The Bert Show – Full Show PT 1: Wednesday, December 24 [Vault]

Original Air Date: December 24, 2025
Host/Cast: Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy, and more
Guest: Rachael Ray
Special Segment: "Chick Chat"

Episode Overview

This lively and engaging episode bundles trademark Bert Show banter, a special guest interview with Food Network star Rachael Ray, and an all-female segment, "Chick Chat," exploring adult friendship challenges. Expect humor, relatable moments, candid advice, and a sense of community throughout.

Major Segments and Highlights

1. Special Guest Interview: Rachael Ray (01:34–15:13)

Theme: Behind the scenes with Rachael Ray: her hectic life, writing/filming process, favorite things to cook, personal anecdotes, and her takes on microwave culinary challenges.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• The Challenges of Hearing Your Own Voice

  • Rachael jokes about disliking hearing herself on TV:

    "We don't watch the show in my house because it makes my dog cry."
    —Rachael Ray (01:56)

• TV Career and Workload

  • Rachael reveals she tapes 120 episodes of "30 Minute Meals" per year, plus two other shows, writing all recipes herself.

    "I don't sleep much... I sleep about four hours a night. I work every night writing and I tape or tour pretty much every day."
    —Rachael Ray (03:21–03:50)

• Recipe Writing & Avoiding Writers’ Block

  • She gets guidelines for episodes (“we need five low carb, six pastas, two kid-friendly meals...”), which sparks her creativity. Decades of kitchen experience help:

    "Once you’ve been in the biz a long time, there’s only so many ways to prepare a piece of chicken cutlet, and then it’s just about updating the toppings or the sauces."
    —Rachael Ray (04:28)

• Personal Stories: Family & Marriage

  • On getting married in a vineyard in Italy, with a humorous spin on her first word ("vino" after her grandfather would give her wine in her bottle):

    “My first word was vino, incidentally, because my grandfather used to take care of me during the day. I didn’t like milk, so to quiet me down he’d put water and a little bit of his wine in my bottle...”
    —Rachael Ray (05:30)

• Microwave-Only Cooking Competition

  • Dishes sampled include couscous and vegetable "dumplings", black bean chili, bacon cheese popcorn, peanut butter-cinnamon-raisin "candy balls," salmon casserole, and chocolate fudge—all made in a microwave.

Most Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the “candy balls”:

  "Those are some tasty balls."
  —Rachael Ray (09:43)
  "I knew it was coming...those are some big tasty balls."
  —Rachael Ray (09:52–10:02)

• Rachael’s top pick in the contest:

  "Georgie, the couscous...just because it was so nice...look for it in an upcoming 30 minute meal cookbook. So very, very creative."
  —Rachael Ray (11:39–11:52)

• Playful banter as the hosts do Rachael Ray impressions and she gamely joins in.

2. Chick Chat: Making Friends as an Adult Woman (15:30–27:43)

Theme: An honest, open dialogue about friendships, loneliness, and building a new social circle as a young adult in Atlanta.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Tracy’s Friendship Dilemma

  • Tracy opens up about struggling to make new female friends in her late twenties, despite always having lots of girlfriends before:

    "I need more friends...I don't know where to meet new girlfriends...All my life, I've always had lots of girlfriends, but it seems like at this point...I don't know where to meet new girlfriends."
    —Tracy (16:08–17:31)

• Relatability and Universality

  • Listeners and co-hosts chime in that this is a very common situation, especially as friends marry, move, or focus on families.
  • April calls in with a similar story about "couple shopping" and the struggle to make new friends after high school or college.
    — (18:56–19:39)

• How to Meet New Friends as an Adult

  • Suggestions include:
    • Participate in activities or organizations matching your passions (e.g., gym classes, volunteering, rock climbing).
    • Let friendships develop naturally from repeated encounters.
    • Accept that friends may not always be the same age or background.
    • Leverage existing acquaintances or coworkers.
    • Consider platforms or events specifically for friendship (even joking about a "match.com for friends").

• Barriers & Awkwardness

  • Acknowledgement that it's hard to initiate a "friend date" and overcome the fear of rejection.
  • Panelists discuss not wanting to appear desperate, and that like dating, you can’t force a "click."

    "You don't click with every girl you meet...you can't force it, just like you don't click with every guy."
    —Jessica (24:16)

• Listener Solutions

  • Jennifer suggests organizing parties or forums for people looking for friends to meet each other, especially outside of bars.
  • Emphasis on non-alcohol-centric activities for better connections.

Notable Quotes & Vignettes

• Molly, a listener, suggests starting a conversation about this topic directly:

  "Everybody has this need to find somebody. So just strike up a conversation about that."
  —Molly (23:36)

• Recurring joke:

  "Nobody's gonna want to be my friend if I say I have none, will you be mine?"
  —Tracy (23:52)

• Erica calls in:

  "I am rowing in the same boat you are. I will be your friend."
  —Erica (26:56)

• Closing consensus: build friendships through shared interests, patience, and vulnerability—with extra support from the Bert Show community.

Notable Timestamps

• 01:34–15:13 – Interview and cooking challenge with Rachael Ray.
• 15:30–27:43 – “Chick Chat” women’s friendship roundtable (“where do you make new friends?”).

Tone & Atmosphere

Upbeat, humorous, supportive, and authentic. The hosts show vulnerability and deliver plenty of playful ribbing, ensuring discussions remain relatable and light even when addressing deeper topics.

Key Takeaways

• Behind the Scenes in TV Cooking: Rachael Ray is immensely hardworking and candid, writing her own recipes, seldom sleeping, and keeping a sense of humor about her hectic schedule.
• Friendship is a Common Adult Struggle: Many, especially women in their 20s and 30s, find it hard to make new friends as lifestyles change.
• Best Ways to Make Friends: Pursue your authentic interests, let connections develop naturally, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there—even if it feels awkward.
• The Bert Show Community: The open, funny, and vulnerable atmosphere fosters real conversation, offering comfort to listeners facing similar challenges.

Memorable Quotes

• "Once you’ve been in the biz a long time...there’s only so many ways to prepare a piece of chicken cutlet, and then it’s just about updating the toppings or the sauces." —Rachael Ray (04:28)
• "Those are some tasty balls." —Rachael Ray (09:43)
• "I need more friends...I don't know where to meet new girlfriends." —Tracy (16:08)
• "You can't force it, just like you don't click with every guy." —Jessica (24:16)
• "I am rowing in the same boat you are. I will be your friend." —Erica (26:56)

Summary

This episode is full of heart, humor, and authenticity. Whether laughing along with Rachael Ray’s candid personality, marveling at microwave cooking experiments, or finding solidarity in the honest struggles of making adult friendships, listeners are sure to recognize glimpses of their own lives and feel a bit more connected.

For more, visit thebertshow.com or join their community events and discussions.