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Nick Viall
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Natalie Joy
In all states ever notice how ads always pop up at the worst moments.
Iris
When the killer's identity is about to.
Natalie Joy
Be revealed during that perfect meditation flow on amazon music we believe in keeping you in the moment that's why we've got millions of ad free podcast episodes so you can stay completely immersed in every story every reveal every breath download the amazon music app and start listening to your favorite podcasts ad free included with prime this episode is sponsored by mint mobile and we have an especially exciting announcement we want to hear your.
Nick Viall
Scorching hot takes that's why we've partnered with mint mobile to open a hot takes hotline where you can give us your reality tv takes give us your.
Natalie Joy
Hot takes thoughts and theories and we'll read and react to the best ones on an upcoming reality recap episode we.
Nick Viall
Want to hear your scorching hot reality tv takes we know so many of you listening have some amazing takes of your own and we want to start hearing from you and sharing them on our show all you have to do.
Natalie Joy
Is call one eight five five mint tlk or if you prefer the numbers that's eight five five six four six eight eight five five and leave us a voicemail again just call eight five five six four six eight eight five five and leave us a message this summer don't get burned by your old wireless bill make the switch to mint mobile get three months of unlimited premium wireless service for fifteen bucks a month at mintmobile dot com v that's mint mobile dot com vil upfront payment of forty five dollars required equivalent to fifteen dollars a month limited time new customer offer for first three months only speeds may slow above thirty five gigab taxes and fees extra cmit mobile for details.
Iris
You'Re crazy.
Nick Viall
What'S going on everybody welcome back to a special episode of the vile files going deeper with iris and pepe we have a great episode lined up for you to get to know one of your favorite couples from love island iris and pepe a little bit better but before we get to them super exciting announcement yesterday my wife is the host of a new netflix reality tv dating show we both are for sure yes we are definitely hosting age of attraction coming soon on netflix not sure how soon but it will be coming soon and we're super excited but i just think it's great i don't think people realize how bright my wife's star is i've been telling y' all i'm really proud of her it was.
Natalie Joy
Really fun i'm so excited for everyone to see it it was such a crazy cool experience and it was so fun to get to do it with you and you know the cast was really great crew was really great that's.
Nick Viall
What we were doing in vancouver that's.
Natalie Joy
What we were doing in vancouver for everyone who was wondering i think it's.
Nick Viall
Gonna be a hit maybe i'm biased but i was there you know you never really know when you show up and do these things as the hosts of show you're of service to the show some really talented people created this show and came up with this idea and we were happy to be a part of it but you never really know at first but guys i think you're gonna love it it's really good i think it's gonna you got some drama you got some like amazing awkward moments you got some beautiful love stories i think it has it all and we're excited to be a part of it and i'm just excited i going forward you guys can just refer to me as nally joy's husband i will probably be that you did a great.
Natalie Joy
Job thanks babe so did you it.
Nick Viall
Was so fun i just keep thinking about like when we met and obviously you loved your career in healthcare but now you're the host of a netflix.
Natalie Joy
No it's crazy.
Nick Viall
People need to start paying more attention to you that's all i'm saying anyways without further ado let's get to the couple you guys have been waiting to hear we loved hearing more about them i think you will.
Natalie Joy
Too this has been been a very busy week obviously we've had a ton of love island stars on the show.
Nick Viall
So be sure to check out all of our love island episodes this week there's a lot of them taylor and.
Natalie Joy
Clark on tuesday chris sealy on wednesday.
Nick Viall
I thought that was a fantastic episode with a really great guy and i think you guys should listen to that.
Natalie Joy
Episode amaya papaya and brian on thursday and today iris and pepe you guys.
Nick Viall
Are ready to rock and roll yeah we're excited to be with you guys like we just want to we love to like have these conversations always like like we just want to get to know you guys like we've been such fans of you guys both as individuals i think you guys kind of shocked the world we were like you know what god damn they do look good together but thank you we were as caught off guard as iris you know what i'm saying like you know yeah yeah but yeah thanks for taking the time we're huge fans of both of you how you always like to start these conversations like how are you guys feeling how are you acclimating to back to reality it's got to be such.
Natalie Joy
A mind trip iris how are you feeling of being like the twenty fifteen it girl brandy melville i tumblr era.
