Bachelor Happy Hour – "Travel, Hot Takes, and Weddings with Joe & Serena"

Podcast: Bachelor Happy Hour
Hosts: Joe Amabile & Serena Pitt
Date: November 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This Thanksgiving-themed episode features Bachelor in Paradise newlyweds Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt in an intimate, co-host-only Q&A special. The pair reflect on their recent whirlwind of travels—to Scotland, South Korea, and Japan—share candid takes on marathon mishaps and wedding etiquette, answer burning fan questions, and offer a rare peek into their approach to holidays, anniversaries, and Bachelor Nation hot takes. The tone is playful, honest, and full of the couple’s signature wit and gentle ribbing, making for a lively, behind-the-scenes catch-up with two of Bachelor Nation’s most beloved alumni.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recent Travels: Scotland, South Korea & Japan (04:25-09:10)

• Scotland: Joe loved St. Andrews—“the Mecca of golf”—and the couple spent a quick, stormy 24 hours exploring Edinburgh (“like a pocket of London” - Joe, 05:38). Serena was charmed by Scotland despite it not having been on her bucket list.
• Cultural Tastes: Joe braved haggis (“It had that gamey flavor... I just don’t love lamb” - Joe, 07:20); Serena chickened out.
• Japan & Korea: Tokyo stood out most (“If I was going to go back to one of them right now, I would choose Tokyo”—Serena, 08:23). Seoul was challenging due to Serena’s nut allergy, but the Four Seasons Seoul was a highlight hotel for both.
• Travel Food Anxiety: Serena detailed tips for navigating food allergies abroad—using translation cards, prepping with apps, and printing allergy notices via Canva. “Just doing everything I can to be...conscientious of it, bringing my EpiPens, trusting the people that are telling me there’s no nuts. And if I don’t trust where we are, we don’t feel safe, Joe and I will leave a restaurant.” (10:04)

2. Marathon Mishap: Blisters & Lessons Learned (11:04-13:37)

• Joe recapped his latest marathon, relishing the event itself but suffering from intense blisters due to new gear. “For like five days I could barely walk” (12:03).
• Lesson: Don’t use new products/runners; keep it simple and prep with Vaseline.
• Serena suspected his Garmin dying at mile 18 might have derailed him, but Joe insisted, “I need to run more 20-mile runs prior to the marathon.” (13:09)

3. Q&A Lightning Round: Holidays, Anniversaries, and More

Gift Giving & Holiday Traditions (18:38, 33:49)

• Serena is obsessed with finding the perfect gift and starts her shopping early—“I’ve got my list and I've checked it twice, probably three times.” (19:03 / 34:15)
• Joe, in contrast, prefers last-minute “festive” shopping and only decorates after Thanksgiving.
• Both emphasize the “personal touch” and enjoyment in the search for gifts.

Anniversary Celebration Style (19:35-20:37)

• Their anniversary is often marked by a trip rather than a big event: “The day of for us is—like—not as big of a deal. We don’t do anything crazy.” (19:53)
• Joe gifted Serena a necklace during a low-key evening at her parents’ home.

Vow Renewals & Weddings (20:52-29:00)

• Neither prioritize vow renewals, but Serena would consider a big party at 30 years (“I feel like we do a good job throughout the year... so when it comes down to the anniversary, we just want to be together and hang out and chill.” – Serena, 21:27).
• Wedding guest advice: It’s less pressure when neither know other guests (“I actually prefer it much more when we both don’t know anybody...”—Joe, 24:03).
• Attire do’s & don’ts: “Just follow what you’re told: don’t wear white... there’s a million other colors you could wear.” (Serena, 26:49) Joe questions the confusion: “No one’s going to confuse me for the bride...” (27:13), but Serena stresses the “respect” of tradition.

4. Relationship & Dating Insights

• Both reject generic advice for singles (“I hate this blanketed advice that people just give that should apply to everyone. Everyone’s different.” – Joe, 29:09).
• On making post-show relationships last: “Prioritizing your relationship... for at least the first six months right after the show...”—Serena, (41:50). Joe adds, “I do think there’s an element of luck... that you fit together and it works.” (42:08)

5. Bachelor Nation Hot Takes and Fun Questions

• Serena prefers compelling seasons to lasting couples: “I care way more about what happens on camera during the season... I could forego the relationship” (37:52)
• Joe’s “hot take”: “If you receive the first impression rose, you need to get the first date, period.” (38:31)
• On who from outside the franchise should be Bachelor, Joe picks Dylan Efron; Serena throws out Gleb from Dancing with the Stars and floats the idea of crossovers from other Hulu shows (44:37).
• Dream Bachelor date? Both crave more originality and real challenges, like learning new skills (“Have them garden together. I’d rather watch that than see another helicopter date.” – Joe, 46:14/46:30). Serena imagines a “local job” day inspired by The Simple Life.

6. Memorable Quotes & Playful Banter

• On Joe’s marathon injury:
  “The blood in my socks was like... this is terrible.” — Joe, 12:03

• On relationship advice for singles:
  “Give me 20 things about yourself and then I can maybe give you advice.” — Joe, 30:22

• On wedding fashions:
  “Your only job when you show up to a wedding is to not wear white and to follow the dress attire.” — Serena, 27:16

• On ‘villains’ in the franchise:
  “I think Queen Victoria is, like, so iconic as a Bachelor villain.” — Serena, 48:45
  “She [Shanae from Clayton’s season] was really doubling down in all her interviews after. That is way more fun for me than seeing them go on an apology tour.” — Serena, 49:33

• On their 10-year projection:
  “Hopefully I’m a member at a country club.” — Joe, 50:13
  “So far so good, you know—we’re four years in, knock on wood, I think we can make another 10.” — Serena, 50:24

7. Notable Moments

• The couple’s playful admission that neither is a great “active listener”—leading to ongoing ribbing about who should read fan questions (04:40-05:17, 22:15-22:43).
• Serena’s passionate stance on wedding attire traditions, countered by Joe’s eye-rolling skepticism (26:07-28:52).
• The couple’s nonchalant approach to anniversaries and refusal to sweat big “milestones” (20:52-21:27).
• Reflection that their successful relationship is partly about compatibility and partly luck—plus a lot of transparency post-show (41:50-43:25).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Travel Experiences & Food Restrictions: 04:25–11:01
• Marathon Recap: 11:04–13:37
• Anniversary & Wedding Q&A: 19:35–29:00
• Relationship & Dating Advice: 29:03–30:40
• Bachelor Hot Takes: 36:40–49:42
• Looking 10 Years Ahead: 49:46–51:04

Tone and Closing Thoughts

The conversation is fast, witty, and occasionally self-deprecating, with the chemistry and authenticity that Bachelor Happy Hour fans have come to love. Both Joe and Serena are candid about their quirks—their disinterest in ceremony, their imperfect communication, and their real-life travel and relationship mishaps—making for a refreshing, relatable listen.

Notable Closing Quote:
“We don’t know where we’re gonna be in five months... hopefully we’re having so much fun and making good money and we’re healthy and we’re in love.” — Serena, (50:41-50:48)

For the Bachelor fan and the casually curious alike, this episode is an honest window into real couple life after reality TV—with all its travel tales, tough love advice, and no-holds-barred hot takes.