Countdown to Love Island USA Finale: 7 real life relationship lessons!

Summary

Podcast Summary: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial Episode: Countdown to Love Island USA Finale: 7 Real-Life Relationship Lessons! Release Date: July 14, 2025

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Introduction to the Love Island USA Finale

In this engaging episode, Amy Robach and Ryan Seacrest delve deep into the finale of Love Island USA, extracting seven valuable real-life relationship lessons from the show's dramatic conclusion. The hosts navigate through the emotional highs and lows of the season, offering listeners insightful commentary on modern relationships as depicted on reality television.

Key Relationship Lessons Discussed

1. Don’t Choose Sleep Over Sex

At [07:14], Amy highlights the tumultuous moment between Huda and Chris, where prioritizing sleep led to greater relationship tensions.

Amy Robach: "She wanted to feel loved... maybe she was feeling needy... he just didn't respond to her because he was irritated, which then made her become more irritating." [08:25]

This scenario underscores the importance of balancing personal needs with those of a partner, emphasizing communication over conflict.

2. The Right Time and Place for a Breakup

At [12:07], Ryan poses a critical question about the appropriate setting for ending a relationship, advocating for private conversations over public declarations.

Ryan Seacrest: "Is it ever okay to be out at a bar, at a dinner and end the relationship after the appetizers kind of a thing?" [12:06]

Amy responds by emphasizing the emotional toll of public breakups and reinforcing the need for personal and respectful dialogues.

Amy Robach: "It has to happen... in person. It should be a private moment where each person gets to say how they feel without people watching." [12:27]

3. Can You Truly Be Friends After Dating?

Exploring the dynamics post-breakup, Amy and Ryan discuss the feasibility of maintaining friendships after romantic relationships end.

Amy Robach: "If you don't have that passionate connection, it might be much easier to say, 'I like you, but just not in that way.'" [15:39]

They acknowledge the rarity and difficulty of this transition, sharing personal experiences to highlight the challenges involved.

4. Avoid Giving Ultimatums

The hosts dissect the problematic behavior of giving countdowns or ultimatums during relationship conflicts, using Huda and Chris as primary examples.

Ryan Seacrest: "Anything if you don't, call me back in five minutes if you don't. Whatever the countdown is, you don't do that." [11:10]

Amy agrees, stressing that such tactics only exacerbate issues rather than resolving them.

5. Handling Emotional Reactions with Grace

Chris's reaction to the breakup serves as a case study for managing hurt with dignity, avoiding pride and ego-driven responses.

Amy Robach: "He handled it with such class and grace... he was kind, loving, gentle." [16:42]

Ryan adds that acknowledging pride and ego can prevent negative fallout in similar real-life situations.

6. Reflect Before Reacting

Both hosts emphasize the importance of taking a step back during emotional moments to allow logic to guide responses, preventing harmful actions fueled by immediate emotions.

Amy Robach: "Take a beat sometimes and just wait and let the emotion do what it's gonna do... logic make better choices." [26:27]

7. The Myth of Prince Charming

Amy Robach challenges the idealistic notion of "Prince Charming," advocating for realistic expectations in relationships to prevent undue pressure and disappointment.

Amy Robach: "Your partner can supplement and bring joy to your life, but they can't be your source of joy and they can't be your source of being saved." [37:18]

Ryan concurs, reflecting on personal growth and the evolution of relationship expectations over time.

Ryan Seacrest: "I didn't figure that stuff out until I was early 40s." [37:14]

Personal Reflections and Insights

Throughout the episode, Amy and Ryan intertwine personal anecdotes with observations from the show, making the discussion relatable and authentic. They highlight the complexity of human emotions and the necessity of self-awareness in nurturing healthy relationships.

Amy Robach: "I heard that, I saw that, and it resonated with me, and I thought, ooh, just not get too far into this Prince Charming." [33:27]

Ryan Seacrest: "You can acknowledge the feeling and say, wait, what is it about me that's feeling this way? And not point the finger at the other person." [37:25]

Conclusion and Takeaways

Amy and Ryan conclude the episode by reiterating the universal nature of the relationship lessons gleaned from Love Island USA. They emphasize the importance of communication, self-love, and realistic expectations in building and maintaining meaningful connections.

Amy Robach: "You have to be you have to be that person for yourself and that other person." [37:29]

Ryan Seacrest: "Human connection. That's what he said." [38:00]

The hosts encourage listeners to apply these lessons to their own lives, fostering healthier and more fulfilling relationships.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Amy Robach: "She wanted to feel loved... maybe she was feeling needy... he just didn't respond to her because he was irritated, which then made her become more irritating." [08:25]

• Ryan Seacrest: "Is it ever okay to be out at a bar, at a dinner and end the relationship after the appetizers kind of a thing?" [12:06]

• Amy Robach: "If you don't have that passionate connection, it might be much easier to say, 'I like you, but just not in that way.'" [15:39]

• Ryan Seacrest: "Anything if you don't, call me back in five minutes if you don't. Whatever the countdown is, you don't do that." [11:10]

• Amy Robach: "Take a beat sometimes and just wait and let the emotion do what it's gonna do... logic make better choices." [26:27]

• Amy Robach: "Your partner can supplement and bring joy to your life, but they can't be your source of joy and they can't be your source of being saved." [37:18]

• Ryan Seacrest: "You can acknowledge the feeling and say, wait, what is it about me that's feeling this way? And not point the finger at the other person." [37:25]

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This episode serves as a reflective mirror on the intricacies of relationships, using the lens of reality TV to extract meaningful life lessons. Amy Robach and Ryan Seacrest successfully blend entertainment with thought-provoking insights, making it a valuable listen for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of romantic and platonic relationships.