Iris
I love it i feel like it's it caught my vibe so like people understand me and i like i couldn't have asked for anything better like you know to be perceived that way i think it's so cool it's iconic how'd.
Nick Viall
You guys end up on the show were you fans like what was that.
Pepe
Process like i had never seen the show before oh shit i posted it my friends were telling me you should start doing social media and i was never really into it and they pushed me into it and i posted a tiktok and it kind of went viral and then i got hit up from.
Natalie Joy
The show and damn off one tiktok what was the tiktok was your dick.
Nick Viall
You'Re like i am really good at this holy shit you know what it.
Pepe
Was the worst tiktok i could have possibly ever posted that have been posted about me now i'm like wow i don't know why this one ever did.
Natalie Joy
Good are you so i'm guessing you're aware of the like daddy's home the like edits of pepe that are everywhere the babies all right yes i just.
Nick Viall
Want to say that as soon as you walked into the villa pepe i was like i like this guy he's legit uh natalie not that she didn't like you but she wasn't so sure you know bombshells when they walk in we're always like it's very high school we're very standoffish like who's this new person yeah yeah you know what i.
Pepe
Thought it was going to be like that in the villain it wasn't so.
Iris
It was for me it was for.
Nick Viall
You same same more iris what do you mean by that you know when.
Iris
I first walked in i feel like the girls were like who's this new girl you know like why is she talking to my man and i was like i just want to get to know everybody i just want to talk to everybody even if you're my friend because if you don't talk to people you're walking around the villa and you're like hi and it's just like awkward so i wanted to just have a simple conversation and i feel like i couldn't even freaking do that because everyone was like getting so pressed about it.
Natalie Joy
Yeah and then you were set up for failure with america being petty as.
Iris
Hell yeah and i was a sacrificial.
Nick Viall
Yeah what did that feel like in real time like how aware were you of the whole huda and jeremiah relationship and drama and yeah like you were literally like the sacrificial lamb being thrusted in to being like you know what fudge it let's just pair her with ira let's just pair them with iris they look good together and like we're were you like afraid and like in the moment were you like what the fuck is going on and how do i how do i handle this yeah.
Iris
I was afraid i was like i don't know what to think of this i don't know why america is doing this i because i had i kid you not a five or fifteen maybe minute conversation with jeremiah that was it nothing else happened and then next thing you know i'm paired up with him so i'm like why did this happen do they see something that i'm not seeing should i explore but then i was like wait wait no i think i know why they did this and i we i would just hear hoda and jeremiah like fight but then they would be in love and then they would fight and then they'd be in love so i was like i don't know what's going on here i just got here and i'm just like i'm just gonna go explore someone else the.
Natalie Joy
Viral that's my dream date great and he knows that were you kind of like obviously y' all had done other things on that date were your was your mindset kind of like i'm gonna make it it like just the most bare bones like we just sat on the beach and like it was just like not it really wasn't that big.
Nick Viall
Of a deal were you like oh i should have told her we went kayaking.
Iris
Yeah jeremiah like is scared of kayaking scared the whole thing he was freaking out the whole time and i was just like i'm just gonna say like i think i think i did say the kayaking thing but i think it got clipped out okay but i i was just also just it was just a very like kind of friendly vibe i feel like i didn't know what it what it looks like but for jeremiah and i we were just like screwing around on the kayak and like laughing and just it was definitely like friendly vibes yeah that definitely it.
Natalie Joy
Portrayed that way.
Nick Viall
Was it the dream date that huda thought not not not i know it was more friend vibes but the date itself was it like as a was it like kind of.
Iris
Dreamy yeah i mean the date was really fun like we got to own a kayak under a bridge and like there was no cameras because we were on the water we had no microphones on either so we were just like.
Natalie Joy
Spilling all the tea we were just.
Iris
Like laughing and stuff but then we got to like the little beach area where we had the drinks and they they asked us they were like what drinks do you guys want and separately and i said oh i'll have a beer like i'm i'm on the beach and then he got a champagne and so when we were sitting there with this i was like oh my god i'm drinking a beer alone like this is she's a cool girl so funny.
Nick Viall
Iris how did you end up on.
Iris
The show well i got scouted for the show like pepe and i i wanted just to like i thought of it as like a social experiment like my person's in here and i'm gonna go find my person and you know they they're putting if they put me in there they're probably putting someone in there for me and this is a once in a lifetime experience and i want to find love and it was just like a very exciting thing for.
