Hometowns and a Surprise Girl Chat! | Golden Hour

Summary

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Bachelor Happy Hour: "Hometowns and a Surprise Girl Chat! | Golden Hour"

Date: October 27, 2025
Hosts: Susan and Kathy
Special Guests: Nancy and Joan (Golden Bachelor alumni)
Location: Austin, Texas

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Episode Overview

This episode of Bachelor Happy Hour dives deep into the pivotal "Hometowns" week of the latest Golden Bachelor season. Joining hosts Susan and Kathy for an in-person “Girl Chat” are fan favorites Nancy and Joan from their Golden Bachelor season. Together, they dissect Mel’s progress as the lead, highlight dramatic family visits, and thoughtfully compare their own experiences on the show to those unfolding now. Packed with insights, nostalgia, and trademark laughs, the conversation goes behind the scenes on what it really feels like to search for love later in life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reunion Vibes with the Golden Ladies

• The episode opens with a joyful reunion in Austin, recounting how hard it was to coordinate everyone's schedules (03:38).
• Joan shares a hilarious travel mishap involving pimento cheese, almost getting stopped at airport security (05:00).
  • Quote: “They thought I had drugs in the pimento cheese.” – Joan (05:15)

2. First Impressions of Mel as Bachelor Lead

• The group discusses watching the latest episode together, reflecting on Mel’s lack of emotional expression and uncertainty about the women (06:26, 07:17).
  • Quote: “My gut feeling is he doesn’t emote emotion...I just don’t get the feeling he’s crazy in love with any of them.” – Joan (06:39)
• Joan and Nancy agree Mel seems especially cautious, possibly holding back due to his past (07:22).
  • Quote: "He couldn’t even give families basic reassurance. That’s what concerned me." – Nancy (07:46)
• Observations that Mel’s emotional availability contrasts sharply with previous lead Gary, who was “effusive and emotional” (10:41).

3. Comparing Casts Across Golden Bachelor Seasons

• Discussion on how casting choices feel younger this season (09:32), and note that Mel seemed to request younger women.
  • Quote: “He obviously said young. We know that. It’s no secret.” – Nancy (09:32)
• The group jokingly compares hair extensions and physical similarities among contestants (“They all have long hair. They all have extensions. I’m so jealous.” – Kathy, 09:23).
• They reflect on how Bachelor “bubble” intensifies everyone’s feelings—and for women dating later in life, the sense of scarcity is real (08:10).

4. Searching for Authenticity & Motives

• The group debates if everyone is really there to find love, expressing that most contestants seem genuinely invested (12:02):
  • Quote: "I do believe that 95% of the people there were there to find love." – Nancy (12:02)
• Kathy wonders if some women are simply “desperate” or missing something, to which Susan responds that editing may obscure the full reality of contestants’ emotions (12:37).
  • Quote: “Editing is a big part of it, so I gotta imagine they’re showing us only the best they have.” – Joan (12:41)

5. Hometown Episode Analysis

• After a short break, Susan and Kathy dive into “Hometowns,” focusing on Mel’s conversations (19:29).
• Key moment: Mel’s inability to give families solid emotional reassurance stood out sharply.
  • Quote: “He wasn’t giving them anything.” – Susan (19:29)
• Kathy’s pivotal takeaway: Mel seems to want a composite of all three women—Peg (fun), Cindy (sensitive), Debbie (sincere) (20:00).

6. Familial Dynamics and Emotional Stakes

• Dakota (Peg’s daughter) and Cindy’s daughters ask probing questions but can’t get Mel to open up emotionally (21:18).
  • Quote: “I have to admire a man or woman who goes on national television and says, I’m not there yet.” – Kathy (21:36)
• Hosts reflect on the heightened stakes for families and kids of older contestants—what it’s like to bring children into such intimate conversations (25:01).
  • Quote: “That’s a lot to put kids through.” – Kathy (25:01)
• Peg is celebrated for her straightforwardness and energy (25:42), Cindy for her longing for a partner who “lives and breathes for me.”

7. Debbie’s Departure & Interpretation of Mel’s Choices

• Both hosts are surprised and saddened by Debbie’s exit at the Rose Ceremony but note Mel “looked like an outsider looking in” with her family (33:44).
  • Quote: “If you look up conflicted in the dictionary, you’re gonna see a big picture of Mel.” – Kathy (34:22)
• Susan and Kathy wonder if Mel simply doesn’t have enough “data points” to pick, hinting he might not choose anyone at all (35:23, 38:07).
  • Quote: “All these things leading me to—I won’t be surprised if he doesn’t pick anyone.” – Kathy (37:35)

8. Who is the Best Fit for Mel?

• Peg is identified repeatedly as embodying “fun,” which Mel toasts to in every episode (36:42).
• Cindy is highlighted as more relationship/family focused, possibly wanting more than Mel is ready to give (35:52, 39:06).

