Full Show PT 2: Thursday, March 5 [Vault]

Summary

The Bert Show – Full Show PT 2: Thursday, March 5 [Vault]

Episode Date: March 5, 2026

---

Overview

This lively Bert Show episode delivers the signature blend of authentic humor, candid conversation, and audience engagement. The primary focus in this segment is on quirky adult habits (like thumb-sucking and attachment to childhood objects) and how these behaviors play out in the dating world. Later, the tone shifts with a cheerful interview of Donnie Wahlberg from New Kids on the Block, discussing band rumors, touring life, and fan connections.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unusual Dating Confessions: Adults & Childhood Comforts

[01:01–14:37]

• The Thumb-Sucking Boyfriend Story

  • Jen Hobby retells a friend’s shocking relationship revelation: after several months of dating, her boyfriend admitted he still sucks his thumb and sleeps with his childhood blankie at 36 years old.
    • “I just want to be able to be totally myself with you... but I suck my thumb.” – “Rebecca’s” boyfriend (as retold by Host 1, [04:10])
    • The man also explained he avoided overnights because he wanted to maintain his thumb-sucking ritual in private.
    • This revelation was a dealbreaker for Jen’s friend, highlighting how lingering childhood habits can impact adult relationships.
    • “That will make you change your behavior with your kids today if you have kids that are on that cusp of maybe sucking their thumb too long. It’s so bizarre.” – Host 1 ([05:47])

• Listener Call-ins: Not Alone!

  • Multiple listeners confess to ongoing thumb-sucking or sleeping with “wubbies” (beloved childhood blankets) well into adulthood.
    • Angela, a listener, coincidentally sees a grown woman thumb-sucking in a car just as the segment airs ([06:08]).
    • Melissa calls in to admit she’s 24, married, and still sleeps with a set of wubbies, transitioning as they wear out ([06:51]).
    • Lee, 25, confesses she still sucks her thumb for comfort, but only does so in private at night ([08:36]).
    • Lisa, 38, says she’s been unable to break the thumb-sucking habit despite her parents’ best efforts, even with “worm guts” and therapy treatments ([10:29]).

• Host & Caller Reactions

  • The hosts are alternately amused, confused, and empathetic toward callers. Discussions arise about parental approaches to stopping these habits and how much of a stigma exists.
    • “We are seriously talking to people who are with confidence saying, yeah, I suck my thumb.” – Host 1 ([09:53])
    • Listeners share mixed reports on whether partners care about these habits, with a running question: Where is the line for “dealbreaker” behavior?

• Extreme Comfort Habits

  • One listener ups the ante with a story about a man who slept in the same bed as his grandmother until age 18, purely for comfort ([14:08]), sparking a blend of amusement and concern.

---

2. Donnie Wahlberg (New Kids on the Block) Interview

[15:55–27:05]

• Addressing Rumors: Jordan Knight's Ankle

  • The phone lines were abuzz with panic: a video circulated online supposedly showing Jordan Knight with an injury, raising fears the Atlanta show would be cancelled.
  • Donnie sets the record straight:
    • “Jordan will be there. The show will go on.” ([16:21])
    • Admits it was a video hoax tied to his own first “forays into directing,” and reassures fans that Jordan is “fine” ([16:53]).

• Tour Talk & Band Resilience

  • Donnie asserts that NKOTB never cancels a show—injured or not:

    • “Even if Jordan’s ankle was sprained, if it was broken, he’d be on that stage tomorrow night.” ([18:21])
    • Reveals Danny Wood has completed the tour with a torn hamstring ([18:32]), underscoring the band’s dedication.

  • On fan energy and the Atlanta stop:

    • “The Southern energy is just… overwhelming, it’s seductive… To play in an arena full of southern women is just gonna be—I mean, we’re dying for it. We can’t wait.” ([19:24])

• Getting Older, Performing Harder

  • Donnie reflects on the difference between touring in his teens and now:
    • “In the old days, I’d go into every city and say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that’… Now I know I need my nine hours sleep, I know I need to rest… but it’s really not because we can’t handle it. I go, man, I’m like the Energizer Bunny. Nothing slows me down.” ([20:20])
    • Emphasizes treating each show seriously: “Those people chose us to entertain them during, like, some really bad times… That is a serious honor and a serious responsibility, and I treat it with the utmost respect.” ([21:31])

• Quickfire: Describing the Band in One Word - Joe Mack: “showman” - Danny Wood: “determined” - John Knight: “warm” - Jordan Knight: “star” - Donnie himself: “CEO,” “the rebel with a cause” ([21:57])

