Bachelor Happy Hour – "Joe & Serena’s 2025 Wrapped" | December 31, 2025

Episode Overview

In this reflective New Year’s Eve episode, hosts Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt look back on 2025—sharing personal highlights, challenges, lessons learned, and their favorite Bachelor Happy Hour podcast moments of the year. With their signature banter and warmth, they tackle topics like major life transitions, work-life balance, behind-the-scenes realities of podcasting, and the transformative power of sharing contestants’ stories. Full of candid insights and memorable moments, this year-end wrap-up is equal parts personal reflection and love letter to Bachelor Nation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

2025 in Review: Personal Reflections

• Word of the Year

  • Serena picks “transitional” (04:26):
    She earned her green card, continued to adjust from Canada to the U.S., turned 28, and experienced both professional and personal changes. "[This] felt like a big transition year on a personal level for me. And professionally, I made some changes this year that have also felt very transitional." (04:41 – Serena)
  • Joe’s year was more stressful than enjoyable (05:45):
    "I actually found it to be quite stressful... I have, yeah, I've been like very anxiety ridden and very stressed out." (05:45 – Joe)
  • Looking Forward:
    Both anticipate a less tumultuous 2026, hoping to benefit from this year's big decisions (07:11).

• Standout Moments of 2025

  • Serena:
    • Achieving her green card after a two-and-a-half-year journey (07:20).
    • Dream trip to Japan and South Korea with Joe (07:27).
    • Family milestones, such as Joe's brother’s wedding.
  • Joe:
    • The saga of getting Serena’s green card, including a denied application due to missing paperwork.
    • His best man speech at his brother's wedding (08:09).

• Surprises of the Year

  • Joe’s marathon aftermath:
    “It really surprised me how painful it would be to lose a toenail from the marathon two months later." (08:19 – Joe)
    He details the ordeal of losing and removing his toenail, which makes him question running future marathons (08:36).

  • Serena’s marathon analogy:
    “I feel like that happens with the marathon, too. ... For three months after, you're like, that was so hard. ... And then all of a sudden, August rolls around and you're like, why wouldn’t I do it again?” (09:32 – Serena)

  • Discussion on childbirth:
    Joe marvels at what women go through to have children: “Women are just out here making people. It's crazy.” (10:55 – Joe & Serena)

• Relationship Intentions & Growth

  • Work-life balance as a couple who both work from home:
    Serena notes: “We both love working. ... But we both work from home together in our apartment. So there's like no boundaries.” (11:21 – Serena)
    • Joe jokes about needing to chill out, as his “off switch” is broken and he’s caught answering emails at 2 a.m. (12:08).
  • Quality time outside work and friendships:
    Joe wants to intentionally spend time with friends, e.g., golfing, and not just focus on the relationship (17:07–17:53).

• Habits and Mindsets to Leave Behind

  • Phone/social media:
    Serena has started using a Hatch alarm clock and puzzling at night to avoid scrolling on her phone. She wants to continue “working on my relationship with [my] phone and social media.” (18:07–18:57 – Serena)
  • Tidy habits:
    Serena aspires to prevent clutter from piling up and work on being more disciplined about staying organized (19:12).
  • Joe’s anxiety & desire to be chill:
    Joe reflects, “I have serious psychological issues with constantly worrying about things going wrong ... I need to work on going back to who I truly am ... more on the hippie chill.” (20:07–21:13)
    Serena gently challenges this view, poking fun at Joe’s self-description.

Bachelor Happy Hour 2025: Podcast Highlights

• Favorite Guest or Conversation

  • In-person interview with Jeremy (23:48):
    Serena’s favorite was interviewing Jeremy during a “heated” period for him on the show, giving him the chance to share his side openly on the podcast.

    • "I do love it when we get the opportunity to give someone who's kind of in the heat... the space to share their story and how they're handling it." (24:35 – Serena)
    • Both hosts agree that in-person interviews allow guests to feel more comfortable and create more connection (25:02 – Joe).
      • “There is just something about interviewing people in person ... it just makes it a more ... comfortable experience for the guest.” (25:20 – Joe)

  • Podcast studio “wrapped” joke:
    Serena jokes about her “Uber Eats Wrapped,” transitioning to their own “Bachelor Happy Hour 2025 Wrapped” segment. She confesses playing for a Chipotle gold card for the high number of orders (22:31–23:12).

