Vault: The Bert Show snuck backstage

Summary

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Episode Overview

Title: Vault: The Bert Show snuck backstage
Date: August 11, 2026
Theme:
This episode of The Bert Show recounts the hilarious and chaotic adventures of the cast as they cover the finale of American Idol in Los Angeles. The team shares behind-the-scenes stories from the red carpet, tries to schmooze their way backstage, and offers first-hand celebrity encounters. Listeners get a candid, humorous look at the real Hollywood moments and some unexpected celebrity gossip.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sneaking Backstage and the Credential Gambit

• Getting In: The team talks about leveraging their American Idol media credentials to access restricted areas. Wendy leads a bold attempt to see celebrities arriving at the Nokia Theater, inspired by Melissa’s tip from her hotel window about how celebs use limos just for show.

  “If you’re wearing credentials and act confident, you will have access.” — Wendy (01:28)

• Encounter with David Hasselhoff: They get close to “the Hoff,” noting his rough appearance and joking about his legendary status.

  “He’s like, ‘I’m huge in Germany.’” — Wendy (02:25)

• The Security Shuffle: Wendy’s outfit draws attention from security, prompting some to get bounced out of the area when they overstay their welcome with Hasselhoff and others backstage.

2. The Red Carpet Experience

• Layout: Jen explains the peculiar zigzag design of the red carpet, sharing the hierarchy of media placement — radio at the back, with TV outlets at the front.

  “The red carpet is not straight… it’s an S shape, really… zigzag to get more real estate.” — Jen & Wendy (04:51–04:55)

• Star Encounters:
  • Ellen DeGeneres and Christina Applegate make quick passes, with the latter focused on her children.
  • Idol Contestants like Michael Johns linger to talk and take photos.

  “Big time celebrities like Christina Applegate… just whisk their way through because she’s trying to get her kids in their seats.” — Jen (06:00)

3. Escapades on the Carpet: Going Rouge

• Breaking Barriers: Jeff recounts sneaking onto the red carpet by moving a barrier and confidently joining the crowd of stars.

  “I took one of the barriers and separated it and walked down to the red carpet. I looked around. Nobody said anything.” — Jeff (06:42)

• Behind-the-Scenes Footage: Jeff captures video footage of his adventure, promising to share it with listeners.

  “I got it on video. I’ll put it up on thebertshow.com when we get home.” — Jeff (08:01)

4. Celebrity Interactions & Exclusive Scoops

• Taylor Hicks: Brief interview and a shout-out to Atlanta.
• Chili from TLC: Reveals her reality show has been renewed for a second season.

  “She told us that they signed her up for a season two.” — Jen (07:48)

• Dr. Drew: Talks about celebrities and the necessity of rehab.
• William Hung: Gives a quick performance for the hosts.
• The Band Chicago: Shares pre-show info about their performance with Lee, who would go on to win.

5. Spotting the Show’s Lineup & Feeling the Nostalgia

• Based on red carpet traffic, the team pieces together the upcoming show’s performance lineup, noting a heavy presence of classic rockers and some modern stars.

  “Did you think for one moment that you had tripped and fallen back into 1976?” — Wendy (09:32)

6. Christina Aguilera Gossip (Divorce Rumors)

• The team interprets Christina Aguilera’s emotionally charged performance as a likely divorce announcement and spies her and husband Jordan acting affectionately after the show—despite the rumors.

  “Melissa leaned over to me… said that right there is a divorce anthem.” — Wendy (10:04)
  “She was smiling and holding Jordan’s hand… got in the car together.” — Wendy (10:41; 10:59)

• Juicy moment as Frankie describes seeing an entourage preparing for Christina and Jordan at their hotel, fueling more speculation.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Credential Confidence:

  “If you’re wearing credentials and act confident, you will have access.” — Wendy (01:28)

• On the Hoff:

  “He’s like, ‘I’m huge in Germany.’” — Wendy (02:25)

• Red Carpet Tactics:

  “I took one of the barriers and separated it and walked down to the red carpet. I looked around. Nobody said anything.” — Jeff (06:42)

• Reality Show Scoop:

  “She told us that they signed her up for a season two.” — Jen (07:48)

• Spotting Christina & Jordan:

