Full Show PT 3: Wednesday, April 1 [Vault]

Summary

The Bert Show

Full Show PT 3: Wednesday, April 1 [Vault]
Original Air Date: April 1, 2026

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Episode Overview

Part 3 of The Bert Show’s Full Show from the "Vault" dives into a series of lively, unscripted conversations with hosts Bert, Charlie, Dana, Jen, and Greg, as well as several callers. The main topics are:

• A wild "Ambien amnesia" confession/advice segment
• The controversy over dog adoption agency contracts
• A deep debate about "financial infidelity" in relationships
• A light-hearted interview with actor Hugh Jackman

The episode is characterized by its candid, conversational tone and engaging interplay between hosts and callers.

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Key Segments & Insights

1. Ambien Amnesia and Advice Drama

[01:00–09:15]

Discussion Points:

• Bert reads a letter to "Dear Prudence" about a man who, after doubling his antidepressant and mixing up prescriptions, takes two Ambien, blacks out, and allegedly has an affair without remembering it.
• The cast debates the plausibility of this story, especially the claim of finding himself at a stranger's house.
• Listeners and sleep experts call in sharing similar "Ambien sleepwalking" experiences, confirming behaviors like driving and cooking while asleep.

Memorable Quotes:

• Bert: "We get calls all the time from people on Ambien... They woke up the next morning, and they're like, hamburger wrappers around them." (02:09)
• Caller Laura: "Ambien is called, like, the truth medicine... whatever’s been on the back of your mind... can cause you to do certain things that you wouldn't think you would do while on that medication." (06:30)
• Co-host Charlie: "So what advice are you giving our horny sleepwalker?" (07:08)
• Dear Prudence’s Advice (read by Bert): "...you need to keep the other woman from contacting you and asking for further services. Call her and try to explain... you accidentally mixed up your medicine... Do not tell your wife." (08:00)

Timestamps:

• [01:00] Story introduction and background
• [04:41] Debate about facts vs. speculation
• [06:30] Call from Laura about Ambien’s effects
• [09:15] Sleep tech expert calls in

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2. Dog Adoption Agency Dispute

[13:55–28:26]

Discussion Points:

• Return to a listener, Lisa's, story about a rescue agency threatening to reclaim her family’s adopted dog due to missing an obedience class stipulated in their contract.
• The cast unpacks the strictness of shelter and rescue group policies and the emotional turmoil it can cause adoptive families.
• Lisa shares how advocacy from friends and family influenced the outcome, leading the agency to allow her to keep the dog—with the condition she take the class.
• Debate ensues about whether to reveal the name of the agency on-air, balancing transparency and Lisa's family’s safety.

Memorable Quotes:

• Lisa (caller/mother): “She [the agency director] put in an email that she didn’t care about our family or my children, only the dog... it just doesn’t seem like a safe situation.” (20:00)
• Co-host Jen: “There are so many animals in shelters... and this woman is going to be this way because of an obedience class. Get a life, lady.” (24:03)
• Co-host Charlie: "We wrap up with Lisa today... tell the woman that we are without a doubt gonna identify the agency at this time tomorrow... Give her one last chance." (27:14)

Timestamps:

• [13:55] Recap of Lisa’s situation
• [18:12] Lisa details frantic family efforts to keep their dog
• [21:40] Bert and Lisa discuss naming the agency
• [24:31] Listener Nicole urges transparency for the sake of other adopters
• [28:09] Plans to give the agency a chance to respond

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3. Financial Infidelity: Secret Savings in Relationships

[28:43–40:55]

Discussion Points:

• The hosts discuss whether hiding money from one’s spouse or partner constitutes a breach of trust equivalent to cheating.
• Callers share stories of secret stashes ranging from $50k to nearly $1 million, with varied justifications (inheritance, security, distrust).
• The debate covers both ethical and practical dimensions—what counts as infidelity, gender dynamics, the right to personal accounts, agreements vs. secrecy.

Memorable Quotes:

• Bert: “For me, like, financial infidelity like this would be just as bad as sexual infidelity.” (28:43)
• Caller Alicia: “A little over 50 grand... You just never know. I have two little ones and I have to watch out for my kids.” (30:44)
• Bert: “That $50,000 to me would speak louder than her words would.” (31:50)
• Co-host Jen: “You should never stay in a relationship or be stuck in a relationship because of money.” (32:50)
• Bert (about a news story): “A dentist is suing Chase bank to recover the more than $150,000 she said she had to share with her hubby after a bank employee let it slip...” (38:51)

Timestamps:

• [28:43] Introduction to financial infidelity
• [30:44] Alicia shares her hidden inheritance
• [33:16] Callers with secret accounts
• [38:51] Real-life legal case about hidden accounts

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4. Celebrity Interview: Hugh Jackman

[41:18–48:44]

Discussion Points:

• The Burt Show interviews Hugh Jackman about his career versatility, celebrity status, experience with movie fans, and approachability.
• Highlights include Jackman’s openness about his strengths (“I suck at DIY!”), humility about being named Sexiest Man Alive, and affection for interacting with the public.
• Jackman shares a personal story about chasing autographs as a kid and how that makes him receptive to fans as an adult.

Memorable Quotes:

• Hugh Jackman: “The only thing handy about me, my wife says, is that I'm close by.” (42:18)
• Jackman (on fame): “At the end of the day, we're dressing up and pretending to be someone else... If you're going too long where it's not fun, you're probably heading down the wrong track.” (45:06)
• Jackman: “You want an autograph? Just come up and say, ‘my son wants it’—you got it.” (47:27)

Timestamps:

• [41:18] Jackman joins the show
• [42:13] His biggest weakness: DIY
• [44:12] On embracing the Wolverine role
• [44:20] On being named ‘Sexiest Man Alive’
• [45:06] Hollywood’s seriousness
• [47:02] Jackman on fan access and autographs
• [48:35] Interview wrap-up

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Notable Quotes & Highlights

• “Hard to believe... the pharmaceutical industry has already solved two of our most vexing problems: how to get men to do weekend chores, and how to induce attractive strangers to have sex with you while being able to swear you haven’t cheated.” — Bert reading ‘Dear Prudence’ (08:00)
• “If you adopt an animal, it becomes your child and it's your dog... certain agencies need to let go.” — Dana (16:33)
• “I think it's just insurance.” — Dana, on women keeping secret savings accounts (32:15)
• “If we agree or not agree, if that’s the way we decide to go as a couple, I'm cool with that.” — Bert (29:26)
• “Come on. At the end of the day, we're dressing up and pretending to be someone else... life's meant to be fun.” — Hugh Jackman (45:06)

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Episode Flow & Tone

The episode deftly moves from wild personal confessions and ethical debates to lighter celebrity banter, maintaining a relatable and humorous tone. The candid exchanges and listener participation create a real sense of inclusion and authenticity, true to the show’s “we’re all in this together” vibe.

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For New Listeners:

This episode is a quintessential taste of The Bert Show—irreverent, real, funny, and willing to dive deep into both listener drama and cast confessions, before wrapping it all up with A-list wit courtesy of Hugh Jackman. Perfect for fans of lively morning radio and pop-culture savvy dialogue.

