The Bert Show

Episode: Vault: His Friend Hit On His Wife!
Date: December 29, 2025
Host: Burke (with various co-hosts/panelists)
Main Guest: Lisa (Caller)

Episode Overview

This emotionally charged episode centers around a listener, Lisa, whose husband's best friend — also her friend — drunkenly confessed his long-held romantic feelings for her. The cast explores Lisa's emotional turmoil, the dynamics at play among all three individuals, and seeks feedback from callers and cohosts on appropriate boundaries and reactions in such a complicated situation. The cast debates trust, the impact of alcohol on truth-telling, and the responsibilities spouses have toward each other’s feelings and safety.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lisa's Story: The Betrayal

• Background:

  • Lisa and her husband, married for two years (together eight), have a mutual male best friend of five years who was the best man at their wedding.

• Incident:

  • During her husband’s birthday celebration, the three went out; the friend became very drunk.
  • Lisa drove the friend home while her husband followed in a separate vehicle.
  • On the way, the friend began to cry and professed his love for Lisa, saying:
    • He’s always been in love with her.
    • Watching her marry her husband was heartbreaking.
    • He can’t imagine loving anyone else.
  • At the house, the friend tried to prevent Lisa from leaving the car, insisting on kissing her forehead while holding her wrist, which made her feel very uncomfortable. Her husband arrived and Lisa immediately told him what happened.

• Lisa’s Dilemma:

  • She now cannot face the friend and feels betrayed.
  • Her husband’s reaction: downplaying the event, urging Lisa to "get over it," attributing the friend's confession to drunkenness alone.

2. Cast Reactions: Navigating Complexity

• Trust Shaken ([00:57])
  • Burke: "You want to believe your wife is safe around your best friend. That’s a brutal betrayal."
• Surprise at Frequency ([03:49])
  • Cohosts question why the friend was always around and had never brought a date, viewing it as a red flag.
• Doubt about “Just Drunk” Excuse ([06:51])
  • Cast members express skepticism that such a confession was only due to alcohol, arguing drunk words reflect real feelings.
  • Burke: "Your true feelings are coming out. If I go out and get really drunk with someone, at no point am I gonna say 'I have always loved you,' because I don't."
• Denial and Boundaries ([09:35], [12:11])
  • Cohosts discuss the husband’s refusal to see the seriousness, emphasizing that a spouse’s discomfort should be respected.
  • Cohost: "If I'm with a girlfriend and a friend comes over and she goes running into the bathroom and locks the door, I think as a girlfriend, it is my responsibility to figure out why, and make sure that doesn't happen again."

3. Caller Perspectives & Related Experiences

• Sean (Caller) ([09:35])
  • Empathizes with the drunken friend, saying he's been in that position, and it's unlikely the friend will repeat the confession.
  • Burke pushes back: "Would you trust him around your wife?"
• Melissa (Caller) ([12:11])
  • Shares a similar story where a friend’s supposed drunken advance turned into ongoing harassment, reinforcing the seriousness.
  • Melissa: "Then my husband went out of town and the guy knew and he showed up at my house drunk, trying to get in, telling me he was in love with me..."

4. Advice and Immediate Next Steps

• On Confronting the Friend ([15:11])
  • Lisa wonders whether to approach the friend directly.
  • Advice is to confront as a united couple, but only after Lisa’s husband understands and respects her discomfort.
  • Cohost: "Talk to your husband ahead of time. You can't go in there on a united front and be at 100% while your husband is at 60."
• On Drawing Boundaries ([15:28])
  • Advice is clear: the friend can no longer be trusted alone with Lisa.
  • Burke: "If you tell your husband you're not comfortable around this guy, then your husband has to respect that. My priorities are my wife. I gotta protect the family here. Buh-bye."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Betrayal & Honesty
  Burke (01:51): “You want to believe your wife is safe around your best friend. That’s a brutal betrayal.”
• On “Alcohol Excuses”
  Burke (10:39): “Your true feelings are coming out. If Jen and I or Melissa and I go out and we get really drunk, at no point in the night am I gonna say, ‘I have always loved you,’ because I don’t.”
• On Relationship Boundaries
  Cohost (15:28): “If you tell your husband you’re not comfortable around this guy, then your husband, as your husband, has to respect that and say, ‘Okay, my priorities are my wife.’”
• Empathy with Both Sides
  Cohost (14:16): “You almost feel bad for the guy… It’s unrequited love. He will never get in response what he feels for you.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:51] – Lisa summarizes the incident: naked confession from the friend during a vulnerable moment, placing her in a deeply uncomfortable position.
• [03:39] – Details of the awkward, tense car ride and attempted forehead kiss.
• [05:57] – Lisa details her emotional fallout and her husband’s dismissiveness.
• [06:51] – The cast questions the husband's minimization and explores what a “normal” response would be.
• [10:39] – Debate over whether alcohol enables truth-telling or just lowers inhibitions.
• [12:11] – Melissa’s call-in, corroborating with a very similar disturbing experience.
• [15:11] – The team gives Lisa practical advice: approach the friend as a couple, after addressing matters with her husband first.

Conclusion

The episode dives deep into the repercussions of friendship, trust, and emotional boundaries when a friend betrays years of companionship with an unguarded romantic confession. While the cast extends empathy toward the lovelorn friend, the consensus is that Lisa’s feelings must come first, and her husband needs to recognize the seriousness of the situation. The advice is clear: set firm boundaries, prioritize your spouse’s safety, and address the issue as a united couple to prevent further hurt.