Vault: There's A Twist To The One That Got Away

Summary

The Bert Show — Vault: There's A Twist To The One That Got Away

Date: December 23, 2025
Host: The Bert Show Cast (Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy, et al.)
Main Guest: Julie
Special Guest: Ben

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into a classic "the one that got away" story, as listener Julie reconnects with her childhood summer love, Ben, with help from the show. Julie’s hopes for possible romance are met with a heartfelt twist, resulting in unexpected revelations and touching moments about growth, identity, and the enduring nature of significant relationships from our past.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Julie’s Backstory: The Summer Romance

• [01:47–04:06]

  • Julie recounts her long-standing summer romance with Ben, first loves spanning six summers during middle and high school.
  • Their families vacationed in Maryland, where they would reunite each summer, enjoying first milestones (first kiss, first everything).
  • The romance faded once they attended separate colleges (University of Maryland and Penn State), losing touch about eight years prior.

  “He was my first kiss. He was my first just everything. And it never ended. Like, every summer, you know, we couldn't wait to see each other and then we would have this incredible time.” — Julie [01:58]

• Light banter among hosts paints the romance as idyllic, referencing nostalgic imagery of summer evenings and innocent relationships ([03:01–03:46]).

2. The Search for Ben

• [05:01–05:50]
  • Julie admits she's lost touch completely — Ben’s family moved, and she couldn’t track him down during visits.
  • Hosts consider how much people change over the years.
  • Julie estimates Ben is now 26, just like her.

3. Ben Joins the Conversation

• [05:59–07:07]

  • The show surprises Julie by having Ben on hold, ready to join.
  • After eight years of silence, Ben and Julie greet each other warmly.

  “Julie, Ben. Hey, how are you, babe?” — Ben [06:11]
  “It's so good to hear your voice.” — Ben [06:17]

  • Ben fondly remembers their young love, calling Julie a “real sweetie” and states he often thinks of her.

  “She was real sweetie, you know, she was a first of a lot of things for me. Yeah, I think about her. I think about her often.” — Ben [06:37]

4. The Twist: Ben’s Revelation

• [07:14–08:08]

  • Julie asks where Ben’s calling from. He reveals he moved to Nashville, life is going well, and he’s coming to Atlanta soon.
  • Ben shares some “good news and bad news”:
    • Good news: He’s coming to Atlanta (for Pride).
    • Bad news: He’s gay.

  “Well, let's say I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I am coming to Atlanta. … The bad news is I'm a big old fag.” — Ben [07:54–08:08]

• The studio reacts with surprise, but the tone remains light and supportive. Ben is open about attending Pride in Atlanta for the first time with his partner.

  “Yeah, I'm coming to Pride. Me and my partner were coming down. It's my first Pride, you know, situation and it should be, you know, it sounds exciting and I'm loving to come down.” — Ben [08:11]

5. Julie’s Reaction & Reflections

• [08:47–11:00]

  • Julie expresses surprise but is gracious and happy for Ben:

  “Yeah, I guess he is the one that got away. But I'm. I'm happy for you in the relationship and. Wow.” — Julie [08:55]

• Ben came out three years prior. When asked if he suspected earlier, he recounts having “inclinations” but not full understanding back then.

  “Well, you know, I had my inclinations, you know, back then I was always kind of a little graceful, you might say, you know, But Julie was really the only one I ever hung out with. And so, you know, I didn't really know. No, I just had feelings at that time.” — Ben [09:18]

• The group jokes fondly about signs from their youth, such as Ben helping Julie with outfits and arranging flowers (“Julie right now is thinking about all the times that he helped her pick out outfits…” [09:39]).

• Julie reiterates her support:

  “Hey, that's okay, you know, that's okay. I'm happy for you.” — Julie [10:03]

• They agree to meet while Ben is in town for Pride.

6. Connection & Closure

• [10:24–11:41]

  • Arrangements are made for Julie and Ben to reconnect during Ben’s Atlanta visit. The show assists with exchanging contact info.
  • The hosts commend Julie’s reaction and reinforce the positive side: her “one that got away” became a true friend with whom she shared precious memories.