• Exclusive “On the Block” Ticket Experience

  • Donnie explains the special ticket giveaway—offering fans a unique, intimate soundcheck or private Q&A:
    • “It is the most intimate way to get to hang out before the show… There’s not another way to really spend good time with the group than this.” ([22:43])

• Playful Flirtation with Producer Tracy

  • Donnie jokes about “unresolved business” with Producer Tracy—she’s called an “Internet hero” for chasing down NKOTB in LA for their first post-reunion interview.
    • “Producer Tracy, I owe you the world. And I intend to give you a good portion of it tomorrow.” ([25:04])
    • Hosts and Donnie riff on “quality time,” teasing Tracy and enhancing the camaraderie.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Adult Thumb-Sucking:

  • “That will make you change your behavior with your kids today if you have kids that are on that cusp of maybe sucking their thumb too long. It’s so bizarre.” – Host 1 ([05:47])
  • “I told him after about six months of dating, and he’s like, you know, just don’t do it in public.” – Lee, thumb-sucking caller ([09:34])
  • “At the end of that six weeks, the psychiatrist gave my mother her money back. And she said she’d never seen a case like it before.” – Lisa, 38-year-old caller ([11:13])
  • “I just want to be able to be totally myself with you… but I suck my thumb.” – as retold by Host 1 ([04:10])
  • “Wouldn’t you think it was a joke?” – Host 3, on dating and odd habits ([08:24])

• On NKOTB’s Work Ethic and Fans:

  • “Even if Jordan’s ankle was sprained, if it was broken, he’d be on that stage tomorrow night.” – Donnie Wahlberg ([18:21])
  • “I know I need my nine hours sleep, I know I need to rest… because I want that two hours every night to be my focus. Nothing is more important than giving every person out there their hard earned money’s worth.” – Donnie Wahlberg ([20:27])
  • “We are not doubting that [Atlanta’s energy]... We’re dying for it. We can’t wait.” – Donnie Wahlberg ([19:24])
  • “Producer Tracy, I owe you the world. And I intend to give you a good portion of it tomorrow.” – Donnie Wahlberg ([25:04])

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:01–06:04] – Jen Hobby’s “dealbreaker” thumb-sucking boyfriend story
• [06:04–14:37] – Phone lines open: Listeners share adult attachment stories
• [15:55–27:05] – Donnie Wahlberg (NKOTB) joins: Tour rumors, band anecdotes, exclusive ticket details, producer Tracy spotlight

---

Tone & Style

• The hosts balance tongue-in-cheek commentary with genuine curiosity and empathy for callers’ quirks.
• Laughter and light teasing are abundant, but there’s also a thread of real reflection about childhood habits and adult relationships.
• Interview with Donnie Wahlberg is energetic and friendly, with playful back-and-forth and NKOTB nostalgia.

---

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

You’ll get a blend of laugh-out-loud moments, surprising admissions from callers, and an energetic check-in with Donnie Wahlberg that reassures fans and offers a behind-the-scenes peek at New Kids on the Block’s ethos. The episode is a reminder of The Bert Show’s ability to turn even oddball topics into insightful, communal conversation—while keeping things fun and very real.

Transcript

[Host 1]

Be adventurous in the sun. Be protected in the sun. Be confident in the sun. Be fearless in the sun with Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen. As experts in mineral sunscreens for nearly 30 years, we've earned awards for our high quality products and the trust of healthcare professionals. Embrace every moment in the sun with your family and Blue Lizard by your side. Be fearless in the sun. Shop Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen now on Amazon.com so good, so good. So good. New markdowns up to 70% off are at Nordstrom Rack stores now. And that means so many new reasons to rack. Cause I always find something amazing. Just so many good brands.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Cause there's always something new.

[Host 1]

Join the Nordy Club to unlock exclusive discounts. Shop new arrivals first and more.

[Caller/Listener 1]

Plus buy online and pick up at your favorite Rack store for free.

[Host 1]

Great brands, great prices.

[Caller/Listener 1]

That's why you rack the bird show.

[Host 2]

So Jen Hobby came in here the other day saying, you guys, I gotta tell you something that is gonna change the way that is it parents behaviors when it comes to dating.

[Host 1]

Yes, it was a. It's a dating story I heard from a friend over the weekend that will change moms and dad's behavior with their kids. Like it will force moms and dads to change their children's behavior today. Okay.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Wow.

[Host 3]

But it's a dating story.

[Host 1]

But it is a dating story. Okay, okay.

[Host 3]

Very intriguing.