9. Women’s Perspectives: Caution, Past Hurts, and Readiness

• Both Peg and Cindy’s dating histories are discussed. Peg appears newer to dating, Cindy more experienced (40:16).
• They also poke fun at details from the hometowns, such as Peg’s firefighter backstory (“Come on, people. If you’re a firefighter and retired 18 years ago, you don’t have a cubby anymore!” – Kathy, 40:32).

10. Anticipation for ‘Women Tell All’ and Fantasy Suites

• The episode ends with the hosts eagerly awaiting Women Tell All and speculating on possible outcomes (41:30).
  • Quote: “For the first time ever, he may not choose either one.” – Kathy (41:43)
• They joke about their plans to enjoy Austin, Texas, teasing that if next week’s ep is missing, fans “know we had a great time burning down Austin!” (43:30)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Joan: “They thought I had drugs in the pimento cheese.” (05:15)
• Joan: “My gut feeling is he doesn’t emote emotion... I just don’t get the feeling he’s crazy in love with any of them.” (06:39)
• Nancy: “He couldn’t even give families basic reassurance. That’s what concerned me.” (07:46)
• Susan: “All I know is what I’ve been told, and that a half-truth is a whole lie.” (31:56)
• Kathy: “If you look up conflicted in the dictionary, you’re gonna see a big picture of Mel. He is conflicted.” (34:22)
• Kathy: “You could want you and me. We’re both outgoing, gregarious. But personally, I kind of felt it was Cindy all along...now I’m shifted.” (38:42)
• Susan (on Mel): “I don’t think he’s ready to commit.” (35:28)

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• 03:38 – Reunion with Nancy and Joan; planning & travel hijinks
• 05:00 – Joan’s airport pimento cheese story
• 06:26 – Initial reactions to Mel’s season
• 09:22 – 10:41 – Comparing this season’s casting and emotional tenor to past seasons
• 12:02 – Are the contestants really looking for love?
• 19:29 – Transition to Hometowns discussion
• 20:00 – Kathy’s “pivotal moment”: Mel wants a composite partner
• 21:18 – 25:01 – Family conversations and emotional stakes for adult children
• 33:44 – Analyzing Debbie’s exit and Mel’s “outsider” feelings with families
• 35:23, 37:35, 38:07 – Hosts speculate Mel might choose no one
• 41:30 – 43:30 – Looking ahead to Women Tell All; hosts’ farewell and fun in Austin

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Final Thoughts

The Golden Bachelor Hometowns recap is rich with authentic analysis, candid laughter, and genuine reflection from women who know the show inside and out. The hosts and their friends probe the nuances of vulnerability and second-chance romance at midlife, all while keeping the conversation light-hearted and compassionate. Mel’s difficulty with emotional expression and choices is threaded throughout, leaving everyone—hosts and listeners alike—on the edge of their seats for what’s to come.

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Transcript

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[Katie Couric]

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[Johnny Knoxville]

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[Kathy]

Go ahead, hit me, Bernie.

[Katie Couric]

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[Maggie Freeling]

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[Kathy]

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[Maggie Freeling]

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[Susan]

Welcome back, everybody, to Bachelor Happy hours Golden Hour. Thanks so much for joining us again. We are so excited to be here and wait to hear what we have planned today.

[Kathy]

Oh, boy. So today we are going to dive into all things hometowns, but first, we have two special guests. We are in Austin, Texas, with none other than Nancy and Joan from our golden bachelor season. Welcome, you guys.

[Nancy]

Thank you. It's so nice to be here.

[Kathy]

We are. Okay, so girls are back. We're back together. We're here for the weekend. We have big plans.

[Nancy]

Yeah. I mean, we've been trying to plan this for literally how long? A year, I think a year.

[Kathy]

At least a year.

[Nancy]

At least a year. And we finally put it together. A date that we could all be together somehow. And we flew in this morning and the fun has just started.

[Kathy]

Yes.

[Susan]

Tell them what you brought.

[Joan]

I am right here, Susan. So I was so excited to. Joan and I both were excited to come, and Susan called me a couple nights ago and said, can you do me a favor? Will you go get that pimento cheese that I like? Remember that time you brought it to my house? I said, yes. She said, can you bring that on the plane? I said, are you kidding me, Susan? She goes, no, it's fine. It'll be okay. Just put it in your luggage. And I was like, I'm not putting pimento cheese in my luggage.

[Nancy]

So what did I do?

[Joan]

I brought it. I bought three of them. It's like 30 bucks worth of pimento cheese. Packed it as a carry on and have it. And I have a little ice pack going through security. Guess what? I got stopped. Joan's calling me, like, where are you? And I'm stopped in security. They had to bring two supervisors over.

[Susan]

They had all.

[Joan]

Literally, they had all of the pimento cheese out, and they're holding it up and they're looking at. They thought I had drugs in the pimento cheese. I'm not kidding. And so anyway, luckily we made the flight.

[Susan]

And I'm so grateful, so grateful.