  “I just want to commend you for being so cool about it.” — Co-host [10:56]
  "He's someone that's really special to me... as much as I'm a little bit blown away and have to process this, I'm still really happy for him." — Julie [11:00]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He was my first kiss. He was my first just everything. And it never ended. Like, every summer… we couldn't wait to see each other and then we would have this incredible time.” — Julie [01:58]
• “They were a time in my life, you know, you're just growing… at tender ages, we call them. ...She was a real sweetie, you know, she was a first of a lot of things for me.” — Ben [06:37]
• “Well, let's say I have some good news and some bad news. ...the bad news is I'm a big old fag.” — Ben [07:54–08:08]
• “Yeah, I guess he is the one that got away. But I'm... I'm happy for you in the relationship and. Wow.” — Julie [08:55]
• “Well, you know, I had my inclinations, you know, back then I was always kind of a little graceful, you might say, you know... I didn't really know. I just had feelings at that time.” — Ben [09:18]

---

Important Timestamps

• 01:47 — Julie describes her summer romance history with Ben
• 04:07 — How their connection faded as they went to different colleges
• 05:28 — The show surprises Julie by revealing they've found Ben
• 06:11 — Ben and Julie’s first conversation in eight years
• 07:54 — Ben reveals he is gay and coming to Atlanta for Pride
• 08:55 — Julie reacts, expressing happiness for Ben
• 10:24 — Plans made to reunite and exchange contact info
• 11:00 — Julie reflects on her feelings and the surprise

---

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is marked by authentic, light-hearted camaraderie among the hosts, with touches of nostalgia, surprise, and warmth. Both Julie and Ben display maturity and grace, and the hosts handle Ben’s coming out with humor and affection, creating a supportive and inclusive atmosphere.

---

Conclusion

The episode delivers a touching twist on the familiar “one that got away” trope, illustrating how meaningful early connections can transform in unexpected ways. Julie’s journey closes with support and excitement for Ben, while listeners share in a genuine, heartfelt moment of reconnection and self-acceptance — with plenty of laughter along the way.

Transcript

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[Angel Diego]

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[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Get it the bird show. Jen Hobby here. Got the email version of the one that got away a couple of weeks ago. Didn't you say, like, your old high school dude that you dated emailed you to find out where you are and all that?

[Co-host or Commentator]

Yeah, he did. This was, like, a long time ago. I dated him when I was, like, a freshman in high school, so forever ago, and contacted me and wanted to find out what was going on and all that kind of stuff. I'm not sure that it was the whole one that got away thing because I think he knew I was married, but something close like that.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Well, Julie, how are you this morning?

[Julie]

I'm good. Hi, everybody.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Hey. You sound a little. Almost like a little down.

[Julie]

Not a little down. I just. I'm curious and excited. I want you guys to find somebody for me.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Well, tell us the history behind you and this guy. How long ago are we talking?

[Julie]

About six years.

[Co-host or Commentator]

Okay, what's his name?

[Julie]

His name's Ben.

[Ben]

Ben.

[Co-host or Commentator]

Did you.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Okay, go ahead. I'm sorry.

[Julie]

Well, I just. I'm originally from Pennsylvania and he's from Maryland. And every year after school year, family would go down to Maryland, and I would stay for the summer and visit my grandparents. And all through middle school and high school, and we just. You know, he was my first kiss. He was my first just everything. And it never ended. Like, every summer, you know, we couldn't wait to see each other and then we would have this incredible time. And then he went to University of Maryland and I went to Penn State and we really lost contact. And I just, you know, eight years later, I really feel like he may be the one that got away because it was that many years through middle school and high school and we just. Every summer. It was great. It was just amazing.

[Co-host or Commentator]

It was like a country time lemonade commercial.

[Julie]

Yeah, it was just amazing. I mean, and I've had other relationships, but at this point I just kind of wonder.

[Co-host or Commentator]

Jen lives her life in the Hallmark Channel.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

She does, seriously.

[Co-host or Commentator]

But doesn't every single summer and kid. I mean, did you guys have in your mind, like grandparents living on like some in this like small town neighborhood, like by the river and they'd go swimming and stuff, hold hands.

I was still concentrating. The fact that he was the first kiss and first everything. So I wasn't them by down the board walk down by the river drinking a lemonade. I'm sure they did that.

That's where I was. Chasing fireflies in the middle of the.

Night, keeping them in a jar.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

How many summers?