[Host 1]

But it will make you change your young children's behavior immediately. Today you will start making changes so that this doesn't happen to your child. Okay? Tell the story. Tell the story. Go, go, go, go, go.

[Host 2]

This is real story. You're not urban legend.

[Host 1]

Real story, not urban legend. I talked to the woman this happened to. Okay. Was out on Saturday with a bunch of friends and having a great time. Ran into this, this group of women and two of which I knew from Florida State. A whole bunch of them had gone there, whatever. But it was their mix of group of friends from Atlanta. So I'm not even sure if the woman who told me the story was from here or whatever, but she gave me this story and permission to tell it. Okay. With maybe a couple details changed. Right. So I'm not giving out her name, but this is from her. Her story. Okay, got you. She's like, she's listening to the bird show for a while. She's like, oh, do I have one for you? Let's go sit down.

[Host 2]

Let's go prime time on this one.

[Host 1]

Ok. So she had been dating this guy for about five months and they had really hit it off. And he Was a total gentleman, been going out for a while or whatever. But he is a traveler, Very successful in sales, so travels a lot for work, whatever. So they didn't do a lot of spend the night together stuff, but they hung out a whole bunch of different times. And she was so excited about this. She was telling her mom and tell, you know, telling her friends, like, this is really. I'm so excited. Finally met this great guy, like, very successful, done very well, owns his own home, you know, drives the luxury vehicle very, you know, gentlemen put together. They have fun together, like, play, you know, do athletic stuff together. What she really enjoyed.

[Host 2]

Whatever.

[Host 1]

Dresses well. He's got great style. I mean, like, nothing can be wrong with this guy, right? Like, he's awesome. And they're just totally hanging out and enjoying Dream Come True each other and getting to know one another. And, I mean, I also have to mention that he's 36 years old. Okay, okay.

[Host 3]

All right.

[Host 1]

So one night, she goes over there, and they, like, cook dinner at his house and whatever. And they're just having this, you know, little romantic night and laying on the couch, like, afterwards, just kind of snuggling, watching a movie or TV or whatever. And he says to her, give me a fake name. Rebecca. Rebecca.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Oh, Rebecca.

[Host 1]

He says to her. He says, rebecca, we've been seeing each other for a while now. I just want to tell you how much I care about you and just really want to be able to be totally myself with you. Like, I really want to just be able to be, like, honest with you. And I feel close enough to you now to tell you this about myself, but I suck my thumb.

[Caller/Listener 1]

And.

[Host 2]

No, no, no, no, no. And no, no, no, no.

[Host 3]

I did not see that coming.

[Host 1]

And I still sleep with my whoopee from when he was a kid.

[Host 2]

Is that a blanket?

[Host 1]

His blankie.

[Host 2]

Wow. 36 years old.

[Host 1]

36 years old, he's still sucks his thumb and sleeps with his blankie. Are they still together? She was like, oh, my. She's like, what do you say to that? She said that she was speechless. Wow.

[Host 3]

Does he suck his thumb, like, while he's sleeping or, like, if he's at the office work.

[Host 2]

He never broke it.

[Host 1]

Never broke it, Never broke it. And that's why they didn't spend the night together a lot.

[Host 3]

And that's why he told her if

[Host 1]

he spent the night together, then he couldn't suck his thumb.

[Host 2]

Wow.

[Host 1]

And he's 36 years old.

[Host 2]

When I was a kid, I wasn't sucking my thumb, but I used to suck this finger. And I'm not sure what age it became like, son, it's time to stop sucking your finger. But my parents went out and they bought some like nasty taste in rubbing alcohol that was specifically for this to put on my finger. So every time I put it in my mouth it would just get nasty and it broke me of it. I think in probably about a week

[Host 1]

you need to call your parents and thank that.

[Host 2]

No kidding.

[Host 3]

You need to call your parents and get the name of that cream so Jen could give it to her friend who was dating Mr. Four Year Old. Perfect.

[Host 1]

Is that unreal or what?

[Host 2]

So is she still seeing this dude or was that the deal breaker?

[Host 1]

No, that was a total deal breaker. She was like, uh. And that was it. But that will make you change your behavior with your kids today if you have kids that are on that cusp of maybe sucking their thumb too long. It's so bizarre.

[Host 2]

Good morning. Who's this?

[Caller/Listener 1]

Hi, this is Angela.

[Host 2]

Hey Angela.

