Vault: What's it like dating celebrities?

Summary

The Bert Show: Vault – What's It Like Dating Celebrities?

Date: July 16, 2026
Main Theme:
This episode dives into the alluring—and often disappointing—reality of dating celebrities. Listeners call in to recount their personal experiences with famous partners, revealing that the fantasy rarely matches the day-to-day truth. The hosts and callers unpack why people are attracted to celebrities, how celebrity status affects relationships, and whether it's all worth the hype.

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Episode Overview

• Theme: The myth vs. the reality of dating celebrities: Is it glamorous, or are the problems just bigger and more public?
• Purpose: To hear real accounts from people who have dated celebrities, exploring whether the fantasy lives up to expectations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Fantasy of Celebrity Dating

• Hosts and callers acknowledge the fascination with celebrity relationships—glamour, access, and status—but stress that under the surface, celebrities are just people with the same struggles.
• Wendy Birch (00:58):

  "As soon as you get past the shine and as soon as you get past the bragging rights of dating a celebrity, I wonder if at the end of the day you're still having the same damn problems as non-celebrities."

2. Bragging Rights vs. Real Relationships

• Some callers admit the appeal is more about status and story than seeking lasting love.

• Caller 2/Commentator (02:18):

  "Celebrities I wouldn't want a relationship with. I would want a one night stand. I want the bragging rights of saying I slept [with one]..."

• Host and others joke about who would be on their "celebrity list" (02:43-02:49).

3. Callers' Stories: Relationship Realities

• Bobby (03:06):

  • Dated a professional football player for the Atlanta Falcons.

  • Found it "actually the worst relationship I've ever been in" due to cheating and trust issues (03:24–04:19).

  • Bobby (04:24):

    "It didn't [matter] at all. And it's almost harder... In the end, I probably wouldn't have done that in most of my past relationships because I was taking the chance... It just wasn't good. But I learned."

  • On dealing with fame post-breakup (04:55):

    "You get to see him in the headlines on the highlights, and I'm just like... You can't escape it once you're done."

• Ashley (06:41):

  • Dated a baseball player and a country singer; her experience shifted as the sports player became famous and his ego grew.
  • Cheating and arrogance became issues post-fame (06:48–07:17).

• Jennifer (08:07):

  • Dated a big-time Atlanta music producer; saw a dramatic personality change between his public "stage name" persona and private self.
  • Fame brought people constantly seeking favors, social climbing, and even naming pets after himself (09:10).
  • Jennifer (09:29):

    "He wanted me to call him by his stage [name]. No, he did not want me to call him by his real name... And it was crazy."

  • On celebrity world vs. reality (09:32–10:51):

    "It's a little different in the fact that it's not just women. It is everybody... People would throw CDs on our table while we were eating dinner..."

4. The Price of Admission: Lowered Standards & Tolerances

• Callers point out that people accept worse behavior from celebrities than they ever would from a "regular guy".

• Host (07:54):

  "So what we're hearing over and over and over again, for those of you that think that celebrity world is so awesome, it's no different than dating a non-celebrity. And in most cases, it's worse."

• Caller 1/Friend of Wendy (07:42):

  "You put up with more and your standards go way down. Like, you would not date this unattractive guy who's going to treat you like crap normally. So why do you let this other guy do it to you?"

5. Motivations for Pursuing Celebrity Dates

• Hosts ask why people are drawn in: Is it money, fame, physical attraction, or something else? Callers admit some chase celebrity for status and financial reasons (05:59–06:10).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Host (Wendy Birch) [00:58]:
  "If you have dated a celebrity in the past... we want to see if like the fantasy of dating a celebrity is, you know, really what you thought it would be."
• Caller 5 (Bobby) [03:24]:
  "He had the exact same problems as any of my other past relationships have had. And actually, it was even worse."
• Caller 6 (Ashley) [06:46]:
  "Once he got famous, his head just swelled up really big. He started cheating and all this stuff."
• Caller 4 (Jennifer) [09:29]:
  "He wanted me to call him by his stage name... And it was crazy."
• Host (Wendy Birch) [07:54]:
  "For those of you that think that celebrity world is so awesome, it's no different than dating a non-celebrity. And in most cases, it's worse."