[Co-host or Commentator]

No, those rascally critters got the pie off the windows.

Okay, can we. She's from Pennsylvania, he's from Maryland. I don't know how all of a sudden they're getting.

They go out and shuck some corn in Pennsylvania.

Sorry, Julie.

[Julie]

That's okay.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

How many silver lemonade. Will you shut up for a second? They're British. Julie, how many summers are we talking about?

[Julie]

Well, six summers.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Six summers. Okay, Six summers. And this was eight years ago.

[Julie]

Uh huh.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

All right. And you end up going to Maryland. He goes to Penn State now. You guys never had any interaction outside the summer?

[Julie]

No, the opposite. He went to Maryland, I went to Penn State. And no, no, never. I mean, I went back. I would always go back to school in Pennsylvania. And I mean, you know, we would write letters during the school year and occasionally talk on the phone, but not so much. And then we would just see each other in the summertime.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Okay, so. And finally when he finally broke it to you or you guys realized that you were going to different schools.

[Julie]

Yeah.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

At that point it was over completely.

[Julie]

Well, yeah, I mean, we knew we weren't gonna be able to see each other very much and it just kind of. We kind of lost touch. But we didn't. It wasn't like we had a big falling out or a big, you know, huge breakup or anything.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Okay, am I missing anything here? Should we ask any more questions?

[Co-host or Commentator]

So you haven't heard anything at all, like from his parents, his grandparents?

[Julie]

Uh, u.

[Co-host or Commentator]

Nothing?

[Julie]

No, they moved. I couldn't. They moved. So every time I've gone back to my grandparents house, I can't find him.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

And people change so much, especially at this age. In six or eight years, you know.

[Julie]

Yeah, I mean, I hope not that much.

[Co-host or Commentator]

How old would Ben be right now?

[Julie]

Well, let's see. He'd be the same. He'd be the same age as me. 26.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

26, yeah. Okay.

[Co-host or Commentator]

Okay.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

All right, so we have found Ben.

[Julie]

Yeah, I'm excited.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

All right, I've got him on hold.

[Julie]

Oh my God.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

I don't. Producer Tracy put him on hold. I have no idea. If we called Maryland, if we called right down the street, if we called up near you in Pennsylvania. I have no idea. Nothing. All right, okay, so let's get him on. And Jeff, does he even know what he's coming on for?

[Co-host or Commentator]

He knows why he's coming on. And because of the line she put him on, he now knows knows who he's meeting. Okay, so he knows. He knows everything. He's a know it all.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Hey, Ben.

[Ben]

Hello, guys.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Morning. How are you?

[Ben]

Good morning, how are you?

[Angel Diego]

Good.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Okay, you've been on hold for the last five minutes. So Jeff says you now know everything that's going on.

[Ben]

Oh, yeah.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Well, you want to say hi to Julie?

[Ben]

Julie, Ben. Hey, how are you, babe?

[Julie]

I'm good.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

How are you?

[Ben]

I'm doing very, very well. It's so good to hear your voice.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Now it's been eight years since you guys have talked to each other.

[Ben]

Yeah, eight years. Yeah, absolutely.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Not a word for eight years.

[Ben]

No, one word.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Ben, do you look back at these summers as fondly as Julie does?

[Ben]

Oh, yeah. Well, you know, they were. There was a time in my life, you know, you're just growing, you know, you're just starting to tender ages we call them. You remember? And yeah, she was real sweetie, you know, she was a first of a lot of things for me. Yeah, I think about her. I think about her often.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

I'm hearing a little shinkadik, a do do action there. Hey, Julie, is there anything that you want to ask Ben here? I mean, it's the first time you guys talked in eight years. I mean, you must have a million questions.

[Julie]

Yeah, I have a million questions. Where are you calling from?

[Ben]

I'm in Nashville. I'm in Nashville. They found me in Nashville. I moved here a couple years after graduating with some friends.

[Julie]

Oh, wow.

[Ben]

And I found a good job down here. And just been hanging out and it's been really good. My life is pretty interesting.

[Co-host or Commentator]

How's the wife?

[Ben]

I'm not married. And I understand, Julie, you're in Atlanta.

[Julie]

Uh huh.

[Ben]

Yeah. That's great. Because. Well, let's say I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I am coming to Atlanta.

[Julie]

Uh huh.