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Quick Reference

| Segment | Start Time | Key Moments | |-------------------------------:|:----------:|:----------------------------------------| | Ambien Amnesia | 01:00 | Medication confession, wild calls | | Dog Adoption Controversy | 13:55 | Agency threats, family stress | | Financial Infidelity | 28:43 | Hiding money, listener stashes | | Hugh Jackman Interview | 41:18 | Career, DIY confessions, fan stories |

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Transcript

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[Burt]

You're on the Burt Show. Dear Prudence is an advice column. It's not like a Dear Abby or Dear a Lister. This must be one that's syndicated, but just not as popular as the others. This one's Dear Prudence.

[Co-host Charlie]

Funny name.

[Burt]

I did something recently that concerns me on many levels. I'm under a large amount of stress because I'm in an unhappy marriage, which we're trying to work out, and because my company laid me off, I'm under treatment for depression. A week ago, my doctor doubled the dosage of my antidepressant and because I'm not sleeping well, he prescribed Ambien. On Saturday morning, I confused the vials and took two Ambien. I told my wife what happened and that I would probably sleep all day and went to bed. At around 10 o', clock, my wife commented on how productive I had been mowing the lawn, cleaning up, grocery shopping. I remembered none of this and said so. We've talked about Ambien a whole bunch on this show and we get calls all the time from people on Ambien. Same situation.

[Co-host Dana]

So he did all that and he didn't remember going to the grocery store.

[Burt]

Slept right through it. This part of it I can actually believe. We've talked to people that were driving. Remember they went to McDonald's, they woke up the next morning and and they're like hamburger wrappers around them. They didn't realize it on Ambien. They drove to McDonald's, ordered a hamburger in the drive through, drove home, ate it, then went back to sleep.

[Co-host Dana]

He started the lawnmower, mowed the lawn,

[Burt]

didn't remember it, did the whole thing. I remembered none of this, and I said so. She said her only concern was that I left for errands and returned two hours later with nothing in hand. I talked to my doctor on Monday, and he told me Ambien can cause amnesia. And and that some people have reported walking, driving, and cooking in their sleep. All which, by the way, are calls that we have taken before. This is going to be a first, though. I know now what filled the missing two hours. This afternoon, I got a call from a woman who called me lover and asked me when I wanted to come back. She called me her F buddy. This is a woman I had talked to only twice before in social situations. I do not even know where she lives. Maybe I phoned her for directions. I do find her attractive, but I am stunned that I did something like this. My wife is vindictive, and if I say anything to her, it will end our marriage. I do not want to continue a relationship with the other woman. What should I do?

[Co-host Dana]

He doesn't know where she lives, but somehow he showed up at her house and had sex with her for two hours and then came home.

[Burt]

What he says then, remember, he says the part that really starts to get a little screwy here is this is a woman I've talked to only twice before in social situations. But if that's the case, then what's he doing with her phone number now?

[Co-host Charlie]

You know what the cool part about that is? How'd that conversation go when he picked her up and called her and told her what he wanted to do if they've only talked twice?

[Burt]

Well, she must have. She went for it.

[Co-host Charlie]

Now, before we start analyzing this and people call up, we. The only facts that we know are the facts that Bert is reading, and we can't debate those. So don't call up and go, he clearly knew her more than that. That's not what he's saying. What he's saying is he's only talked to her twice in social situations.

[Caller/Guest]

No, he didn't.

[Co-host Charlie]

He's gotten once before. No, it didn't. All we know is that he's talked to her twice in social situations.

[Burt]

So what Jeff is saying is what we're assuming here is facts. You're playing Dear Prudence. 404741, Q100. You are now, Ms. Prudence. You are giving advice to this guy with just the facts that he has provided us.

[Co-host Jen]

Because if you can believe, he did go to the grocery store. Maybe he ran into her at the grocery store.

[Co-host Charlie]

Perfect.

[Burt]

It's all possible. Here's what we do know is Fact that the wife knows that he went running and he mowed the lawn. Mowed the lawn and went grocery shopping and all that.

[Co-host Charlie]

So if he had to have the owner, they must. They're dating.

[Burt]

Ms. Prudence Melissa Carter. What do you do?

[Co-host Dana]

Oh, God.

[Co-host Charlie]

And I'm saying that to you, too, as much as I'm saying to the caller.

[Co-host Dana]

I don't talk like that.

[Co-host Charlie]

They're dating.

[Co-host Greg]

How does he have that phone number?

[Burt]

That's the question.

[Co-host Dana]

Why do I tell him? God, I don't know.

[Co-host Jen]

Screwed.

[Co-host Charlie]

He already has been.

[Co-host Dana]

Because I'm trying to think if he should tell his wife.

[Co-host Charlie]

No way.

[Co-host Greg]

But she's gonna tell him. Another woman will tell eventually.

[Co-host Dana]

Well, I. Yeah, I don't know. This is very difficult because I don't believe him.

[Burt]

Facts are the facts.

[Co-host Jen]

Do you think because he put in parentheses, I am really attracted to her. That's just a guy bush comment.

[Burt]

I do find her attractive.

[Co-host Jen]

I do think she's hot.

[Co-host Charlie]

But that's what.

[Burt]

I'm stunned. But that is on the latest.

[Co-host Charlie]

It's bougie.

[Co-host Jen]

He's very boosh.

[Co-host Dana]

I don't know what to tell him. I guess the first thing I would tell him is to go, did he say in the letter that he has talked to his doctor since then about all that?

[Co-host Charlie]

He's got to get a doctor's note excusing.

[Co-host Jen]

No, no, no.

[Co-host Dana]

I mean. I mean, if he's saying her. If he really was able to do all those things and carry on a decent conversation with her and have sex with her for two hours, then I

[Co-host Jen]

would go to his.

[Co-host Dana]

I would tell him to go to his doctor and talk to his doctor

[Co-host Charlie]

about it, because you gotta get tested. Who knows where he put that junk?

[Burt]

Hey, Laura, good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller]

Hi, how are you?

[Burt]

Go ahead.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

You're.

[Burt]

Dear Prudence.

[Caller]

Okay, from what I've heard, is that Ambien is called, like, the truth medicine. Just like when you're coming out of anesthesia, whatever's been on the back of your mind for a long time, whether it's conscious, subconscious, or whatever, can cause you to do certain things that you wouldn't think you would do while on that medication.

[Burt]

So, like.

[Caller]

Like what Jet they interviewed after the Heath Ledger thing. Jack Nicholson had told him that he had gotten in his car and had found himself driving somewhere where he didn't even know where he was just because he was on the medicine and he had no clue how he got there even getting in his car or anything.

[Co-host Charlie]

So what advice are you giving our Horny sleepwalker.

[Caller]

It could have been. It was just. Honestly, he just. One, it is weird that he has her number. But two, honestly, it could be just

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

he really messed up and didn't really

[Caller]

realize what was going on.

[Co-host Charlie]

Does he tell his wife?

[Caller]

Should he tell his wife? It would have to be like, I think, within a situation, like with a therapist. Not just, like, straight to her.

[Burt]

I can't think of any wife at all that would ever buy that.

[Co-host Charlie]

No way. No way.