[Caller/Listener 1]

Hi. Good morning. Guys, I'm on my way to work and I swear to you, as soon as you guys mention this story, I happen to look to my left, there's a grown woman sucking her thumb.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

No,

[Caller/Listener 1]

I'd be in the car on her way to work. It's what, 7:54 and she's literally sucking her thumb. She's gotta be in her mid-40s.

[Host 1]

No, she wasn't biting her cuticle or anything. She's full on sucking her thumb.

[Host 3]

Think it's a situation where she just happened to hear Jen's story. So she.

[Caller/Listener 1]

Yeah, right.

[Host 2]

She's like, I want to give that a try.

[Host 1]

Sounds pretty good, I'm going to try it out.

[Host 3]

No, but I mean, just like this

[Host 1]

is nasty to do now.

[Host 2]

Hey Melissa, you're on Q100.

[Caller/Listener 1]

Hi. I'm 24 and I've been married for a little over three years and I still sleep with a wubby.

[Host 2]

The same woobi that you had when you were a kid?

[Caller/Listener 1]

I've actually had three because all of them have holes in them. So I just keep transitioning to the next one.

[Host 3]

What is a woobie?

[Caller/Listener 1]

If you watched Mr. Moms, that's what it came from.

[Host 2]

That movie back in the day. His kid had to sleep with his blanket all the time.

[Host 3]

And it's just a blanket that you had growing up?

[Caller/Listener 1]

Yeah, the first one was the one I was actually brought home from the hospital in. And then I slept with that one probably till I was about 14 and wouldn't let my mom wash it until finally I started doing my own Laundry. And realized that it was the blankie

[Host 2]

thing doesn't freak me out nearly as much as the sucking the thumb. But, I mean, it's a combination of the two right there. That's a deal breaking combination.

[Host 1]

She said that?

[Host 2]

What was her first word?

[Host 1]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

[Host 2]

Let the woman speak.

[Host 1]

Wait. Everybody shut up. She said that he showed it to her, and it was really the original

[Caller/Listener 1]

one from, like, when he was 5.

[Host 1]

And it was like, old tatter. No, L. Oh, God.

[Host 3]

She didn't know what to say. What was the first words out of her mouth?

[Host 1]

Like, what'd she say?

[Host 3]

Like, didn't she say, you're kidding? Like, wouldn't you think that's a joke? Like, Wendy, if you're out on a date with a guy and he tells you that.

[Caller/Listener 1]

Never mind.

[Host 1]

She's going, give me the hell.

[Host 3]

Wouldn't you. Like, wouldn't you think it was a joke?

[Host 1]

That's something a guy could do if he wanted to get rid of a girl.

[Host 2]

No kidding. Hey, lee, you're on Q100. Good morning.

[Caller/Listener 1]

Good morning.

[Host 1]

Oh, God.

[Caller/Listener 1]

Okay, so I'm 25 and I still suck my thumb.

[Host 1]

Why? Come on.

[Host 2]

Is it some kind of.

[Caller/Listener 1]

I know I only do it at night, just like the other loser. But, you know, it's. It's a security thing, I guess. I don't know.

[Host 3]

Are you legitimately sucking on it?

[Host 2]

I do as a parent, give me advice. So this never happens with my son Hollis, because he's, like, attached to the pacifier right now at 16 months, and it's still sort of like, I'm already, like, he's dependent on it.

[Caller/Listener 1]

So we cut our children's passes out at age one. Like, we didn't have a trouble. You know, trouble cutting them off of it. But they did try to suck their fingers, but we put an end to that real quick.

[Host 1]

Why do you still do it? I don't know.

[Caller/Listener 1]

I have tried to quit. My parents did everything. They did. The nasty taste and fingernail polish. And my great grandmother actually had an old plum tree, and she went out there and got an old. An old rotten plum, and there happened to be a worm in it, and she put worm guts on my plum.

[Host 2]

Oh, really? They were going hardcore.

[Caller/Listener 1]

It still didn't work.

[Host 2]

Well, just cut it off.

[Host 3]

What does your husband think of this?

[Caller/Listener 1]

Well, I mean, I told him after about six months of dating, and he's like, you know, just don't do it in public.

[Host 2]

So in the middle of the night or if he wakes up before you, he'll wake up and roll over and you're there sucking your thumb. Or is it just before you get into bed?

[Caller/Listener 1]

No, he'll see me doing it. You know, sometimes I'll do it before I go to sleep.

[Host 3]

That's a problem.

[Host 1]

Sometimes our conversations on this show really, really confuse me. We are seriously talking to people who are with confidence saying, yeah, I suck my thumb.

[Host 2]

We found somebody older than 36.

[Host 1]

No.