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:58–01:39 – Kickoff: Exploring the fantasy vs. the reality
• 03:06–05:22 – Bobby's experience dating a professional athlete
• 06:41–07:17 – Ashley's account: How fame changed her relationship
• 08:06–10:51 – Jennifer's story: The dual lives of a celebrity partner and the circus of attention
• 07:54–08:04 – Hosts summarize recurring theme: It's often worse than non-celebrity dating

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Summary Takeaways

• The so-called glamour of dating celebrities is usually superficial; real-life relationships with famous people can be more challenging due to trust issues, ego, and constant external attention.
• Many callers admit to lowering standards or tolerating bad behavior because of a partner's celebrity status.
• The pursuit of celebrity relationships is often motivated by status, bragging rights, or financial aspirations, but the emotional cost tends to outweigh the fantasy.
• The show's tone is candid and humorous, but all the experiences point back to the core message: A relationship is a relationship, regardless of fame—and, in many cases, celebrity makes things messier.

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For listeners considering their own "celeb crush" fantasies, this episode offers a reality check: Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it—and it might not be all it's cracked up to be.

Transcript

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[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Refreshers contain caffeine. Hey, the Birch show. If you have dated a celebrity in the past, we want to put you on the voice disguiser to see if like the fantasy of dating a celebrity is, you know, really what you thought it would be initially. Because Wendy here's got a couple of friends that locally are celebrity obsessed want to date celebrities. And my thought on the whole thing is as soon as you get past the shine and as soon as you get past the bragging rights of dating a celebrity, I wonder if at the end of the day you're still having the same damn problems as non celebrities. So is it what it's cracked up to be? 404-741-Q100 and I would think even more so.

[Caller 1 (Friend of Wendy)]

I mean, they're normal people. Like celebrities are people. They're not just out in the spotlight for nothing. But yeah, my friends are just obsessed with wanting to date them. They think it's glamorous. They'll wait around for guys on purpose just to hang out with them just once and wait for hours and go to specific places. Just I don't understand. I mean it's a normal person, you know, you wouldn't do that with a normal guy. Just any guy would not do that.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

And I get the luster of the whole thing, man.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

It's going to be limos, it's going to be backstage access. I'm going to be on the set and I'm going to see other big time celebrities. But I still think relationship wise, at the end of the day, it's still a relationship between a man and a woman.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

Yeah, well, I said earlier, I said, yeah, celebrities I wouldn't want a relationship with. I would want a one night stand. I want the bragging rights of saying I slept. Yeah, I want to.

[SpinQuest Announcer]

Slept with.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

Yeah, absolutely. I don't know if I'd use the term I hit that. But, yeah, I would definitely brag about sleeping with a celebrity, but, yeah, I have no interest. Which one?

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

Melissa, Come on. Top of your list.

[Caller 4 (Jennifer)]

You already. You throw around Don Johnson like mad.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

That was my first kiss.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Your hump island list.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

Lord. I mean, that's. Just give me a second and let me narrow it down to five people.

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

Come on.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Here is Bobby. Who wants to be on the Voice disguiser. Hey, Bobby. All right, so really, what we're asking here is dating a celebrity is the fantasy of it? Does it meet the reality of dating a celebrity? 404741. Q100. Bobby, you're on the Voice Disguiser.

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

Hey.

[Caller 4 (Jennifer)]

How are you guys?

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

Okay.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

How are you?

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

Great. Love the show.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Thank you. Now, you don't have to tell us which celebrity if you don't want to, but what arena are we talking about? Are we talking an actor? Are we talking about an athlete?