[Kathy]

And I just want to say this is reason number 462, why Kathy does not cook, because this is trouble you get into. But having said that, Susan came in a couple of days earlier and we went to the grocery store last night. My refrigerator has never been so Packed with food. My air conditioning has never been set so low.

[Nancy]

It's freezing in here.

[Kathy]

It's freezing.

[Susan]

So cold and it's so hot and it's. But it feels so good to have all our girls together again. Us Goldens. And what do we all do? Watch Mel season.

[Nancy]

I stayed up late. I was. I got up at 4:15 today, but I stayed up and watched it because I thought, this is important. We should know what's going on in the season.

[Joan]

Okay, ladies, just watched it.

[Kathy]

What's your thought, Nancy?

[Joan]

I fell asleep.

[Kathy]

What do you think of this season, you guys? What do you think?

[Joan]

Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead, Joe.

[Nancy]

No, you go, go, go. I want to hear.

[Joan]

I just watched last night's season and I've been feeling this way the whole time. My feeling is, my gut feeling is he doesn't emote emotion and he's not. Nothing against him, but I don't get the feeling that he's crazy in love with any of them or obviously he doesn't know that he is, but I just thought he'd be further along with at least one of them. And they're all lovely and, oh, my gosh, he's got great women to pick from, but I just don't feel like he's there. Clearly they are.

[Susan]

Yeah, I agree with you.

[Kathy]

What about you, Nancy? I mean, what about you, Joan?

[Nancy]

I totally agree with Nancy. I don't know if maybe he's being particularly careful. So I knew, like, I had kind of a, like a contract with myself that I wasn't going to say I love you to anybody or just one person. And. But when you have those conversations with their families, it's important that you give them some kind of reassurance. And he couldn't even do that, which is what concerned me. Like, if they said, you know, do you think you have strong feelings for my mom or do you think that you'll ever get there? He was like, yeah, I don't. I'm not really sure. I don't really know. As opposed to saying, right. What's that?

[Joan]

He said that right?

[Nancy]

Yeah, each of them, every single one.

[Joan]

Of them kids said the same thing.

[Kathy]

Yeah. I'm curious what you guys think are the biggest differences in this season from our season.

[Maggie Freeling]

Hi.

[Nancy]

I think, though, that it always, like, bachelor bubble is a thing, obviously, and everybody seems to fall in love with the lead. Even if, like, in. Out in the real world, it wouldn't have happened. It does on the shows. These girls seem to have it on an even heightened level. They seem to Be more in love. And he thinks. They think he's even a greater person. And I don't know if that goes back to us. We should talk about this a little bit. Maybe not on this particular show, because it's a whole conversation about how hard it is to find love as a woman at this age.

[Kathy]

Yes.

[Nancy]

So maybe they are so invested in this one man because he's the only man out there. Of 300 million people that live in this country, he seems to be the only one that has, you know, an option for them.

[Susan]

Yeah, yeah. They're living in his bubble.

[Nancy]

Yeah.

[Joan]

And we can all relate, most of us except Joan now, thank goodness, with Chop, and Susan with Frederic. But we've all lived that three. You know, we are one in the 300 million, and we've gone through it, and it is hard. And I think you're right. They've got a great guy in front of them. Let's go. And I. I feel like that you're exactly right, Joe, but do you feel.

[Susan]

Like all these women on Mel's season are different than us? And. And if so, what way. I know they all have long hair.

[Joan]

Well, yeah.

[Kathy]

They all have extensions. I'm so jealous.

[Susan]

They all.

[Joan]

But they all look similar, I think. Or many of them. I'm sorry. Not all of them, because they're.

[Nancy]

Yeah, they're a little younger. I mean, we. We know that they. They, you know, gauge them younger. I mean, he certainly said that. And they do ask you, like, when you're going on the show, they type of person you're looking for, like, what physical traits, what personality kind of things. He obviously said young. We know that. It's no secret. So they did. They, you know, cast this, you know, a lot younger than our. Our season, actually. Yeah. I mean, we were like, I know that the three of us were three of the youngest people on the season before we would be right in the middle of the pack on this season. Yes. Right.

[Joan]

We had more of a range.

[Susan]

You guys go ahead.

[Kathy]

I was going to say to me, it's so interesting to watch. When we were there, we did this, and it just feels so different. I think Joan, you're right. Partly due to age, partly due to their interests, Some of them, many of them are still working.

[Susan]

But you know what, guys? I don't think the age difference is that grand. And I don't know that any of them are grandparents yet, or maybe none of them are. They really didn't speak of that at all. So that was a big difference, I think.

[Nancy]

Yeah. I think it's because they're a little younger. I mean, they're. They're early 60s, most of them. Yeah, they're a lot younger. I do feel like he's a little different than our lead. Okay, so Gary was very effusive. He was very emotional. He gave. Made it easy for us to be the same way. He kind of opened the doors for us to then enter into that kind of same, you know, being the way that he was. Mel is not that way. The women still are a little bit, and it seems very unreciprocated, which feels a little uncomfortable to me. I thought we were all very comfortable in Gary's world, the way the. What he created for us. I don't feel comfortable in Mel's world.

