Podcast Summary: The Bert Show – Vault: Listeners Open Up About Their Hoarding Problems

Date: January 27, 2026
Host/Panel: Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy
Platform: Pionaire Podcasting

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode delves into the phenomenon of hoarding, exploring its causes, emotional impact, and personal stories from both the show’s hosts and their listeners. Prompted by news of Delta Burke checking into a psychiatric program for hoarding-related OCD, the conversation turns toward the everyday realities and deeper psychology of living with—or witnessing—hoarding behaviors. Listener calls and the hosts' own anecdotes ground the discussion in humor, empathy, and genuine curiosity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Delta Burke and High-Profile Hoarding (00:00)

• The episode opens with discussion about Delta Burke checking herself into a UCLA psychiatric ward, reportedly due to hoarding behavior driven by a form of OCD.
• The hosts joke about celebrity psychiatric facilities and note that hoarding "is fascinating, right? But a lot of people have it." (Host A, 00:19)

2. Listener Stories: Personal Encounters With Hoarding

Jessica's Deep-Rooted Attachment to Objects (00:33)

• Jessica calls in to discuss her inability to part with sentimental items.
  • She keeps mementos like a piece from her first car:
    • "I broke the door off just so I could keep it." (Jessica, 00:49)
  • The hoarding extends throughout her life:
    • "When I moved out of my house, my parents packed, like, 200 boxes." (Jessica, 01:23)
  • Her possessions include schoolwork from middle school, hundreds of shoes, and more.

The Disgust and Disorganization: House Overrun by Stuff (02:11)

• The hosts comment on the mess seen in Delta Burke's home as depicted in media, connecting it to extreme cases featured on shows like Oprah, where "they can't even throw away leftovers [...] They can't sleep on their bed because it's like, you know, stuff stacked up six feet on their bed." (Host B, 02:26)

Amber’s Outsider Perspective (02:59)

• A listener named Amber shares about her best friend's family:
  • "I just want to clean and I don't like cleaning." (Amber, 03:13)
  • The family is described as keeping everything, particularly newspapers:
    • "They have like, Zelpa courts, newspapers, they hoard newspapers, they hoard everything." (Amber, 03:32)

3. The Psychology of Hoarding: Fear, Trauma, and Generational Patterns

Childhood Loss as a Root Cause (04:47, 07:00)

• Hosts and callers discuss why people save items compulsively. One proposes hoarding might arise from things lost in childhood or traumatic events. Rachel calls in:
  • "Our pantry is literally half full ... of plastic bags. That's because we might need them. And I think it happened a long time ago when our house burnt down and we lost everything." (Rachel, 07:00)
• The hosts debate whether keeping items is generational, referencing Depression-era parents and post-war scarcity:
  • "Are we... because I'm almost wondering... grandparents who had to deal with depression and stuff like that... maybe [that's why] our parents grew up with, don't throw it away." (Host C, 05:22)
• Some hosts believe the opposite: "I think something of theirs, sentimental value was thrown out when they were little or they lost something. I think it's the complete opposite." (Host B, 06:15)

Is Hoarding About Control? (05:14, 06:44)

• Suggestion that it's more about a desire for control than mere thrift; anxiety can drive both saving and discarding.
  • "I think in the cases that we're talking about with...Delta Burke, I think it's a control thing." (Host A, 05:43)
  • "It's a control thing, too, right?" (Host C, 08:39)

Moving as a Cure? (06:24)

• Moving house is suggested as a way to break hoarding tendencies:
  • "Anytime you have to pack that stuff up and move, ...you learn to not be...as sentimental as it used to be." (Host F, 06:24)

4. Everyday Hoarding: Clothes, Magazines, Plastic Bags (04:53, 07:00)

• Listeners admit to keeping childhood clothing, stacks of printed articles, and excess household items.
• Hosts poke fun at over-organized vs. compulsively clean personalities, suggesting a “buddy system” for OCDs of different flavors (08:13).

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Jessica on attachment:
  “I broke the door off just so I could keep it.” – Jessica (00:49)

• On extreme hoarding:
  “They can't even throw away leftovers…they can't sleep on their bed because it's, like, stuff stacked up six feet on their bed.” – Host B (02:26)

• Amber on visiting a hoarder’s home:
  “I just want to clean and I don't like cleaning.” – Amber (03:13)

• Rachel on trauma and plastic bags:
  “Our pantry is literally half full ... of plastic bags. That's because we might need them. And I think it happened a long time ago when our house burnt down and we lost everything.” – Rachel (07:00)

• On hoarding as control:
  “If it's a control thing why people hoard, what's your deal with throwing everything away immediately?” – Host C (08:32)

• On discarding a partner’s things:
  “If you were to make a list right now of things of his that you've thrown away that he doesn't have any idea are gone right now. Multiple pages.”
  “Yes. It's like a Bible, but he hasn't noticed…” – Host C and Host B (09:00)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:19 – Delta Burke’s hoarding and OCD explained
• 00:33–02:10 – Jessica’s hoarding journey, including car and shoes
• 02:26 – Description of severe hoarding (as seen on TV)
• 03:00–03:39 – Amber’s experience visiting a hoarding household
• 04:04–04:47 – Newspaper stacking stories; referencing for future use
• 05:07–06:15 – Generational and control theories; moving as a break from hoarding
• 07:00–07:56 – Rachel’s story: trauma, family hoarding, and secret purging
• 08:13–09:15 – Banter on pairing cleaning OCD with hoarding; throwing away partner’s possessions

Tone and Takeaways

The Bert Show approaches the topic with empathy, playful banter, and genuineness—balancing seriousness with their trademark humor. They highlight that hoarding is complex, often related to trauma, control needs, or learned behaviors, and affects not only hoarders but also families and friends. Listeners and hosts alike reveal a spectrum from mild attachment to objects to the chaos of all-consuming clutter, showing that hoarding crosses lines of gender, age, and background.

For further engagement, listeners are encouraged to call in or visit thebertshow.com, continuing the conversation around personal spaces, memories, and the things we keep.