[Host 2]

That still sucks their thumb.

[Host 3]

Is it a guy or a girl? It's the girls. I'm almost okay with it.

[Host 2]

No way. There's no gender difference here.

[Host 3]

I'm almost. It's almost more accepting. I can accept that more than a guy doing it.

[Host 1]

That's pathetic.

[Host 2]

No. Good morning, Lisa.

[Host 3]

I wouldn't sign up for it, but I'm just saying it's more accepting.

[Host 1]

No, I think. And Lisa, I did just. I did say it was pathetic.

[Host 2]

Hi, Lisa.

[Caller/Listener 2]

Well, let me tell you, if I was a woman dating a man, I don't think I would want. I don't think I would want to date someone who was sucking their thumb.

[Host 1]

But you do.

[Caller/Listener 2]

I mean, I do. And I'll tell you, I have since the day I was born. And we've done the whole nasty crap that you put on there. I had to put, like, popsicle sticks around and tape it up. I would suck the other thumb. My mother took me to a psychiatrist who guaranteed her after six weeks I had to watch these nasty videotapes of what it does to your teeth and the germs and the bacteria and blah, blah, blah. She guaranteed her after six weeks, I would quit sucking my thumb. And at the end of that six weeks, the psychiatrist gave my mother her money back. And she said she'd never seen a case like it before.

[Host 2]

Can't break it. How old are you now?

[Caller/Listener 2]

I'm 38.

[Host 2]

And you're still sucking your thumb?

[Caller/Listener 2]

Yes. Now, I will tell you, I don't do it in public. I only do it at bed. Or, like, if I'm sick. You know, like if you have an upset stomach or a really bad headache, I can go to bed, suck my thumb, and I feel better.

[Host 1]

Look at Wendy's face.

[Host 3]

Are you married?

[Host 2]

Wendy just looks like she just did a shot.

[Host 3]

Are you married?

[Caller/Listener 2]

Yes, and I have two children.

[Host 3]

And how does your husband feel about that?

[Caller/Listener 2]

Oh, he don't care. We've been together 20 years.

[Host 2]

At what point did you tell him that you're a thumb sucker?

[Caller/Listener 2]

Oh, God, probably within the first couple weeks. I never thought anything about it. I mean, because we met when we were 17.

[Host 1]

I just can't imagine going into.

[Host 3]

Waking up in the middle of the

[Host 1]

night going into Millie Pete. Because I'm thinking about her children growing up, going into Millie Pete on the couch or going home and Millie Pete's on the couch, not feeling good, sucking her thumb. Oh, my God.

[Host 2]

Hold on. Hey, Tony, you're on Q100.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Hey, good morning, guys. I don't really understand the Birch Show's reaction. I've been married 22 years. When I met my wife, when she was 17, she had what's called a little bunny pillow. It's a little tiny pillow that her grandmother made for when she was a baby. And it had, like, three different covers sewn onto it that she literally. She couldn't sleep without this thing. And even when we traveled and stuff well into. Up to. Well, in the 30s, maybe even up to 38, she still had this little thing. So I finally hid it from her. And she. She would. Sometimes I'd, you know, see her at night, and she'd have her thumb in her mouth. And I don't know if she's actually doing the old thing, but she'd have it in her mouth.

[Caller/Listener 2]

But let me ask you something.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Now, be honest with me. In a hypothetical situation, if God said. God said, okay, you're gonna have this relationship. And based on what Jim said, you've got this perfect person. They hold a great job, a great relationship with them. But you got two choices. They either suck their thumb at night or they suck on cigarettes all day long in the day. What would you choose?

[Host 1]

But there's still crazy for somebody's adult to suck their thumb.

[Host 3]

I'll tell you what I would do.

[Host 1]

You're bringing God and cigarettes into.

[Host 3]

I'll tell you what I do, is I thank God that there's another 2 million women in Atlanta to choose from, to be honest with you, because I'm not.

[Host 2]

Here's a deal breaker that may gross you out pretty well.

[Host 1]

I can't even get to it.

[Caller/Listener 1]

Come on.

[Host 1]

Come on.

[Host 2]

Terrell.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Yeah.

[Caller/Listener 2]

Hey.

[Host 2]

Hi.

[Caller/Listener 1]

My sister was dating this guy about 10 years ago, 10 to 12 years ago. And, you know, she thought he was really cute, really handsome. And then one day out the blue, he was like, okay, you know, I have something to tell you. She's like, what? You know, he was like, I slept with my grandmother until I was 18 years old.

[Host 2]

What? In the same bed?