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

I'm an athlete. I dated a professional football player for the Falcons.

[Caller 1 (Friend of Wendy)]

Okay.

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

And it was definitely a first. It wasn't exactly something I was extremely interested in when I met him, but in the end, it ended up like he was. He had. Of course, he ended up being a cheater, but he has the exact same problems as any of my other past relationships have had. And actually, it was even worse.

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

What made it worse?

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

I guess just the fact that, I mean, I went to a lot of almost all of his games, and, like, he met my whole family, and then we probably dated about six months or

[Caller 4 (Jennifer)]

eight months, and I don't usually introduce

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

anyone to my family unless it's serious and just. And then ended up finding out that he was still dating his ex from back home, who he had been with for about four years, and he just really ended up being someone who I never knew at all. It was actually the worst relationship I ever been in, really.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

At the end of the day, though, it doesn't really matter if he was a celebrity or not. I mean, you could be talking about any ex, right?

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

You're right. It didn't at all. And it's almost harder. I thought it would be. It was actually harder because you can't. I mean, I don't know. I couldn't really trust him, but I did. I was very trustworthy with him and believed almost everything he said. And in the end, I probably wouldn't have done that in most of my past relationships because I was taking the chance. And it wasn't. It just wasn't good. But I learned.

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

And now after the relationship, you get to see him in the headlines on

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

the highlights, and I'm just like, if

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

he gets married, it'll be in the paper.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Yeah. You can't escape it, right?

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

You can't escape it once you're done.

[Caller 6 (Ashley)]

Not at all.

[Caller 4 (Jennifer)]

And, I mean, it was. He was.

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

I mean, he starts and everything, but it was. He's still a rookie, so it's only his second year with them.

[Caller 4 (Jennifer)]

So it was.

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

I thought. I guess I maybe I still thought that part of them was, you know, maybe still in reality that he hadn't

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

maybe been jaded yet.

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

Right.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Well, thanks for calling, Bobby.

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[Caller 1 (Friend of Wendy)]

Rookie, Right. I'm gonna go wait around for him and for his text message. No, I would think it would be even harder, Especially with women throwing themselves at you. Like, for example, my friends will wait around. Like, what if the guy has a girlfriend? I mean, these women will do whatever it takes just to get with somebody.

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

Why do you think it is? Do you think that there are gold diggers or, like, attention whores or skanks? I'm just kidding.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Which category?

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

I was referring to that inside edition

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

club, and Jen's being very nurturing about this.

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

I was referring to that inside edition clip. But really, what do you think it is that they're after? Like, what's the attraction to that?

[Caller 1 (Friend of Wendy)]

Maybe fame. One may be money. I mean, we're all. I mean, my friends are in their early 20s. They, of course, want to be supported in some way. I mean, that's got to be a one factor, at least for one of my friends.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

And she was talking about how she gave a little more leeway to this football player because he's the football player that she wouldn't have given to other guys. I also think it comes to looks, too. Cause I'm thinking. Because in my mind, when you're talking about who I'd sleep with, of course there's so many hotties. But let's say that I was single and Ellen was single. I'm not attracted at all to Ellen.

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

But you know what?

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

One night I'd do it to say that I'd do Ellen.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Sure. You get celebrity bragging rights. Yes.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

I think that you give so much leeway to celebrities that you would never give to. To somebody that you're standing next to.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Ashley, you're on the voice disguiser. Good morning.

[Caller 4 (Jennifer)]

Good morning.

[Caller 6 (Ashley)]

How are you guys?

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Okay. How are you?

[Caller 6 (Ashley)]

Good. I dated a baseball player and a country singer.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

Okay.

[Caller 6 (Ashley)]

The baseball player I was with before, he was famous, as you say. And we dated for about three years. And once he got famous, his head just swelled up really big. He started cheating and all this stuff. But I was with him from the struggle all the way up until he was famous. So there was nothing. You know, I wouldn't say that it

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

would be

[Caller 6 (Ashley)]

dating a famous person, but dating like a regular person.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

Yeah. She didn't get that.