Nick Viall
Me yeah i think people were really drawn to you i saw just you know just online in general you know you were a bombshell you had the whole at jeremiah ordeal and then for a while yeah it kind of felt like you were just like being bounced around kind of like helping other narratives but like you never seemed really bothered by any of it right and i think you know you have this such unique character about you from a show standpoint where it's like if it's not drama we're not enjoying it so to speak a lot of times like normal nice people that we like want to fudge with in real life we're like not sure we want to watch on tv but like the longer you were there people were just kind of more drawn to this kind of effortless confidence that you always portrayed you you really seem to be like someone everyone went to console with you you saw over time the relationships you made with the other women where that where did that kind of come from in in terms of like how you moved on the show you you really seemed like more than anyone someone who really cared themselves well but was consistent with how you carried yourself outside of the villa um.
Iris
Well i would have to say first of all thank you for saying that i i would have to say that i have always been like that like i've always hated drama i've always been one hundred percent on my friends and i've my my some all my friends i've i've never fought with ever and i'm still friends with them to this day since i was in like fourth grade and i just feel like it comes from like the way i grew up almost like my dad he would always say like what comes around goes around like you don't need to be mean and vengeful and you don't need to you know get back at people like their karma will come to them and it's not really like your place to give them that karma and so the way i was thinking about things is like okay i'm just gonna be myself i'm gonna focus on myself i'm gonna be nice to everybody because that's who i am and that's what my morals are and if someone does something up then i'm going to that that will come back to them and and whatever way it does you know so that's just kind of my my beliefs.
Nick Viall
I mean that sounds i mean yeah that's that sounds great like you well what i'm hearing is like you don't make other people's problems your problems and i think a lot of us do that right like someone's dramatic someone like does something and we just decide to be bothered by it we decide to be offended by it you know and you like okay well you know yeah.
Iris
I also like grew up with sisters so like there's nothing that someone who doesn't even really know me can say to me that will hurt me yeah i have people that have known me my whole life like my sisters and they say things to me and i'm like you know it can't get worse.
Nick Viall
Than that where do you where do you fall in line are you oldest youngest middle i'm the oldest yeah all right how many sisters do you have two all right is this the three of you just all sisters no brothers.
Natalie Joy
No brothers okay yeah pepe did you know going into it that you would be walking in in tiny leather shorts.
Pepe
When when i first flew to fiji no okay okay of getting onto the show yes okay and that was a that was a stressful day right that was a stressful morning right there just trying to figure out how am i gonna walk in without my mother looking at me and saying i cannot believe this is what he signed up for.
Nick Viall
Yeah is it like do you do you walk differently like did you try like you know it's like.
Iris
You walk.
Pepe
With as much confidence as you can and you just hope that the second my mom saw me on the screen wearing what i wore that she turned.
Natalie Joy
It off is that i mean yeah it's a quite like is your parents is your like grandparents is any of that like in the back of your head when you're doing any of these challenges when you're i thought it was.
Pepe
Going to be in the challenges in like the day to day but the second i walked in i think for both of us since you kind of liked out i think the second we both walked in like that i was like well i don't think you can get worse than this i guess.
Natalie Joy
Killed it though yeah you did y' all.
Nick Viall
Did i'm curious like obviously your guys's relationships got together at the end and i'd love to hear from both of you and i'd love to hear from pepe first because at least the way we saw it pepe it kind of looked like maybe you had some eyes for iris much sooner than you showed it you know like that you know right after tj died kidding rip you were you were like hey my bed's open and which i thought was smooth.
Pepe
Differently but okay no i'll say i'll say this you know we we walked in together and we were doing the the be the bta the behind the scenes things and yeah i thought she was beautiful i mean she she is beautiful and then i got to when we're in the villa we got to finally get to talking between me her and jalen the three bombshells that walked in and we just kept debriefing and i continue to realize like she is amazing and i don't know if it was i haven't seen this episodes yet but i kept saying she's a she's a badass woman has an amazing head on her shoulders she's got her figured out she's beautiful and she's sweet and from what it looked like from the way she was taking care of me and jalen and the way we were taking care of her she was caring so yeah from the beginning i always thought she was an amazing woman it was just you know the unspoken rule of bombshells don't explore bombshells so you just you know you put her in a little box you say all right well you're over there go go enjoy i'll be here to take care of you and so that bed scene was like you know it was more of like take taking care of her it was just like the us holding hands would leave us kind of hugging when when we were sad it was just yeah it turned into a very like a friendship of just caring and just honestly wanting each other to be happy.
