Ride with Benito Skinner & Mary Beth Barone

Episode: Couples Therapy with Edward Bluemel
Date: December 3, 2025
Podcast by Dear Media

Episode Overview

This episode of Ride delivers an irreverent, hilarious, and at times painfully honest look at relationships—specifically, ones that don’t work but still have plenty of love left. Hosts Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone are joined by British actor (and Mary Beth’s ex) Edward Bluemel for a “couples therapy” session, where they discuss the highs and lows of their past romance, the aftermath, and the enduring camaraderie between all three. Amidst playful banter, nostalgia for good (and disastrous) times, and self-aware reflections, the trio navigates awkwardness, friendship after breakup, and the comedy in dysfunction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Vibe and Dynamic

• The episode opens in typical Ride fashion: self-aware banter about podcasting setups, playful ribbing, and inside jokes (00:36–02:04).
• Edward is greeted as a beloved friend, but the tone quickly pivots to the rapport of three people who know each other too well: “We’ve showered together, slept in the same bed... farted in each other's direction.” — Benito (02:04)
• Threaded throughout are callbacks to joint adventures (on tour, on set, in hotels) that have formed the foundation of their ongoing connection.

Relationship Retrospective (“Couples Therapy” for Exes)

• Mary Beth and Edward candidly discuss why their relationship didn’t work—including long-distance struggles, arguments, and outside judgments about Mary Beth being "too controlling."
• “Shopping definitely came between us. It was sort of the third person in our relationship.” — Mary Beth (10:02)
• They reflect on the unique intimacy and dysfunction of their romance:
  • “I gave you permanent damage to your nervous system.”—Mary Beth (24:28)
  • “Our relationship did permanent damage…” — Edward (24:37)
• Yet, laughter about their “worst couple ever” status coexists with the acknowledgment of shared love and support:
  • “But I feel like, because we're still good friends, it's fine.” — Mary Beth (46:27)

Fashion, Identity & Influence

• Clothes are a recurring motif: Benito as the influencer (“I love dressing Edward”), Edward’s style evolution, and the infamous search for the perfect leather jacket (09:05–10:54).
• Fashion is equated to personal storytelling and marks of growth and change:
  • “Clothes tell a story, and I have.” — Edward (31:52)

Tour Memories & The Comedy of Exes

• Reminiscence about touring together, hotel antics (ketchup by the bed, excessive room service), and how their professional lives intertwined with personal drama (22:13–22:38).
• Recognition of the oddness and joys of being known as “Mary Beth’s boyfriend” on tour:
  • “I loved being Mary Beth’s boyfriend as, like, a title… it just took the pressure off me when I was on tour with you guys. It was just eye candy.” — Edward (48:12)
• Comic reflection on breakups and the inertia of going through the motions in the hopes everything might magically fix itself (“Three more days in the grand scheme,” 14:05).

Post-Breakup Friendship, Boundaries & Healing

• They talk openly about the difficulty of transitioning from lovers to friends.
• “It wasn’t easy. We had to not speak. You sent me a text. It was like, I need to shut the f*** up for—because I kept…” — Edward (46:29)
• Benito praises their ability to create an amicable example of healing:
  • “I think you guys are probably heroes to a lot of people watching that. This is so amicable and lovely and I've just loved healing this...” (46:52)

Notable Bits: Jokes, Pop Culture, and Memorable Quotes

• Showers of inside jokes about pop culture (Saltburn, Daniel Craig, Hogwarts, Tom Riddle) and the trio’s self-mockery.
• Extended riffing on “the ick” in relationships, British vs. American quirks, and comedic goofs from the GQ Man of the Year dinner (38:21–41:23).

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

On Their History & Dynamic

• “We’ve kind of done everything, though. Like, we’ve showered together, we've slept in the same bed. We've, like, gone… farted in each other's direction.”
  — Benito (02:04)

• Mary Beth (to Edward): “His shopping is actually what broke us up. I just want to say that.”
  — Mary Beth (09:06)

• “Shopping definitely came between us. It was sort of the third person in our relationship.” — Mary Beth (10:02)

• “I think someone's going to do it. … Behind closed doors is where bad stuff happened. We sucked ass.”
  — Edward (24:14-24:19)

• “You didn’t—our relationship did. Our relationship did permanent damage to my [nervous system].”
  — Mary Beth (24:33–24:37)

On Friendship After Breakup

• “But I feel like, because we're still good friends, it's fine.”
  — Mary Beth (46:27)

• “It wasn’t easy. We had to not speak. You sent me a text. It was like, I need to shut the f* up for—because I kept…”**
  — Edward (46:29)

On Work, Support, and Growth

• “You watched how hard you work… I stood by you both for five long years.”
  — Edward (42:04)

• “Seeing you guys achieve what you always wanted… you guys set out to make everyone happy and you do.”
  — Edward (43:46)

Notable Humor

• “I always knew when it was appropriate.…Sometimes we would just, as a treat, I think I can message him about this one.”—Benito (14:34)
• Riffing on being the “worst couple in the world” and whether Epstein and Ghislaine were “twin flames” and luckier for having each other (23:10–23:34).
• Comedic GQ Dinner bit:
  • “Benny, if you could give a Man of the Year to anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?”
  • “Paddington.”
  • “Leave my ex out of this.”—Mary Beth & Benito (38:24–38:40)

Touching Moments

• “Eddie, I never stopped loving you.”
  — Benito (14:26)

• “I've missed them. I haven't seen them. … Most of them thought you were controlling.”
  — Mary Beth (44:05)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:36–02:04 – Podcast setup, intros, guest banter
• 09:03–11:19 – How shopping/fashion entered and affected Edward and Mary Beth’s relationship
• 13:04–14:08 – Muskoka (“the cabin”) trip and the emotional end of their romance
• 21:17–22:38 – Tour stories, hotel suite wars, and “feeling like family”
• 24:19–24:37 – Permanent damage: honest talk about how toxic the relationship became
• 38:21–41:19 – Comedy set pieces from the GQ Dinner
• 42:01–43:46 – Edward’s earnest tribute to Mary Beth & Benito’s “come up” and hard work
• 46:27–46:36 – The strength and process of becoming friends after breaking up
• 48:12–48:36 – Life as “Mary Beth’s boyfriend,” post-breakup jealousy, and fame at the periphery

Final Thoughts

This episode is a comic-therapeutic romp between people who have moved past romance but maintained something richer: friendship, creative trust, and loyalty. Benito and Mary Beth’s on-mic chemistry, plus Edward’s English charm and self-deprecating humor, make for a blend of incisive reminiscence, genuine reflection, and a constant stream of laughter. Their ability to air out the cringe and the conflict with love and candor is both rare and refreshing. The result is less “therapy” and more a masterclass in how to move on, wish each other well, and mine the past for both jokes and wisdom.

(For fans who want the deeper cuts, this episode is packed with in-jokes, pop culture references, and plenty of shade—so a full listen is highly recommended!)