[Burt]

Here's what dear Prudence says. It's a pretty funny first line. Hard to believe that the pharmaceutical industry has already solved two of our most vexing problems. How to get men to do weekend chores and how to induce attractive strangers to have sex with you while being able to swear that you haven't cheated. If this gets around soon, we'll be living in a world where people are gobbling Ambien out of PEZ containers. Driving, eating, and even trying to cast congressional votes while under the influence of Ambien are all well documented. Scroll around the Internet. You'll also find individual accounts of Ambien fueled sex, which we've talked about a lot on the show, where women or guys have zero idea how freaky they're getting at night and in the morning, their partners are a little embarrassed what happened a little bit ago, and they have no recollection of all of what happened. However you might, however good you may have been in bed, you need to keep the other woman from contacting you and asking for further services. Call her and try to explain. Tell her that as hard as it it is to believe, you have recently been prescribed several medications. You accidentally mix them up and as a result, you have no memory of the events of the weekend. Say you're really sorry if you behaved irresponsibly, but that you can't be in touch with her ever again. Don't ask for details. You want to preserve your amnesiac deniability. And since you don't know what you did, you're hardly in a position to confess anything to your wife. Do you? Do not tell her.

[Co-host Charlie]

But she forgot. He's got to get tested for STDs.

[Burt]

Morning. Charles wants to be on the voice disguiser.

[Co-host Charlie]

Hey, Charles. He's asleep. Doesn't mean his crabs are.

[Burt]

Good morning. You're on the voice disguiser.

[Caller]

I was just calling to say I've had a very similar situation. I used to take Ambien and I would get up in the middle of the night and cook. I would drive all over town and had one situation where an acquaintance came up to me several days after this evidently happened and talked to me about, gee, we had a great time, and evidently we didn't have sex, but we made out for quite a while. And I had no clue.

[Burt]

Really?

[Caller]

No recollection. No recollection whatsoever of it.

[Burt]

I would almost think that somewhere in the back of your mind, even though you're sleeping, you know, the act that you're doing is so bad that it would somehow shake you up and, you know, and wake you. Like, just driving to the McDonald's, like, wouldn't signal to me, like, some kind of inner alarm. But when you're making out with somebody or you're having sex, driving.

[Co-host Charlie]

But why isn't it so bad? Like, you're getting in the car, you can kill yourself or others.

[Burt]

Yeah, I guess it would be. It would fall under the same thing. Yeah.

[Caller/Guest]

Yeah.

[Caller]

I was totally clueless. I still, to this day, have no. No recollection of it whatsoever.

[Burt]

Really? Really. Here's Leonard. Good morning, Leonard. You're on Q100.

[Leonard (Sleep Tech Caller)]

Hey, how's it going?

[Burt]

Okay. How are you?

[Leonard (Sleep Tech Caller)]

Pretty good. I heard your story about the sleep, and I was just going to call you and tell y' all that because I'm a registered sleep tech and people have slept long. They slept, you know, done things. Also, people have actually slept and killed other people.

[Co-host Charlie]

That's comforting.

[Leonard (Sleep Tech Caller)]

Well, what happened is if somebody's sleepwalking and you try to wake them up, they get really violent. Oh, try not to do that.

[Burt]

So you're saying it is possible this guy takes his Ambien, drives down the street, calls somebody has sex with somebody, and really has no recollection of it at all?

[Leonard (Sleep Tech Caller)]

Yeah. I even have people, when they take Ambien at the lab. I mean, it's possible. I mean, it's not likely, but it's possible because I've had them think that I'm their wife or talk to me like, you know, they say their spouse is named me, and I'm like, you know, that's not me. But people are really out of it. And, you know, certain medications, instead of.

[Co-host Jen]

What advice would you give? What about. What would your answer be if you were the wife? Or, like, say we're. Say it were Stacy.

[Burt]

Wow. Yeah.

[Co-host Jen]

But you know what I'm saying, Would you want to know or not? If she really was in an Ambien sleepwalk and she had no recollection of it, she cut it off. She made sure to tell that person, that can never, ever happen again. I was on an Ambien binge. I don't have any memory of it. Don't ever call me again. Whatever. Do you wanna know that that happened?

[Burt]

I do not. Do you?

[Co-host Jen]

I don't know how to answer it.

[Burt]

Don't ask me a question you wanna answer.

[Co-host Charlie]

That's a great question, Jen.

[Burt]

What would you say? Would you want to know?

[Co-host Charlie]

I don't think so. Don't think so?

[Co-host Jen]

Yeah, I don't think so either.

[Burt]

Melissa.

[Co-host Dana]

You know what? I actually would. Because I wouldn't want that other person to have that.

[Burt]

That guilt.

[Co-host Dana]

Well, no, I wouldn't want the other woman to have that knowledge or power or something. I wouldn't want her to have something over my head.

[Co-host Greg]

Oh, no.

[Co-host Dana]

Katie's screaming at the radio like you're full of crap. But it's true. Yeah, I'd rather know than not know. If something like that happens, I don't want to know.

[Co-host Greg]

I guess what I don't know won't kill me. So. No, but yes, but no. I don't know. Kind of.

[Co-host Dana]

I don't trust other people too. I mean, I don't trust that other person.

[Burt]

If I told Stacy that happened on Ambien, she'd take two the night after just so she had an excuse to kill me.

[Co-host Charlie]

Sorry.

[Hugh Jackman]

Ambien.

[Burt]

You're on the Birch Show.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Burt]

Previously on the Bird Show.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

My daughter has been asking for a dog since she was 2. So we decided to use a rescue group. We had a home interview. They interviewed my six year old children, my husband. They called references, they called our vet. In the contract, part of the agreement said we would take the dog to training. This is a four year old dog. That is the best trained dog I've ever met. The contract, we signed it. I had forgotten about the 90 day clause. After three months of not hearing anything from this woman, we get an email saying we need your paperwork for the class. We weren't able to take this class because of a conflict in our schedule and we're signing up for the next class. And I immediately got an email back saying we needed to turn the dog over to her, plus a $500 fee that we agreed to should they take control of the dog.

[Burt]

Melissa was outraged.

[Leonard (Sleep Tech Caller)]

What.

[Burt]

As indicated by that. So fill in the blanks for me here real quick, guys, before we get her back on. Did the rescue agency come to the house or just based on the fact that they didn't take the dog to the obedience class and that 90 days was fact enough for them, we're pulling

[Co-host Charlie]

the dog, sent an email and said, send me the paperwork for your obedience

[Co-host Dana]

that was required to take place in 90 days.

[Co-host Charlie]

Right. So they adopt the dog three months ago. They say, hey, within the next 90 days, you have to take an obedience thing, obedience class then. So fast forward three months, the shelter or rescue group owner sends an email to the new dog's adoptive new parents and says, okay, send me the paperwork for the obedience class. And the parents say, you know what, we were traveling all last month. The dog's perfectly well behaved. We've signed up for a class in two weeks.

[Co-host Jen]

It's a four year old dog.

[Co-host Charlie]

Yeah, so we, so we didn't. Yeah, so we, we don't worry about, we'll. We're going to take the obedience class in a couple weeks. Nobody goes, nope, that wasn't the agreement. I'm coming to take the dog and you owe me 500 bucks.

[Co-host Jen]

Whoa.

[Co-host Charlie]

Because there's like a fine or something like to re license the dog, whatever you redo to a dog.