Iris
Okay like i think we found comfort in each other like during those times.
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Nick Viall
Your head on a pillow every night and like stop just going to like whatever store and and just like doesn't.
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Pepe
Knock knock who's there amazon music amazon music who amazon music where prime members can listen to top comedy podcasts ad free no awkward interruptions just non stop laughs from your favorite shows it's free it's funny and hey it's better than.
Nick Viall
My knock knock jokes download the amazon.
Pepe
Music app and let the good times roll or go to amazon dot com.
Nick Viall
Ad freecomedy that's amazon dot com ad.
Pepe
Freecomedy to catch up on the latest episodes without the ads yeah i mean.
Nick Viall
It'S obviously like it is the show right you you you can only date the people who are in the villa and things move fast but obviously iris you had your relationship with tj and even you seem to be like close with with tj and even like right before tj went home you and tj had like a heart to heart and you complimented tj about the relationship with iris like how how did you just like work that mentally you know because again you seem like a really respectful guy really upfront guy like you you really move with what seems like a lot of character so how how did you navigate that where it's just like well it is love island iris is here like you know like what was that thought process like it was really.
Pepe
It was very hard honestly because you know i always wanted to take care of iris just like i wanted to take care of jalen just like they were taking care of me and whoever they were with kind of you want to take care of them as well so i got very close to tj because i cared for iris and i wanted her to be happy but when he when he left it was it was tough because you know i will say it just again i put her in this little box so i kind of left all my emotions about how i felt about her out and again i just wanted to take care of her but the more we got to talk one on one and just kind of be together i was like well i i you know that box kind of kept opening up and i was like i kind of i really like this girl so you know it started in like a comforting her and just making sure that she was okay and and then again you start letting those emotions kind of fall into place and you're like well you know it is it is tough and i'm sure we'll end up having to talk to tj like this is what i'm thinking inside like we'll have to talk to him afterwards but in the moment i just wanted to be able to enjoy time and you know we're still there so i think we had that conversation with each other like we're still here let's just you know see what happens and just enjoy every moment and it ended.
Natalie Joy
Up being amazing yeah we did interview tj after he left the villa and he did express some like surprise and shock when you didn't stand behind him what was your reasoning for not you.
Pepe
Know it i from what i've been seeing it didn't get portrayed taylor was there for me from literally the first day i walked in i said earlier here that when i walked in i thought it was going to be very high school clique ish everybody was going to you know i was going to sit around the bonfire with the boys and they were all going to like move to the other side and we don't want you around us yeah but taylor was the one that made me feel very comfortable in that situation and he kept it that way the entire time he was the third person that i called i called my family and my friends then i called my best friends and then i called him he reached out to me and just to see like hey dude how are you how you doing how are you feeling and so it's that i built a very strong friendship with him from the literally the moment i walked in so it was it was a tough decision you know because i i respect tj and he's an amazing guy i respect irish she's an amazing woman and i was taking care of her and caring for her the whole time i was there so it's like like what do you what do you do you know and then i had grayson on the other side where i'm like you know i just kind of ended things with her and i want her to continue this experience but it's like i can't save three people yeah yeah no i.
Nick Viall
Mean they they they love putting you guys in difficult positions that you know.
Pepe
Of course yeah it was just kind of i went with my heart and i went with my gut i saw what taylor and clark had and i was like you know what taylor you've been there for me literally since the day i walked in i don't think i would have lasted in the villa the first three days if it wasn't for taylor and there's no way of repaying people other than in the villages i guess saving them if you want to say that word so that was my way of repaying him was hey dude you know what if it wasn't for you i think i would have wanted to walk out of here so i want you this was my way of showing him i've told him many times but this was my way of finally showing him and saying dude i love you for for everything you've done for me and i appreciate you and sorry you know it's a tough decision no matter what but you know it's.
Natalie Joy
One you have to make iris regarding that situation did you feel blindsided at all by any of the women not.