[Joan]

That's a really good point.

[Susan]

Yeah. Couldn't agree with her more. Yes.

[Joan]

And I do agree with what you said about his. I lost my emotions.

[Susan]

Not showing emotions.

[Joan]

Not showing emotions. But also when we all went on our show first Golden Bachelor, we. I think all of us were truly there. I can say this without a doubt. We're truly there to find love. And back to what you guys said. Not all of these women are. And like you said, they. They've told people that, and people know that. But that made me a little sad because I really wanted. I wanted it to continue on this season.

[Susan]

But that is what Bachelor stands for. Finding love.

[Kathy]

Right.

[Susan]

That's what it's about.

[Nancy]

I do believe that 95% of the people there were there to find love. I felt like they were really upset when they. When every single one of them didn't get a rose and were leaving the mansion. They looked truly upset.

[Kathy]

I really breaks my heart every feel.

[Nancy]

Like they were there for the right reasons, just very few that weren't.

[Kathy]

So, Susan, you and I have met these ladies. Joan, I think you've met a few of them. I mean, they're smart women, so either we're missing something or. Or they're desperate, and I don't want to believe they're desperate. So I'm going.

[Susan]

Joan, can you tell us that they whisper behind the scenes that they're giving these women all this hope?

[Joan]

And you've had the experience.

[Kathy]

Yeah.

[Joan]

You're the one who knows the best.

[Nancy]

No, I got to tell you everything that. I mean, obviously editing is a big part of it, so I got to imagine they're editing the best that they have to show us. So it does make me a little worried that we're getting. We're only seeing what we're getting. We're only getting what we're saying. And so.

[Kathy]

Wait, are you saying Joan, I don't.

[Nancy]

Think they're editing anything good out. I don't think that they're getting enough emotion from them.

[Joan]

I. I could see how that would happen.

[Susan]

Yeah, absolutely. We both, we couldn't agree with you more. And we want to thank you guys for popping in here and I'm so glad you're here.

[Kathy]

You. You know what? We can't wait to see how it ends. And. And all I can say is there's four of us here. Two of us are single, two of us aren't.

[Susan]

Two availables.

[Kathy]

I love you. Thanks for coming, you guys.

[Susan]

We love you.

[Kathy]

We can't wait to celebrate. We've got a big weekend planned, so don't use up all your energy on this podcast.

[Susan]

Never go down and relax.

[Kathy]

Okay? Thanks for coming, guys.

[Nancy]

Thanks for having us.

[Kathy]

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[Johnny Knoxville]

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[Katie Couric]

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[Katie Couric]

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[Johnny Knoxville]

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[Susan]

All I know is what I've been told. And that's a half truth is a whole lie.

[Maggie Freeling]

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[Kathy]

I'm telling you, we know Quincy killed her.

[Maggie Freeling]

We know a story that law enforcement used to convict six people and that Got the citizen investigator on national tv.

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[Maggie Freeling]

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[Johnny Knoxville]

I did not know her and I did not kill her or rape or burn or any of that other stuff.

[Kathy]

That y' all said.

[Susan]

They literally made me say that I took a match and struck and threw it on her. They made me say that I poured gas on her.

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[Kathy]

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[Maggie Freeling]

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[Susan]

You know, Kathy, it was great having the girls and it's great having them here, but we're going to continue what we were talking about. And one of the common denominators that I noticed from last night's show is the children and the conversations that Mel was having and the questions they were asking. And he wasn't given solid. Believable. I mean, believable, yes, but he wasn't giving them anything. How do you feel?

[Kathy]

What do I agree with you? What I thought was stunning was Dakota, who is Peg's daughter, and then Cindy's daughters were saying very much the same thing, that they weren't getting the assurances from him. So, you know, I don't know. I don't get it. I think, to me, I have to jump to the end, and then we're gonna work backwards. I have to jump to the rose ceremony because for me, the pivotal moment in this entire episode was when Mel stood there and looked at Debbie, Cindy and Peg and Peg. I know it's swallowing and said and said, you know, you three. I took. I said what I meant. I'm looking for love. And the three of you embody. I'm putting words in his mouth and. But they embody what he's looking for. And I thought, that's exactly right. He is not sure what he's looking for. You know, he keeps talking about fun, how fun Peg is, and how this one's sensitive and this one's sincere. And I think he would love to roll all three of those women into one person. And that, to me, was the Pivotal moment of this episode. But going back. Go ahead.

[Susan]

One of my big things was with Dakota and she was trying to change the way she was asking the question, maybe to get a different answer. But when he said he loves her spirit, her energy, he's not in love with her.

