The Adam Carolla Show

Episode: Big Ed Spills 90 Day Fiancé Secrets + From Viral Videos to Feature Films — Kinnane Bros Tell All
Date: February 12, 2026

Episode Overview

Adam Carolla welcomes reality TV personality Big Ed (from 90 Day Fiancé) and filmmakers Dan and Pat Kinnane (the Kinnane Brothers) for a lively, candid conversation. The episode dives deep into behind-the-scenes stories from 90 Day Fiancé, the realities of viral video creation, and the brothers’ transition from online hits to feature films with Kevin James. Laced with Adam’s signature unfiltered humor, the podcast also covers topics ranging from fame and relationships, social media, shift in Hollywood, pot culture, and a feisty news segment with Alicia Krause.

1. Big Ed: Life Before and After 90 Day Fiance

How Big Ed Got Cast (02:04)

• Big Ed shares he’d never heard of 90 Day Fiancé before meeting Rose, a woman from the Philippines, online. He posted about his upcoming trip on Facebook, which led to a friend sending him the show’s casting link.
  • “Basically a 54 year old in love with a 23 year old with a 31 year old daughter... within two hours they were texting me.” (Big Ed, 02:23)
• Producers quickly responded due to his animated online personality, including “dancing on pool tables in a Nacho Libre costume”.

Ed’s Career Pre-Fame (03:59)

• Ed was actually an architect and designer, specializing in high-end kitchens and lofts in San Diego's Little Italy.
  • “I would order, you know, eight foot Italian tile, which drove the owner of the company crazy.” (Big Ed, 04:29)
• Also did photography (“fashion, studio, covers, events”) and preferred the creativity in design over pure architecture.

The Reality of Reality TV (03:44)

• Direction from production was minimal: “Don’t make shit up and don’t look at the camera.”
• They featured Ed’s photography studio as part of his TV persona.

2. Ed & Rose: 90 Day Secrets, Relationship Dynamics

Truths About International Relationships (11:29)

• Adam and Big Ed discuss transactional elements in relationships and the “double standard” of critique around seeking partners abroad.
  • “Of course she is [using me]. Everybody wants a better life for them and their son.” (Big Ed, 12:49)
  • “Everyone uses everyone...there’s a money use, there’s a look use… everything’s a form of use.” (Adam, 13:10)
• Ed’s motivations: after years of being single post-divorce, he felt he could help Rose and her family in the Philippines.

Behind the Scenes on the Show (18:08 – 29:36)

• Meeting Rose: Ed recounts first impressions, including a notable anecdote about her breath, which was linked to an unclean dental implant.
  • “How do you tell somebody they have bad breath…without being mean?” (Adam, 19:34)
• Producer encouragement: gave her mouthwash and got criticized by fans for being “a rotten American.”
• Living conditions: “She lived in a cement room...no indoor plumbing, no doors.” (Big Ed, 23:17)
• Ed asked for an STD test on camera, facing backlash from online critics and feminists.
• Fame aftermath: Relationship with Rose ended, but Ed went viral during the pandemic, especially on Cameo where he was briefly #1 in the world, doing 75-100 videos daily.
  • “You’re making 50 grand a week in Cameo. Possibly.” (Adam, 26:33)

Memorable Quote

“We have a saying in architecture. You have people with money and no vision, and people with vision and no money. And I’m one of those. I have vision and no money.”
— Big Ed (08:45)

3. Fame, Loneliness, and Zero Filters

Fame’s Double-Edged Sword (30:53)

• Ed skyrocketed in online followers post-show, but still grapples with loneliness and authenticity.
• Adam and Ed joke about body image and dating as older, less conventional bachelors.
• Ed’s continuing search for a partner, and insight into the age gap, expectations, and “rescuing” dynamic in relationships.
• Adam frames the conversation with car metaphors, encouraging realism about dating prospects:
  • “Now you can...wait it out, or you just get in some sort of Bentley fantasy and end up taking the bus or your Vespa everywhere.” (Adam, 34:46)

Big Ed’s Current Projects (36:15)

• Launching "Big Ed" Malbec wine, available in California, Florida, Arkansas (Walmart), and via online retailers.