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

You didn't get the perm was a

[Caller 6 (Ashley)]

total jerk right from the get go. Total jerk. And I just fell for the jerk and all that stuff. So I would say women date famous people or try to date famous people for the fame and for the money.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

Yeah.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Like, if you stumble, if you stumble on it, like, to me that would be one thing. But to like seek it out, then you pretty much get what you deserve, I think, because you're willing to take anybody.

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

Right.

[Caller 1 (Friend of Wendy)]

And you put up with more and your standards go way down. Like, you would not date this unattractive guy who's going to treat you like crap normally. So why do you let this other guy do it to you?

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

Because he can sing well. Right.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

So what we're hearing over and over and over again, for those of you that think that celebrity world is so awesome, it's no different than dating a non celebrity. And in most cases, it's worse.

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

Yeah.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Hey, Jennifer, you're on the Voice Disguiser.

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

Hi.

[Caller 4 (Jennifer)]

I dated a big time Atlanta music producer for about a year and a half and it was just like a whole other world when we'd be at home. When I first met him, I met him through a mutual friend who artist of his that I went to high school with. And so the first couple times I met him wasn't like a really low key, you know, just me and mutual friends. So he was one person. He was, he was, you know, I called him by his real name. And then we, the first time we ever went anywhere, he went by his stage name, which that's what the world knows him as. And he was the most ridiculous person I've ever met. It was like a completely different person. All of a sudden he was like, I can't even explain it. He was like this other person. And people will be like, oh my gosh, he's so awesome. I'd be like, that's not even who he really is. And then, you know, the first time I ever went to his house, I kind of realized the depths of the situation that he had named all his pets after himself. That is awesome.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Now, outside the celebrity world, Wendy, if you have a first date and you go over to a dude's house and he has two dogs and a cat, and they're all named after him, that's it. You never see that dude ever again.

[Caller 1 (Friend of Wendy)]

Hell, no. No way.

[Caller 4 (Jennifer)]

It's one of those situations where you don't know what to say. I mean, someone says, this is my

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

dog, and he named it after himself.

[Caller 4 (Jennifer)]

I mean, it's hard to call a dog the same name you're calling. And he wanted me to call him by his stage. No, he did not want me to call him by his real name because that's what everybody calls him. I'm like, yeah, but not me. I'm not calling you that. And it was crazy. We would go out and. I mean, just the people. Because when you're dealing with a music producer, it's a little different in the fact that it's not just women. It is everybody. Because not just everybody wants to date him. People want to know him because they want him to sign them. They want free studio time. They want. You know, they're friends of other artists. They're this person. I mean, he would. He would be out everywhere, and people would. People would throw CDs on our table while we were eating dinner and be like, dude, please just listen to it for five minutes. We'd be going to the car, and they would. You know, they would drive up and they'd be like, let me sing for you for three seconds. And I'd be like, really? I went on a date right now?

[Caller 3 (Interviewer/Commentator)]

Yeah. They're like, we gotta get to Target someplace.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

So how long did the relationship last?

[Caller 5 (Bobby)]

Like, a year and a half.

[Caller 4 (Jennifer)]

You know, at about a year. My mom was like, you cannot do this anymore. Because she. Like, even my. He would want my mom to call him by his stage name. This is crazy. It's not. This is not going to work out.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

All right, so we got a reoccurring theme here happening. And I still got five lines lit up that we could all go to, all saying the same thing, which is basically, be really careful what you ask for because you just might get it. It's not no different.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

And she.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

And it's worse.

[Caller 2 (Commentator)]

And I don't know if she would have dated him a year and a half if he wasn't a musical celebrity.

[Host (Wendy Birch)]

That's true.

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[Host (Wendy Birch)]

Refreshers contain caffeine.