Iris
Standing behind tj i definitely did i thought you know my my girlfriends would stand behind tj and i and i know it's a hard decision to make during those times because it's like a quick one you know you have to decide and then stand behind that person and i was upset i definitely kept to myself for the next couple days and i was crying and like very very emotional and then i you know i was like there's no i'm not gonna keep being like this like i need to just focus on like i have one week left here and i just need to like forgive and forget not forget forget forgive i think is like what i wanted to do but i definitely expressed to them like this that i didn't like that you know that it was it hurt my feelings.
Nick Viall
How did they how did they receive.
Iris
That they were like i'm so sorry this is why i did this i really wanted to stand behind you i really did but this is my reasoning for why i stood behind taylor or why i stood behind austin or you know whoever it was you know i was definitely like shocked that i thought at least one of them would so did i and i thought it would be ciara because i would spend most of my time with her and talked to her like very closely about my feelings with tj at the time and for her to like stand behind taylor i was like i was very confused but i i didn't honestly really get her reasoning why besides that she just wanted to support nick but it definitely.
Nick Viall
Like it hurt have have you have you been able to catch up with ciara since you've been back i haven't spoke to sierra okay yeah the internet saw a photo a video a video.
Natalie Joy
A little tmz video tmz shout out.
Nick Viall
Of tj what it appeared to be walking up to your place are you able to shed some light on that interaction that conversation yeah absolutely yeah so.
Iris
I was when i was in the villa the whole time i was thinking like i you're mic'd up you can't like really spill your heart out and like say things that you really want to say or like you don't know is this real like is this fake or like is this villa or is it real life or you know you just want to say things that you feel like you can't or you're thinking things and like i really felt like i needed to have that closure with him and you know meet up with him in person and like i owe him a conversation and i owe him an explanation for my feelings and how i feel and i wanted to hear what he thought and how he feels because i know that we were both going through it and it was tough and things probably looked like it moved really quickly but in our time it was a lot of space and then i had a connection with pepe but it looked like the next episode for everyone else so i think that that's what i wanted to but he knew that i think he he understood that.
Nick Viall
How it works yeah i mean we we got a chance to talk to him and and no surprise he he mentioned that obviously he was a little hurt and sad but he was very respectful you know like again they put you guys into these impossible situations where like america's like what are you gonna do because we're gonna hate it you know like we're gonna like we're gonna talk so yeah but he seemed totally respectful and cool did you feel like positive terms where you're in a position to like still be friends absolutely like.
Iris
Tj is a great guy he's so mature he's amazing he's the sweetest guy and he made my beginning of my villa experience like all of the craziness that i went through i was like this was really fun you know like i had so he he's just amazing and like we will always have a.
Natalie Joy
Friendship but like right now you're you're you're booed up you're you're taken right now you know yeah what about what.
Nick Viall
About you pepe have you had a chance to to talk to your boy.
Pepe
Tj i haven't i honestly i haven't spoken to outside of last night running into a couple of the people from the villa i've just been really focusing on being being home and being present with my family that's awesome yeah and my dog and just relaxing you know.
Nick Viall
What'S the name of your dog yeah.
Pepe
Rex rex just being with him relaxing with my family and just make sure to take care of of that side of it obviously this has been overwhelming so kind of just put the phones away and just said let me enjoy the time that i can have with my family and then you know and then do things like this today knowing that i got to at least explain everything to them and tell them everything and now when they watch it and they hear it from you they they got it to hear it first i think that's a respectful thing to do with your family and friends you know.
Natalie Joy
One hundred iris huda had some things to say about you in the villa did she end up coming to you and telling you the things she said or did you only hear about them.
Iris
After i only heard about them after but she did say to me before we left she's like and kind of well like direct during she's like listen i said some things in the beginning but i love you now and you're my girl so i just want you to know that and be prepared for that and you know what i know her personality now and she says things on the top of her head and she'll just say it but i know that she has a really big heart and she's very kind and loving and i just was like i'm not gonna take this personally because she probably didn't know how to process her emotions and she was just saying you know what she was feeling like this girl's stealing my man this is how she reacted to it but i think i actually feel like i taught her this is not the right way to express yourself i think you should think about what you're saying before you say it because that can permanently tarnish friendships if they're not like me who's gonna push it over my shoulders so i think i was able to tell her that and i feel like she grew from this experience one hundred percent yeah i feel.
