Vault: She finally got to speak with Casey James

Summary

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The Bert Show: Vault – She Finally Got to Speak with Casey James

Episode Date: August 10, 2026

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Episode Overview

This special vault episode of The Bert Show captures an eagerly anticipated moment: Wendy, a dedicated fan and Bert Show team member, finally gets to meet and interview former American Idol finalist Casey James. The conversation is lighthearted and full of excitement, with plenty of nerves, playful teasing from the team, and insight into Casey’s journey and personality. The episode also reflects the Bert Show’s signature tone—fun, authentic, and warmly self-deprecating.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene & Nerves (01:17–03:00)

• The Bert Show team is on location at the Nokia Theater's basement, where the American Idol finalists are being interviewed.

• Wendy is clearly nervous, and her teammates tease her about her “mini stalking” of Casey at the breakfast buffet.

• The team discusses strategy for the interview, debating how Wendy should approach Casey, ultimately telling her to “play it cool.”

  Wendy: "I'm just a little nervous because they've already walked in. So we've seen them walk in and walked past. And I was just nervous on that part." (01:27)

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2. Wendy’s Interview with Casey James

A. On Auditioning for American Idol (03:09–04:14)

• Wendy dives right in, asking Casey how his mother convinced him to audition.

• Casey shares he was stuck in a rut and his mom encouraged him, even offering her new truck for the trip.

  Casey James: “My mom said, why don't you just take the chance?... She had just bought a brand new truck. So I was like, you know what? I'll drive up there and do it.” (03:52)

B. Not Expecting Success (04:14–04:42)

• Casey admits he never expected to make it past the stadium round—his humble approach may have sustained him throughout the competition.

  Casey James: "I didn't think I'd make it past the stadium. I just kind of went...I was just gonna sing." (04:20)

C. The Toughest Week on Idol (04:52–05:35)

• Wendy asks about show theme challenges; Casey singles out Frank Sinatra week as his hardest, having never sung without his guitar before a live audience.

  Casey James: “Frank Sinatra was the toughest for me because never in my life have I ever, like, sang without playing guitar.” (05:15)

D. His Approach to Music (05:35–05:58)

• Wendy wonders if Casey would ever record a song totally raw, without his guitar—he says he would, but only if it made sense musically.

  Casey James: “I always do what the music calls for...But I would never just set it down just for the sake of setting it down, you know?” (05:42)

E. On Missing Texas (05:58–06:22)

• Both Casey and Wendy are from Texas. Casey misses everything, especially the air, people, dogs, food, friends, and comfort of home.

  Casey James: “There's nothing that I don't miss. I miss everything. I miss the air, I miss the people, I miss the accents...” (06:05)

F. Personality and Dancing (06:22–06:39)

• Wendy playfully quizzes him on two-stepping and dancing. Casey jokes he can waltz better than two-step and has rhythm, “just not the moves.” (06:24–06:33)

G. Looking Forward: The Tour (06:39–06:59)

• Casey shares clear excitement for his upcoming tour, describing it as “the beginning of everything.”

  Casey James: “That is gonna be essentially the beginning of everything for me, you know, because then you get to see the people that want to come see you in a live setting…that’s an even bigger honor.” (06:39)

H. The Flirt & Future Meetup (06:59–07:23)

• Wendy asks if Casey is single—he confirms he is “very single.” She boldly invites him for drinks in Atlanta; Casey agrees, though notes he “doesn’t drink,” and suggests lemonade or water.

  Wendy: "Are you single?"
  Casey James: "Yes, I am very single." (07:04)

  Wendy: "So we got to grab a drink when you're in Atlanta. Would you be down?"
  Casey James: "Absolutely. I don't drink, but I'll go." (07:08–07:10)

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3. Recap & Team Reactions (07:29–10:41)

• The crew applauds Wendy for handling the interview and getting a “date” commitment.

• There’s playful debrief on Casey’s shyness, his appearance (“hair was a little matted, a little dready”), and his refusal of alcohol.

  Host 5: “You got it…for him to agree to some kind of date or whatever, and you got that from him at the end.” (07:35)

• They speculate about why Casey doesn’t drink—whether it’s a show policy or personal preference.