Transcript

[Amy Robach]

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[Rodney Williams]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey there folks. It is Monday, July 14th, and it does not matter who you were rooting for in the Love Island USA finale. It doesn't matter if Pepe and Iris were your favorite. Doesn't matter if you wanted Chris and Hoodo to work out. Doesn't matter if Brian and Amaya were your two that you loved or if it was Nick and Olandria. We don't care about that stuff. What we care about is that those islanders continued, continued last night doing a public service for all of us who are in or hope to be in relationships in robes. They saved their best for last because the season finale was chock full full of relationship lessons. Chief among them, don't choose sleep over sex and Prince Charming is total bullshit. And with that, welcome to this Love Island USA edition of Amy and tj where we go beyond those hot bods, the kissing games and the hideaway suite to identify the real relationship issues sprinkled throughout the hit show Robes. Yes, we watch it for some of the lessons, but a lot of people talking about just the reaction to what happened last night.

[Amy Robach]

Yours is, I thought that America got it right. I think that they seem to be the most hopeful couple of them all in terms of their dedication to one another, what they want after they leave the villa. So I thought that it was perfect. I really liked who America chose. Of course, it was Amaya and Brian What I didn't love was all of the slow mo kissing and dancing. I could have done with few much fewer moments of that. I do like the music. I do get swept up in it, I'll admit.

[Ryan Seacrest]

But.

[Amy Robach]

But the slow mo stuff was really. They lost me on that.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And the music's gotten better over the years. They had music that's like, hit well, I mean, even the Die with a Smile. Yeah, that's like, wow.

[Amy Robach]

It was amazing.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So they can afford the rights to some songs apparently now. But no, that was cool. But, yeah, My surprise was Iris and Pepe being the fourth favorite. I think that threw me. And you were asleep at the time. I was in the front with the girls. We thought we were gonna wake you up. We all just screamed.

[Amy Robach]

Well, yeah. Oh, you didn't wake me up because I was, I think, at that point in deep or REM sleep. But this morning, when I went back and watched what I missed, I actually. It makes sense because they were. They weren't controversial. They didn't have anything that made them stood out or made somebody really want to vote for them one way or the other, because they just were pleasant.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah.

[Amy Robach]

So I get that.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And you almost think they actually don't need our help. They're going to be okay.

[Amy Robach]

Exactly.

[Ryan Seacrest]

To some degree, it felt like that. So that was all fun, and it's in the books. Congrats to Peacock for what they pulled off. This is a cultural phenomenon that everybody is talking about for good reasons, bad reasons, and just for the fact that it's a hit show. But it's. This thing is going to continue. And really, you find one of these. It's just impressive to see how this thing is grown.

[Amy Robach]

I told you. I woke up this morning impressed that the New York Times is covering Love Island. I mean, that's how much of a juggernaut it is. You know, you've got major media outlets that typically save most of their space for the conflict with Iran or Russia and Ukraine. And here we are, the New York Times talking about Love Island.

[Ryan Seacrest]

They still hit Russia and Ukraine, but. But, yes, that just. That lets you know. And this is a big deal. And look, we watch it for entertainment purposes is how it initially started when you got me into it, but then I just kind of fell in love with these relationship moments that took place, like real relationship moments and fights and how people get over it, and we are able to identify things that we have gone through and other people are so. In this last one.

[Amy Robach]

Whoo.

[Ryan Seacrest]

They went at it. So, folks, all of these you need to ask. These are the questions and lessons the Islanders left us with from the season finale. So what if you applied all these to your own relationship? One lesson. Think about this. Ask yourself, have you prioritized sleep over sex with your partner? Two, what's the right time and place for a breakup? Three, can you truly just be friends after dating someone? Four, giving your partner a literal countdown to do what you want. It's probably not a good idea. Five, ask yourself this. Do you have kind words to say about your ex at the moment you broke up? And if not, what does that say?.6, half of the couples in the finale, well, they were just friends before they got together. We've been trying to tell y'. All. And then point seven is one that Robok wants to make because she is going to burst your Prince Charming bubble. Am I saying that the right way?

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That is correct. That is correct. We saved that best one for last, but let's start with the one off the top rope. This was a big deal, and confident flick started, and we're like, oh, hell. We thought this was gonna be a pleasant episode, but Huda and Chris got into a fight over something that happened in bed.