[Burt]

So going into the weekend, the agency

[Co-host Dana]

was coming to take the dog.

[Burt]

Coming to take the dog.

[Co-host Jen]

What did the last email from the woman say? It will be either when I die or the dog dies that I see that I get this dog back.

[Co-host Charlie]

I will be a part of the dog's life.

[Co-host Dana]

I'll be a part of the dog's life until I die or the dog dies. According to the rest, that particular rescue group's director.

[Burt]

Well, that part, just that last line to me makes sense. I mean, if you, if you're part of the agency, you want to make sure and just check in from time to time that the dog's still doing well. It doesn't matter if it's a month or a year, then at least just check in just to see the dog is still doing well.

[Co-host Dana]

I understand that, but I feel like if you adopt an animal, it is, it is, becomes your child and it's your dog. So I sometimes I do think certain agencies need to let go, you know, if they go through that. If you're going through. Because, I mean, we've talked back and forth about rescue groups and we've gotten emails from rescue groups that do great jobs. We've got rescue groups from people who complain and say that, you know, just like our caller, that are, you know, little. I don't know, questionable. But. But I think that the rescue group. The purpose is to go through all that so that they put the dog in the right place. Well, once they feel like they've done that, there's a part of me that feels like, well, it's done. It's a done deal.

[Burt]

This is sort of a dangerous conversation, too. Cause I don't want to label every one of these agencies.

[Co-host Dana]

Yeah, we've gotten emails from rescue groups that have been fantastic and rescue groups that haven't been. So it's like anything, some good, some bad.

[Burt]

Have we said the name of this particular agency?

[Co-host Charlie]

We haven't yet because we were going to give them a chance to respond. But you saw the emails from Tracy yesterday. I don't know if that's going to happen.

[Burt]

And they don't want to come on.

[Co-host Charlie]

They don't want to come on. But I'm inclined to think that we do identify it so that people know.

[Burt]

Yeah. I don't want everybody to think of all of them.

[Co-host Charlie]

Yeah. Because, like, Melissa has mentioned a rescue group that she's had a fairly good experience with.

[Co-host Dana]

This is not the same. It's not the same group.

[Co-host Charlie]

It's a different rescue group. And I don't think it's. We have an employee at the radio station who's very involved in rescue groups. I don't think it's fair to all the rescue groups who are doing good work. So we can talk about that after we talk to Lisa.

[Co-host Dana]

Yeah.

[Burt]

Hey, Lisa.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

Hi.

[Burt]

Good morning. How are you?

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

I'm great.

[Burt]

Okay, so I'm curious, after these guys talked to you on Friday, did the agency hop on the phone and did they hear about it or did you have to call them or was it procedure, standard procedure, where they just knocked on the door and took the dog?

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

We did get to keep the dog, is the good news. What happened was Thursday night we went to bed under the understanding that the person we were dealing with, the director, that her lawyer had advised her to come get the dog asap. So that's why we were. Thursday evening was pretty rough for our family. So the next morning I talked to you guys, and then we had agreed that my husband would contact her because he had spoke with her earlier in the day. And initially she told him, I'm coming to get the dog on Saturday. And that's when I kind of freaked out being a mom and had emailed family and friends saying, please contact this lady and tell her that, you know, we're a good family and we're good for the dog.

[Burt]

Well, let me stop you there for just one second here, because from time to time we'll get a situation like this and then we'll be bombarded by emails from people in the same situation. How many friends and family sent emails to this rescue agency for you that I know of?

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

Probably four or five.

[Burt]

Okay.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

And the initial one came from my father, who's a minister, that said, you know, this is my daughter's dog. And, you know, went on. And she sent him an extremely nasty email back saying that we broke the contract. Everything kept coming back to the contract. In three months, she never contacted us to see if the dog was doing okay or anything. All we got was the email saying, you broke the contract, we want the dog back. And so anyway, throughout the day, she. She kept saying she was taking the dog back, she was taking the dog back. And so we hadn't had any conversation with her that evening. She tried calling my husband, and when my husband came home, he said, look, we need to just get the dog out of the house because this lady, you know, I don't know what her deal is, but she wants this dog back.

[Co-host Charlie]

So you had to take the dog to a safe house?

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

We did. We didn't do that because we don't want to upset the kids any more than we had. But anyway, Thursday evening we went to bed thinking she was coming to get the dog and had had emails saying her contract held up in court, that we were completely wrong, we broke our contract, whatever. And so the next morning, my husband said, let me handle this because he knew how upset I was. And so he had. He sent her an email that specifically went through each portion of the contract and said, you know, this is how we're handling this. This is what we're doing here. This is what we're doing. And when I talked to you at 10 o' clock Thursday morning, you initially said you were coming to get the dog and then you had changed your mind. And the last we heard, you've changed your mind yet again, we are planning on keeping the dog. This is class we're taking. I will call you at 10 o' clock so we can discuss this further. And that was how he had left it. Well, we got an email back and all it said was agreed. There was not in that she did not want to speak to my husband any further.

[Burt]

So it was like one or two lines and just say, we agreed, basically keep the dog.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

Agreed. No need for a phone call.

[Burt]

And that was it.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

And that was it. After she had put our family through,

[Co-host Jen]

you don't want the long, you know, back and forth to keep going.

[Burt]

Now the bottom line is that you got to keep it off.

[Co-host Dana]

Right?

[Co-host Jen]

You just.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

That's the point I made when I talked to Tracy yesterday, is that at this point, we want, you know, I. I would ask that you don't give their name out because I don't want to stir up anymore because this late, I mean, she was serious.

[Co-host Dana]

I don't want her to lose her dog for something we.

[Burt]

I don't either, but I also. I don't know that we can accommodate that because. Hold on one sec. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Cuz in the bigger picture here, the truth is, I mean, we've been talking about adoption agencies and rescue agencies now, and there are dozens of them out there that are fantastic. And I don't want anybody to leave here thinking, well, that's a process I'm not going to go through based on your experience. And here now for three days, we've talked about how awful an experience you have, and I don't feel like that's the case. As far as these agencies go. That's. This is a specific. So I do feel like it is important to point out which agency this was that you had a hard time with rather than pin it on the entire industry. But I don't want you to lose your dog either.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

I don't change my opinion of this agency. And, you know, once we complete this class, we really are going to try to get some legal advice as to where to go next. And we'd like to sever the relationship just because of the way she treated us. At one point, she. She put in an email that she didn't care about our family or my children, only the dog. And I mean, it just doesn't seem like a safe situation. But in the end, she did let us keep the dog, so we are very thankful to her for that.

[Co-host Dana]

Well, now when you're done with this obedience class, are you done? Is there any other obligation contractually that you have with her?

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

There really isn't a clear time frame in the contract, and that's what we want to get, you know, checked out because it. It really wasn't clear. And when she made the comment about I'm in your life until the dog dies or I die, that just kind of scared us. And then the agency's name is on the dog Chip. And I've spoken with an attorney that said, you know, that for safety reason you have a family that probably isn't good to be linked to an agency like that long term.

[Co-host Charlie]

So.

[Co-host Dana]

Yeah, well, my, the reason I asked is I just didn't know whether we wait until she's done with these obedience classes so that she definitely does get to keep her dog.

