The Toast — "Health is Wealth" (October 23, 2025)

Hosts: Claudia & Jackson (filling in for Jackie)
Theme: A lively, Netflix-heavy Thursday episode covering personal updates, weight and body image, pop culture news, TV recaps, and listener advice.

Episode Overview

This episode of The Toast brings listeners an upbeat Thursday dose of pop culture, personal anecdotes, and TV recaps with a noticeable Netflix flavor. With Jackson preparing for her maternity leave and candidly discussing her pregnancy challenges, the conversation centers on health ("health is wealth"), body image journeys, and reflections on weight loss—triggered by Jelly Roll's news. Claudia and Jackson also dive into current Netflix and Hulu offerings, recap the Love is Blind finale, and field two classic "Dear Toaster" listener dilemmas.

Key Discussion Points

1. Personal Updates: Jackson’s Final Week & "Blue Jean Baby"

• Maternity Leave Approaches:
  Jackson faces her (alleged) final week before maternity leave, uncertain whether she'll be back tomorrow or need to "Irish exit" if she goes into labor.
  • [01:07] Jackson: “Like slowly, you know, winding down on Jackson’s final week. Allegedly.”
• SPD & Pregnancy Conversations:
  Jackson shares her recent diagnosis of symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), a painful pregnancy-related condition putting her "on bed rest." Claudia adds her own anecdotes about dealing with coccydynia and how some chronic pain vanishes in pregnancy due to the hormone relaxin.
  • [05:33] Jackson: “I have a real condition, you guys. I can’t ever remember the name of it, but someone diagnosed me on YouTube.”
  • [10:01] Claudia: “Yeah. The hormone called relaxin releases into your body and some people’s, like, chronic illnesses disappear.”
• Body Image Struggles & Blue Jeans Story:
  Claudia details her current body image struggles, stuck at a weight she expected to be temporary, and how buying oversized jeans at Abercrombie as a psychological pick-me-up made her feel "so skinny."
  • [02:43] Claudia: “Highly recommend buying huge pants that you know won’t fit you just so you can be like, yeah, I need to size down.”

2. Netflix Mania: Lockouts and Love for Netflix Shows

• Netflix Household Drama:
  Both hosts rant about being repeatedly locked out of their Netflix household and needing to re-establish their home with emails and codes.
  • [04:38] Claudia: “Like, we’re literally coming from a broken house.”
• Love for Netflix Shows:
  Endorsements for “Love is Blind” and new show “Nobody Wants This,” plus hopes that someone at Netflix is listening to fix their household lockdown issues.

3. NBA & Basketball Riffs

• Both watched the NBA’s season opener (Mavericks vs. Knicks), with banter about the young new Dallas player, basketball’s entertaining chaos, and gendered commentary on sports injuries.
  • [07:08] Claudia: “Jackie, he’s 18 years old. He’s the youngest player to ever play in the NBA.”
  • [08:33] Claudia: “How embarrassing it is to be a basketball player, like, pretending you got hurt. Man the fuck up. You weigh 200 pounds. You’re fine.”

4. Fast 5 Stories

Story 1: Jelly Roll’s 200-lb Weight Loss

• Jelly Roll, the country star, lost over 200 lbs—a milestone both hosts celebrate and reflect on through their own body image experiences. The discussion then shifts to gender double standards around public reactions to weight loss, especially related to meds like Ozempic.
  • [16:36–18:59]
  • [17:04] Claudia: “I’m so happy for him...When you’re really overweight, it needs to be treated as [an addiction].”
  • [17:57] Claudia: “It’s just funny how people talk about it so differently.”
  • [18:25] Jackson: “This weight loss is, like, totally celebrated. Right. I haven’t seen anybody say anything bad. It’s like, everyone’s so happy for Jelly Roll.”
• Double Standards Noted: They compare reactions to celebrity weight loss for men versus women, mentioning Melissa McCarthy and Lizzo as examples where women don’t receive the same unambiguous support.

Story 2: Eddie Murphy’s Netflix Doc

• Netflix will premiere an Eddie Murphy documentary, which both hosts enthusiastically support, listing his elusive private life and comedic legacy as overdue for in-depth treatment.
  • [21:05–22:59]
  • [21:17] Claudia: “Eddie Murphy is the perfect person. He lives such a private life...has this iconic, legendary career that people don’t even really think or know about.”
  • [21:59] Jackson: “This is...a life’s work.”
• Star-studded cast: Expect appearances from Seinfeld, Arsenio Hall, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, and more.

