Bachelor Happy Hour: EXCLUSIVE – Madina Alam & Aaron Bryant Found Love!

Date: December 19, 2025
Hosts: Joe Amabile & Serena Pitt
Guests: Madina Alam & Aaron Bryant

Episode Overview

This episode of Bachelor Happy Hour brings a joyful surprise to Bachelor Nation: newly minted couple Madina Alam and Aaron Bryant share their love story with Joe and Serena. With humor, candor, and vulnerability, the pair reveal how their relationship blossomed—despite never appearing on the same show—and talk long-distance romance, future plans, and behind-the-scenes Bachelor connections.

Meeting & First Impressions

The DM Initiation (04:47–06:22)

• Madina shamelessly DMed Aaron when he was announced for Charity’s season:

  “I was like: hope you don’t make it far, which is so cringy and cliche.” (04:54, Medina)

• Their correspondence began casually and continued sporadically for years, mostly with friendly back-and-forths.
• Timeline twist: Madina reached out before her own time on The Bachelor’s Joey season.

Initial Reactions

• Aaron recalls getting lots of DMs during his season but did notice Madina’s:

  “She pops up and I’m like, oh, wow, who’s this?... obviously I was just like, all right, you know, take it easy, blah, blah. Obviously went to Paradise.” (05:49, Aaron)

• Both describe an indirect “watching from afar” energy, with Aaron admitting he watched Madina’s season to “pay close attention.”

• Clarification:
  Medina says she didn’t actually watch Aaron's TV journey in detail:

  “I didn’t actually really watch any of his seasons. I don’t really watch The Bachelor. I saw his picture announced and I was like, gotcha.” (07:37, Medina)

In-Person Connection: New York Fashion Week

The Group Lunch That Changed Everything (08:01–10:43)

• Flirty-yet-distant DMs remained the norm until both found themselves in NYC for Fashion Week.

• First real-life meeting: A lunch with mutual friends.

  Madina: “He gave such a good hug when I walked in, and I hate talking like this because I feel like I’m a bad bitch. And then when I’m with him, I’m like... like a little girl, kind of.” (09:32, Medina)

• Chemistry was instant. Medina describes falling into her “feminine,”

  “I love the concept of, like, falling into your feminine. When you’re with someone...” (09:50, Serena)

Memorable Moment (10:15)

• Medina: “I’m like...flirting with him...I really like your shoes. And he looks at me, he goes, ‘Yeah, give me a minute. I’ll think of something to compliment you on.’”
• Aaron (embarrassed): “I think I was pretty nervous. Like, I was actually speechless.” (10:31)

After Lunch: The Relationship Quickly Evolves

Instant Spark & Natural Progression (17:36–23:47)

• Madina, post-lunch: “We went to the bathroom...before I even left, I was like, Oh, my God. Like, I like him.” (17:43)

• Both admit they were not looking for anything serious—Medina had just gotten out of a relationship, and expectations were low.

• Joe asks when it turned serious:

  Aaron: “Almost an hour after that lunch...I knew at that point that I was going to be pursuing her.” (19:08)

• The TikTok Moment: They made a TikTok together on their way to Sephora right after lunch, heightening the playful energy.

• The day included lunch, drinks, a playful TikTok, and ended up with dinner where friends egged them on to “make out”—“Make out! Make out! We all want this.” (21:35, Aaron recounting the friend’s antics.)

Smooth Transition to Relationship

• No drawn-out “talking stage,” Medina recalls:

  “There was no talking stage, let’s say that.” (22:58, Aaron) “It was just like, really natural...it was, like, nice for, you know, someone to be, like, so sure of you.” (23:02, Medina)

• Aaron officially asked Madina to be his girlfriend soon after, mid-sushi-date in Charlotte.

Navigating Long Distance (23:47–27:16)

• Current homes: Madina in Charlotte, Aaron in San Diego.

• Visits: See each other 2–3 times per month (“we’re really making it work”).

