Interrupted by Matt Jones: Episode 33 – Relationship Advice

Date: March 19, 2026
Podcast: Interrupted by Matt Jones (iHeartPodcasts)
Host: Matt Jones
Guest: Shannon "the Dude"

Overview

In this special episode, Matt Jones invites his longtime colleague and friend, Shannon "the Dude", to co-host a candid, humorous, and surprisingly insightful episode focused entirely on relationship advice. Both single and in their 40s, Matt and Shannon field real listener questions covering everything from talking to exes and joint checking accounts to more complicated issues like libido mismatches and knowing when to end a relationship. Their banter is lively, honest, and never short of laughs, but there are genuine insights beneath the irreverent tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Can You Talk to Your Exes While in a Relationship? ([06:17])

• Shannon's View: Jealousy is expected in a relationship; “I have never had a girlfriend that was fine with me talking to an ex... but I actually think that's good, that you have a little bit of jealousy in your relationship.” ([06:23])
• Matt's View: Opposite perspective – maintains friendships with exes (except the one who cheated). “[...] If I wanted to be with that person from the past, well, then I would. But I’m not going to give up my friendship.” ([07:44])
• Memorable Quote: Matt, recalling an old church member, Hope Cox: “She knows the good wood from the brush.” ([09:05])

2. Preferring Time Alone vs. Constant Companionship ([10:03])

• Matt: Prefers significant alone time. Entertains the idea of a "long-distance marriage" or living in separate houses part of the week.
• Shannon: Opposite personality, dislikes being alone—calls himself “kind of codependent.” “[...] I hate being in an empty house without, you know, a companion there.” ([11:22])
• Advice: Know your own needs and don’t force a traditional model that doesn’t fit.

3. The Widow’s Pension Dilemma ([13:28])

• Situation: Listener asks whether to wait six years to marry so partner can keep her widow’s pension.
• Both agree: Decision should come down to what the widow wants; “If the woman wants to go ahead and get married and you really love her, you just have to go ahead and do it. You can't go 'Let’s make this a financial decision.'” ([14:01])

4. Separate Bedrooms – Can a Relationship Survive Snoring? ([15:05])

• Matt: Sleeping together is overrated as a symbol of love. “When I'm in bed, I don't want to. I can't have anything touching me when I try to sleep.” ([16:21])
• Shannon: Finds deep relationship connection in sleeping together. Shares a wild story of a girlfriend’s mom who slept on the closet floor.
• Both: Practical solutions—consider medical help for snoring, but don't let bed arrangements define intimacy.

5. How to Move Past the “Talking Stage” ([23:43])

• Matt: “It's not gonna happen.” Once you’re in the friend zone, rare to shift the dynamic. ([23:48])
• Shannon: Only chance is to be direct about your feelings, knowing you may risk the friendship.

6. Joint Checking Accounts ([26:24])

• Shannon: Prefers to keep finances separate; “I would have to have a separate banking account. I don't like joint bank accounts.” ([26:26])
• Matt: Recommends joint accounts if one partner doesn’t work; otherwise, a shared account for bills but separate otherwise for independence.

7. Keeping the Physical Spark Alive ([29:41])

• Matt: Honesty and communication are crucial. “If you eat grilled chicken every night... you have to find a way to make spices so it's different grilled chicken.” ([31:06])
• Shannon: Maintain “chase and mystique.” Keep some mystery and privacy even after years together—"Close the door when you use the restroom." ([31:27])
• Both: Avoid over-familiarity and routine for lasting attraction.

8. If Your Partner Gets Pregnant – What Now? ([32:47])

• Matt: Support the woman; her opinion is most important.
• Shannon: Be present and active in both her life and the child’s, especially if long-distance.

9. Should You Get a Prenup? ([36:38])

• Matt: Big advocate for prenups for everyone—“A prenup is just an agreement as to how, if things fall apart, how you’re going to handle it.” ([38:11])
• Shannon: Compares it to “marriage insurance;” argues it keeps things clean and clear, regardless of wealth.