Story 3: Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Returns

• Trailer drops for new season of the cult-favorite reality show, with Claudia scheduled to interview one of the wives (but not her nemesis Michaela). They admire the show’s ability to keep real drama off social media and save it for TV.
  • [27:27–29:35]
  • [28:24] Claudia: “I have actual personal beef with Michaela...on the show, she seems like such a fabis and a mean girl.”
• Quick Kardashian & Hulu Digression: Both lament spoiler-heavy headlines on reality news and the annoyance of not being able to watch new Kardashian episodes immediately.

Story 4: Outer Banks’ Director Accused of Abuse

• News surfaces of the Outer Banks director, Jonas Pat, being physically and verbally abusive towards a female production assistant—claims backed by cast members stepping in.
  • [31:29–33:09]
• The hosts question how such toxic behavior could go under wraps so long on a popular, very public set.
  • [32:18] Claudia: “This is, like, weird...I feel like we would have known about [it]. This is after the fifth season—the first time we’re hearing of this.”

Story 5: Love Is Blind (Full Recap)

• Major Spoiler: For the first time, no one got married in the finale. Claudia and Jackson recap each failed couple, focusing on the emotional Sparkle/Jordan breakup.
  • [35:54–45:49]
  • [36:04] Jackson: “No one got married for the first time.”
• Detailed Analysis of Sparkle & Jordan: Heated debate over whether Sparkle should have compromised her lifestyle for Jordan or if he was too emotionally closed off post-honeymoon.
  • [39:33] Jackson: “You’re Team Jordan. I’m Team Sparkle.”
  • [40:54] Claudia: “I really respect how committed he is to being a father...for him, like, the love was enough and they would figure the rest out.”
  • [41:43] Jackson: “I thought his behavior and his moods were so, like, weird and off and unfair. He was giving her nothing.”
• Claudia holds out hope for a reunion, while Jackson sees Sparkle’s reservations as valid.

5. "Dear Toaster" Segment — Netflix Edition

(Sponsored by “Nobody Wants This” - Netflix)

• Q1: What to bring to boyfriend’s family’s first Shabbat dinner?

  • Kosher wine, flowers, challah (from a kosher bakery), or pretty candlesticks. Avoid bringing main dishes; focus on thoughtful, non-intrusive gifts.
  • [46:56] Jackson: “There are so many things you could bring. This is actually one of my favorite scenes in the show...she botches the gift.”

• Q2: Boyfriend delays purchasing engagement ring, still placing sports bets — should I be annoyed?

  • Claudia: Communication is key, but first, some “plain old snooping” to see if he’s already bought the ring. Don’t make “a big stinkeroo” unless you know.
  • [48:48] Jackson: “I think that’s, like, fair to be frustrated by.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On double standards in weight loss talk:
  [17:57] Claudia: “It’s just so funny how people in the media refer to weight loss for men and women...like, where are the Ozempic rumors?”

• On basketball player theatrics:
  [08:33] Claudia: “How embarrassing it is to be a basketball player, like, pretending you got hurt. Man the fuck up. You weigh 200 pounds. You’re fine.”

• On Eddie Murphy documentaries:
  [21:17] Claudia: “He’s perfect. I was so excited when I saw this. Like, I will be watching 100%.”

• On TV spoilers:
  [30:22] Claudia: “Stop releasing headlines. It’s so annoying...release the episodes.”

• On Shabbat dinner gifts:
  [47:45] Jackson: “Flowers, just like Adam Brody brought for Joanne’s parents.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------|------------| | Jackson's Final Week & SPD | 01:07–06:17| | Claudia’s Body Image & Blue Jeans | 02:23–03:27| | Netflix Household Drama | 04:12–04:57| | NBA/Basketball Riff | 06:38–09:14| | Fast 5 Stories Begin | 16:36 | | Jelly Roll’s Weight Loss & Gender Lens | 16:36–19:53| | Eddie Murphy Doc on Netflix | 21:05–22:59| | Secret Lives of Mormon Wives | 27:27–29:35| | Outer Banks Director Accusations | 31:28–33:09| | Love Is Blind Finale Recap | 35:54–45:49| | Dear Toaster Q&A | 46:56–50:29|

Tone and Closing Remarks

The episode is playful, irreverent, and heavy on witty, self-aware asides about personal lives and pop culture. Claudia and Jackson balance candid health/body conversations with celebrity news, reality TV breakdowns, and goofy riffs. In true Toast fashion, their digressions and banter are part of the charm, even as they move swiftly from topic to topic.

Ending Vibe: Heartfelt, funny, and energized—setting listeners up for a weekend of Netflix and commentary, and (possibly!) Jackson’s maternity leave.

Useful to know:

• Claudia and Jackson's candor about body image and their experience with popular reality TV anchors the episode.
• The Love is Blind recap is spoiler-heavy.
• Listeners get relatable advice on meeting a boyfriend’s family and engagement ring etiquette.
• Much of the conversation is Netflix-centric, both through sponsorship and the hosts’ organic TV obsessions.