• Wendy admits to being nervous and confesses Casey is “really good looking in person,” but notes his shy personality.

  Host 4 (Wendy): "He seemed really shy...I thought he would be more straightforward or just longer answers or have more to add. But he's just a shy dude." (10:05)

• The team jokes about the possibility of another meeting when Casey visits Atlanta, suggesting sweet tea, lemonade, or barbecue for a true Texas reunion.

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4. Listener Call-ins: More Insights (10:48–12:03)

• A caller, Lisa, reveals Casey had a past DUI, speculating this may explain why he doesn’t drink—prompting a wave of “aha” reactions.

• Another caller, Kayson, compliments Wendy’s poise and delivery during the interview, reinforcing that the interaction “didn’t sound awkward or anything.”

  Caller Lisa: “He has gotten at least one DUI, I think, in the past.” (11:06)
  Kayson: “I think it was perfect. I don’t think it was too much. I think it was...normal. It didn’t sound awkward or anything. You did so well.” (11:30)

• The team agrees the true test will be if Casey seeks out Wendy during his Atlanta tour stop.

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Notable Quotes

• Casey James: “Frank Sinatra was the toughest for me because never in my life have I ever, like, sang without playing guitar.” (05:15)
• Casey James: “There's nothing that I don't miss. I miss everything. I miss the air, I miss the people, I miss the accents. I miss my dogs, miss my friends and family...” (06:05)
• Wendy: “Are you single?”
  Casey James: “Yes, I am very single.” (07:04)
• Host 5: “You got it…for him to agree to some kind of date or whatever, and you got that from him at the end.” (07:35)
• Host 4 (Wendy): “He seemed really shy...I thought he would be more straightforward...But he's just a shy dude.” (10:05)
• Caller Lisa: “He has gotten at least one DUI, I think, in the past.” (11:06)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:17 – Interview anticipation, nerves, and behind-the-scenes banter
• 03:09 – Wendy meets & interviews Casey James
• 03:13–07:23 – Main interview: audition stories, Idol experiences, touring, flirtation
• 07:29–10:41 – Post-interview team reactions, analysis of Casey’s vibe
• 10:48–12:03 – Listener call-ins, context for Casey’s non-drinking, praise for Wendy

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Tone & Takeaways

The episode is a high-spirited blend of fandom meets morning show playfulness:

• Authentic—The hosts and Wendy share their nerves, humor, and genuine excitement.
• Personal—Wendy’s Texas connection with Casey shines through, making the conversation unique and accessible.
• Revelatory—Beyond the Idol experience, Casey’s shyness, his approach to music, and his background become clear.
• Playful—The conversation is loaded with gentle ribbing, fan-flirting, and speculation about future meetings.

Fans and new listeners alike get a memorable, honest glimpse at how a “celebrity crush” interview really feels—complete with nerves, surprises, and the glow of possibility.

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Transcript

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[Host 1]

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[Casey James]

Phone away, please.

[Host 1]

Um, my kid. A smart smoke alarm sent an alert through the ring app. See, the train monitoring agent is calling now.

[Wendy]

Hello.

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[The Burch Show Host]

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[Host 2]

Casey James is going to be working his way over here in just like

[Host 3]

a couple of minutes.

[Host 2]

So let's just, let's all calm down. Let's think of a game plan here.

[Host 4]

Nerves.

[Wendy]

Nerves.

[The Burch Show Host]

Are you prepared?

[Chumba Casino Announcer]

Prepared?

[Host 2]

Wendy?

[Wendy]

I think I'm prepared. I'm just a little nervous because they've already walked in. So we've seen them walk in and walked past. And I was just nervous on that part.

[Host 3]

Melissa. Already they attempted to do a little mini Casey James stalking.