  “She was smiling and holding Jordan’s hand… got in the car together.” — Wendy (10:41; 10:59)

• Nostalgia Hits:

  “Did you think for one moment that you had tripped and fallen back into 1976?” — Wendy (09:32)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:36–01:47: Sneaking backstage, spotting celebs in the alleyway, credential strategy
• 02:18–03:54: Hasselhoff encounter, interactions with security
• 04:18–06:33: Red carpet setup, media hierarchy, celebrities who stopped by
• 06:42–08:13: Jeff sneaks onto the red carpet, takes behind-the-scenes video
• 08:37–09:56: Hollywood scoop: conversations with Taylor Hicks, Chili, Dr. Drew, performance spoilers
• 09:56–10:59: Christina Aguilera divorce rumors and limousine sighting with Jordan
• 11:33–12:54: Hotel run-in with Christina & Jordan, extra security and TV delivery described by Frankie

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Final Thoughts

This episode delivers an authentic, laughter-filled glimpse into the organized chaos of covering a major entertainment event from both the press area and behind the velvet rope. With candid observations, playful teasing, and a knack for getting “just a little too close” to the action, The Bert Show illuminates the juxtaposition between celebrity spectacle and its manufactured reality. For listeners, it’s both an exposé and a celebration of what happens when good-humored media personalities break the rules—for the story, and for fun.

Transcript

[Jeff]

The Bird Show, Q100, and the Birch Show. We are still out in LA the morning after the finale of American Idol. In a couple of seconds, Jen and I'll tell you about the red carpet because, man, everybody came by there. We'll tell you all about it. I snuck onto the carpet, man. I can't wait. Crash the barrier. So I'll tell you that in a couple of seconds. But while we were on the red carpet schmoozing, what were you guys doing?

[Wendy]

We were getting kicked out of places.

[Jen]

Where'd you go?

[Wendy]

We all met down. We followed the leader in the lobby. I was a leader. I was trying to take us boldly to places we had never been before.

[Jeff]

Right.

[Wendy]

And so we all met in the lobby. And Melissa had noticed from the room, from her hotel room that some of the celebrities who you guys were about to encounter on the red carpet would actually kind of get in a limousine in this little alleyway, and the limousine would just drive them around the building and deliver them.

[Melissa]

Oh, yeah. I happened to look at. I heard cheers out my window. And I looked out the window and I saw this limo pull up. So, you know, my voyeur self got my camera out and I twitpicked who was going into it. I think it was Kara. That's what listeners think it was. And. But they were getting into the limo where I was watching so that they could pull around the corner and get out of the limo in front of people.

[Jen]

So, so funny, so Hollywood, that they actually never really would have ever gotten into a limo except to create the appearance.

[Melissa]

Yes, absolutely.

[Jen]

That's so funny.

[Wendy]

So she pointed to where the little alleyway was, and I'm like, well, we got time to kill, so let's walk down there and see who we can see. And everybody had their credentials on for Idol, and I was playing under the rules of if you're wearing credentials and act confident, you will have access.

[Jen]

Does everybody know what credentials are?

[Wendy]

Yeah, little things that hang around your neck that say official media, press, important, VIP girl, let me in. So we were wearing these credentials around our neck, and we just. Frankie had asked someone, like, we belong. Being very confident. Frankie's like, how do we get in? They're like, you got to go through that. That security tent. So we all clear? Right through the security tent. No problem. And we end up. This is going to be hard for you and Jen to take what standing with who? David Hasselhoff.

[Jeff]

Whoa.

[Jen]

You were hassling the Hoff?

[Wendy]

Yep.

[Melissa]

Yes.

[Jeff]

Actually talk to him right now.

[Wendy]

We're like, what's up, talk face? How you doing, man? He's like, I'm huge in Germany.

[Jeff]

Was he hammer?

[Wendy]

So he was drinking.

[Melissa]

He didn't seem hammered. He's tall and his skin looks like he's been drinking all his life.

[Jeff]

Oh, really? Yeah.

[Wendy]

Things I didn't actually.

[Melissa]

Not quite that point, but a little rough. A little rough? Like a little red too red a little too.

[Jen]

Is his nose big?