[Co-host Jen]

But.

[Burt]

Hey, Nicole, good morning. You're on Q100.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

Good morning. I just wanted to say you guys need to give the name out. My husband and I rescue dogs. We, you know, deal with people like this and people need to know who's reputable and who's not.

[Burt]

I do feel that there's a responsibility. I really do.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

Yeah. Because I'll be honest with you, there are so many animals in shelters and this woman is going to be, is going to be this way because of an obedience class. Get a life, lady.

[Co-host Jen]

Well, Hal, it does seem like this microscopic, you know, like they're so focused in on all these details on this one dog when she's right. That caller's right. There's so many dogs out there that need to be adopted. There's so many animals that need homes. Why they are expending so much energy on this one dog rather than, you know what I mean, than, you know, spreading out that energy to getting other dogs adopted. It just seems like nobody's taking a step back in this situation. Like take a step back and breathe and look at the overall situation.

[Co-host Dana]

But she came. I guess I just want to figure out a way that we can, you know, call out this agency, but also protect her and her family because she came to us with this information and now I don't want to do something to.

[Burt]

Well, we're going to continue to talk to you and get updates. So if this particular agency still chooses to kind of mess with you here a little bit or take the dog away, then we'll certainly be on top of that.

[Co-host Charlie]

But don't you guys feel like now here's.

[Burt]

We're doing a tremendous disservice to the entire industry. Yes, this is what we are.

[Co-host Dana]

I just don't want her 6 year old daughter to have a tragic ripped dog away because we, you know, and

[Co-host Charlie]

just so that we are, you know, all the facts are out there on the table. We invited the woman who runs the shelter.

[Co-host Dana]

Yes.

[Co-host Charlie]

The rescue group in question on the air with us. And not only did she say that she would not come on the air with us, but she also attempted to forbid us from saying her name or the name of the agency, which you can't really do because, I mean, we're reporting this as a news story.

[Burt]

It's that weird freedom of speech thing.

[Co-host Charlie]

Yeah. So we did give her the opportunity to come on the air and explain her point of view.

[Co-host Jen]

That's good.

[Co-host Charlie]

So it's not.

[Co-host Jen]

I feel like it's more fair.

[Co-host Charlie]

It's not like we're ambushing her.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

But I will say is, I think she means well. But she is so far misguided at this point, or at least in what we experienced to the point that, you know, my husband was scared for our family. He didn't want me to come on the radio station this morning because he's like, we've got the dog. You know, I've talked to this lady. You don't know how crazy she is. You know, she's not. She means what. But she's at this point so far. And I don't know if it's because she's seen horrible things or what, but, you know, we just want the dog in our. We want to keep the dog. We're a good family. We love the animal. We want to be done with this woman because she, you know, I don't trust her. And the other irony is that a few hours, not even hours after my husband got the email from her, we got an invitation to a get together reunion of all the dogs.

[Co-host Charlie]

Are you going?

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

And no.

[Co-host Dana]

Yeah.

[Burt]

I don't know.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

And I mean, it was all I could do not to respond and say, are you out of your mind, woman?

[Burt]

Right.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

But, you know, I restrained myself.

[Co-host Jen]

Yeah. Just cut it off at this point.

[Burt]

Hey, Colleen, good morning. You're on Q100.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

Yes. I think you should definitely turn in the agency. I think the woman is obviously after the money, and I think if they brought up an attorney, then they would definitely have nothing to do. They would definitely let her keep the dog because I think she has a legal leg to stand on.

[Burt]

It's just this one doesn't even feel. I'm not even conflicted about this one.

[Co-host Charlie]

Here's what I think. Here's her. I think we kind of meet in the middle on it. I think we wrap up with Lisa today, let her go extend. Tell the woman that we are without a doubt gonna identify the agency at this time tomorrow. Give her one last chance to come on. And then if she doesn't tomorrow at this time, we. Without Lisa on the phone, because I don't want Lisa to feel like that there's no connection between Lisa And Lisa's dog and this woman. So that way, you know, there's no drama going on there and we just, we do it tomorrow. We give her one chance, like she can come on and have. How long has Lisa been on the air this 10 minutes now. She can have explain her point of view. We'll ask her questions. I would love to hear her perspective. I would love to hear why she is so protective. What happened that causes her to be so on top of this and attach to the dog and leaving her agency's name on the chip and all that. I would love to have her come on and share her point of view and explain why she does what she does.

[Burt]

Well, we gave her the last 24 hours to do that, but I mean, if we want to totally be completely sure about it, then sure, let's do it tomorrow. And again, the reason why I want to do this is I don't want the other agencies, rescue agencies that are doing great work work, to be penalized because of this one instance at this one place.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

Right?

[Burt]

So if we have to wait one more day just to be 100 in the way we're going to handle it, then let's wait one day. That's fine.

[Co-host Charlie]

You said penalized.

[Burt]

Lisa, thanks for sharing your story. I'm glad you got to keep the dog.

[Co-host Dana]

Good luck in getting rid of her.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

Thank you.

[Burt]

I will be in touch.

[Co-host Charlie]

I hope you don't get penalized again.

[Burt]

Listen, it's the bird show. For me, like, financial infidelity like this would be just as bad as sexual infidelity.

[Co-host Jen]

Why?

[Burt]

It's just such a breach of trust that if I found out that Stacey had some bank account somewhere that I didn't know about, I would feel as betrayed as if she slept with another dude.

[Co-host Jen]

I'm reading that Suze Orman book right now about women and money and they say that everybody should have their own savings account. Whether you're married or whether you're single, you should have like, I think if you're married, you're supposed to have each separately 3 months in savings of what you need to live on.

[Burt]

That's no sweat to me at all. So long as we both know about it. This is how we're gonna handle our business. If we agree or not agree. If that's the way we decide to go as a couple, I'm cool with that.

[Co-host Jen]

And they say it should especially be for stay at home moms, that they should have a savings account that is just their own. Because sometimes they feel like they're not worthy of asking for that to have that kind of money because they're not earning a paycheck for the family. Both partners in the marriage should have separate individual savings accounts.

[Co-host Dana]

Well, I think a lot of times that women who are not the providers within the family and they see maybe the ending of their marriage then will have these accounts. And they're even encouraged by some to have these accounts so that when the marriage is over, they have something to live on. And instead of being thrown out into society by themselves and have to start from scratch as money earner, that's exactly

[Burt]

the sign that I would interpret it as if I found that money. It just means that Stacy is ready to leave me and she stashing this

[Co-host Dana]

cash taking care of herself before she's

[Burt]

taking care of herself. Like, I agree with you, if you're, you know, if you're going to have separate accounts, fine, as long as we know about it, Right? But that kind of financial infidelity to me is just as bad as her sleeping with somebody else. And there are plenty that are doing it, though. We will call her Alicia. And she is on the voice disguiser right now. Good morning, Alicia. Thank you. So you got your own little secret stash going on there. How much we talking about?

[Caller Alicia]

A little over 50 grand.

[Co-host Dana]

Okay. And why?

[Caller Alicia]

Well, I mean, you just never know. Now these days I have two little ones and I have to watch out for my kids.

[Burt]

Would you consider your marriage a strong one?