Nick Viall
Like that you you could you could almost see it you know in real time i i'm i i wonder how much she knew about this show or not and like as a yeah but like as a you know reality tv you know fans are well they're always hypocritical right it's like we we want authentic people and then we we just want to bash them for being authentic you know and the most entertaining part is when people are are reacting thinking they're not being recording you know it's like we don't want to see people being self aware and saying they just want craziness yeah like you know that's that's totally chill like poem for a chat i'm totally cool with that it's like whatever you know and then we want to criticize so but you saw someone like huda like seemingly want to learn in real time you know it's hard it's hard to change overnight but she seemed to be conscious of that of of of having some growth all that being said were you i mean when when she back to the whole america being petty when she was like basically like and jeremiah's not even attracted to her and like that were like were you self aware enough to realize that was just kind of coming from like it wasn't about you and like kind of like a hurt people hurt people in that moment obviously she had every reason to feel the immense feelings that she felt in that moment yeah.
Iris
I think you know for me i was just she's she's hurt you know she has feelings and she really liked this guy and then you know they had like a really strong connection they were sleeping in a bed with each other every night she was locked in a hotel room by herself thirty days or whatever prior to being on the show so it's like she did build a really strong connection with him and i think that for me i knew that it wasn't it was it was coming from a place of hurt and a place of he chose her door and not mine you know and i think i just took it with a grain of salt and i was like i know that she she said that but i know that there is somebody like she does deserve love and she does deserve someone that's going to i think she could i could see potential in like her and i just knew that they were probably not right for each other both of them like i cared about jeremiah as well and his.
Natalie Joy
Connection y' all didn't get to go to the hideaway like we all wanted but can you do you want to debrief anything with us maybe about the two of you in your journey you.
Iris
Know is the journey thing like a thing like do people know about the.
Natalie Joy
Journeys the journeys how many journeys did.
Iris
You go on we didn't go on a journey we just the only time like we can go under the covers is just like sometimes to well we definitely like kiss under the covers but like we would also like talk under there too and just be like you know like hey okay okay so you.
Natalie Joy
Have nothing to debrief with us now okay.
Nick Viall
What conversations have you two been able to have in terms of like you know what you've learned from past relationships and things like that like i don't need you guys to like talk about exes or you know but so much about meeting someone new is about just kind of like have you had your heart broken before you know have you you done some shit that maybe you had to learn from you know jeremiah came on the show and talked about how his infidelity and how that was a big moment of his life and how he he really learned a lot from that and we loved his accountability when it came to stuff like that like i'd love to hear from both of you just you know have you had those conversations and are you guys willing to share with our audience just how you guys came to be the people you are when it comes to your relationships and how you guys have have moved in past relationships pepe.
Natalie Joy
Are you dying is does pepe is.
Nick Viall
He okay they're making you nervous joking.
Pepe
No he i think no my that's jay yeah technically i'm allergic to my dog and i haven't been around him for a while so oh you're acclimated.
Iris
Yeah you are he is allergic to his dog like.
Pepe
With him every day yeah and now i'm like back to it and he's sleeping on top of my throat and i'm like oh my.
Iris
Gosh yeah true love just gotta put up with it you know yeah i i think like pepe and i have had conversations about our past relationships we've gotten like really deep about our you know how we grew up and like our our lives our families and we talked about our friends and what else do we talk about which we've talked.
Pepe
About exes and almost everything really yeah just kind of what makes us us but i think right now we just really focus on we already know that part of it and now it's just let's see what we can do together because i think every relationship's completely different.
Nick Viall
Did you guys have to have a conversation whether it was like prior to or after the finale where like maybe both of you said at the same time of you was like are we gonna like do this you know kind of like outside of the villa well.
Iris
Yes i was gonna say well i think you know when you're in there and you talk to somebody you're like do they really like me or are they just trying to like play the game you know but with pepe pepe literally has never seen the show in his life like he was even like confused about the voting and so when he was like i was like he literally doesn't know anything and he really is here for love and like he's really here to find somebody so i really trusted him and like when we had those conversations and we were just like very honest with each other and like we would look at each other sometimes we'd be like you know like if something was weird like we didn't fake anything we were just really truly stayed true to ourselves and when we did have a conversation towards prior to leaving it was something along the lines of like we're really enjoying our time here together we're this is crazy that you know we're leaving here together and we found this connection so late into love island but we want to explore on the outside too yeah and it's where we were both really excited to do that but i don't think we had really pressure for labels quite yet like being exclusive or i think now like the way we both see it is like we both date one person at a time you know like we're we're both into each other and we're both focused on one another yeah yeah.