[Caller/Listener 1]

In the same bed until he was 18. And we were freaked out. This guy went to Georgia State, you know, and it was just like, okay. And you know, he was just now,

[Host 1]

were they so dirt poor that they

[Donnie Wahlberg]

were in one bed?

[Caller/Listener 1]

I don't think so.

[Host 2]

I wasn't.

[Caller/Listener 1]

He didn't look that way. You know, he looked very clean cut and everything. And he slept with his grandma. I don't think there was anything hanky panky going on with grandma, but you

[Host 1]

know, like, he just wanted the comfort of it.

[Host 2]

The Bird Show

[Host 3]

USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With usaa, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a'@usaa.com bundle restrictions apply on chumbacasino.com gaming hits different chumba Casino is the online social casino with over 100 games that you can play for free, anytime, anywhere.

[Host 2]

Join today for your free welcome bonus and free daily login bonuses.

[Host 3]

And play for your chance to redeem some serious prizes, visit chumbacasino.com let's Chumba no purchase necessary VGW group Void where prohibited by law 21 terms and conditions apply.

[Host 2]

Drew McIntyre here from WWE. Wielding the Claymore can be a life of chaos when I'm not dominating in the ring. Chumba Casino is how this warrior takes a wee break. With hundreds of online social games and new weekly releases, there's always something fresh to try and those daily boosts next level. Even my free time feels like Valhalla. So when life feels like a battle, kick up your feet, have some fun, and let's Chumba. No purchase necessary VGW Group Void where Prohibited by Law CTS CS21 Sponsored by Chumba Casino. Donnie Wahlberg from New Kids on the Block.

[Host 1]

Yay.

[Host 2]

Hey, Donnie. How are you?

[Donnie Wahlberg]

I'm great.

[Host 1]

You're sleepy?

[Host 2]

You just get up now?

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Well, I got up just for you guys.

[Host 2]

Thank you, Donnie. A vicious rumor this morning, and you guys have really. I mean, a panic has set through the New Kids on the Block world that Jordan jacked up his ankle and you guys aren't coming to Atlanta.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

All right, guys, I'm gonna clarify this, even though I'd like to keep the speculation going. I was working on a video that would. I was just. There's a video floating around the Internet of Jordan on a gurney, and I just want you to know that that is my first forays into directing. It's a. Jordan will be there. The show will go on.

[Host 2]

Okay?

[Host 1]

He's okay.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Jordan is fine.

[Host 2]

So nothing happened to his ankle at all?

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Well, apparently my directing skills are pretty good because everybody Thinks he's hurt.

[Host 3]

Nicely done.

[Host 2]

I mean, I am not kidding. The panic on the phones this morning from women, it's been, like, at a fever pitch.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Well, there was supposed to be a little more to the video, but only part of it got sent to a source that leaked it onto the Internet.

[Host 2]

Come on, man. You guys did that on purpose.

[Host 1]

Come on.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

No, there was another part that was gonna, you know, show the reveal of the hoax, but that part didn't make it to the right hands yet.

[Host 2]

Relief, Jen, Relief.

[Host 1]

I know.

[Host 3]

It's like breaking news. We're a week away from election day, but the only thing people are calling for is what's wrong with Jordan's ankle.

[Host 2]

And the way things. I mean, you've gotta be surprised by this, too, Donnie, is the way that things. It spreads like wildfire on the Internet. Now, like, I know right now that this interview is gonna be Posted in another 2 minutes by NKOTV fans. Chill.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

You know, it's the good and the bad of modern technology. You know, it's. It certainly doesn't hurt when, you know, information is flying all over the place. And it didn't hurt, you know, when we announced our reunion after all these years. I think the Internet was a big help.

[Host 2]

Sure.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

But, you know, it's also. If you do something stupid, everyone's gonna know really quick, too.

[Host 1]

Right?

[Host 2]

So you're hearing it directly from Donnie Wahlberg. Jordan is okay. Everybody. Everybody's gonna be all right. Everybody's fine.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

But let me tell you something. Even if Jordan's ankle was sprained, if it was broken, he'd be on that stage tomorrow night.

[Host 2]

That's what women were calling up and saying is like. I mean, with bands like this, you guys work through it. You don't know pain. There is no injured reserve.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Danny Wood right now has a torn hamstring. It's been torn since the. I think the second night of the tour. He's not going to miss a show. There's. Nobody's going to miss a show. There's nothing is going to stop this tour. It's too much fun. The reaction from the fans, I mean, it's emotional. It's crazy. The next crowd is better than the last crowd every single night. And people, really, every night, it's the same thing. It's like, what's your favorite part of the show? All of it. What do you mean? We just cried and laughed the whole time. Nobody sits down. Nobody misses a moment. It's absolutely incredible. And we kind of feel the same way as the fans, kind of Overwhelming.