[Amy Robach]

You know, and it's interesting because we were rooting for them. They had seemingly gotten over their relationship issues. Their families brought them closer together. And then you know what? I think it was less about sleepover sex and more about someone. Huda, imposing what she wanted over what the other person wanted, prioritizing her needs over her partners. That was the issue.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay, let's. I want to take you on that one. The. It just happened to happen in bed, and it just happened to be oversleep and sex. But this was an issue for her that wasn't necessarily about sex.

[Amy Robach]

Correct. She wanted what she wanted when she wanted it. And she didn't take her partner's needs and desires into consideration. And look, we've all been guilty of that, but it was very obvious that that's what Huda was doing. She wanted to feel loved. She wanted. She. Maybe she was feeling needy. Maybe she was feeling insecure and really wanted to sleep. Like genuinely says, this is an important part of my life. And so he just didn't respond to her. Maybe that wasn't the best way to handle it when she was trying to get his attention, when she wanted to cuddle, when she wanted some physical connection. Yeah, maybe he could have said, babe, I appreciate I love you and just please know I love you, but I am so tired and I need to sleep right Now. But instead he ignored her because he was irritated, which then made her become more irritating.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay, so how do we handle everybody that's watching that moment? So I took it one sleepover sight. Let's just talk about that for a second. Because how many times couples deal with that?

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Somebody goes to bed early, somebody's exhausted, had a longer day. The other one's sitting there horny as hell. What is the balance? And you said she was prioritizing her needs over his. Is there any room for him to not prioritize his needs? Sleep over what hers might have been. Attention, affection, intimacy.

[Amy Robach]

I think there could have been a compromise. I think he could have said to her, hey, babe, I love you. Please feel free to snuggle up next to me, but I gotta sleep. And then she just doesn't feel rejected. See, Chris has felt rejected so many times and Huda has felt rejected. And so I think that's what happened in a way. Maybe it was another passive aggressive. Maybe she annoyed him and he was like, yeah, you've completely dismissed me so many times. I'm gonna do the same thing right back to you. Because ignoring someone is never a good thing. But then she behaved even worse. And that's what ended up happening where she gave him an ultimatum. She did a countdown. Like. Like a mom to a child. That ain't ever gonna go over.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Well, I didn't think about it this way when I. We put this as a topic. But, like, both of them did almost everything wrong.

[Amy Robach]

They did right.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And they didn't prioritize it. And think about the other. They weren't considerate. They weren't kind to their partner in that moment. Look, we all have bad moments. We just happen to see theirs play out. And it is a lesson to us all. Obviously, you never. Whatever. You don't put your adoption adult partner on a countdown.

[Amy Robach]

No.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Anything if you don't, call me back in five minutes if you don't. Right. Whatever the countdown is, you don't do that. You just do not.

[Amy Robach]

I don't know how that never ends. Well, an ultimatum, a countdown, It's. That is a huge relationship. No, no, it. If you have to do that, you got other issues. And then you doing that makes it way worse.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Oh, my God. Okay, so they. Chris and Hood have been teaching us a lot of lessons the past three episodes, those last three episodes. And this was yet another one that they taught. Now this led to them eventually robes breaking up. So. And this leads us to the second lesson we were talking about here. But they. They Break up in the finale, when everybody's supposed to be getting together and thinking about a future. So this is where we end up. But they do it in the most. It was a beautiful setup.

[Amy Robach]

Gorgeous.

[Ryan Seacrest]

All the dates, I think this. And maybe Pepe and Iris on the sailboat. That was cool. But this was a beautiful setting. They had a beautiful meal. A singer came out. That was awkward and hilarious.

[Amy Robach]

That was crazy.

[Ryan Seacrest]

But here is my question, babe. What is the right time, place? Is there a proper way to break up? Meaning? Is text always a bad idea over the phone? Always a bad idea? Should it always be done face to face? And if so, is it ever okay to do it face to face in public?

[Amy Robach]

Oh, okay. So text. Absolutely not. Never phone call. I guess maybe if you're long distance, you might not have another option, but you're not preferable.

[Ryan Seacrest]

We're gonna say we're in town. We're all in town.

[Amy Robach]

Okay. So no. No to that. Yes. It has to happen. You have to give the other person enough respect to at least do it in person. I believe it's hard.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Now hit to the next part. They're doing it. What if you're sitting at a restaurant, you're sitting. They weren't in a crowded restaurant. But what do you do there? Is it. Should it always be a completely private thing? Is it ever okay to be out at a bar, at a dinner and end the relationship after the appetizers kind of a thing?

[Amy Robach]

I have had a situation where someone started to do that with me in a public place, and I was so resentful of it because now you can't actually feel what you want to feel. You're on display, in a sense, and you're put into a place of pressure where you don't get to have the reaction that you might want to have.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Might have been the motivation in doing it in public.