[Ben]

And it'll be great to see you. The bad news is I'm a big old fag.

[Co-host or Commentator]

So Ben, what you're saying is you're coming to Atlanta for Pride this weekend?

[Ben]

Yeah, I'm coming to Pride. Me and my partner were coming down. It's my first Pride, you know, situation and it should be, you know, it sounds exciting and I'm loving to come down.

[Co-host or Commentator]

It is gonna be a great.

[Ben]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

When you launched into there's good news and bad news, I knew exactly where you're going with that.

[Ben]

Well, I mean, I mean, bad news.

[Co-host or Commentator]

I mean, I'm glad Ben's in a relationship. I'm just sorry, Julie. It's not, he's not.

[Ben]

Julie's not. Not gonna be the one. But you know, it'd be so wonderful to see her.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Julie.

[Julie]

Yeah.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Upon hearing that for the first time, I guess you probably never saw that coming.

[Julie]

No, I didn't.

[Co-host or Commentator]

He's the one that really got away.

[Julie]

Yeah, I guess he is the one that got away. But I'm. I'm happy for you in the relationship and. Wow.

[Ben]

Thank you, sweetie. Yeah. Yeah, I came out like three years ago.

[Julie]

Wow.

[Co-host or Commentator]

Just curious when you knew. You said you came out three years ago, but did you know maybe during that summertime that you guys were spending together?

[Ben]

Well, you know, I had my inclinations, you know, back then I was always kind of a little graceful, you might say, you know, But Julie was really the only one I ever hung out with. And so, you know, I didn't really know. No, I just had feelings at that time.

[Co-host or Commentator]

Julie right now is thinking about all the times that he helped her pick out outfits for when they were going out, when he wanted to do her hair, how he'd arranged the flowers that they picked out in the fields.

Now he's thinking about it too.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

He's laughing about it.

[Co-host or Commentator]

He's like, oh, yeah.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

And you said you guys celebrated a lot of firsts together.

[Julie]

Yeah, we did.

[Ben]

Yeah, we did.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Yeah.

[Julie]

Hey, that's okay, you know, that's okay. I'm happy for you.

[Ben]

Thank you, sweetie.

[Julie]

I'm really excited. I hope we can see each other this weekend.

[Ben]

I definitely want to see you. I definitely want to see you. There's so much I have to tell you, so I guess so.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

I'd say yeah. When are you coming into town, Ben?

[Ben]

I'm coming in for pride.

[Co-host or Commentator]

Pride.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

So you're coming in tomorrow?

[Ben]

This weekend.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Okay, well, how do you want to handle this? You want me just to give your phone number to Julie when we get off here or.

[Ben]

Absolutely, absolutely.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Okay.

[Ben]

Yes.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Why don't I go ahead and I'll put you on hold. Producer Tracy will pick you up, and we'll start the phone exchange, and we'll continue to talk to Julie.

[Ben]

Great.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Okay. Anything else you want to say, Julie, before we let Ben go?

[Julie]

No, I'll see you this weekend.

[Ben]

Absolutely, sweetie.

[Julie]

Okay.

[Ben]

All right, hold on.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Ben, Producer Tracy will pick you up.

[Co-host or Commentator]

And, Julie, I know that had to be somewhat of a shock. I just want to commend you for being so cool about it.

[Julie]

Yeah, well, I mean, he is someone that's really special to me, so. I mean, as much as I'm a little bit blown away and have to process this, I'm still really happy for him. He's not, you know, I wouldn't kind of, you know, I'm excited for him and he's in a relationship, and that's a. You know, that's great.

[Co-host or Commentator]

You're probably happy for him to hear that news than to hear that he's there.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

I wonder. I wonder which is worse.

[Julie]

I can't compete, so.

[Co-host or Commentator]

Right.

You're not even in the running.

[Angel Diego]

Right.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Exactly. Wow. All right, Julie, that's a lot to take in, so I'll put you on hold. Also, we will get producer Tracy to get you guys to exchange phone numbers and stuff also. Okay, great.

[Julie]

Thanks.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Sorry it didn't work out the way we had all hoped it was going to work out, but at least you'll be reunited with your friend this weekend.

[Julie]

That's okay. Thanks so much for finding him.

[Host (possibly named Jeff or Jason)]

Sure. Get it.

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