Vault: Beth's Obsession With Her Photo Soulmate Takes a Shocking Turn

Summary

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The Bert Show: "Vault: Beth's Obsession With Her Photo Soulmate Takes a Shocking Turn"

Air date: April 8, 2026
Key Participants: Bert, Jen, Tracy, Beth (caller, voice disguised), multiple co-hosts

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Bert Show revisits one of their most memorable listener sagas—a story about Beth, who becomes infatuated with a mysterious man after finding his photos on a secondhand phone. What began as a quirky investigation into a “photo soulmate” quickly evolved, leading to real-life meetups, unexpected connections, and playful speculation about fate, destiny, and a potentially complicated love quadrangle. The hosts catch up with Beth to hear what happened next and if her romantic quest found a happy ending or an unexpected twist.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recap: Beth’s Unusual Journey to Find Her “Photo Soulmate”

[02:03 - 04:15]

• Tracy provides a fast-paced summary for new listeners:
  • Beth buys a used phone from a friend-of-a-friend, discovers ~20-25 photos of a “total hottie.”
  • Uses clues in the photos to identify the man’s regular hangout (a bar/restaurant she’s familiar with).
  • Beth and her friend visit the location, don’t find the guy, but meet his friend instead.
  • Their two friend groups end up hanging out.
• Tracy: "She was playing the Geppetto of Pinocchio, the puppeteer." [04:37]

2. Fate, Destiny, and Playful Debates

[04:15 - 04:57]

• The hosts banter about whether this was fate or Beth’s own sleuthing that made the meeting happen.
  • Jen: “If she gets this phone, like, fourth hand, sees the pictures... and they end up with each other forever, that’s Destiny taking over right there.” [04:25]
  • Tracy counters, emphasizing Beth’s agency.

3. Beth’s Return: The Big Update

[04:52 - 09:18]

• Beth calls in (voice disguised) to share what happened after meeting the “photo soulmate.”
  • Beth: “Thursday night, I finally met the guy... we went back to his house, played Wii all night... I slept over, he was a perfect gentleman, slept on the couch.” [05:10]
    • Jen: “Did that make him way hotter to you?” [05:53]
    • Beth: “Yeah. Really, really kind, you know, and not sleazy.” [05:55]
  • Beth and the guy have since hung out several more times, “progressing really nicely.”
  • Beth confesses she told him the whole story about the phone and the pictures: “He thought it was the funniest thing he’s ever heard... laughed so hard.” [07:09]
  • Important detail: The phone’s former owner was a female best friend of the guy—one who took many of the shirtless photos, which sparks some host speculation about her motivations.

4. Playful Skepticism and Supportive Advice

[07:46 - 10:43]

• Host reactions range from teasing skepticism to supportive enthusiasm:
  • Jen wonders about the intentions of the photographer: “Whoever took those pictures... had something for him. That’s all.” [09:41]
  • Tracy: “I was just asking if you’d seen her picture to see if you’re cuter.” [10:35]
  • The hosts caution Beth lightly about involving the “best friend,” but overall are thrilled at her happiness.
  • Jen: “Go get your man and go follow it.” [10:40]

5. Speculation, Follow-Ups, and Optimism

[10:43 - 11:36]

• The Bert Show crew debates whether to follow up in the future or let the story stand as a rare, joyful outcome.
  • “We don’t know how to handle happy endings on this show.” [08:48]
  • Jen advocates for a follow-up: “But I do want to check back with you in, like, a month, for sure.” [10:43]
  • A co-host teases: “Why am I the only one on this show who can see Joy?” [11:31]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tracy (summarizing).
  “Beth basically bought a phone of a friend of a friend of a friend... came across all these pictures, this really hot guy...” [02:21]
• Jen (on destiny).
  “If she gets this phone, like fourth hand... that’s Destiny taking over right there.” [04:25]
• Beth (on her first night with the guy).
  “We were up all night playing Wii and talking... He was a perfect gentleman, slept on the couch.” [05:10]
• Beth (on revealing the backstory).
  “I told him the story of how my cell phone broke and I bought this phone... He thought it was the funniest thing he’s ever heard...” [07:09]
• Tracy (playful). “She’s in her glow!” [08:12]
• Jen (partial skepticism).
  “Whoever took those pictures of the dude had something for him. That’s all.” [09:41]
• Group (on happy endings).
  “We don’t know how to handle happy endings on this show.” [08:48]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:03] - Recap of Beth’s saga for new listeners
• [04:25] - Is it destiny or detective work?
• [04:57] - Beth joins on the line for the latest update
• [05:10] - Beth recounts her first night with the guy
• [07:09] - Beth confesses telling the truth about finding his photos
• [09:41] - Jen’s skepticism about the friend's intentions
• [10:43] - Plans for checking in with Beth in the future