[Host 5]

Yeah. Let me explain where Wendy's mind is right now, because we're, we're at the Nokia theater, but we're kind of in the basement area and we're at a table and we're near, you know, a room where they have breakfast and a buffet. So when they had the idolists come in, including Casey James, they led them to the food so that they could have breakfast before they started the interviews. And so that's where we're waiting on him to finish his breakfast. So as he was going in there, I said, oh, I need a water and Wendy, come with me. So Wendy and I went. I got behind him in line behind Casey. I was, I was, I could breathe Casey's aura at the buffet line. And Wendy scooted off and went over to get drinks in another area.

[Host 1]

Wendy.

[Wendy]

Well, I was trying to make myself visual for Casey, so I went over to get a water instead of stand behind him and eat.

[Host 3]

You should Be trying to make yourself. You're trying to make yourself touchable.

[Host 5]

No, I would have thought I was touching his butt. You were over there trying to get a visual.

[Host 6]

I was like, dang, Melissa, you did his butt.

[Host 5]

No, I'm just kidding. Wendy just gave.

[Wendy]

I couldn't even be near food.

[Host 4]

I'm too nervous.

[Host 2]

What else? What else? I would ask him for a date if he's coming to Atlanta. Stupid things like that.

[Wendy]

Just play it cool, okay?

[Host 5]

Yeah, you're gonna be fine.

[Wendy]

We'll see you. We'll see how it goes. Because I can't even do it in the. In the buffet line.

[The Burch Show Host]

All right.

[Host 3]

We're literally, like, 15 seconds away from. So the rest of us are leaving the table.

[Host 4]

Okay.

[Casey James]

Okay.

[Host 4]

Bye.

[Host 3]

Wendy, you're going in. Wendy, good.

[Host 1]

L.

[Wendy]

Hey, Casey. What's going on? I'm Wendy from Atlanta. How's it going?

[Casey James]

It's going good. Good to meet you.

[Host 5]

Good.

[Wendy]

All right. Well, this whole thing sort of started with your mom convincing you to audition. I'm kind of curious on what your mom said to you to make you go and audition with 20,000 other people.

[Casey James]

Well, let me do this.

[Wendy]

No, no, put that back in. We can make out later, but just go. I mean, you're gonn.

[Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Casey James]

I'm gonna save this for later then.

[Wendy]

Okay.

[Casey James]

No, it was just. I've been doing the same thing for so long, you know, playing every night and not really getting anywhere. And my mom said, why don't you just take the chance?

[Wendy]

That's it.

[Casey James]

I was like, yeah. I mean, it got to the point where they were starting to let people use instruments and things like that. And I didn't know any of this, you know, thinking that the show was just the type of thing that I wouldn't do well at. And she said, I'll let you borrow my truck. And she had just bought a brand new truck. So I was like, you know what? I'll drive up there and do it.

[Wendy]

Did you ever think you would make it to the final three?

[Casey James]

No, I didn't think I'd make it past the stadium.

[Wendy]

Really?

[Casey James]

Yeah, I just kind of went. I think maybe that's possibly why I made it past the stadium, because I just went in there and was like, you know, I don't think I was going for anything. I was just gonna sing. And that was actually when I made up my mind, my mindset for the entire competition. The entire show was set the day before I even auditioned the very first time.

[Wendy]

Oh, yeah.

[Casey James]

Because I had made up my mind. I said to Myself, like I'm either gonna make. I'm gonna do this and be myself 100%, or I'm just. I'm, you know, I'm not gonna make it, so.

[Wendy]

Well, then I want to know what the toughest week was for you. Because you're this classic rock type country artist. Very Stevie Ray Vaughan, very jimm. Hendrix type. So what was the toughest week? Because you had like Frank Sinatra and all these movie themes going on.

[Casey James]

That would have been the toughest. That was, yeah, the toughest. The movie wasn't. Movie themes was not bad at all because you can pick, you know, I mean, it's just like soundtracks and stuff. But the. Frank Sinatra was the toughest for me because never in my life have I ever like, sang without playing guitar. It's not. I mean, not on a. Not on a live setting in front of people and things like that, like growing up, sing with my mom and stuff, but never, never like that. So that was definitely the toughest for me.

[Wendy]

So then when you ever do an album, is there ever going to be a song where you just put down the guitar and it's just you solid, raw, like.

[Host 4]

Raw.