[Amy Robach]

Exactly. And so it feels manipulative and it doesn't feel good at all. So I. I don't think that that's ever a good idea. I think it's gotta. I think it should be a private moment where each person gets to say how they feel without people watching them and looking at them. Obviously, they were on national television, so they had an audience regardless of where they were. If they were on the hideaway or not, maybe that would have been the only way they could have done it in private. But no, I don't. I. If anyone out there listening has ever been broken up with in public or decide, like, you know how that feels. It feels. It just Feels terrible. It adds. It adds more suffering to the already uncomfortable, difficult situation.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, I. Excuse me there. Yeah, this one. And this got awkward when this might have been the funniest moment. But I give them credit. It was a good edit. This singer comes out and it appeared that she was playing and she had a timed. She had a cue, if you will, that a certain time she was supposed to come out and sing a romantic song. They were in the middle of a fight, in the middle of breaking up, and she sings. I think it was a beautiful song. But they cut to some other version or some other song in which the lyrics then matched the moment where it wasn't going great. I thought it was a good edit, but it was an awkward moment. But it made me think about the idea of doing it in a public place, to do it in a place where you expect that person to be able to monitor their.

[Amy Robach]

Well, yeah, if you're afraid someone's going to be volatile, I mean, don't they always say when your boss, like, sometimes if you get taken out to lunch, that's when you get fired. Like, they do it on purpose so you don't have an emotional reaction, so they can control you in a controlled environment. So it's manipulative.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So these two broke up. We move on to the next thing here, robes. They had these ceremonies where they almost seem like they're a wedding ceremony, giving these little. I wrote my vows. You wrote your vows. They went through all this. But Huda and Chris were two. We stick with them where they did have very nice. Very nice and glowing things to say about each other. Two points on this. Again, a relationship issue here. Ask yourself, can you. Can you truly be friends with somebody after dating? Can you, like, truly like. We go from we were partners and living together and for three years and now we broke up and we're just genuinely going to be friends. Can that happen?

[Amy Robach]

Yes, I think that can happen. I've seen it with other people. I've never experienced that.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Me neither.

[Amy Robach]

But I do think it. And I don't want to imagine that I know what's going on inside anyone else's relationship, but I would venture to say that it's likely there wasn't that passion between them. So if you don't, like, some relationships aren't romantically passionate and if you don't have that all or nothing feeling about that person, it might be much easier to say, hey, I like you, but just not in that way. And we figured it out over time and that way in those types of Relationships, I think you can be friends again.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I've never experienced.

[Amy Robach]

I've never experienced it either.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I have never had a desire, nor have I in the least bit. I thought it was interesting that he. When she said, hey, you make sure we get together late and we got some common friends. You sure you're gonna be cool? He was like, nah, I'm not going to promise you or tell you that everything's going to be okay. I guess people can be in different places. I just don't get from the person being dumped, from the person being hurt how we can go back to a friendship. It seems difficult.

[Amy Robach]

Chris seemed like, well, he was the hurt party. And I also was kind of. I was so impressed with him. Huda announces to everybody. She actually said to the whole group, Chris wanted to continue outside of the villa, but I just wanted to be friends. So she basically, in front of all these folks they've been with for two months, told everybody that Chris wanted me, but I didn't want him. And he handled it with such class and such grace. I was so impressed by him. And then even hearing his speech to her, he was kind, he was loving, he was gentle. And he, to me, was the one who seemed like, I don't want to say the wronged party, but the dumped party, in a sense. And I just thought he handled it so well. I was so impressed with him. And I actually was impressed with her speech, too, because she talked about instead of, look how many times when you break up with someone or you're broken up with, you immediately go, he did this and he did that, and why did he have to do. Instead, she said, here's what I learned about me. Here's what you taught me. I needed to grow. I needed to be grounded. I needed to. I like what you said. She said that he taught her how to have a more emotional connection rather than a physical one. So I just thought about this as an applicable learning tool. If you're in a situation where you are breaking up with someone, instead of immediately going to say how the other person is bad and wrong and horrible and all of those things, if you could just say, what did I learn from this relationship? And what did I learn about myself? And how can I be a better partner for my next relationship? I thought that was just a really cool way to think about breaking up.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I want to point out, as a part of this, I won't ever. You and I talk about this all the time. There are behaviors. We can look on the show and go, wow, I see that. But it's hard for us to apply it to ourselves. Chris did something last night when she dumped him, for lack of a better phrase there. He reacted in a way. I know you noticed we haven't talked about this, but he immediately went into, yeah, it's good. Why don't you just tell me? I knew those. Probably case you could tell, that was pride, that was ego.

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[Ryan Seacrest]

He was hurt, so he was trying to protect himself by saying, yeah, I knew it. Anyway, ain't no sweat off my back. And you can stop for a second. How many of us have let that pride and that ego get in the way in that moment? And it led him to. And this is love, Chris. There were a couple of missteps. He wouldn't carry her back over the water.

[Amy Robach]

That was tough.

[Ryan Seacrest]

He wouldn't carry her back over the water. That. And I get why that was difficult for him. But in that moment, ask all of ourselves, when you. When you're hurt like that, how do you react? And we often do that by protecting ourselves with pride and ego. And sometimes it comes out in a way that Chris isn't going to be proud of. He looked like a jerk, not a gentleman. And not loving. This is somebody you still care about, right? She didn't slap you. She didn't cheat on you. She did. You still care about her. I know it's fresh, but in those moments, I just. If you stop everybody and just look and see it happening there and then go back in your own world and look and see how you reacted that way when you were hurt. It was pride, ego on display.