4. The Kinnane Bros: From Online Comedy to Feature Films

Origins of the Virals (71:14)

• The brothers explain how their “Kevin James Sound Guy” viral video concept was born while working on a Netflix set.
• They “comped” Kevin James into classic film scenes as a boom mic operator, with the formula allowing unlimited creative expansion.
  • “We shot a bunch of ones that no one’s ever gonna see...sometimes you think it’s a good idea and you shoot it...and then, nah, not how I thought it would be.” (Dan/Pat, 74:24)
• Discuss their editing process, clearing YouTube rights (parody/fair use), and the odd thrill of fitting Kevin James into iconic movie moments.
  • Favorite is the Good Will Hunting bit, which Adam plays for the audience.

From Social Clips to Theaters (94:50)

• The process of making their film Solo Mio with Kevin James, its acquisition and wide release via Angel Studios.
  • “They're gonna put this in theaters, and we're like, hell, yeah...in 3,000 theaters nationwide.” (Dan/Pat, 95:44)
• Discuss the supportive Angel Guild feedback process, working independently outside Hollywood.

Family Background and Values (90:04)

• Grew up with a carpenter father, large (10 kids), Irish Catholic family, strong sense of community and pride.
  • “Super close...grew up 100ft from my grandparents. All of it’s from religion.” (Dan/Pat, 94:34, 94:48)
• Tribute to their mom's legendary sandwich-making—an Adam Carolla litmus test for good parenting.

5. News & Banter (41:47 – 67:47)

Sports Rant: Coffin Corner Kicks (39:30 – 43:04)

• Adam laments lost football traditions and educates on the “coffin corner” punt.

Obituaries & Cultural Moments

• James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek, Varsity Blues) has died at 48 from cancer. Reminiscence of his career and as a “dedicated dad.” (43:10 – 44:50)

Political Comedy & Rant: ICE Raids (44:54 – 54:51)

• Adam destroys Eric Swalwell’s Congressional ice-raid anecdote, with skepticism about Democratic performative storytelling.
  • “I don't know when the left turned into a telenovela, but everything is just a sad story about a woman with honor living in dignity....” (Adam, 46:01)
  • “ICE has taken care of more children than Somali daycares.” (Dawson, 56:44)

On Impeachment Fatigue (57:09 – 60:43)

• News that Chris Cuomo is cautioning Democrats against impeaching Trump if they retake Congress.
• Adam: “If you got something good on Trump, do it. But you never do, and that’s why it backfires.”

6. Adam’s Take: Pot, Alcohol, and Altered States (61:05 – 67:47)

• Debate over the normalization of pot vs. cigarettes for young people, potency of today’s weed, and societal attitudes:
  • “Pot is a drug. It alters you...we gave it magical powers because we made it evil, and that turns it into a folk hero.” (Adam, 61:40)
  • “Everyone in California would rather their kids smoke pot than smoke cigarettes...Pot has a publicist.” (Adam, 65:23)
• Both hosts voice concerns about long-term impacts, especially for young users, and the hypocrisy of attitudes among parents.

7. Notable Quotes & Moments

• “You have people with money and no vision, and people with vision and no money.”—Big Ed (08:45)
• “Of course she is using me. Everybody wants a better life for them and their son.”—Big Ed (12:49)
• “Everyone uses everyone...that’s a form of use. Everything’s a form of use.”—Adam Carolla (13:10)
• “You weren’t trying to say stupid shit, you were just being who you were.”—Big Ed, on fame from reality TV (28:10)
• “Pot is a drug. It alters you...Pot has a publicist.”—Adam Carolla (65:23)

8. Timestamps for Key Segments

• How Big Ed got recruited: 02:04
• Architecture & design career: 04:00
• 90 Day Fiancé casting/production: 03:44
• Ed meets Rose (first impressions): 18:08
• Cameo, fame, and aftermath: 26:09
• Looking for love, body image, dating: 30:53–36:15
• Kinnane Bros’ viral “sound guy” explained: 71:14
• Good Will Hunting parody played: 76:13
• Family, values & filmmaking journey: 90:04
• Coffin corner football rant: 39:30
• ICE raid story examined: 44:54
• Pot vs. alcohol culture: 61:05

9. Tone & Takeaways

The tone is hilarious, irreverent, and self-aware, with Adam guiding honest, sometimes vulnerable, sometimes absurd conversations. Big Ed is candid about his fame, flaws, and the truth behind reality TV; the Kinnane Bros are good-natured, creative, and reveal the practical and family-driven side of success outside Hollywood.

Perfect for fans of 90 Day Fiancé, virality culture, standup comedy, and those intrigued by the entertainment industry’s behind-the-scenes realities.