[Host 3]

Yeah.

[Casey James]

I mean, possibly. It just depends on the situation. I'm not opposed to it. I always do what the music calls for. And there's many times where I don't, you know, like in a song, I'll just be holding the guitar, play a lead later down the line. But I would never just set it down just for the sake of setting it down, you know?

[Wendy]

And you're a Texas boy. I'm a Texas girl. So I know being away from Texas is pretty tough. What do you miss most about being at home?

[Casey James]

There's nothing that I don't miss. I miss everything. I miss the air, I miss the people, I miss the accents. I miss my dogs, miss my friends and family, miss my old gigs, miss the comfort of my home.

[Wendy]

Do you miss the food?

[Casey James]

Yes. Yeah.

[Wendy]

Do you two step? Yeah, we gotta go two stepping.

[Casey James]

Then I can waltz better than I can two step.

[Wendy]

Now you can waltz. So can you do any other dances?

[Casey James]

Yeah, but, you know, not well.

[Wendy]

Would you say you have dance rhythm?

[Casey James]

Yeah, I've got the rhythm. I just don't have the moves.

[Wendy]

Just don't have the moves yet. We can work on that just a little bit. So are you excited about the tour coming up?

[Host 3]

I am.

[Casey James]

That's like. That is gonna be the essentially the beginning of everything for me, you know, because you get to. Then you get to see the people that want to Come see you in a live setting. I don't necessarily just watch you on the tv. And even though that's a huge honor, it's even a bigger honor when they come to see you and they want to follow you as an artist, so.

[Wendy]

And the big question. The ladies would be really disappointed if I didn't ask. Are you single? Yes, I am very single.

[Casey James]

Yeah.

[Wendy]

So you're available?

[Host 1]

Yes.

[Wendy]

So we got to grab a drink when you're in Atlanta.

[Casey James]

Yeah, let's go.

[Wendy]

Would you be down?

[Casey James]

Absolutely.

[Wendy]

We definitely.

[Casey James]

I don't drink, but I'll go.

[Wendy]

We can have some water.

[Casey James]

Perfect.

[Wendy]

And lemonade. Yeah, well, it'll be a good night.

[Casey James]

Lemonade sounds actually really good right now.

[Wendy]

Well, Casey, I appreciate you talking with us today. I can't wait to see you on tour in August. And we definitely need to grab that bottle of water.

[Casey James]

Yeah, sounds good.

[Wendy]

Good luck.

[Ring App Announcer]

Thanks.

[Host 6]

Nicely done.

[Host 5]

Great job. Good job.

[Host 3]

Good job.

[Host 6]

Nervous getting your flirt on?

[Host 5]

And you got it kind of a. You know, we said that the pinnacle of this conversation would be for him to agree to some kind of date or whatever, and you got that from him at the end.

[Host 4]

And then I tried to throw in, like, some ties here and there. Like, I said Stevie Ray Vaughan in one of the questions, and then I obviously tied back into Texas, but, yeah, he's gonna be in Atlanta. So.

[Host 6]

Did it throw you off that he doesn't drink?

[Host 3]

It did.

[Host 2]

It did for a second.

[Host 4]

Then I was like, okay,

[Host 6]

yeah, that would have thrown me a little bit, too, because you think that that's just kind of what you say.

[Host 2]

Right.

[Host 6]

But, like, him, like, I don't drink. I wondered, oh, like, is that an American idol required thing to say, or is that more like he's just, like, really against it? I don't know. I just wondered if that would throw you.

[Host 3]

I think if he has publicly stated that he's not a drinker or something like that, because why else would you correct it? Because a drink, he could, like, you could let that go without. Without it being a big deal. And then when you go out, you just get a.

[Host 5]

You know, I would make a statement saying, well, I don't drink. Yeah.

[Host 2]

I think we know Michael Johns doesn't really subscribe.

[Host 5]

No, he says it, but he says, I don't drink water.

[Host 6]

But he's not under the American Idol thumb anymore, you know, So I wonder if that was more of a. A Fox thing or, you know, because he's on the show thing, and this is, like, wholesome American entertainment.