[Amy Robach]

You know what? It was so interesting. So when. So Huda was crying and he came back. As he got up and left, he came back, she was crying. I thought that maybe he thought she had second thoughts, that maybe she was just. And he was gonna call her bluff. And when she was kind of like, no, I'm just sad because, you know, we are over. And I think that was like an extra wound. I think when he came back, he thought maybe she might have second thoughts or she might change her mind, or maybe she was just posturing. And I think it was like an extra punch to the gut. And that's why he was like, nah, I'm not. I'm not walking you over. So she had to take her heels off, lift up her dress, and walk because they were literally walking on water or through water to get to their very romantic, beautiful table. You're right. And then the other thing he did, he refused to sleep in the hideaway. I'm sorry. In the hideaway, he refused to sleep with the group the final night and went out. And that's fine. He didn't huff and puff. He didn't make a scene.

[Ryan Seacrest]

He didn't.

[Amy Robach]

And I did appreciate that. But he did what he needed to do, perhaps just for his own ego and his own.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That part I was okay with.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Going to sleep. That's.

[Amy Robach]

That's tough. To sleep in the same bed with someone you just. Who you just broke up with, and.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You'Re surrounded by couples who are enjoying themselves and like each other. That's tough.

[Amy Robach]

I kept thinking about how hard that must have been for him. And she was, you know, she did say some very insensitive things, like, I'm free from the shackles of a man. She came back and said that stuff. That's not okay. That wasn't cool. I didn't. I. Because he just. I thought for the most part, He. He. I felt for him. I hurt for him.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah. He made very few missteps. Even the ones he made you almost. Okay.

[Amy Robach]

You understood.

[Ryan Seacrest]

All right, well, stay with us, folks. We got a couple more to go through here, including the big one. Robok is going to explain why Prince Charming just does not exist. And you need to get it out of your head right now. Also, friends first. Apparently, it actually does work. And ask yourself this right now. Think about the last person you broke up with. Do you have kind words to say about them right now?

[Amy Robach]

With summer in full swing, you know, you feel that familiar urge to refresh your closet. But hey, I'm not trying to waste money on pieces I'm only going to wear once or just for one season.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay, I didn't feel that familiar urge, but I know where you're coming from. So this is where quints comes in if you have that urge. Where their clothes are timeless, they feel luxurious, look elevated, and the quality is way beyond what you'd expect for the price. It's the kind of wardrobe upgrade that just works.

[Amy Robach]

Yes. Think 100% European linen top, starting at just $30. Washable silk dresses and skirts and soft cotton sweaters. Versatile, warm weather pieces you will reach for again and again.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay, that all sounds good, but I haven't even gotten to the best part. The best part is everything with quints is half the cost of similar brands.

[Amy Robach]

How do they do that? By working directly with top artisans and cutting out the middlemen. Quince gives you luxury without all that markup.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes.

[Amy Robach]

I have gone back multiple times to get pieces from Quince for each season. I just got a cashmere blend summer sweater, a cotton sweater and tg. I picked out a few items for you as well.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You know, I was upset you didn't let me pick out my own stuff, but actually you nailed it. And I just yesterday had on that linen shirt here in New York. So hey folks, give your summer closet an upgrade with quince.

[Amy Robach]

Go to quince.com TJ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's quince.com that's Q U I N C E.com TJ to get free shipping and 365 day returns.

[Amy Robach]

Again, quince.com TJ.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey there folks. We continue with our big thank you to the cast of Love Island USA for showing us all what to do and what not to do sometimes in relationship with so many relationship lessons, we've gone through several of them already, Rose. But right now, can I ask you, do you have if you needed to say kind words about your ex exes, could you write a speech? Almost.

[Amy Robach]

That'd be tough praising them. I mean, I could have some kind things to say for sure, but it'd be very hard to give a speech about it, especially right after the breakup. That would feel almost impossible with some distance and some years. Yes, you could have some moments of reflection. How about you? Could you?

[Ryan Seacrest]

No, absolutely not. I would never ever drink. I'm sitting here right now and feeling physically ill about the idea of potentially trying to put something together to something like we saw last night as a matter of, you can point out there were good things or positive traits about somebody you're in a relationship with. And certainly if you were in a relationship with anybody for any significant amount of time, not every single moment in every single single day was bad. So there's got to be something in there. But the idea of now putting yourself or putting myself I should speak to in that position and what does that say about me and those relationships? That could be a per for me, it's just a personal. I'm not putting myself in any mindset. Maybe it's an indication of how those relationships ended. I had, yeah, well, I had two divorces, one bad. But the rest of my relationship, it hasn't been a, an issue necessarily ending badly. But still, that idea of doing that is still after years is not something I'm in a position.

[Amy Robach]

It's funny when you say it does make me feel physically ill to think about. Yeah, I don't know. What does that say about it?