Pepe
I think it's yeah it's just that you know it's dating like we normally would in the outside world and in the villa we've learned how we each date in the outside world and it is date date one person yeah follow through with it until either the end or until you realize like no this is my person this is what i want to do and then you can put a label on it but until then it's just day like we normally would and just be together for as long as possible as much as possible to really see if we like each other yeah and want to be with each other for a very long time and you know once we figure that out then you guys will probably see.
Natalie Joy
It what did y' all feel like was the most challenging part of building a connection so late in the game.
Pepe
I honestly i don't think it was challenging at all i think it was i feel like we built a connection in the beginning of just that friendship and that caring yeah and i think most best and great relationships come from that you know come from actually caring for somebody and caring for them to be happy and we even had that conversation after like when we got out and it's like hey like i just want you she said it to me i said it to her like we just want each other to be happy and if it's together then then great and if it's not together great like no matter what as long as she's happy i'll be happy and i think that's the beauty of us being able to have built a friendship first before even anything getting romantic yeah and i.
Iris
Think like like the romance part like the comfortability part was there yeah i felt comfortable coming to him talking to him and everything like that but it was just the romance part that was late and that was just like we did have that chemistry which is really nice and we were both always like into each other we just never explored it yeah so it's really nice to.
Pepe
I think it definitely took a while to you know we had a conversation the next morning and we were like yeah this is a little not weird but it was like we're both comforting each other and it kind of that emotional box of saying like wow i kind of i want to explore this but then like you kind of quickly close me like no no relax like she's a bombshell you're a bombshell no yeah and then it just naturally happened you know i think been another conversation and then the challenge where we first really got to you know do what challenges are and i think after that it was just smooth we felt like we felt comfort within each other and then we felt the attraction and we we kissed and it was like okay now there's the rest of it yeah.
Natalie Joy
After seeing the video of tj and iris obviously you know the truth you've you're talking to iris but the internet kind of started spiraling and being like oh my god they're reconnecting they're rekindling everything how did that make you feel.
Pepe
Pepe she spoke to me about it before we were on facetime beforehand and she told me like hey look i i really wanna and she told me the same thing with hannah and i told her too like we we need to again tell these people how we really feel because we saw the internet they're like oh this is fake again from one episode to the next that's what it looks like but it wasn't from one night to the next it definitely was you know later into that progress so making sure that and they knew it but it was making sure that we were able to tell them as well like hey we didn't just oh next morning we're good to go we just forgot about it like you never forget about it and also making sure that they understand like hey it's this is this is real so i didn't when she told me like hey this is what i wanted to do and i was i'm all for it like she deserves that and so does.
Nick Viall
Ties and yeah so you had a chance to talk to hannah as well.
Pepe
I haven't yet again i put my phone away yeah okay just with family yesterday i was very busy just taking care of not just some interviews and some podcasts but as well as my my family and making sure that they're all good and today is really the first day that i try to have a conversation with her last night but our we just could never do it and i'm planning on having one today with her once she again once she has time we're all very busy so yeah i was just lucky that tj was in town so it was like hey great you know it made it a little bit easier to just say like all right let's meet up for a little bit and let's get it.
Iris
Out the way i think tmz was.
Nick Viall
Gonna yeah they're following your guys's asses i'm sure everywhere be safe out there.
Natalie Joy
Did you see them at all or were you did you wake up being.
Iris
Like oh no my friends we were like driving and and i was like oh hey let's i want to talk to tj like will you drop me off here and they were like yeah sure we were blasting music we were like dancing in the car and then we were i was looking around i was like is anybody like around here and then i didn't see anybody it must have been like somebody in a car or something yeah they probably were.
Nick Viall
Out behind a bush when sierra pepe when sarah told you she told you she had her reasons for not saving hannah we didn't get to see that it was just like they got to vote we were all like what the fuck did she get to share with you what those reasons were and did it make sense to you i didn't.