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Takeaways

• The Bert Show’s signature style shines: blending listener drama, candid group banter, playful skepticism, and heartfelt support.
• Beth’s story—equal parts fate and initiative—lands as an upbeat tale rooted in curiosity, boldness, and just a hint of skepticism about happy endings.
• The episode closes with a promise (or threat?) to check back in, but for now, the story stands as a full-circle "win" for the show's delight in real-life love stories—with a quirky, modern twist.

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Transcript

[Bert]

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[Jen]

Jen, I'm going to put this one in you. This is a long, complicated story. Like, let's say you're a new Birch show listener and you're just hanging out because you're trying to win that Thousand dollars. But you listen to us for a couple of minutes, and you're like, okay, I'm gonna give these guys a try. You don't know the story of Beth, so we're gonna have to try to get this very complicated story to you in, like, 60 seconds.

[Tracy]

It's not too bad, actually. I think we've had more complicated ones in the past. But Beth basically bought a phone of a friend of a friend of a friend of hers. And so she was all excited and going through and learning all the new technology on her new phone. And she came across all these pictures, this really hot guy on her phone. And there was, like, what, maybe 20, 25 pictures of this guy on there. She's like, this guy is a total hottie, and I want to find him. Well, by looking and examining the picture, she realized he was hanging out at a certain watering hole, bar, whatever, restaurant, and she knew exactly where it was because she'd been there before. So she gets her friend with her, and she's like, we're going to go out to this bar on the weekend and look for him. So they go out there, and they don't see him, but they see one of his friends that's in a lot of those pictures as well. So her friend and his friend actually started talking and genuinely, like, hit it off or whatever. So then. So we checked back with her at that point. The next time she was supposed to go out, they were going out, like, all four of them, like, in a big group together. And we were supposed to check back in with her the following morning. Well, instead of checking back in with her, we heard from her sister who called Tracy because she had gotten a text message from Beth saying, hey, call Tracy, blah, blah, blah, and follow up. And so why are you giving me that look?

[Jen]

I'm just smirking because you're doing a very good job with it.

[Tracy]

Oh, I thought I was completely talking about the wrong story.

[Unknown Female Host]

No, that's what you were laughing.

[Tracy]

You were just gonna let me keep going. So, anyway, so her sister said, I got this text message. I'm supposed to call you and tell you everything is fine, but met the guy. And she read us the text. It was very basic, but basically told us that Beth and her friend and the guy in and his friend had all gone out together. And we don't know what happened after that.

[Jen]

These are exactly the words that the sister used when she called us. And this is where it kind of sits with us, too.

[Unknown Male Host]

I'm not totally sure exactly what's happening, but I Got a text earlier this morning that said, call Tracy. Tell her I'm with phone guy and Rach and her guy can't call. Everything fine.

[Jen]

So that was it. They were all hanging out together all night long.

[Bert]

So we.

[Jen]

There was sort of a question here, because I love to be Captain Destiny on the show.

[Unknown Female Host]

I love that.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

That's your other superpower. He's got two uniforms. Depends on which phone booth he goes into.

[Jen]

Because I'm thinking, you know, if she gets this phone, like, fourth hand, and she sees the pictures of the guy in these different settings, and they do meet up, and they end up with each other forever, that's Destiny taking over right there.