[Melissa]

I don't think he's done the bulbous nose yet.

[Wendy]

I didn't really talk to him as much as I Talked to the 12 year old girl who was videotaping doing him doing shots.

[Jeff]

All right,

[Wendy]

so we're kind of hanging out and the Hoff's there and we're like, there's a big old fat roll Royce. You know, this is the back door of the Nokia theater. Everybody's coming in. And Wendy, you know, she can't travel to a VIP event without totally skankifying herself. Short little dress.

[Melissa]

No, you look great. Skank is the wrong word. You look really good. You look really good.

[Wendy]

Classy, whatever was classy enough to get the attention of the hot secure. The security guard who's like, who's that hottie over there? And came over and it's like, what are you doing here?

[Melissa]

It's really. I think Wendy's probably the one that got us in.

[Frankie]

I was like. I was trying to like move towards the door and go inside. And everybody else wanted to stand outside to see who we could see and get it in a limo.

[Wendy]

And I would now go with the hall side.

[Frankie]

You see more people backstage. But no, everyone wanted to stay outside.

[Wendy]

She attracted attention. Looking all short, short skirt, good for you.

[Jeff]

Looking. Use what you got.

[Wendy]

Got us bounce straight out of there. We were hanging with the hob and Wendy. Bam, gone.

[Jeff]

So the security guard came up to you and you aren't like receptive to him. And that's when he's like, get out of here.

[Frankie]

No, I was nice.

[Melissa]

Jeff is throwing Wendy under the bus.

[Frankie]

This is none of my fault. I was heading towards the door. Everybody else wanted to stand outside and

[Melissa]

Jeff wanted to stand looking confident and looking around to see who else he could see that drew attention to go

[Frankie]

in backstage and see who I could hang with.

[Jeff]

I will. I will use your philosophy. Okay. As you know, the working, looking confident gets you into places that you shouldn't be. So Jen and I are on the red carpet.

[Jen]

Yes.

[Jeff]

And the way the whole thing is set up, we explained it last year also. You want to do the honors here?

[Jen]

Yeah. Basically There's a big red carpet, and it rolls from the side where Melissa saw them pulling up the limos, dropping everybody off. It goes, I would say, like a city block and kind of wraps its way around. There are television stations from all over the world, media outlets from everywhere. And there we are. We're right along. We were actually right next to the TV Guide show, the TV Guide channel.

[Wendy]

I think what's most interesting about it is the red carpet is not straight. Like, it's not one straight crooked.

[Jen]

It's like it's an S shape. Really.

[Wendy]

Zigzag to get more real estate.

[Jen]

Yeah, it's totally zigzagged. There's all of those banners behind it where they call them step and repeat banners because the logo. Step and repeat. And so that's what the banners are called that everybody walks in front of, takes pictures, and everybody's sort of shouting at the celebrities as they come by. You know, as you would see, you know, former idols like Michael Johns. Everybody's yelling, michael Johns. Michael Johns.

[Frankie]

Over here, over here.

[Jen]

And he would come over and say, hi. And people are asking him questions. Can we take your picture? Can we? This not any other thing.

[Wendy]

So he hammered.

[Frankie]

That was.

[Jen]

No, he wasn't.

[Jeff]

I think, because he had to be on stage.

[Jen]

He was mining his P's and Q's, but. But everybody comes down that way. So Burton, I got to see just about everyone.

[Jeff]

Everybody that came through.

[Jen]

Ellen DeGeneres came.

[Jeff]

Oh, cool.

[Jen]

Oh, that's awesome.

[Jeff]

Crystal Lee, now are y'. All.

[Wendy]

Are y' all shouting questions at him? Are you like Alan, Ellen. Ellen.

[Jen]

I shouted at Ellen or ask him.

[Jeff]

Like, she was more aggressive than I was. I was taking a lot of pictures and put them up on Facebook and Twitter. She was way more aggressive than I was.

[Jen]

But it's hard because a lot of times the big celebrities, especially depending on timing, don't have a lot of time to go down. And so, like, former Idol contestants spend a lot of time milking it.

[Wendy]

They do.

[Jen]

And they're out there from the very beginning, beginning until the very end. But big time celebrities like Christina Applegate was. Was there last night with her children. She was coming through the red carpet and just whisks her way through because she's trying to get her kids in their seats.

