend on the design is man bugly, right?

SPEAKER_01 33:15

You know, it was great, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:16

Yeah, and uh you know, I I mean I like Vegas for the weekend. Yes, that's it.

SPEAKER_01 33:20

Yes, I go there, I shop. And then you were skiing recently.

SPEAKER_00 33:23

Yeah, I was in uh I was in uh Beaver Creek and Vale uh last weekend. Uh no snow. Oh yeah, problem. Yeah, and I mean it was 40 degrees, beautiful weather, sunshine. So what'd you do? But I ski, but you know, I mean when I said there is no snow, there is few there's no powder, there is no powder, and then there is a lot of rounds who are close, so those beautiful rounds with uh where the moguls are closed because you could see a lot of trees. Um but uh it was it was not busy either. You know, I mean obviously the uh if there is no snow, there is no need to to go to go ski. Yeah, and ski is very expensive, yeah. It's very expensive.

SPEAKER_01 34:00

No, it is those lift tickets and I mean you get a burger for topics.

SPEAKER_00 34:06

You know, I mean it's uh yeah. So I went ski there, and uh, I'm going back actually next week. I'm going back to Vail. Okay, but there is a 45 degrees weather, so I don't know how much snow. So I said if there is no snow, we're gonna drive to Aspen. Okay. We have lunch shopping in Aspen, then we're gonna go to Vell, spend the day with. Who are you doing all of this with with friends, guys, guys? Guys, yeah, yeah. Okay, yeah. I like to go with the guys. The uh guys' trips. Uh the guys' trips, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:30

I like that. Okay, yeah. Well, good. We'll look forward to hearing more of your travels. Uh and then our next couple weeks, we're getting we're gearing up for the bachelorette. So we're gonna do some recap.

SPEAKER_00 34:41

Chuck just uh called me and said he it's a 90% of him coming. That's right. So and uh CK uh said he was coming as well. So I love to have them in the show. I would talk in the uh I would love to have John, but uh the Chuck told me then Joan is committed. But uh, if we want, we could have her in Zoom, so that's something you and I decide if we want to do that with her.

SPEAKER_01 35:00

And uh yeah, we're gonna recap the Bachelorette and we're gonna invite uh all of our Bachelor Nation friends to come on the show with us and talk about it. So that's gonna be really, really fun. And uh I'm excited for that season.

SPEAKER_00 35:13

I think um what's the name of the girl?

SPEAKER_01 35:15

Frankie Taylor Paul.

SPEAKER_00 35:16

For De Kellerport, and I believe she was in a preview reality show.

SPEAKER_01 35:19

Taylor Frankie Paul.

SPEAKER_00 35:20

She was in the the how the the she was in the Mormon moment life of the Yes, the secret lives of Mormon woman. Secret of Mormons. Uh, I think it'll be she'd be very interesting to watch her unfold because she's got a strong personality. She's a little bit more mature. I think she's in the early 30s, something like that. She is. Yeah, and she got two children.

SPEAKER_01 35:39

She's got two children from two different fathers, yeah. Yes. And next week we're gonna talk about uh all of the contestants. Yes, and they range in age from I think like uh late 20s to I think 43 is the oldest one. So 43? Yes, yes. So we're gonna talk about them and who our predictions are. And that should be really fun. But I haven't heard a ton about it.

SPEAKER_00 36:06

I I don't they haven't much.

SPEAKER_01 36:08

I mean they're promoting it, but I haven't heard, yeah, some of that. So I guess maybe it'll start coming. And I should say the week before the premiere, they're doing a reunion of all the bachelorettes, and so we'll recap that as well.

SPEAKER_00 36:21

All the bachelorette?

SPEAKER_01 36:22

Yes, yes. They're doing like a little recap show, um, like sort of the week right the week before the premiere of the bachelor the bachelorette.

SPEAKER_00 36:30

Yeah, that's that will be interesting. But I think I I think that the the bachelorette will be very interesting because of uh the challenge the man's gonna face. I mean, remember, she's a little bit older, she's got two kids.

SPEAKER_02 36:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 36:41

I think the the children is gonna make a big play into the equation. I know then uh you know when you're 32 years old and you you start in your life and being involved with a 32 years old woman with two children, it takes a special guy to go through that. So I think it'd be very interesting how they're gonna navigate through that and uh what the challenge they're gonna be facing. And uh how old are the children? Do you know?

SPEAKER_01 37:04

No, no, no, I don't know. We'll find all that out. But I do know that you're gonna have some good perspective on it and that you're not gonna hold on to the code. I'm not gonna wait.

SPEAKER_00 37:12

Yeah, I mean, I'm I'm telling you what I like, what I don't like, and uh I'd be interesting to see uh the first episode. Yeah, and all the guys coming along, and I will tell you which one's who's the potential winner.

SPEAKER_01 37:24

Okay, so we'll get ready for that. So that's it for today. Thanks, thanks so much. Okay, and uh subscribe and comment and let us know uh what you think of everything we said today, and we will see you next time in my hometown.