[Caller Alicia]

I do, yes.

[Burt]

So even though things are fine, you don't foresee yourself taking off at all just in case you got 50 grand?

[Caller Alicia]

Exactly. You just never know what will happen in life.

[Co-host Jen]

Does that make you feel safer to have that there ready if you need it?

[Caller Alicia]

I do, yes.

[Burt]

Your husband must make a bundle of money. Yeah.

[Co-host Charlie]

How do you skim that much money out of the family budget?

[Caller Alicia]

My father had passed away in 06. That was an inheritance.

[Co-host Jen]

So he doesn't know about it?

[Caller Alicia]

Oh, no, no, no, no.

[Co-host Jen]

He never knew about it.

[Burt]

What would happen if he found out about it? I mean, cause this really. It's not money that you've been skimming from him. I mean, the money is yours because it's an inheritance. But if he knew about it, what would he say?

[Caller Alicia]

I think he would be okay about it. He may be a little distraught about it, but he knows that my family is semi well off. And he knows, but he never asked

[Burt]

how much if I found that money. And Stacey said, look, really, there's nothing. I'm happy in the marriage. Things are fine. It's Good. It's really, really, really good. That $50,000 to me would speak louder than her words would. She would have a tough time convincing me. She's not getting ready to take off or thinking.

[Co-host Charlie]

Even if she's not getting ready to, the fact that she's thinking that the possibility exists. It's on the same lines as a prenup. Some people say that they'll never still

[Co-host Dana]

cheatin if women are worried about what the man's gonna do in their relationship, and she just wants to make sure that if he takes off, then she's not gonna be, you know, it's just insurance.

[Co-host Charlie]

All right, so what if the situation were reversed? Is it okay for guys to keep a stash that they keep from their wife in case that she takes off and then tries to file for spousal

[Co-host Dana]

support and thinks if they're not the breadwinners and there's children involved in everything? I don't have as much of a problem with it.

[Burt]

What if he is the breadwinner and he's still stashing it?

[Co-host Dana]

I would be shocked if he wasn't. I'd be shocked if a breadwinner doesn't have an account that his wife doesn't know about.

[Burt]

Really?

[Co-host Charlie]

Seriously?

[Co-host Jen]

Yeah.

[Co-host Dana]

If it's somebody that has a lot of money, I wouldn't be surprised.

[Co-host Jen]

I guess I'm coming from a different place because I'm literally in the midst of reading this book right now that says, you know, everybody should have their own individual accounts because you should never stay in a relationship or be stuck in a relationship because of money.

[Co-host Charlie]

But there's nothing wrong with having that account as long as you say, hey, I'm going to have my own savings

[Burt]

account as long as we all know about it, right?

[Co-host Charlie]

I'm going to have my own savings account. And if it's cool with you, I want to take 200 bucks a week and put it in an account, and then I'll have it.

[Burt]

Hey, Jack. Good morning. You're on the voice disguiser. How much money you got stashed?

[Caller/Guest]

I got a little over 120,000.

[Burt]

Okay, $120,000 that your wife doesn't know about.

[Caller/Guest]

It's not my wife. It's my girlfriend.

[Burt]

How long y' all been going out?

[Caller/Guest]

Like three and a half years.

[Burt]

Three and a half years.

[Co-host Jen]

And why haven't you told her about it?

[Caller]

I just not sure what she'd do

[Caller/Guest]

with all that money.

[Caller]

She's kind of aloof when she comes to spending. She loves to go out to the mall and Shop and everything. I told her my salary is a

[Caller/Guest]

little bit less than it is, so

[Caller]

I've just been out with. That's a lot away.

[Burt]

Do you guys live together?

[Caller Alicia]

Yes.

[Burt]

120. It does feel a little different to me. Because it's the girlfriend and not a

[Co-host Greg]

wife, she's not entitled to it.

[Burt]

Right. There's no legal commitment there yet.

[Co-host Dana]

Yeah, I guess.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

I've never.

[Co-host Dana]

I'm not. I've never been the one who thinks that a couple should dump all their money into one account together when they get married.

[Burt]

That's fine.

[Co-host Dana]

That's.

[Burt]

I think that's a separate issue. So long as we're cool with that and we're on the same page, I'm fine with that. So long as it's the not knowing. It's the cheating part of it. It's the stealing.

[Co-host Dana]

Okay.

[Co-host Jen]

What if you were both working and she was putting part of her paycheck away and not telling you about it? Would you still feel like it was stealing?

[Burt]

We're both working. She's taking money out of her own paycheck for her own separate account. Why not tell me about it?

[Co-host Charlie]

I'm sure there are some.

[Co-host Jen]

I mean, just use the word stealing. And I was thinking, if we both

[Burt]

have a need that this money is going into one account and you're taking some from that account and putting it into an account that I don't know about, then isn't. That's infidelity. I mean, that, to me, is cheating. It's stealing.

[Co-host Jen]

I don't agree.

[Burt]

You don't see it that way. Well, we're gonna see how.

[Co-host Charlie]

Well, I wanna know what your defense of that is.

[Co-host Jen]

I don't know. I just think that it's. Okay. I'm trying to figure out how to verbalize it, but I just don't feel as strongly about it as you do.

[Co-host Charlie]

Like, if you and I. Like, let's say there's.

[Co-host Jen]

Because, I mean, I've just gone through a different situation than you guys have.

[Co-host Charlie]

So I think where the confusion is coming from is let's take marriage out of it. Like, if we just have an agreement where everybody in this room brings in $10 every day and puts it in a pot and we use that to buy breakfast. But I'm only putting in nine bucks and I don't tell anybody. Technically, I'm stealing from y'.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

All.

[Co-host Charlie]

Right?

[Burt]

Technically.

[Co-host Jen]

Yeah, but you'd be putting in 10 bucks and then saving your own 10 bucks is how I see it.

[Co-host Charlie]

Yeah, but it's.

[Co-host Jen]

And then you get A better breakfast.

[Burt]

Yeah, but we can't do that. Yeah. Eating off the same plate.

[Co-host Charlie]

We've all agreed that 10 bucks a week we're gonna put into this thing, and I'm the one who keeps the money. And because I have that privilege, instead of putting in 10 bucks, I only put in eight.

[Burt]

Lawrence, you're on the voice disguiser. What's that. What's that number we're talking about here?

[Caller/Guest]

Just under a million.

[Burt]

Just under a million.

[Co-host Dana]

Okay.

[Burt]

From your wife?

[Caller/Guest]

Well, it's my girlfriend. I don't like the term hiding. Like, I'm not necessarily hiding it from her. It's just if it comes up, then it comes up. But I don't really understand the reason why I should feel compelled to just come out and say, hey, I hit the lottery for this much. I haven't changed. I'm still the same person. I'm still taking care of the bills and things of that nature. Because I've had conversations like this before. My luck came in like this. So I never really understood why it would be such a big deal for me. For me to come out and just say, look, this is what I got. I would almost feel like I'm borderline bragging.

[Burt]

There's got to be some element of distrust here. If you're not telling her you got a million dollars, you're hiding it from her for some reason.

[Caller/Guest]

No, I mean, I don't. I don't see it as me hiding it from her.