• Behind-the-Scenes of the Podcast

  • Serena describes the elaborate setup/take-down for recording at home and prepping for interviews (30:38).
    • “We fully set up and take down a podcast studio in our living room every single time we record this... There's a whole set in here right now to record this podcast that we literally set up and take down every recording.” (30:38 – Serena)
  • Joe discusses his interview style—preferring to ask spontaneous questions and learn on the spot due to his “very free spirited, curious” nature (31:28).

• Hosting Lessons Learned

  • On Judgment and Giving Grace:
    “I've learned just... always sitting here being aware that there are two sides to every story. ... Even if the person is wrong, you know, people make mistakes. ... None of us are perfect.” (32:16 – Joe)
  • Interview Techniques:
    Serena tries to listen actively and let guests’ answers guide the conversation, rather than rigidly following a set of questions (34:10).
    • “...Not being like, okay, we need to talk about this next... really listening to what they're saying and letting their answer guide us into what our next question is.” (34:37 – Serena)
  • Challenges of Remote Interviews:
    Both agree that not being in-person makes intimacy and conversational flow more difficult (35:00).

• Evolving Perspective on Bachelor Nation

  • Joe: “I don't even know if I've ever had a bad interaction with anybody off the show... Like, even if you watch somebody and you're like, that person's a dick... you’ll probably meet them in person and be like, ‘oh, never mind, they're great.’” (35:15–36:03)

Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• "Despite the fact that I've lived in New York for four years, this felt like a big transition year on a personal level for me."
  – Serena, 04:41
• "I actually found it to be quite stressful... I've been like very anxiety ridden and very stressed out. So I'm actually looking forward to midnight."
  – Joe, 05:45
• “It really surprised me how painful it would be to lose a toenail from the marathon two months later.”
  – Joe, 08:19
• "Women are just out here making people... It's crazy."
  – Joe & Serena, 10:55
• "We both work from home together in our apartment that we live in, so there's like no boundaries. Which most of the time is fine. But I think that's something that we are starting to become more intentional about..."
  – Serena, 11:21
• "I have serious psychological issues with constantly worrying about things going wrong... I need to work on going back to who I truly am."
  – Joe, 20:07
• "I do love it when we get the opportunity to give someone who's kind of in the heat... the space to share their story and how they're handling it."
  – Serena, 24:35
• “We fully set up and take down a podcast studio in our living room every single time we record this.”
  – Serena, 30:38
• "I've learned just... always sitting here being aware that there are two sides to every story. ... None of us are perfect."
  – Joe, 32:16
• “We never have any preconceived plan to paint [a guest] in a certain light... We really want to be a blank canvas for them to come on and tell their story their way.”
  – Serena, 33:48
• "Even if you think you can't stand this person, you'll probably meet them in person and be like, oh, never mind. Like they're great."
  – Serena, 36:03

Notable Segments & Timestamps

• 2025 Year-in-Review Questions: 03:34 – 12:20
• Personal Habits & New Year’s Resolutions: 17:00 – 21:54
• Podcast “2025 Wrapped” Segment: 22:31 – 27:21
• Behind-the-Scenes Podcasting Realities: 30:38 – 31:28
• Lessons Learned in Hosting: 32:03 – 35:00
• Reflections on Bachelor Nation: 35:15 – 36:17

Overall Tone

The episode is relaxed, candid, supportive, and humorous—reflecting the couple’s chemistry. Both hosts bring authenticity to discussions of the challenges faced in both their relationship and their roles as Bachelor Nation commentators. At every turn, their message is about growth, empathy, and the value of honest, open conversation.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

Whether you want insights on managing transitions, crave behind-the-scenes podcast details, or are just a diehard Bachelor Nation fan, Joe and Serena’s “2025 Wrapped” is full of laughs, lessons, and warmth. This year-in-review installment offers relatable reflections and an inside look at how the podcast keeps Bachelor Nation human and hopeful—one honest conversation at a time.