Podcast Summary: The Bert Show – "Vault: Did You Let Your Soulmate Walk Out The Door?"

Date: March 17, 2026
Theme: Exploring the nature of soulmates—do they exist, can you miss out on yours, and what does being a soulmate mean in real-life relationships?

Episode Overview

In this episode, The Bert Show dives headfirst into the age-old question: Do you believe in soulmates? The conversation is sparked by a memorable comment from a contestant on The Bachelor, leading to a deeply personal, sometimes funny, and always authentic exploration of what the concept of a soulmate means to each host, listener, and caller. Real stories from listeners about loving—and losing—their soulmate provide raw windows into the complexities of love, partnership, and the reality that the romantic notion of "the one" often collides with practical life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Bachelor "Soulmate" Debate

• The episode kicks off with a Bachelor contestant’s declaration that once she finds her soulmate, neither she nor he would ever be with anyone else—even after death. The comments provoke laughter and skepticism from the hosts, especially considering the show's brief timeline.
  • "She believes in soulmates… The Bachelor was her soulmate… She’s voted off." (01:06)
  • Hosts are amused and a bit incredulous that such devotion could bloom in less than two weeks.

2. What Actually Defines a Soulmate?

• The team puzzles over whether the idea of soulmates is a realistic framework for relationships.
  • Host (Birch): "Do you believe in soulmates, but you also know who is your soulmate and you also know you’re not married to that person?" (01:54)
• Is a soulmate just romantic idealism, or can it withstand real-life struggles?
  • Co-host: "To me, the true romance comes when you’re able to sustain that everyday, detail-to-detail life." (05:16)

3. Caller Stories: Real Experiences with Soulmates

a) Angela: Married, But Her Soulmate is Online (02:13–05:04)

• Angela openly shares that she knows her soulmate—an online friend she’s never met—and is divorcing her husband (not because of the online soulmate, but due to realizing what real connection feels like).
  • "I met him online, and we've never actually met... but we've talked for a year, year and a half and... I knew there was something at the very beginning." (02:24)
  • Angela distinguishes soulmate from romantic intention, focusing on deep understanding and friendship.
  • Co-host’s challenge: "Isn’t it kind of easy to say someone’s your soulmate if you haven’t faced the challenges of real life together?" (04:03)
  • Angela: "I think of the soulmate as somebody who… just really understands you… our sense of humor is spot on…" (04:43)

b) Laura: Lost Her Soulmate to Death, Remarried (06:01–07:21)

• Laura describes losing her soulmate when he passed away young. She wonders: Can we have more than one soulmate in a lifetime?
  • "Does God bring about a second soulmate? Can you have another soulmate?" (06:26)
  • Birch: "If I was your best friend, I’d be telling you yes, there are more than one soulmate…" (07:15)

c) Producer Tracy: Married to Her Soulmate (08:06–09:47)

• Tracy shares an everyday but profound closeness with her husband.
  • "Every single day, I can’t wait to get home to see him… not a day goes by where… we don’t tell each other we love them so many times a day just because we want them to know…" (08:17)
  • Jokes arise about being so inseparable they’re starting to "walk alike." (09:47)

d) Tara: Both She and Her Soulmate Are Married to Others (10:00–11:24)

• Tara and her former partner recognize they are soulmates, though each is now married to someone else. Her and her husband’s openness is surprising to the hosts.
  • "Now we want to be back together with one another and not sure how that's going to happen… our spouses know that we talk. We've all hung out…" (11:04)
  • "Boy, that would be the longest dinner of my life. There would be no dinner at all, actually." – Host (Birch) (11:24)

4. Questioning the Soulmate Narrative

• Hosts revisit and push back on the idea that a soulmate is simply someone different, or a missed opportunity, rather than someone you work to build a long-term relationship with.
  • "I just want to make sure people don't mistake soulmate with missing somebody and a goal to be obtained… or somebody that's available that is so different from what you have right now… it's just a nice alternative…" (11:47)
  • "I wish that we would just get back to where it’s okay to go through some hard work in order to make a relationship work..." (11:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Reality TV Romance:
  "Obviously, she knows this after four consecutive days of being around…." – Co-host (01:35)
• On Defining a Soulmate:
  "A soulmate is painting with big, broad brushstrokes and not… thinking about the details of everyday life." – Co-host (05:08)
• On Enduring Love:
  "I've been with the same woman for 14 years. It's the most challenging thing you'll ever do in your life, but most rewarding if you're able to make it work." – Host (Birch) (05:47–05:51)
• On the Power of Togetherness:
  "I can’t imagine a single day in my life where he's not there… not a day goes by where… we’re not compelled on our own to tell the other person that we love them..." – Producer Tracy (08:17)
• On Alternative Relationships:
  "Our spouses know that we talk. We've all hung out, had dinner together..." – Caller Tara (11:04)
• On the Real Meaning of "Soulmate":
  "I do find that I wish we would just get back to where it’s okay to go through some hard work in order to make a relationship work, rather than think your soulmate is the easy person that is just a phone call away." – Co-host (11:55)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:45] – Bachelor contestant’s soulmate comment kicks off discussion
• [02:13] – Angela: Married, but soulmate is an online friend
• [06:01] – Laura: Soulmate passed away, remarries, can there be more than one?
• [08:06] – Producer Tracy: Defines her marriage as a soulmate relationship
• [10:00] – Tara: Both she and soulmate are married to others
• [11:47] – Hosts reflect on the difference between "soulmate" and missing someone

Tone & Style

The tone remains real, personal, and easygoing, typical of The Bert Show’s brand: honesty mixed with humor, gentle teasing, and heartfelt honesty. The hosts and callers grapple sincerely with difficult questions, often poking fun at themselves or each other, but never shying away from the complexity of love, loss, and longing.

This episode is a candid, multi-voiced look at the mythology of soulmates, challenging listeners to question romantic ideals and consider the real, sometimes messy, stories that form the foundation of lasting relationships.