[Wendy]

Right, right.

[Jen]

With their popcorn and their coke and get them in the. You know what I mean? And then we're also at the very

[Jeff]

end of the line, too, of the media line. It goes like important tv, local tv, magazines, and at the very end is radio so by the time they get to radio, they're sort of, like, burned out and stuff. So it's really difficult to get him to stop. But Jen did a good job.

[Wendy]

You guys are wedged between, like, snarky idol.com superblog and 6 20Whn, the voice of Syracuse.

[Jeff]

At some point, I was just like, there was a radio guy that accidentally ended up on the other side of the barrier. And he was there for a couple of people, and then he came back, and I figured, well, if nobody called that dude out, I'm gonna try it. So I took one of the barriers and separated it and walked down to the red carpet. I looked around. Nobody said anything.

[Jen]

So Burches was like, all right, I'm taking out. He goes, I'm going in. Okay, you go in. I'll hold down the fort here.

[Wendy]

So did you walk the red carpet?

[Jeff]

Yeah, yeah. Well, I did a couple of things. First, I walked the other way, like, upstream, dude, because I wanted to walk the whole thing. So Reuben's right here, and I'm saying hey to Reuben, and I got the credentials on, and everybody's cool. Hey, Ruben, what's going on? And Chile gave her a big hug. I'm on the red carpet with everybody. Everybody's around, and I'm in the middle of them.

[Melissa]

Oh, that's hilarious.

[Wendy]

Chili there with her kid?

[Jeff]

No, she was there alone.

[Wendy]

Really?

[Jeff]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jen]

She gave us some scoop on her reality show.

[Jeff]

Yes.

[Melissa]

Oh, really?

[Jen]

You want to talk about it?

[Jeff]

Yeah. She wouldn't have told us if she knew.

[Jen]

It's her. Well, first of all, her finale is coming up. What, Sunday night? Memorial Day weekend? Sunday night. And then she told us that they signed her up for a season two.

[Jeff]

Oh, cool.

[Jen]

So. So I go, I guess Chili didn't find what she wants. And she goes, no, no, you gotta watch, because it could be a continuation.

[Jeff]

It was almost like accidental scoop. So I took. I took my. My. The video on my camera and walk the red carpet with it.

[Melissa]

Oh, that's awesome.

[Jeff]

Above my head, past cops. You know, they're like, high five in me. They want to kiss me. Who are you? Like, yeah, I'm cool. I got a badge. So I walked right down the red carpet, and I got it on video. I'll put it up on the birdsow.com when we get home.

[Jen]

That's gonna be really cool for everybody to see because you really will get a chance to see sort of what it looks like behind the scenes of all of those pictures that you see up on your favorite celebrity gossip websites. The ones we put up on the birthshow.com like, you'll see what it really looks like, and then you can compare that to the pictures that you always see of celebrities. You know, it's really, really fascinating.

[Jeff]

It was a lot of fun. But everybody stopped by there, and Jen cornered Taylor Hicks for a while. Yep.

[Jen]

Talk to Taylor. He says hi to Atlanta. We talked to Chile for a little while. I also talked to Dr. Drew, who.

[Frankie]

Oh, really?

[Jen]

Celebrity Rehab. He was there, and he actually talked to us for a while about, you know, celebrities and why they need rehab. William Hong sung for you guys.

[Jeff]

He did a little shebang.

[Melissa]

Nice.

[Jen]

We talked to Michael Johns, of course. I talked to one of the guys in the band Chicago. His name is Jason. And I talked to him before they went on stage. And so he told me before everybody else knew that they were. That they were going to be performing with Lee. And he said that the whole band wanted Lee to win, so they're the band. Chicago was very happy today because Lee is the winner.

[Jeff]

We started to piecemeal together what was going to happen on the show based on the celebrities that were walking the red carpet.

[Wendy]

Right.

[Jeff]

We took pictures of Alice Cooper and put them up on Facebook. And then the BG dudes came in. Then the Doobie brother dude came. So we sort of knew when we were tweeting who was going to be on the show.

[Wendy]

Did you think for one moment that you had tripped and fallen back into 1976?