[Tracy]

But she had a hand in it. She was playing the Geppetto of Pinocchio, the puppeteer.

[Jen]

But the fact that that phone with those pictures got into her hands, third or fourth generation, that was a sign that she followed. I like it.

[Unknown Female Host]

Destiny really could be for her friend,

[Jen]

but it could be for the friend also. Here is Beth Beck on the voice disguiser. Hey, Beth.

[Beth]

Hey.

[Jen]

Hi.

[Beth]

Hi.

[Jen]

How you been?

[Beth]

What?

[Jen]

You've been Mia. How have you been?

[Beth]

Oh, I've been really good.

[Unknown Female Host]

All right, tell us about it.

[Jen]

Yeah, give us an update here.

[Beth]

Okay, so, as you guys know, Thursday night, I finally met the guy that I've been sort of, like, you know, looking for a little bit. And that night, we went back to his house, and we were, like, up all night playing Wii and talking and having a really, really great time. And it was super late, and I slept over, and he was a perfect gentleman, and he slept on the couch. And I was like, you don't have to. It's fine. Like, you can stay in your bed. I'll stay on the couch. Whatever. And he was like, absolutely not. You're staying in the bed. I'm staying on the couch. There's no arguing. Like, that's what it's going to be. And I was like, okay.

[Jen]

Did that make him way hotter to you?

[Beth]

Yeah. Really, really kind, you know, and not sleazy. And then we've hung out a couple more times. We hung out on Sunday night. We hung out.

[Unknown Female Host]

Okay.

[Beth]

And is he.

[Jen]

Is he still hanging out on the couch when you guys are spending the night together?

[Beth]

You know, like, we kissed, and, like, it's. It's progressing really nicely. Okay. And, you know, I'm not staying at his house every time just like that. It was that first night. And look, I'm not. I'm not saying that he's, like, the guy that I'm gonna marry. But, like, at this moment in time, he's really, really great.

[Unknown Female Host]

Okay?

[Bert]

How about that?

[Unknown Female Host]

Congratulations. Awesome. Is your friend still hanging out? Is your friend still hanging out with his friend?

[Beth]

Huh?

[Unknown Female Host]

Is your. She is. Okay.

[Beth]

Yeah. Yeah. Wait. Okay. But here's. Here's the one thing.

[Jen]

Oh, okay.

[Beth]

I. The only thing that I did not take your advice on.

[Jen]

Oh, no, you didn't. You did not tell him about the pictures. You did not tell him about the pictures.

[Beth]

The first night we were hanging out,

[Unknown Female Host]

we were having a conversation the first night.

[Beth]

And I'm telling you, like, we were talking all night long. And I told him the story of how my cell phone broke and I bought this phone from friend, friend, friend. And his picture and. Da, da. And he thought it was the funniest thing he's ever heard. He just laughed so hard and thought it was kind of cool.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

It's okay. Bert's mad.

[Jen]

I'm not. I just think it was. Apparently he wasn't offended by it because you guys have seen each other since.

[Beth]

He thought it was funny.

[Unknown Female Host]

Did you find it?

[Jen]

You must be super hot.

[Unknown Female Host]

I take it it wasn't his phone though, if his pictures were all over it.

[Beth]

No, it wasn't his phone. No.

[Tracy]

Did he tell you whose it was?

[Beth]

Yeah, I mean, he was saying, like, it was his. It was one of his female best friends. Like, really good friends. Yeah.

[Jen]

Who obviously has something for him. If she's taking all these pictures of him without his shirt on, then she obviously has a little something something for him also.

[Beth]

I just think he's like a really funny guy and, you know, he's one of those people that will kind of like do anything just to.

[Tracy]

She's in her glow. She's in her glow.

[Jen]

You're so funny. Will you take your shirt off so I can take your picture? Yeah.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

Captain Destiny would not throw a stick into the spokes of the bicycle of love.

[Jen]

No, this has nothing to do with him. This has something to do with the girl with the phone. I'm just saying, be a little weary of her.