[Burt]

That's a pretty big part of your

[Caller/Guest]

life come up like it's not. Like I have it sitting in my pocket. Most of it I put in stocks and bars and things, like, for our children when they're getting ready for college. When that time comes, then, you know, I say, look, this is what, you know, we have. We've been putting away or whatnot. But I don't necessarily see why I should. Just the day of, I should just come out and just say, well, look, this is what happened, and this is what I am.

[Burt]

You on board with that?

[Co-host Greg]

I mean, I agree with that. I mean, I think certain women, as soon as they know your man has this amount of money, there's certain expectations of stuff that you should be getting. Gifts, what you can buy, what you've been buying. I mean, then you start questioning everything he's given to you.

[Burt]

Well, then maybe you shouldn't be with that. That kind of woman.

[Co-host Greg]

Well, I mean, you don't know that until you tell him you've got all this money.

[Burt]

But you got to tell them eventually. No, you don't just hide it for your whole life. So if they get engaged, married, just continue to hide it.

[Co-host Dana]

So are you guys, like, if. Okay, let's say, you know how everybody has a savings account. Are you saying that each partner should have the balance of every account? That every.

[Burt]

The agreement. The agreements are inconsequential, and how it works is inconsequential so long as we about it, to me, is the bottom line. So you know how it's divided up inconsequently.

[Co-host Jen]

So you wouldn't be offended if Stacey came to you and said, bert, I really think that I need a just in case savings account.

[Burt]

I would be offended by that. But we'd work through it, and at least she was honest with me. That's it.

[Co-host Charlie]

Look, I know Jessica has a banking.

[Co-host Jen]

That's why it's hidden, though, is because you'd be offended and it'd be a big argument and all that, but it's

[Burt]

something you can deal with the uncomfortableness of that. I mean, that's what marriage is all about. Okay. We don't see eye to eye on it, and I'm offended by it, but I still love you. At the end of the day, that's way better than me not knowing and you hiding and cheating and.

[Co-host Charlie]

Yeah, but it's also, like, you have that. If you go into the marriage having that, like, Jessica and I always had kind of our accounts separate or whatever. So I know she still has a checking account or savings account that I. I don't know what the balance is, but, like, I know she has it. It exists. You know what I mean? And, like, it was just never anything we discussed or analyzed. I just knew it was there, and I think that's fair.

[Burt]

Here's what's going on in Long island right now, and I'll read right from the ap. Long island dentist is suing Chase bank to recover the more than $150,000 she said she had to share with her hubby after a bank employee let it slip that she had a huge account balance he didn't know about. So in that first paragraph, you're thinking it's $150,000, right? No. Nazita Armapour, 43 years old, and her husband David have a joint account at a Chase Brother branch in Queens, along with a custodial one for their three children. But the wife also had a secret stash of $800,000 at the branch in her name only. $800,000. Bank employee trying to be helpful spilled the beans to the husband. By cold calling him and telling him he should take his small fortune out of the low interest account and make other investments with Chase.

[Co-host Charlie]

No.

[Burt]

So then he found out about it. So the husband now says that the wife alienated him, so she forked over $155,000 to save her marriage and restore order in the marital home. She wants that $155,000 back from the bank because they were the ones that spill the beans.

[Co-host Dana]

Absolutely.

[Co-host Charlie]

You agree?

[Co-host Dana]

Absolutely. Yes. That's wrong.

[Burt]

Well, they're not going to be able to get it out of the employee because I'm sure he doesn't work there anymore.

[Co-host Charlie]

But you know what? That's a lesson for you. If you are being sneaky, whether we agree with it or don't, or see to eye to eye, you're foolish. If you're doing it at the same exact bank where your family transactions happen,

[Burt]

it's probably not smart.

[Co-host Dana]

Well, if you guys say that as long as you know the account exists, then maybe ladies just say, I got a savings account, but just never tell them how much you got in it.

[Burt]

Just. Yeah, so long as we know about it. I mean, we can get through the weirdness of, like, you want to have a savings account. So long as we're both cool, we're honest with each other about it, then I'm all right with it, I think.

[Co-host Dana]

Yeah. I don't understand with the weirdness why it would be weird for anybody to have a savings account.

[Burt]

But anyway, as long as we know about it, it's cool. This is the Birch Show.

[Co-host Charlie]

So what brings you to our fair city, Victor Creed?

[Hugh Jackman]

Who's there? Man, I'm gonna kill.

[Burt]

If you like that kind of thing,

[Co-host Dana]

that testosterone kind of manly thing.

[Burt]

Yeah, he's your kind of guy.

[Hugh Jackman]

Get straight to the point, right?

[Burt]

You know, if you like that. Chiseled features, cut 4% body fat, talented in every area, cool accents, great relationship with his wife, you know, multimillionaire thing. If that's your thing, then let me go ahead and introduce you to Hugh Jackman. Good morning, Hugh Jackman.

[Hugh Jackman]

How are you guys? How are you?

[Burt]

Great. How are you today?

[Hugh Jackman]

I'm good, man.

[Caller/Guest]

Very, very good.

[Hugh Jackman]

Beautiful day here in New York. Happy days in that.

[Burt]

Because I did do some research on you yesterday, and it does just appear to be that you're good at everything. I mean, you're on stage, you're singing, you're in movies, you're doing the whole. You do tv, Broadway, you're hosting Academy Award shows. Outside of that, you're kayaking and Swimming and yoga every day. I, I am curious what frustrates you? Like, what are you not. What do you suck at?

[Commercial Announcer]

What are you not good at?

[Hugh Jackman]

Diy, do you call it diy Here, do it yourself. You know, like handyman stuff.

[Co-host Charlie]

Like if you had to fix a cabinet in your house.

[Hugh Jackman]

Oh, pathetic. The only thing handy about me, my wife says, is that I'm close by.

[Burt]

That's about it really. So if life's changing or something like that, then you are not the guy to do it.

[Hugh Jackman]

Shocking. You know, I actually worked in a gas station for three years and about once every three days, it was a self serve gas station, someone would come in and say, look, I'm really embarrassed, I'm so sorry, but I don't know where the oil, I don't know where to put the oil in my car, right. And I had absolutely no idea. And I was like, well, I'm really sorry. I could help you, but for security reasons, I can't leave the console area. Just have to ask one of the other customers. Of course, no problem. You know, I'm pathetic.

[Co-host Charlie]

Don't you get worried that because you have to call repairmen, you know, to come over to your house, your wife might leave you for one of those?

[Hugh Jackman]

That's why I'm now an unemployed actor staying at home.

[Co-host Dana]

So I, I am curious though, like Bernhard said, I mean, you both, you're successful on Broadway, you're successful in movies, like epic movies like Australia, and then you play Wolverine. How did you get to the point where you weren't typecast, like so many actors are in any of those genres,

[Hugh Jackman]

you know, It's a good question. I suppose the thing I've always loved is doing different things. And pretty early on I, and trust me, not all of them worked, but I tried to do different things and I try to surprise people, you know, with the things I do. And for me, I mean, I find doing the same thing, I get a little stale. So that's just sort of the way it works for me, you know.

[Burt]

Is playing Wolverine professionally fulfilling for you?