[Melissa]

I know.

[Jen]

Well, we were really worried about it, too. We were like, oh, this is going to be like, maybe it's going to be kind of old rocker. Like, how are they going to be able to mix it up? But obviously they did, you know, with the Alanis Morris said Brett Michael, Christina with Jan Jackson, you know, so they were able to make it newer. But I mean.

[Melissa]

I mean, that went back to elementary school.

[Jen]

That wasn't high school.

[Melissa]

That was elementary school.

[Wendy]

I. Some Christina Aguilera scoop.

[Jen]

Oh, do tell.

[Wendy]

Because during the performance last night, Melissa leaned over to me at one point and said that right there is a divorce anthem that song performed. Yes, I think Frankie called it. Yeah, Frankie was on the other side. He said something about it. Wendy leaned up and said, everybody's talking about how that was.

[Melissa]

Because that song was way too personal and the lyrics were way too descriptive.

[Jeff]

I said to Jen, I'm like, this is a little heavy for American Idol.

[Jen]

That was her announcement. I mean, it's. It's got to be coming soon.

[Wendy]

So when y' all were buying your t Shirts and whatnot. I wandered back to that limousine alley where we were hassling the Hoff earlier.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Wendy]

To see who I could see leaving. And I saw. Just as I got back there, I saw. This is funny, too. I saw Christina Aguilera walking out and getting in her limousine with a couple handlers in front of her, a couple handlers behind her. And she was smiling and holding Jordan's hand.

[Jeff]

Oh, really?

[Wendy]

And the two of them walked back and got in the car together. Now, this is funny because it's a.

[Jen]

Jordan is her husband.

[Wendy]

Yep. It's a tough description.

[Melissa]

Okay. I was like, jordan Sparks.

[Jeff]

There's real scoop.

[Jen]

Jordan Bratman is his name.

[Wendy]

The Nokia Theater sits across a little alleyway from the Marriott Hotel where we've been staying and where some of the people related to Idol are staying. So I saw Christina Aguilera, and I'm like, oh, that's cool. Now let me get back to the hotel and do some work before heading out for the night. And as I walk through the lobby of the hotel, that same limousine pulls up to the front. It literally drove one block.

[Melissa]

See?

[Jeff]

Come on.

[Frankie]

That's funny.

[Wendy]

Jordan and Christina got out and got in the elevator ahead of me, and with their arms around each other and smiling, and everything seemed fine.

[Melissa]

And where did they head?

[Frankie]

And they headed up to my floor.

[Jeff]

Yeah, Wendy's on the same floor as us. Tell them about the tv, dude.

[Frankie]

It's insane. No, I went out of my room to come up to Frankie's room to visit for a second last night.

[Wendy]

Yeah, I bet you did.

[Frankie]

Not that kind of visit. No, this is gonna be a good story.

[Jeff]

No, that would have been a great story for Frankie.

[Frankie]

No. Walked out of my room, and all of a sudden, I see this hotel worker bring this other huge TV, like, carrying. We have, like, huge TVs in our room. So carrying another TV and into another room, and I'm like, huh, this is weird. So I walk further down my hallway. There's a. Like, a security man standing right at the end of a hallway. So I passed by him. I was like, this is weird. Okay. Maybe there's just something going on on the floor. And I look down. I turn. I have to turn the corner to go to the elevators. And I turn the corner, there are seven different security people standing in front of this door. This hotel room. Is she ready? They're, like, whispering that. Is she ready yet? Is she getting ready? Is she getting ready? Is Jordan in there? And it's just crazy because Christina and Jordan are on my floor, and they're

[Jeff]

bringing an extra TV into their suite.

[Wendy]

That's that little security. Security. Entourage is why I didn't get. Nobody got on an elevator for a quick second, right? They move like.

[Frankie]

They move the elevators. Oh, yeah. They were like. They're literally watching everybody as they come in and off, like, in and out of the elevator.

[Jeff]

Really?

[Wendy]

So did you spend the night with Frankie?

[Frankie]

I did not spend the night with Frankie.

[Wendy]

Sorry, Frankie.

[Jen]

Oh, buddy.

[Melissa]

Sorry.

[Jen]

Get it.

[Jeff]

The bird show.