[Kathy]

Well, he said that about Cindy's. I know, I know, it is an ouch. But here's the thing. On the one hand, you have to admire a man or a woman who goes on national television and says, I'm not there yet. So it gives me pause. Does he choose someone right? Maybe he says, I need all three of them rolled into one. I don't, we don't know yet. But to me the, the, the overarching themes again were the. They all want more assurance from him and they're not getting it. And what this made me think about again, as an adult, when you are young, as a, as a youngin. A 20 something, even a 30 something, you know, you're looking for the man or woman who's going to, you're going to build a family with, you're building your careers, you're building a family, all those things. Yet at our age, we've had so many life experiences, we're looking for that person that we can, if you will, collaborate with a companion, someone that is compatible, all those things because we're not raising a family right. And so I sat there thinking, because Mel is divorced, it gave me pause to think about divorce and how Mel is really hampered by his past. More so, you know, he said, I've only ever loved one woman. And it made me think about. Sometimes I feel like young people jump into love, you know, I love you, I love you. Let's get married. And those of us who are older, we understand the commitment, the reality of telling someone, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So I feel like I got a real sense that he is really hampered by his divorce and his past and.

[Susan]

He'S not ready to say it. But once again, Cindy's girls. And by the way, how about their daughter? Cindy's and Pegs, they're beautiful. Yeah, just beautiful women. And he says to one of Cindy's daughters, I like your mom a lot. And he doesn't know how he feels about her. We're at the end of the show, right? This is hometowns. Next is the overnight. You need to know a little bit, Mel, maybe like you just said, Kathy, he's got, he takes the L word really, really important. He doesn't let it out freely, which I all do respect, Mel, but at this age that we're on, on the show, you got to be feeling stronger for something. Something.

[Kathy]

Well, and that. Susan, that's exactly right. Oh, my God. We're agreeing again. Again, he. It's okay for Mel to say, you know, I'm really you, Cindy. To me, he looked tortured when Cindy was talking about how much she really cared for him. He looked anxious. He looked like, get me the hell out of here. Not that he doesn't care for her, but that, you know, I'm not there yet. I'm uncomfortable. That's what I felt. But back to the kids for a minute again. Susan, you and I have children. We have grandchildren. For the first time, I thought, what would that have been like if my kids had had to have that conversation? They all said how defensive, how they're going to protect their moms. And I thought, you know what? That's a lot to put kids through.

[Susan]

Having the child go back to the mom and be able to say that, mom, I'm not feeling 100% that into you like you. And Cindy said, I feel safe with him. Yeah, I feel like. And Peg. Peg has a different way about her. Let's talk about Peg. Peg is. She's. I love how she's straight up and energetic, looking for fun and, yes, energy. But when she talks to him, I'm not looking for this, this and this. I need this, this, and this. Whereas Cindy's approach is I need a man that just lives and breathes for me.

[Kathy]

And you know what? I'm not sure that Peg isn't that way. I see. I told you, you and I've said this before. We see ourselves a little bit more in Peg. We have the heart. It's just a little more difficult for us to show our emotions. And if, you know, if you put Mel on one end of the spectrum, you know, Peg is probably in the middle somewhere. Cindy's over on the whole other side, as is our lovely Debbie. But. But I think Peggy, Peg says, you know, I. I was cheated on. I. I had a question about that, too. Did. Am I dreaming? Didn't. And I really don't remember. So help me out here. I swore that Mel said he had not been cheated on, that it was just a divorce. I mean, not just a divorce, but a divorce. And I. And then Peg said, in their hometown. I think Peg said we were both cheated on. We share that in comments. So I was like, oh, wait, did someone misspeak? I was just curious.

[Susan]

I don't recall him sharing that because he doesn't share much, but I do remember Peg stating it. Yes.

[Kathy]

Yeah. So, you know, I feel like the hometowns. Well, first of all, I loved seeing my home.

[Susan]

We talk about Debbie.

[Kathy]

Oh, my God. Is she just not the sweetest Kathy?

[Susan]

I vote for her to be the next golden Bachelor.

[Kathy]

No, you don't. Who are you voting for? Me.

[Susan]

I vote for Debbie to be the next.

[Kathy]

Thanks a lot, Susan.

[Susan]

Okay.

[Kathy]

Where are you sleeping tonight? I got. I got company and you're not it.

[Susan]

One last thing. When Dakota said. And this struck me, thank you so much for talking to me and my mom deserves more.

[Adore Me Advertiser]

Yes.

[Nancy]

Whoa.

[Kathy]

Yeah.

[Susan]

Also, when he told Peg how much fun him and Dakota had, that I missed something.

[Kathy]

Oh, wait. No, no, no.

[Susan]

That was something.

[Kathy]

Okay. I had this. I had this marked down. So Susan and I were watching this show together because we were working on something else. Susan was here visiting and. And. And Dakota says, Peg comes out and says, oh, I love my fan. They're so great. Didn't you love my daughter? She's hilarious. And Mel says, yeah, she was. We had so much fun at Susan. I said, are we watching the same show? If that's fun, you know, torture me with safety pins maybe.

[Susan]

I'm hoping once again, they didn't show us everything. Maybe they went on to have a great time. But yeah, I. I was like, huh. That was fun.

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[Katie Couric]

You know that big bargain detergent jug is 80% water, right? It doesn't clean as well.