[Ryan Seacrest]

I don't know. Says something about us or about the relationships. I don't know. And some people might just be different. Like, no, I don't. Of course I don't want to do that. Just like some people say, no, I don't want to be friends with my ex.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Don't hate them. Don't wish them any ill will.

[Amy Robach]

Oh, yeah, I wish nothing but the best, but I don't want anything to do and I don't want to, you know, I don't even want my brain or my energy to go there. That just takes a lot. I, again, I was so super impressed with the ability of them to say kind things about each other.

[Ryan Seacrest]

One side lesson here for everybody. And I know you're on board with this. They go from a night at the dinner, he doesn't want to carry her. She is crying. She say, I'm free from the shackles of a man. But then once they got just 24 hours distance from, they were able to just calm down and speak differently. That often happens in the moment. It's different. You just think on it for a second, take a little sleep, and you come back and go, okay, I shouldn't have said that. Or. But that was another example right in front of us how they could go from that to that if they just got a little rest or separation from the moment.

[Amy Robach]

That's true. And that's a good. That's a very important lesson to learn in life from this show, is that when you're having even an argument with someone you're still in a relationship with, man, if you can just take a beat sometimes and just wait and let the emotion do what it's gonna do and then let logic make better choices for what comes out of your mouth.

[Ryan Seacrest]

All right, the last couple lessons here, one having to do with friends. Nick and Olandry, I guess, are the best example people talk about.

[Amy Robach]

And Iris and Pepe, they were both of them. Both of those couples were just friends and were helping each other navigate other romantic relationships in the villa. Does that sound familiar, T.J. it does.

[Ryan Seacrest]

We talk about this all the time. People who have come to us, reached out to us, even our Yahoo column talking about looking for someone, looking like, I'm trying to find someone to date. And we have said, don't dismiss the fact that person might be in your life right now and you ain't thinking about them at all. In that way, we can raise our hands and attest to that absolutely being the case. And this last night to see it on display. Nick and Alandria and Iris and Pepe. This wasn't just they hooked up later. They were actively not even considering each other. Like helping each other. Data.

[Amy Robach]

Yes. And that's what you and. You and I were literally helping each other in our relationships. You would say, hey, this is happening. What do you think? And I'd say, hey, this is happening. What do you think? We were genuinely without any. Any other designs, leaning on each other. And that's exactly what we saw happen. Out of two out of the four couples in the final four, I actually wanted. I actually wrote down what Alandria said because I thought it was so cool. She said, I really think the foundation to a great relationship is a always friendship when there are no expectations and no pressure. The person standing by you through it all may actually be the person you were meant to find. That spoke to me obviously because of our relationship. No.

[Ryan Seacrest]

What? And no pressure. I'm sorry, what was that?

[Amy Robach]

No expectations and no pressure. And that is when actually you get to know a person. You're not putting on airs. You're not putting your best foot forward in the sense like, hey, I want you to think I'm hot, or hey, I want you to think I'm cool. You're just being yourself. And when you can fall in love with that person, it's kind of amazing.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You're. I get you're ultimately, you're setting yourself, you're setting yourself up for success and you don't even realize. You said put on airs. This idea that I always say, we'll say it all the time. When you meet somebody for the first time or start dating, you're only meeting their representative and you're not going to meet the actual person. They're just sending that person in to represent them, the best version of themselves until it's time for you to meet the real them. But when you. Because you have an expectation that this person wants this or we're going to be this eventually or we could do get married event all. So, yeah, you behave differently when you just have a friend who is burping in front of you and chewing their food funny and will drink and get a mess with you and you have to help them home sometime and you.

[Amy Robach]

Hear them, all the messy parts, all.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Because it's a friend. And you, you are learning to grow in love with someone because of who they are and not because of what they represent in your life or could potentially represent. That changes everything. It actually does. So now I'm sitting Here with you, you could do all kinds of outlandish ish, but I know you as a friend first. You have done things to me as a partner that I don't mean to laugh. No, but what I'm saying, the point there is the only reason you can get away with that is because I know you and the foundation as a friend first. The only reason. If we were just dating and I only started like, well, I'd be like, wait, hey, you remember in month two, where's that girl? She was awesome. Bring her back.

[Amy Robach]

That's so funny, right? We don't have that experience. We, you know, and yes, I think we were. We got closest at your lowest, lowest point. And I see when you see all the ugly and you don't have any intention about actually being romantic with that person and you accept them for who they are, and then the romance comes later. It's wild because that's a part of it. You knew them at their worst. You've known them at their worst.

[Ryan Seacrest]

But, you know, I know that you weren't being careful in some minutes and trying some moments and trying to hide something from it, you know, good and hell, well, I wasn't trying to hide. So it's not like you're having to, you know, that's a good one. We don't have to wonder where the other is coming from, what the other's really thinking or about the other's behavior or what does that issue mean. We've seen it all as friends. And yes, when either one of us behaves badly, when I get too quiet after a fight and it goes for.

[Amy Robach]

Four days, you've gotten better.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You've seen it, you've. So you don't have to take it so personal. Those things were. Are so key. And I thought that was cool that two out of the four genuinely. And we saw genuinely them not be interested in each other.