[Host 1]

Wait till you get to an arena full of Southern women ready to watch your show. You'll be blown away. It'll take it to another level, I promise.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Well, I can assure you of this. We are not doubting that. We've been dying to get to Atlanta. Like, we love Atlanta. We spent a lot of time down there recording for the album. For a while in the music business, there was this huge movement of just bodies down to Atlanta. Like everybody would just go. And when we're there, it's so obvious why. It's just the hospitality, the courteousness, the Southern energy is just. It's overwhelming, it's seductive. And you know, absolutely what you said. To play in an arena full of Southern women is just gonna be. I mean, we're dying for it. We can't wait. It's gonna be incredible. And I can assure you the energy will be reciprocated from us to all the fans down there.

[Host 2]

Donnie, if we were being totally and completely 100% honest with each other, I'm

[Donnie Wahlberg]

being honest with you 100%.

[Host 2]

Be 100% honest here. Look, you guys aren't 19 years old anymore. You're not 18 years old anymore. How do you feel the day after a show?

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Now, other than my voice, which as you can hear is pretty crap, I feel great.

[Host 2]

Yeah.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

I will admit, in the old days, I used to probably sleep. You know, I'd go into every city and say, yeah, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that. I'm going to go sightseeing, I'm going to take pictures, pictures. I'm going to walk around and I'd sleep all day and I'd look back and say, damn, I should have did something while I was in that town. Now I say, I don't even waste my time saying, I'm going to sightsee. It's like, I know I need my nine hours sleep. I know I need to rest, but it's really not because we can't handle it. I go, man, I'm like the Energizer Bunny. Nothing slows me down. But I take the show seriously. Now, I don't get off a motorcycle and run on stage like I used to do when I was 20. You know, I rest, I get my sleep because I want that two hours every night to be my focus. Nothing is more important than giving every person out there their hard earned money's worth. You know, we were in Detroit the other night, and no city in America is hurt more than the economy right now than Detroit and to see, you know, 15,000 people packed full into that building with such happiness on their face. And those people chose us to entertain them during, like, some really bad times, you know, and they could have made any other choice, but they chose us. You know, that is a serious honor and a serious responsibility, and I treat it with the utmost respect. And that show every night is my priority.

[Host 1]

Donny, if you had to describe every member of the band with just one word, including yourself, what would it be?

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Well, after that little hoax with Jordan's ankle, I'd say crazy. Let me see. Joe Mack, showman. Danny Wood, determined. John Knight, warm. Jordan Knight, star. And me, there's not one word, but I'd say CEO. That's what Joe Mack calls me, the CEO. I say the rebel with a. With a cause.

[Host 2]

Hey, Donnie, you can explain this better to me. What's this on the block ticket thing that we're giving away? It's not quite backstage, it's not front row, but it's supposed to be even better than that.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Well, you guys got the primo primo. It's one of two things that the ticket is for it. Sometimes we do it as a sound check where, you know, if enough of the guys are ready to go and gonna do a sound check and run through some songs, it's usually like a private session with the group. And, I mean, I've done everything from test out new songs for the show for, like, 25, 30, 40 exclusive radio people, listeners, and fans who win tickets or, you know, I bring them on stage to sing backgrounds with me and do the song. Just meeting all the guys backstage and just having a couple minutes to talk and take pictures and hang out. It is the most intimate to get to hang out before the show. And what you're gonna get from you guys is really gonna be the best thing. There's not another way to really spend good time with the group than this.

[Host 2]

I can't believe producer Tracy hasn't run down here. She was so relieved.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Producer Tracy had better show up soon because we've got unresolved business herding.

[Host 2]

Why don't you guys run down, please, and get Tracy? I can't believe she's not in the studio.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

I think we should reiterate one more time. The show is not not canceled.

[Host 3]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

And I'm telling you, especially Jordan. Jordan's in great shape. But let me tell you something. There is nothing besides the show and besides playing for our fans, who are the greatest fans in the world, besides the unfinished business with producer Tracy. And seeing all you guys, there is nothing is going to stop us from a trip to the Waffle House before the show. We will be in Atlanta. Nothing will stop it.

[Host 2]

Donnie, Producer Tracy has entered the studio. You said there's some unresolved business. Here she is.

[Host 1]

Hey, how are you?