[Kathy]

80% water?

[Maggie Freeling]

I thought I was getting a better.

[Kathy]

Deal because it's so big.

[Katie Couric]

If you want a better clean, Tide pods are only 12% water. The rest is pure concentrated cleaning ingredients.

[Kathy]

Oh, let me make an announcement.

[Katie Couric]

Attention shoppers, if you want a real.

[Kathy]

Deal, try Tide pods.

[Katie Couric]

Stop paying for watered down detergents. Pay for clean. If it's gotta be clean, it's gotta be tide pods. Water content based on the leading bargain liquid detergent on the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric. I sat down with Bernie Sanders, who is 84 years old, has spent 34 years in Congress and he can still pack a rally with people a quarter of his age.

[Johnny Knoxville]

Denver, 34,000 people come out. Salt Lake City, 20,000 people out. You know, huge turnouts. People are really dissatisfied about the status quo.

[Katie Couric]

His Fighting oligarchy tour with AOC and other young progressives has become a movement. But is his message too far to the left? Well, he certainly doesn't think so.

[Johnny Knoxville]

Does that sound like a radical idea? Is that too far left for you?

[Katie Couric]

Okay, okay, wait. I get your point, Bernie. We talk about the billionaire class, the cost of living and of course the government shutdown. Not to mention the current state of the Democratic party.

[Johnny Knoxville]

To me, the failure of the Democratic party has been an unwillingness to recognize the real issues.

[Katie Couric]

Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Next Question with Katie Couric. And listen now.

[Susan]

All I know is what I've been told and that to have truth is a whole lie.

[Maggie Freeling]

For almost a decade, the murder of an 18 year old girl from a small town in Graves County, Kentucky went unsolved until a local homemaker, a journalist, and a handful of girls came forward with a story.

[Kathy]

I'm telling you, we know Quincy killed her.

[Maggie Freeling]

We know a story that law enforcement used to convict six people and that got the citizen investigator on national tv.

[Johnny Knoxville]

Through sheer persistence and nerve, this Kentucky housewife helped give justice to Jessica Curran.

[Maggie Freeling]

My name is Maggie Freeling. I'm a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist producer, and I wouldn't be here if the truth were that easy to find.

[Johnny Knoxville]

I did not know her and I.

[Kathy]

Did not kill her or rape or.

[Johnny Knoxville]

Burn or any of that other stuff.

[Kathy]

That y' all said.

[Susan]

They literally made me say that I took a match and struck and threw it on her. They made me say that I up or guess on her.

[Maggie Freeling]

From Lava For Good. This is Graves County, a show about just how far our legal system will go in order to find someone to blame.

[Kathy]

America, y' all better wake the hell up. Bad things happens to good people and small towns.

[Maggie Freeling]

Listen to Graves county in the Bone Valley feed on the Ice Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to binge the entire season ad free, subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Kathy]

Okay, so. So in. In a. In a 20,000 foot view, you got Debbie, who's talking about opening her heart, falling in love, doesn't want to be hurt. You know, he sees how warm her family is. But again, I felt like Mel was an outsider looking insane. Oh, she's got such a close family. I didn't feel like he felt part of that family. He.

[Susan]

Do you remember when he first got to Debbie and he said she is someone he could see spending his life?

[Kathy]

Exactly.

[Susan]

This one, I'm, like, shocked, but I get it. He has to choose. I mean, there's three you have.

[Kathy]

I think he is. I think if you look up conflicted in the dictionary, you're gonna see a big picture of Mel. He is conflicted.

[Susan]

And to be on Mel's side for a second, I can't even imagine, like we talked about this before, being the lead and having to make these decisions.

[Kathy]

Yes.

[Susan]

And like you pointed out earlier, maybe there is something in all three of them that he loves and he likes, and he's got to narrow it down that.

[Kathy]

And so wait, don't. Wait, Susan, don't you. I give credit to a man. I know the object of this show is to fall in love and. And hopefully get on a knee and propose. I get it. But on the other hand, I give Mel credit, even if it's inadvertent. Even if he doesn't know he's doing it, that maybe he's not sure. Maybe he doesn't know what he wants and he's got these fabulous women in front of him. And maybe he's just feeling pressure to pick one. It's as simple as that. And he doesn't want to pick one because he doesn't have enough data points to pick one.

[Susan]

I get that he's being true to himself. He's not saying anybody that he loves them.

[Kathy]

Okay.

[Susan]

But I don't think he's ready to commit.

[Kathy]

Okay, you 100. I agree. I. I have one quote. I have several that Mel said. He said, and I think this was on his hometown with Cindy. He said, said, I'm looking for compatibility, someone to have fun with. Quote, unquote, screams Peg. That screams Peg, right?

[Susan]

Yeah.