[Amy Robach]

They didn't have, like, romantic or sexual designs on one another initially.

[Ryan Seacrest]

All right, and the last one here, folks, if y' all are believers in Prince Charming, please send all of your hate messages to one Ms. Amy Robach. I'm gonna let you take this one.

[Amy Robach]

You know I will. Because, look, I. And I said this. Amaya and Brian were adorable. I am rooting for them. I hope they ride off into the sunset together, to use a fairy tale phrase. But I did. It was. It was a little bit of a red flag because I know Amaya, I used to be you. And I think so many of us girls are. We watch these rom coms and I. And I did see someone write a really interesting article about how Love Island USA is kind of the new rom com for younger women of this generation. Because we don't necessarily have the Prince Charming, the. The Pretty Woman type of theme anymore. Because that's uncool. That's not. That's not woke. Because you shouldn't. The happiness isn't finding your prince. But still, deep down, I think that narrative is in so many of us girls. And I heard Amaya, even just in the finale, make more than four references of Brian. Makes me feel like fairy tales are real. She calls him. Is that my prince? She said every decision led me to you. My Prince Charming. She had this whole narrative of him being Prince Charming. And when you listen to their speeches to one another, their representatives were praising the other's representative. And that. I get that they're heady in that new love, that feeling of being in love and excited. But what they do is they put each other up on these pedestals. You know what I'm thinking? You're there for me no matter what. I can be myself in front of you. Are you really being yourself in this idealistic bubble? I just worry because when you fall in love with the best version of someone and they haven't had the opportunity of getting into the messiness of real life and how hard that struggle is and how sometimes divisive that can be because you don't actually. But when you start thinking we think all the same things, we love all the same things, you start getting this image or picture of what it should be and what it is. But actually it's just the tip of the iceberg. And so I just worry.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So worried. But shouldn't it start like that? Shouldn't we be worried? If you don't start off with all the butterflies, shouldn't you be as hopeful and Disney princess as ever?

[Amy Robach]

I think you can be hopeful, but with. But you have to have a real. Like it's gonna get ugly. And he's not always. He's not always gonna think what I do is cute. He's not always going to like what say or do or this. She has the zoomies. She's. I am going to annoy him. Her running around. Like, she just gets lots of energy. Yeah. But like you. I think you have to like. It's. It's scary. I think it's dangerous to think that all of my crazy. He loves and thinks it's adorable. It's. It just.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yes, but he should right now.

[Amy Robach]

Right? What? What. What have you said to me, which we. I. You say it in a. In a much more realistic way that makes me laugh. You've said this to me when we started, like, maybe even probably in that first year when we were romantic. You said what to me?

[Ryan Seacrest]

If I start finding your little quirks annoying, we're in trouble. There are little things everybody does somebody right now. Every. Every woman, every man listening can think of one thing that the person in relationship, more than one, does that annoy that. It's just annoying. And if you think about it, has it gotten more annoying over the years?

[Amy Robach]

Usually, yes.

[Ryan Seacrest]

The first year, oh, that's my girl. Second year, like, whoo, still at it. Third year, like, are you fucking kidding me? Fourth year, I don't want us to eat together no more. But it goes. But you should start out. It should. Shouldn't we all. I don't want to. I get what you're saying, and I guess you're right. But this idea of taking away this fantasy, this idea idealistic. Right. Is what we should say of a Prince Charming coming in. And what that represents now is not just a prince from a Disney movie. Your prince can be somebody with a job, with health insurance, who wants to have kids, who comes from a good family. That's still a Prince Charming, is it not? But we talk about sweeping you off your feet and taking care of you and making you feel like a princess always.

[Amy Robach]

I think it puts a lot of pressure on men, and I think it creates. I. I always say that expectations are the thief of joy because you have this expectation that someone's going to do this for you and do that for you and make you feel the certain. You always say, nobody can make you feel anything. I actually think people. I actually think people can make you feel something, but you get to choose how you respond to it. But you can acknowledge the feeling and say, wait, what is it about me that's feeling this way? And not point the finger at the other person. But I do. It's not that I want to believe. I love a rom com. I love happy endings. Who doesn't? But I just get worried when these kids are young and I sound so old right now, but. And have had just enough experience in relationships to know that. I just. I always just want to warn young women, like, yes, relationships can be beautiful. And yes, it's fun to be able to say, that man's gonna take care of me in my emotional needs and physical needs and all of the above. But at a certain point, you just have to remember, you have to be you have to be that person for yourself and that other person. Your partner can supplement and bring joy to your life, but they can't be your source of joy and they can't be your source of being saved. You have to save yourself. You have to love yourself. And I know that sounds cheesy, but I just get worried because I do think that was in my head and it was probably a cause of a lot of suffering for me and a lot of bad choices in relationships. Because I think us women, a lot of us are looking for that. Maybe younger generations are not so much. I think that a lot of women are, or young girls are changing what they expect. But I just. I heard that, I saw that, and it resonated with me, and I thought, ooh, just not get too far into this. Prince Charming.

