Episode Overview

Title: Vault: She’s In Love With Someone Who Won’t Say It Back
Podcast: The Bert Show (Pionaire Podcasting)
Date: February 5, 2026

In this engaging episode, the Bert Show hosts and callers unpack the emotional dilemma faced by Megan, a listener who’s deeply in love with her boyfriend of over a year—yet he refuses to say "I love you" despite expressing his affection in other ways. The conversation explores the significance of saying "I love you," differing relationship expectations, and whether words or actions matter more in love. Throughout, the tone is candid, humorous, sometimes blunt, and supportive, with hosts and callers sharing personal stories and heartfelt advice.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Megan's Situation: In Love, But Not Hearing "I Love You" (00:01–03:00)

• Megan has been with her boyfriend for a bit over a year, considers herself definitely in love, but hasn't said it because he told her he won't say it unless he truly means it.
  • “He says all the time, you know, I'm crazy about you. And… I'm not afraid of spending forever with you... He said, well, I hate the word. I hate saying it. I hate it as a nickname because it's so cheapened...” – Megan (00:52–01:23)
• The boyfriend’s rationale: He wants the words to have weight and isn’t interested in meaningless declarations.
• Hosts generally respect his stance.
  • “That premise I can buy into.” – Host 2 (01:41)
  • “There's nothing wrong with that.” – Host 1 (02:37)
• Megan’s issue is more with the superficial use of “I love you” by others, which she feels impacts her own relationship dynamic.
  • “It frustrates me every time I hear that to no end, because it's guys like him that are the reason that my perfectly healthy relationship won't say the word.” – Megan (03:01)

2. Callers’ Stories: Contrasting Experiences With “I Love You” (03:20–09:49)

• Jessica: Shares that her husband didn’t say “I love you” to a previous girlfriend for three years, but told Jessica after only a month.
  • “After we were together for a month, he told me… it just has to be the right person.” – Jessica (03:37)
• Hosts challenge and tease this, inferring that sometimes timing or motivation is suspect.
  • “It was a month and a day before you took your pants off then. Cause, I mean, that is such a move. Well done, my friend. Your husband is my hero.” – Host 1 (03:51)
• Discussion about whether Megan might be hearing the truth that her boyfriend just isn’t quite there yet emotionally.
  • “He may not be fully in love with you yet, even though you guys have been dating for a year.” – Host 2 (04:19)
• Megan insists her boyfriend’s actions consistently demonstrate love, even if he doesn’t say it.
  • “He acts that way all the time… he's always saying it in not quite so many words or, like, proving it by the way that he'll act and the way that he'll treat me.” – Megan (04:30)

3. Deeper Dive: Do Actions Speak Louder? Security vs. Hearing the Words (04:45–07:36)

• Hosts press Megan about her feelings and whether not hearing "I love you" makes her insecure.
  • Megan replies: “No, it's not really that. It's just, you know, it's nice to hear. It's like, why shouldn't I hear it?” (04:51)
• More callers share stories where partners delayed saying “I love you,” but actions made the love clear. For some, waiting to hear it made the eventual moment even more meaningful.
  • “Usually, like, I would tell him and he'd say, aw, thank you. And it was really awkward. But the one day that he finally told me, it made it so worth it.” – Caller 3 (07:00)
• Hosts advise Megan that expressing how she feels authentically, without expecting a reciprocated declaration, might not be as awkward as she fears.

4. Male Perspective and Further Experiences (08:04–09:49)

• Michael asks about how Megan feels in public and private with her boyfriend; she affirms she feels cared for and loved.
  • “Do you feel loved by this guy?” – Host 2 (06:16)
  • “I definitely do. He tells me all the time he's crazy about me. He shows it to me.” – Megan (06:19)
• More listener input stresses that every person and relationship has a different timeline and comfort level with these expressions.
  • “He would never get married again. And he would never say he loved it unless he meant it. And he actually told me about a year and a half into our relationship that he loved me. And we've been married for seven years.” – Tracy (09:08)
• Hosts note some people just take longer, and past experiences (like divorce) can deeply affect openness.

5. Annie’s “Tough Love” Advice (10:28–11:42)

• Annie, a recurring advice giver, drops in with blunt, comedic feedback.
  • “You are annoying me. He's gonna say it when he's ready. And you're complaining about this. I feel like you complain about everything…” – Annie (10:35)
• Annie encourages Megan to be bold and say “I love you” if she feels it, regardless of whether it’s reciprocated immediately.
  • “Well, if she loves him, then, yeah. Like, really have some guts here. Like, okay, so you say he doesn't say it back. Big deal. He'll say it to you when he's ready.” – Annie (11:02–11:09)
• She asserts that perhaps the boyfriend isn't fully in love yet—and that's okay, as actions can show growing love.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On meaningful declarations:

  "He says... I'm crazy about you... but he said he won’t say [I love you] unless he really means it."
  – Megan (01:23)

• On skepticism about men’s motives:

  "It was a month and a day before you took your pants off then. Cause, I mean, that is such a move. Well done, my friend. Your husband is my hero."
  – Host 1 (03:51)

• On balancing words and actions:

  "He acts that way all the time... he's always saying it in not quite so many words or, like, proving it by the way that he'll act and the way that he'll treat me."
  – Megan (04:30)

• On patience and perspective:

  "When he does say it, then you know that it's true. He's not gonna say it just because you wanna hear it."
  – Jessica (04:09)

• Tough love:

  "If she loves him, then, yeah. Like, really have some guts here... He’ll say it to you when he's ready."
  – Annie (11:02)

Important Timestamps

• 00:01–03:00 – Megan introduces her situation; boyfriend’s reasoning for not saying “I love you.”
• 03:20–04:45 – Jessica and hosts debate what not saying "I love you" might mean; stories of people who waited or never said it.
• 04:45–07:36 – Emotional impact of not hearing "I love you;" callers discuss actions vs. words.
• 08:56–09:49 – Tracy shares encouragement from her own patient, now-successful marriage.
• 10:28–11:42 – Annie gives her signature tough love advice, pushing Megan to act on her feelings.

Conclusion

The episode wraps without a perfectly clear answer, reflecting the real complexity of relationships and the diversity of comfort levels with emotional vulnerability. The hosts, Annie, and the callers drive home that in love, words are important—but for some, actions speak just as loudly. Megan's story resonates with anyone who's ever anxiously waited for "I love you," offering both empathy and practical perspectives on patience, honesty, and self-expression.