[Kathy]

Because I think Cindy, based on what we're seeing, is she said she wanted. I've got that quote too. She said, let's figure out how to be happy for the future she's looking for Monday through Sunday, looking to the future, wants her guy by her side. And maybe that's too much for Mel. Maybe what he wants is fun. And, Peg, if you look up fun in the dictionary, you're going to see definition. And I would have said Debbie, but. But I don't know. Were you surprised that Debbie wasn't chosen at the rose ceremony?

[Susan]

I was shocked, but I felt the real connection with him and Cindy. But every single time he's with Peg, he's laughing, he's having fun. She pulls it out of him.

[Kathy]

And every, Every toast that Mel has had, fun. He's always toasting fun and adventure. And that screams Peg. But I think as we're getting closer to the end here, I look at Debbie and I think, sincere, loving, caring family. And I think he sees that. He sees her family as that. You know, they're doing the barbecue, they're playing cornhole. It's like family time. And I think maybe I hate to say this because I love Debbie. I kind of think he isn't feeling it with the family. He's not feeling like it's a good fit with the family. That's just my gut.

[Susan]

And imagine what fault he found with her. But like we just said, Kathy, it's his feeling. And he's got to decide which one's going to make him the happiest that he feels best with.

[Adore Me Advertiser]

With.

[Susan]

Right?

[Kathy]

Yeah, I. I agree. I gotta say a couple of lines. You know, I swear, Cindy, I swear to God, it has to Be an English major. I'm excavating myself. I love that she's trying to find herself. And how about this one? I'm the big L for Mel. The big L. I mean, I don't know. And Mel saying, it's complicated. All these things are leading me to. I'm. I'm telling you, Susan, I won't be surprised if he doesn't pick anyone. I mean, that's. Well, today.

[Susan]

Yeah, that's a possibility.

[Kathy]

I mean, I.

[Susan]

He.

[Kathy]

He had to send someone home, back to the rose ceremony. You know, he. He. Debbie deserves a happy ending. We all know that. He said it, she said it. But something about his reaction with the family. I wasn't that surprised. And I can't put any more of a. A finger on it than that, but I would not be surprised. Cindy. And I mean, let me just say, Cindy and Peg, in my mind, are as different as I am with Teresa. You know, like, you can't want us both. Right?

[Susan]

Yes, you.

[Kathy]

You could want. You and me. We're both outgoing, you know, gregarious.

[Susan]

But personally, Kathy, I. I kind of felt it was a Cindy, Cindy, Cindy all along. And I'm shifted now because. Did you see at the very, very end of that show when she said certain words like, I feel like she's not getting what she needs.

[Kathy]

Who, Cindy.

[Susan]

It's her choice, too. It's not just his.

[Kathy]

Yeah.

[Susan]

Shook me up a little bit, like, ooh, maybe he's not given her enough for her to put herself. Like, she's gonna have her heart broken or Peg will. I mean, somebody's gone, too.

[Kathy]

Well, unless he doesn't pick either one. And that's kind of. I think. I think one of Cindy's daughter, Cindy's daughter said, mel seems unsure. And that's kind of where I'm landing. Peg is fun, fun, fun. Cindy is more. I want a family. I want to integrate into our families. I want to love you every. You know, I want to say I'm sorry.

[Susan]

She would move to la. She told her girls, I will move, but she is ready.

[Kathy]

I mean, I just kept thinking of this for my kids. I always sit here now watching back a second season. I'm thinking, you know, I have a daughter. What would my daughter. You know, I've been hurt, a different kind of hurt than Cindy, but I've had terrible loss in my life. The last thing my kids want is for me to have more hurt in my life. More pain and more pain. Right.

[Susan]

It sounded as if Peg didn't do a whole lot of Dating. And I. I assume that Cindy has been on. On several dates and met several people, and they just didn't find the right one.

[Kathy]

Hey, can I be a jerk for a second?

[Susan]

Yeah.

[Kathy]

Okay, so my son's firefighter. He's retired from firefighting, but my son was a firefighter for, like, 15 years. Come on, Peg. Come on, people. If you are a firefighter, Peg retired 18 years ago. I can assure you people that you don't have a cubby anymore. Your name was not on that fire hat. You're. There was no name on the jacket. I'm just, you know me, I'm a stickler for facts.

[Susan]

And I love retired.

[Kathy]

I know. I loved. But I. On the other hand, I love the fact that we were celebrating firefighters because they are amazing, amazing people. And so I love that. But I'm like, come on, Cindy, what have you been doing the last 18 years?

[Susan]

Come on, Peg, you mean. And both of these. These ladies are beautiful inside and out in their own ways. And you know what, Kathy? All we could do is wait. No. Next week is women tell all. That's going to be juicy.

[Kathy]

That's going to be. I can hardly wait. I'm. I'm guessing we're going to get some good tidbits from. From Debbie and from. If we got. I'm sure Nicole will be on. But you know what? I am looking forward to the.

[Nancy]

The.

[Kathy]

When they get to their. Their place for the fantasy suites and those dates and meeting the family because, I don't know, I feel like this season it's been rough to invest in. In. In the season, and I'm trying to invest in it, but I have to say, for the first time ever, he may not choose either one.