[Ryan Seacrest]

How long and what age were you before you figured that out? Right. That's why I say they're young and whatnot. What you described about the fantasy thing is I didn't figure that stuff out until I was early 40s.

[Amy Robach]

Probably same. I would say it was in my late 30s. Early, I think early 40s. It all comes crashing down. What have I done? Well, I just. Crashing down because you built up this fantasy, you build up these expectations, and it's unfair to your partner, truly.

[Ryan Seacrest]

What expectations are you talking about?

[Amy Robach]

That this person is going to make me happy. This person is going to take care of me no matter what. This person is going to support me.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Oh, yeah, that's enough.

[Amy Robach]

Okay, that's through thick and thin.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Understood. That drives me great. Anytime I hear this person makes me happy, I stop you in your tracks. Anytime you even say that to me about me making you happy, that I can't make you any.

[Amy Robach]

I always say you make me laugh.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I can't make you laugh.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, you can.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay. Well, folks, this has been quite a turn from covering the Diddy trial every day. We got a chance to. We talked about this. We would have probably been covering this every single day with the ditty trial. Had us putting out all those updates. But this has been fun. It has been interesting. It's been serious and it's been silly. It's been fun to be able to, no matter what, what side of the aisle you're on, where you live in the country. Everybody is dealing with relationships. Even if you're not in one, you have no desire for one. You got friendships, you got co workers, you got every children, parents, human relation is every. What is the Dalai Lama quote? You said, he said you can survive without the you can't survive without what human connection. Human connection. That's what an affection. That's what he said. So we appreciate you all joining us along for this. This has been fun for Oaks. I kind of, I'm happy. I'm kind of happy it's over and that the conversations robes we've had it. It also highlighted some nastiness about how we view these folks folks on TV and how we treat them. It's been a, it's been the toughest season in terms of I guess some of the bullying, cyber bullying as they've been calling it.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah. And there were so many lessons in that too, that these folks are human beings who have parents and children and brothers and sisters. And so I hope everyone learned not just lessons in relationships, but also lessons on how we should. Should be treating one another and treating ourselves. So. Yes. Thank you. I'm actually like, I want to know what the next one is. I'm. I'm a little sad it's over. I love this. I love learning. I love. It's great to be entertained and to learn something in the process and I think that's what Love Island USA was able to do. So can't wait for season eight.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Well, the only we do not. We have not been coming on here. We do not criticize these islanders and we do not criticize these producers of the show Peacock. Nothing and how they go about it about it. But there's one thing I would put in the suggestion box. Stop with the slow mo.

[Amy Robach]

Yes. Agreed.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's the only. Know what I got.

[Amy Robach]

We're like ew. Ew. We were watching with our daughters. Even they were saying ew too much.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And the audio of it felt like I was watching the substance all over.

[Amy Robach]

Again with all the body horror. I think that's a great note to end on. Thank you all for listening to us. We appreciate you and hope you all have a have a wonderful day. Every business has an ambition. PayPal open is the platform designed to help you grow into yours with business loans so you can expand and access to hundreds of millions of PayPal customers worldwide. And your customers can pay all the ways they want with PayPal, Venmo pay later and all major cards so you can focus on scaling up when it's time to get growing. There's one platform for all business PayPal open grow today at paypalopen.com loans subject to approval in available locations.

[TJ Holmes]

Welcome to the W where elite athletes are redefining the game of basketball from buzzer beating shots, jaw dropping defense and logo threes. The WNBA delivers non stop action and world class talent every game. These athletes don't just play the game, they elevate it. The biggest stars, The Brightest Age AT&T WNBA All Star 2025 comes to Indianapolis July 18th 19th. Tune into the game July 19th at 8:30pm Eastern Time on ABC.

[Rodney Williams]

I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealthbreak podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest, building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone.

[TJ Holmes]

I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have.

[Rodney Williams]

To revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories.

[Amy Robach]

What happens when it doesn't go right? How do you cope with it?

[Rodney Williams]

Because wealth isn't just about money, it's about creating a life where you thrive and help others do the same. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

[TJ Holmes]

Saks off 5th up to 70% off every day Summer is officially here. Time to dress like it. From breezy linen and floral dresses to chic sandals and beach ready swim, Saks Off 5th has the designer styles you'll live in all season long. Plus shop new arrivals every week. You'll find Alice and Olivia, Valentino, Garavanni, Versace, Stuart Weitzman and more. Head to saksofffith.com or a Saks Off 5th store near you for up to 70% off every day.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. It's Oral Care Month, which means you can earn four times points on all your favorite oral care brands. Now through July 15th.

[Amy Robach]

Shop in store or online for items.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Like Colgate Toothpaste, Listerine Mouthwash, Crest Mouthwash or Toothpaste Sensodyne Toothpaste hello, Toothpaste or gum flossers and earn four times points. Points can be redeemed for future discounts on gas or groceries.

[Amy Robach]

Offer ends July 15th. Restrictions apply.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Amy Robach]

This is an iHeart podcast.