• Future plans:

  “We definitely have talked about me moving to San Diego soon.” (25:24, Medina)

• Medina owns a remote therapy practice, so relocation is easy.

• She was already planning to move and liked San Diego’s vibe:

  “I had no issue talking about this with him. San Diego actually was one of the places on my list.” (25:51, Medina)

Notable Exchange

• Joe: “I mean, it’s also the best weather in the country.” (26:41)
• Medina: “You don’t have to sell me on it. Like, it sells itself.” (26:57)

Holidays, Families, and Bachelor Nation Ties (34:05–39:44)

First Holidays Together

• Thanksgiving spent together—skipped family obligations for their own dinner.

• Aaron will head to Albany, NY for Christmas to meet Medina’s family (and her dog Tonka) in person for the first time.

• “We FaceTimed briefly a couple times...Still got to get the impression off.” (35:12, Aaron)

• Medina’s met Aaron’s family through video calls; both laugh about the awkwardness of FaceTime introductions.

Bachelor Nation Friend Groups (36:32–37:39)

• Aaron’s Bachelor crew: Aaron Clancy, James Bondle, and close friends are in the loop.
• “They all knew when I went to Charlotte, I could post on my close friends. I was kissing Medina’s hand, and they were like, oh, this is, like, legit.” (36:45, Aaron)
• Medina: More low-key with connections; closest to Jess and Sandra, but otherwise not embedded in the BN social scene.

Travel & Trust (37:51–39:39)

• Planning a trip to Colombia for a friend’s wedding (Cartagena).
• Trust & Communication in long distance:

  “I trust him more than...the last person I dated, who lived five minutes away. I think he’s just so good at communicating.” (38:50, Medina) “He’ll track, like, with my cycle to recognize when I might be a little more sensitive, or if I need more compliments.” (39:08)

• Joe: “Communication is like 90% of it.” (39:39)

Living Together Plans

• They plan to find and move into a new place together in San Diego (40:10).
• Medina notes Aaron will let her decorate—“Let’s have this on recording.” (40:10)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On falling in love quickly:
  Aaron: “I knew at that point I was going to be pursuing her.” (19:38)

• On female energy and safety:
  Serena: “I love the concept of falling into your feminine—when you feel safe and comfortable.” (09:50)

• On practicality:
  Medina: “I have the utmost faith that, heaven forbid, it doesn’t work out, like, I would. It would be fine, you know?” (25:51)

• On trust & relationships:
  Medina: “It’s interesting because he’s so far away, but I trust him so much. So, it’s like, I’m glad we’re not working through any of that. The biggest issue we have is distance, and that’ll eventually be done with...” (38:50)

• On decorating the future home:
  Medina (playful): “Let’s have this [decorating the apartment] on recording.” (40:10)

Episode Structure & Key Timestamps

• 03:25 — Episode proper begins, guests welcomed
• 04:47–08:01 — How Madina & Aaron connected, the DMs, show timeline
• 08:01–10:43 — Meeting in person: New York Fashion Week, first impressions, the “good hug”
• 17:36–23:47 — How things moved fast from lunch to relationship
• 23:47–27:16 — Navigating and planning for long-distance
• 34:05–36:32 — Meeting each other’s families, first holidays together
• 36:32–37:39 — Bachelor Nation friendships
• 37:51–39:39 — Upcoming travel, trust, communication
• 40:10–41:11 — Moving in together, decorating plans, closing thoughts

Tone & Feel

The entire episode is playful, romantic, honest, and very “Bachelor Happy Hour”—bursting with banter, laughter, and a little teasing. Both Madina and Aaron are refreshingly down to earth and self-aware about the TV dating world, with the hosts keeping things light but heartfelt.

For New Listeners

If you missed the episode, this is a wholesome, behind-the-scenes glimpse into how two people from Bachelor Nation—who never overlapped on TV—organically and unexpectedly found genuine connection. It’s a rom-com-worthy story with the honesty and awkwardness of real life, and proof that in Bachelor Nation, love appears when you least expect it.