10. Knowing When to End It ([40:55])

• Matt: “It should end when your life is not better with the person than it would be without.”
• Shannon: Don’t stay simply for the other person’s happiness; prolonging a dead relationship makes things harder for both.

11. Mismatched Libidos ([46:00])

• Question: Listener's wife wants sex more than he does—what to do?
• Shannon: Jokes about commercials, but lands on “might want to see a doctor.”
• Matt: Honest conversation is key, and accept that needs may change as partners age; communication is essential.

12. Losing Interest After a Year ([50:12])

• Matt: If interest is gone at 22 after a year, “you gotta go.” You can keep the memories without prolonging a relationship that’s run its course.

13. What Would It Take for Matt or Shannon to Get Married? ([52:02])

• Shannon: Would need to be “100% all in—somebody I can't see my future without.” ([52:17])
• Matt: Hasn’t felt ready for a long time, now perhaps closer, but needs someone he wants to be with “sometimes, five days a week, not in the same bed when we're sleeping.” ([53:07])
• Both: Caution against marrying too young; recommend waiting until 30s or 40s if possible.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Hope Cox Wisdom:
  “She knows the good wood from the brush.” (Matt Jones quoting Hope Cox, 09:05)
• On the Talk/Friend Zone Trap:
  “Once you’re in that zone, you’re not crossing it, in my opinion.” (Matt Jones, 23:48)
• On Sleeping Together:
  “When I'm in bed, I can't have anything touching me.” (Matt Jones, 16:21)
  “One of the deepest connections in a relationship you can have... is sleeping with someone.” (Shannon, 17:06)
• Humorous Anecdote:
  Shannon describes a high school girlfriend whose mother slept in the closet, not even in a bed.
  “If I were you, I would have broken up with that girl immediately. There is trauma there.” (Matt Jones, 17:56)
• On Relationship Endings:
  “If you are not happy, then you’re doing it to make the other person happy. They’re gonna know... you're not doing them any favors in the long run.” (Matt Jones, 42:05)
• On Split Finances:
  “If you’re going through and looking at every single thing that this person’s buying, that’s gonna cause a long term problem...” (Shannon, 29:34)
• On Marriage:
  “Have fun in your 20s. Once you get into your 30s and 40s, then if you want to start settling down, go for it.” (Shannon, 54:24)
• On Growing Older:
  “The amount of options you have will go down for various reasons... If there are ever years to just try things, those are the years.” (Matt Jones, 51:59)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Intro & Episode Context – [01:47]
• Single in Your 40s & “Qualifications” for Advice – [02:48–05:14]
• Can You Talk to Exes? – [06:17–09:28]
• Alone vs. Companionship – [10:03–12:49]
• Widow’s Pension Dilemma – [13:28–15:04]
• Sleeping Apart/Partner Snores – [15:05–19:07]
• Moving from Friends to Romance – [23:43–25:44]
• Joint Checking Accounts – [26:24–29:34]
• Keeping the Spark Alive – [29:41–32:43]
• Pregnancy: What Now? – [32:47–34:05]
• Listener: Am I Doing Life Wrong? – [40:13]
• Knowing When to End a Relationship – [40:55–42:39]
• Libido Differences – [46:00–50:10]
• Losing Interest at 22 – [50:12–51:22]
• What Would It Take for Marriage? – [52:02–54:44]

Tone & Style

Matt and Shannon oscillate between humor and genuine vulnerability, poking fun at traditional expectations (“move over Delilah”), sharing odd personal stories, but always circling back to the heart of the question with grounded, if unconventional, honesty.

Summary

Matt Jones and Shannon “the Dude” deliver a refreshingly real, often funny, and sometimes touching episode about relationships, based on personal experiences and listener input. Far from cookie-cutter “love doctors,” their advice is pragmatic, self-aware, and shaped by their bachelor lives and the hard lessons learned from their own (and their parents’) relationship histories. Whether you’re married, single, or somewhere in between, you’ll find something to recognize, laugh with, or ponder from the candid advice shared in this lively episode.