[Hugh Jackman]

Oh, yeah. Unbelievable. I mean, there's no way I wouldn't do it otherwise. I mean, I'm in one of those really lucky situations where I get to choose the things that really turn me on, you know, so that I really want to do Wolverine is. I'd never read the comic book before, but just as a character, you read it on the page, you go, man, this is Mad Max. This is Dirty Harry, this is Han Soller. This is a great character.

[Co-host Jen]

So Hugh I'm curious, when you first learned that you have been named Sexiest Man Alive, what is your initial thought?

[Hugh Jackman]

It was relief. You know, man, I've been working at that for so long. Trash talking Clooney and Pitt, all these guys for years. It's lonely. I laughed and then I thought, oh, I'm going to get so much crap from my friends in Australia. Which can I tell you, I did.

[Burt]

No doubt.

[Hugh Jackman]

Several of them sent me photos of me as a teenager. Very uncompromising photos. Very unsexy photos. Give me a thousand bucks or I'm sending this straight to People magazine, that kind of thing.

[Burt]

You know, you seem to have such this great attitude about everything that you're involved in. Do you sometimes feel that Hollywood takes itself too seriously?

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah, for sure. Come on. At the end of the day, we're dressing up and pretending to be someone else. You know what I mean? It's a great job. I love it. And, you know, I've sort of dedicated my life to. But it's fun. I mean, I'm a big believer that life's meant to be fun. And if you're going too long where it's not fun, then you're probably heading down the wrong track.

[Burt]

Hugh Jackman on the Burt show this morning.

[Co-host Jen]

Hugh, I have to tell you a personal story and thank you, because on my very first trip to Los Angeles, you were my very first celebrity sighting. So I have to.

[Hugh Jackman]

Where were we?

[Co-host Jen]

It was at the.

[Co-host Charlie]

Not at the Home Depot.

[Co-host Jen]

It was at the W Hotel. And you were outside having lunch. Looked like a business person and having a business lunch. And my friend and I spotted you. So you provided me that very first celebrity sighting experience, which was really exciting to me, and I wanted to know who was yours.

[Hugh Jackman]

That's a good question. Very first. When I. I have to tell you, I'm not sure this is the first. The first thing that came to mind was working with John Travolta.

[Co-host Jen]

Oh, yeah.

[Hugh Jackman]

Who. I grew up. I think I saw Greece 50 times. I was probably 8, 9 years old at the time. And. And when I was working with him, I remember I got a phone call from the producer saying, john wants to rehearse before we shoot. First day rehearsal. And so we went into the set. My heart was pounding, man. And when John Travolta walked in, I was like, there's no way in hell I can act with this guy, you know? So that was. I was so glad we did a rehearsal because otherwise I would have been really, really bad on film. That's. That was probably that's. That's sort of one of the biggest impressions I have in my mind. Wow. And apart from that, I was a sport guy, right? So I used to go and hang around. I was one of those kids that hung. Hung around for autographs. I have books and books of autographs of all my favorite sports people, but you wouldn't know any of them.

[Burt]

So I imagine then having that experience, you're probably very accessible as far as getting an autograph goes.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah, my. Okay. So I grew up playing cricket. I don't know if you've heard of cricket. It's a game we play in Australia, and I was so into cricket. And there's one player called Don Bradman. He's like Dwayne Gretzky of cricket. He is so far above anyone else. And my dad went to an event. Don Bradman famously never signs autographs, right? So he went to the event, and when my dad. I stayed up all night waiting for

[Leonard (Sleep Tech Caller)]

him to come home.

[Hugh Jackman]

And Don Bradman was at this event. And I said, dad, dad, dad. Did he get an autograph? Please tell me you got an autograph. He said, oh, Hugh, it really wasn't appropriate. There were a lot of people. And I was so mad with him. I kind of never let go of it. And whenever, if anyone wants an autograph from me, all you've got to do is, by the way, just come up and say, listen, my son. I go, no problem. You got it.

[Co-host Charlie]

What do you need? You know, you're gonna get 12 year olds coming up to you going, hey, Mr. Jackman, my son wants you to sign this for me.

[Hugh Jackman]

No, I'm good. I actually, I quite like meeting the fans because, you know, I was brought up in the. The theatre. That's sort of where I started. And the film thing, you can be. You get dislocated and away from your fans, you know. So I turn up. I went to the midnight screening of Wolverine the other night because I like to sit in there and kind of be part of it and feel that energy, you know?

[Burt]

Did anybody realize it was you in the theatre?

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

Better wrap it up.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah, they did. It kind of went a little crazy for a while. In fact, at one point I thought I was gonna have to leave because there were about 50 people around me and the movie had already started, you know, trying to get an autograph. And I was like, unreal.

[Lisa (Dog Adoption Caller)]

That's awesome.

[Hugh Jackman]

I want to watch the movie.

[Co-host Charlie]

No, why don't you just show it?

[Hugh Jackman]

It was pretty nutty. It was great.

[Burt]

Well, Hugh, we know you Got a million of these to do today. So thank you for taking the time to join us and we'll tell everybody. For sure. Go out and see Wolverine again this weekend.

[Hugh Jackman]

It's great to be on the Bird Show. Thanks, guys.

[Burt]

Thank you. Bye. Bye. What a great guy, huh? He's awesome.

[Co-host Jen]

Is he.

[Burt]

And

[Co-host Jen]

Melissa Carter.

[Burt]

I mean, Melissa Carter got the.

[Co-host Dana]

I mean, Jen always gets a good question with every celebrity. So she couldn't just let me live the spotlight with my, you know, geekiness and Wolverine. But whatever. I did get a good question. My first good question. That's a good question.

[Co-host Jen]

I'm excited for you.

[Co-host Dana]

That's a good question.

[Co-host Charlie]

I wanna wave a card because Jen was so pushing for that with her crap story about Hugh. I'd like to kiss your ass and tell you that I went to la and I remember, I.

[Co-host Jen]

That's the first celebrity signing ever.

[Co-host Charlie]

Hugh, let me set this up. What I'd really like to do, if I could just place my nose against your buttocks, it would be really, really wonderful if I could just.

[Co-host Jen]

Whatever. You wouldn't have told him that.

[Burt]

Javi, it doesn't matter how you got. Does.

[Co-host Charlie]

You can't be so. God, how are you even. How can you even hold your head high?

[Burt]

How could you even complain about that?

[Co-host Greg]

You can't.

[Co-host Jen]

Melissa Carter got the worst experience ever with, like, a celebrity signing. I had to tell him that story.

[Co-host Charlie]

I heard you climb into his pants and tell him.

[Burt]

Melissa, congratulations.

[Co-host Charlie]

Congratulations. You win for a perfectly natural. Good question.

[Co-host Dana]

Thank you.

[Burt]

And there was nothing wrong with yours, either.

[Co-host Jen]

How was mine not perfectly natural?

[Co-host Charlie]

Hi, Hugh. I understand you're the best looking man in the world, and I wanted to let you know I agree with that. I was out in LA and I was looking at all the celebrities. But you know who my most favorite thing is?

[Co-host Jen]

Why is he being competitive? He didn't get a good question.

[Burt]

He's competitive about this.

[Co-host Jen]

Marshall should be competitive about this.

[Co-host Dana]

Well, mine did come first, so, whatever.

[Burt]

This is the Burt Show.