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Producer Tracy.

[Host 1]

Hi.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

I'm missing you a little bit and I really need you at the show. I need you in the front row, I need you backstage, and I need you to spend some quality time.

[Host 1]

Okay?

[Host 2]

Are you gonna be quality time is what I heard.

[Host 1]

Well, I definitely have tickets to the show. I don't have front row tickets to the show, though.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Well, that's really insignificant because you pretty much can go wherever you want.

[Host 1]

Oh, nice. Very nice. Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow night.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

I look forward to it. And you, you and all you guys are, you know, one of the first stations and the first people, you know to even get involved in this whole thing. So we. We owe you guys a lot. And producer Tracy, I owe you the world. And I intend to give you a good portion of it tomorrow.

[Host 2]

That's mascalier.

[Host 1]

You better wear a matching bra and panties.

[Host 3]

Sometimes you just gave somebody a new

[Host 2]

ringtone, you know, she became like some kind of like folk hero on the Internet after she tracked you guys down in la. It was really strange.

[Host 1]

It was cool, though.

[Host 2]

Well, it was cool, but really, I mean, they were like. They were bowing to the East.

[Host 1]

They were cheering her on. Well, she got the first deserved.

[Host 3]

She got the first interview with all five guys since they. Was it Good Morning America or Today Show? Today's show, where you announced the tour. And then the first real in depth interview you did was. Was thanks to Tracy running down some street in Los Angeles while wearing heels. Because you certainly cannot meet the new kids on the Block in ugly shoes.

[Host 1]

Oh, no.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Yeah. Well, you know, she came close to getting one of the first interview. Interview interviews, too, before anyone knew any of this. And she was as close as anyone could come, so we owed her that. But I do have to be careful now because I don't want, you know, the same. The same way she turned into a sort of an Internet hero. She could become an Internet villain if I flirt with her too much on the Internet. Tone it down a little bit.

[Host 3]

You guys will have your private time tomorrow.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Well, you know, it's. Yeah, I'm gonna not touch that right now.

[Host 2]

There's always tomorrow. So the bottom line here is, I mean, the original reason why you called is, yes, the show is on.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

We're gonna be going 300 miles an hour on stage tomorrow when I'm telling you, beautiful, it's gonna be a great show.

[Host 2]

All right.

[Host 3]

There.

[Host 2]

You heard right from Donnie Wahlberg.

[Host 1]

That's right.

[Host 2]

All right, Donnie, thank you for your time. Thanks for calling us, man.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

As always, you guys are the best. Thank you so much.

[Host 2]

Thanks. Have a great show.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Got it. Bye.

[Host 2]

Bye. Bye. All right. That's right, from Donnie Wahlberg. That's not Perez Hilton speculating or TMZ or somebody from the hh. See this?

[Donnie Wahlberg]

The.

[Host 2]

That's Donnie right there telling you everything's going fine. There's nothing wrong with Jordan's ankle. It was all sort of a hoax. They're having some fun. Everybody's in line.

[Host 3]

How you doing, Tracy?

[Host 1]

I'm really, really hot.

[Host 2]

Hey, the Bird show.

[Host 1]

Hey, y'.

[Host 3]

All.

[Host 1]

It's Tiffany Stratton from WWE Smackdown.

[Host 2]

And I'm Drew McIntyre. So Tiff was at Tiffany's. Epiphan for the day.

[Host 1]

Chumba Casino is the perfect quick break between training, travel, and beating you at everything.

[Host 3]

Beating me?

[Host 2]

I'm here for the new Chumba Casino releases every week.

[Host 1]

Try me on their social games any day.

[Host 2]

Nah, I keep my Chumba fun, easy and no stress.

[Host 1]

Yeah, when it's not safety time, I'm on Chumba time.

[Host 2]

No purchase necessary. VGW Group voidware prohibited by law. CTs and Cs 21 plus sponsored by Chumba Casino.

[Host 3]

If you work in university maintenance, Grainger

[Host 2]

considers you an MVP because your playbook ensures your arena is always ready for tip off. And Grainger is your trusted partner, offering the products you need all in one place, from H VAC and plumbing supplies

[Host 3]

to lighting and more.

[Host 2]

And all delivered with plenty of time

[Host 3]

left on the clock. So your team always gets the win.

[Host 2]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER visit grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Host 1]

Post people keep going, even when life gets busy. At Post University, online learning is built for busy schedules with support from real people who care. Become a Post person.

[Donnie Wahlberg]

Learn more at Post.

[Host 1]

Eduardo.