[Susan]

It's quite possible. And. And I talk to, as you do, all of our fans. People write us all the time on our podcast.

[Kathy]

Yeah. And.

[Susan]

And he's hard to support sometimes because he isn't giving enough or give us something.

[Kathy]

Or he's either not giving because he's incapable of it, or he's unsure or he's nervous or he's anxious. All those things.

[Adore Me/Washable Sofas Advertiser]

Or.

[Susan]

And he was not a serial dater himself. Right. He took the time and he's finally ready. And maybe you're right. That's a good point.

[Katie Couric]

So.

[Kathy]

And I think people forget that.

[Susan]

Kathy, I know.

[Kathy]

I love you.

[Susan]

It's a compliment.

[Kathy]

Thank you, Susan. I also think sometimes we forget that the lead has all this on his or her shoulders.

[Susan]

Yeah.

[Kathy]

And it's a lot. And the expectation is that you're there for love, and you're going to get on a knee, bended knee to the woman you're in love with. And you know what? If he can't do it because he's not sure, I respect that. That, you know, I respect that. So I can't wait for. I cannot wait to see that. Well, hometown. I mean, women's Tall is going to be juicy. Lots of.

[Susan]

Oh, we might need, like, two hours.

[Kathy]

For that episode, but after that. Oh, after that, it's gonna be those fantasy suites. I would love to be a fly on the wall for those fantasy suites, wouldn't you?

[Susan]

And it's so true that the girls don't get to see each other at all, but we'll save that for then.

[Kathy]

Yeah.

[Susan]

Wasn't it fun having Joan and Nancy.

[Kathy]

Here today on the podcast? You know what, y'? All, We, Susan and I hope to be back next week, but frankly, the four of us are going to raise some hell in Austin, Texas, this weekend. So if we. If we don't show up next week by 9. Yeah, forget it. If we don't show up next week, just know that we had a great time burning down Austin, Texas.

[Susan]

Austin, Texas. Wait, you guys have to see a video out there that I put Kathy's Grocery Store. Can I just change the subject for one second? I have never. You go into the store and you get a cart, right? Well, we're going to go up an escalator, and I had those in the city, but the cart doesn't go up. It goes up on its own escalator and the food comes down. I was in all over this.

[Kathy]

Can I just say, everything is bigger and better in Texas. You should know that.

[Susan]

Bigger for sure. You know what? This has been fun, and I am. We're both very excited for next week. Thank you, everybody, for listening. I'm glad you got to say hi.

[Kathy]

To Joan and me and. Yeah, thanks, Joan and Nancy for dropping in with us. We had a great time. Be sure to follow Bachelor Happy Hour as we have new episodes coming out every week that you don't want to miss.

[Susan]

And, you know, listen to Bachelor Happy Hours golden hour on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your podcast. See you next week.

[Kathy]

Take care.

[Susan]

Every now and then I rinse it out and I deep down it rinse tonight and I needed more.

[Kathy]

My kid was so bad and the smell never leaves. I don't know what to do.

[Susan]

I'm always in the dark.

[Kathy]

The Sweatin Dance shore smells like a dark.

[Johnny Knoxville]

I'm downy Rinsing Tonight, Downy Rinse fights.

[Kathy]

Stubborn odors in just one wash.

[Johnny Knoxville]

When impossible odors get stuck in, rinse it out.

[Katie Couric]

On the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric, I sat down with Bernie Sanders. We've talked many times over the years, and today he even throws a few questions my way.

[Johnny Knoxville]

All right, are you ready for another question?

[Kathy]

Go ahead, hit me, Bernie.

[Katie Couric]

We talk about the billionaire class, the cost of living, and of course, the government shutdown. Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Johnny Knoxville]

Johnny Knoxville here. Check out Crimeless Hillbilly Heist, my new true crime podcast from Smartless Media, Campside media and big money players. It's the true story of the almost perfect crime and the nimrods who almost pulled it off. It was kind of like the perfect storm in a sewer. That was dumb.

[Kathy]

Do not follow my example.

[Johnny Knoxville]

Listen to Crimeless Hillbilly Heist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Maggie Freeling]

The murder of an 18 year old girl in Graves County, Kentucky went unsolved for years until a local housewife, a journalist and a handful of girls came forward with a story.

[Kathy]

America, y' all better wake the hell up. Bad things happens to good people in small towns.

[Maggie Freeling]

Listen to Graves county on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to binge the entire season ad free, subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Katie Couric]

It's Anna Ortiz and I'm Mark and Delicato.

[Kathy]

You might know us as Hilda and Justin from Ugly Betty.

[Susan]

Welcome to our new podcast, Viva Betty.

[Kathy]

We're rewatching the series from start to to finish and talking to iconic guests like Betty herself, America Ferreira.

[Susan]

There was this moment when the glasses.

[Kathy]

Went on and it was like, this is our Betty. Listen to Viva Betty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Katie Couric]

This is an iHeart podcast.