[Unknown Female Host]

Is she still his best friend?

[Beth]

I haven't asked too many questions about her.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

But hold on a minute, people.

[Tracy]

Really to drill him about this Friend Bird show. They've only been on a couple times.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

This is a happy ending.

[Jen]

You're right.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

This is a happy ending.

[Jen]

You're right.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

It's 6:15 this morning. We're talking about.

[Unknown Female Host]

We don't know how to handle happy endings on this show.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

Here's how we wrap it up. We just say, you know what? Thank you for sharing your story with us, Beth. And we hope you have many years happily together with him.

[Unknown Female Host]

Congratulations, Bert.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

Say that.

[Jen]

No, I want that.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

Say it.

[Jen]

I want you to be together for the rest of your life and prove that destiny has taken over with.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

No buts. No watch your back. No, I think he's cheating on you.

[Jen]

No, I want it all to work out. I want it to work out perfectly.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

You, too, Carter.

[Unknown Female Host]

I wish you the best.

[Tracy]

Go get your man, girl.

[Unidentified Advertiser]

Wish you his girlfriend and have fun.

[Unknown Female Host]

Yeah, go have fun with him, because I think destiny. Too much pressure. Just go have fun with him. Good for you for chasing him down, finding him, and hooking up with him. I think it's great, Wendy.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

Wish her the best.

[Tracy]

I wish you his girlfriend and him the best.

[Jen]

I don't think he's got a girlfriend. I don't. And there's nothing wrong with the story. I'm just saying that whoever took those pictures of the dude had something for him. That's all.

[Beth]

Right, well, that's kind of her. Her deal. And that's not really about me or about him.

[Jen]

Yeah, go with it.

[Tracy]

Go get your picture. Is she in any of the pictures on the phone?

[Beth]

Say that again. Is he what?

[Tracy]

Is she in any of the pictures on her old phone?

[Beth]

Oh, again, like, I didn't really ask him too many questions about. Because I didn't take the phone out and be like, show me which one she is. You know what I mean?

[Tracy]

Yeah, but there are pictures of a girl in there.

[Beth]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Inconsequential.

[Unknown Female Host]

Got rid of the phone.

[Jen]

No. What did.

[Unknown Female Host]

I just.

[Beth]

You know.

[Jen]

You're not even listening to me. I just said inconsequential. She's.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

The fact that she's still on the phone means that we will keep her.

[Unknown Female Host]

But I'm saying the happy ending to that is that the girl got rid of her phone. So obviously, whatever that was is done.

[Jen]

Is done and over.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

It was probably.

[Tracy]

I was just asking if you'd seen her picture to see if you're cuter.

[Jen]

You go get your man and you go follow it.

[Beth]

Okay.

[Jen]

But I do want to check back with you in, like, a month, for sure.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

No, no, she's gone.

[Talkspace Narrator]

She's.

[Jen]

I want to know.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

She's floating on a cloud.

[Jen]

I want to prove that destiny works.

[Tracy]

Let's do, like, two weeks.

[Jen]

This is. This could be a very, very co.

[Unknown Female Host]

It is already a cool story.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

We did this once before, remember? We had somebody on, and you're like, we're gonna check in with you in six months. And, like, six Months later, the guy had gotten her sister knocked up or something like that.

[Jen]

Remember that you say just let it go and let's just believe that it works out. Jen, why are you being so quiet?

[Tracy]

I want to check back in.

[Jen]

So do I. I do too. We'll talk to you in a month.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

You guys are filthy tabloid horrors.

[Beth]

Bye.

[Tracy]

Bye.

[Jen]

At least now everything is working out just fine.

[Tracy]

We've been on a couple dates.

[Jen]

What's the harm in a follow up ind? I like it too.

[Unknown Male Host 2]

Why am I the only one on this show who can see Joy?

[Jen]

I'm all for it. I hope it works out well, we'll check back in a couple weeks. The Bird show

[Lisa]

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[Tracy]

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[Tracy]

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[Beth]

Just so many good brands because there's always something new.

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