[Host 2]

I applaud you, man, you went for it.

[Host 5]

Yeah, you did.

[Host 2]

I mean, you definitely put out the flirt vibe.

[Host 4]

I was nervous the entire time. I don't know. He's just good looking in person. So when you're sitting there staring at him and he's right next to you because he was sitting like right next to me.

[Host 5]

Is he's a good looking in person to you?

[Host 4]

Yeah, he was really good looking, I thought.

[Host 3]

But Jen's like.

[Host 5]

What was going on with the hair, though?

[Host 4]

His hair was a little matted, but it was a little dready kind of thing. Well, you know how all the idols didn't know that they were coming to do interviews today? Maybe he just kind of rolled out of bed, thought he was going to do something else rather than sit in front of a whole bunch of strangers.

[Host 2]

Didn't have time to put his juve accent in today. Too bad.

[Host 3]

Well, the door is open for his visit to Atlanta.

[Host 5]

That's right.

[Host 2]

That's right.

[Host 4]

I know.

[Host 3]

And that's. You really couldn't ask for more than that.

[Host 4]

It's August the first, so hopefully we'll grab that bottle of water that we were talking about.

[Host 6]

Sparkling water, honey, to bring him some, like some country. Like some real country lemonade or something.

[Wendy]

Sweet tea.

[Host 6]

You can especially bring it to him, like some lemonade, some sweet tea, some barbecue or something. Yeah, we need a special deliver that back there backstage in Atlanta.

[Host 3]

Yeah.

[Host 2]

I think our job somehow, some way is to get you just into the same room with them again.

[Host 5]

Yeah.

[Host 2]

Not force the issue and just see if he, you know, sort of takes the Wendy bait.

[Host 6]

Did you like his mojo or did he seem too shy for you?

[Host 4]

He seemed really shy because I thought he would be more straightforward or just longer answers or have more to add. But he's just a shy dude.

[Host 6]

He definitely seems shy, but you don't typically go for the shy guy.

[Host 4]

No, I like the more aggressive guy because I'm normally.

[Host 6]

I was wondering person once they met in person, I was thinking, I wonder if she's as into him now because of that whole shy vibe kind of holding back thing.

[Host 4]

Well, and it was his first. I was his first interview of the morning. So he came by and then that was it. I had to set the. The president for everybody else.

[Wendy]

So I had a big responsibility.

[Host 4]

So jokes, Jeff?

[Host 5]

No jokes.

[Host 2]

You did a great job. Did a good job.

[Host 5]

Yes. Good job.

[Host 3]

Good job.

[Host 2]

Good morning, Lisa. You are on the Burke show. Hi.

[Caller Lisa]

Hey, Wendy. You did a really good job. First of all, I want to say. But I want to let you guys know, I read something about him somewhere online. He has gotten at least one dui, I think, in the past.

[Host 4]

Yeah, someone sent me that this morning.

[Host 2]

Now we get it. So it's not that he doesn't want to drink. He not allowed.

[Host 3]

He's got one of those Lindsay Lohan scram things happening.

[Host 2]

Okay, that makes sense.

[Ring App Announcer]

Okay.

[Host 2]

Thank you for the info, Lisa.

[Caller Lisa]

Sure. Bye. Bye.

[Host 2]

And Kacen, you are on the Burke show. Good morning.

[Caller Lisa]

You did so great.

[Wendy]

Oh, thank you.

[Caller Lisa]

I think it was perfect. I don't think it was too much. I think it was. It was normal. It didn't sound awkward or anything. You did so well.

[Host 4]

Oh, Kayson, thank you so much. No, I was a nervous wreck, so thank you.

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[Caller Lisa]

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[Host 4]

All right, good.

[Host 2]

Now, the results will be when he comes through Atlanta, Right? We will get them in the same room together. And I think at that point, you just see if he approaches you, okay? You're there, and he's there. I think the true result would be if he comes over to her and says, hey, I think I remember you. L. A. Then I think you're in.

[Wendy]

But at least the tough part's over.

[Host 2]

The first work has been done.

[Wendy]

Conversation is done.

[Host 5]

Yes.

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