Pepe
See and i didn't i don't think i got the full reasons again we're mic'd up and this a lot of this is our emotions and our feelings and i don't think in our personal lives even though we're in the village still our personal lives and for sure i think some people when it came to very tough decisions it was like i don't want it to be out in the world of the reason why i felt this way i think that's more of a one on one conversation that sierra can have with hannah of like hey this is why i did this and you know i'm sorry or whatever but no i think we were all in shock and even i think we still are kind of trying to figure that out but there's no harm no foul you know i mean at the end of the day we're all put in tough situations every single day in that villa and so in that moment you know you're like what was this about and you can read into it as much as you want while you're there but i think everything for a reason and as long as like you can get out of it and still be friends i think that's all.
Nick Viall
That matters so that makes sense i respect that pepe do you know what the pepe blonde is that i mean like listen i we all have a type you know my wife's not the first brunette i've dated is that is that typically like your wheelhouse it's not.
Pepe
I don't i honestly don't have a type like it's ironic i've had three exes in my lives and they're all look three different ways okay it's just i think attractive isn't attractive all the girls in there were attractive all the guys in there are attractive everybody's attractive in there so at that point it was i just put my mind aside and said let me go with what my heart feels and for some reason i just the sweet girls whatever reason we're blonde the ones that kind of just i felt comfort in so yeah it was just it's just what happened but no definitely there's no type of jack is attractive but she is a beautiful girl and she's a sweet and caring woman as well so i mean.
Natalie Joy
We saw the iconic polka dot bikini that you let alandria borrow yeah are y' all all kind of just like sharing closets is it very much sisterhood.
Iris
In there i like always i'm at the beach so i have so many bikinis so i was like this is perfect like i'm going on love island they're in all my bikinis that i've collected throughout the years you have quite the collection i'm like the girls are gonn me because i'm doing all of this stuff and i was so excited to wear that bikini and it's actually kind of funny because vanna who was in casa she came in like two days like she came in really quickly so she was able to like be on the outside for a little bit and she mentioned to me she was like wear the red bikini because she instagram or something yes the tiktok i'm like like okay i'll wear the red bikini tomorrow yes it's from your your.
Natalie Joy
Try your try on video it was.
Iris
Like yeah she reminded me about it.
Natalie Joy
For real yeah it went it went.
Nick Viall
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Natalie Joy
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Nick Viall
And start growing while we were watching i know nally kind of briefly mentioned this earlier but natalie was just like raving about you know how you looked without makeup and just like you know you're just a beautiful woman but like so much about this show like every morning guys bring the women breakfast women are getting ready putting on their glam and i think natalie was asking me like wondering like what like what made iris like switch up one day and just decided to go like makeup free you know because i don't know is there pressure about putting glam on at the time did someone say something to you like i don't know like what what made you like switch up and decide to go you know natural i.
Iris
Just feel like i really just didn't know how to because i was doing my makeup but i guess i just didn't really know how to do it.
Natalie Joy
You'Re like what do you mean i was glammed every day.
Iris
Some people were saying that i'm like okay i'll work on it i don't think she needed.
Nick Viall
Any of it i mean you looked great yeah i mean like it was.
Iris
Like tinted sunscreen so like i don't even know what i'm it's funny my roommates are beauty like tick tock influencers and so they they do makeup and they kind of like taught me a little bit but i in fiji and the sun and everything like what you wear is going to come off your face and you know i just i just was like i can't do this.
Nick Viall
Either way everyone loved you you looked.
Natalie Joy
Great are y' all getting in the pool like it just cut out of scenes because you can't wear mics in the pool like is anyone getting in.
Pepe
The pool yeah we were well well well i was getting in the pool.
Iris
Every day well if you get in the pool you have to like you know redo everything and it's not fun to be like wet wearing wet clothes like till nighttime now that makes sense sure like if you go in the pool then you're probably going to be in the same swimsuit till night time.
Natalie Joy
And it's like oh because continuity you can't change swimsuits yeah so it's like.
Pepe
The boys we were definitely jumping in.
Iris
I put my feet in girls would.
Pepe
Definitely feed in boys were definitely right after hitting the gym we're jumping in the pool because it's ninety degrees out there we're sweating like crazy and the only way to cool off because you can't shower is jump in the pool.
Iris
It'S not good for the girls though.
Nick Viall
Are you are you working out so much because you have so much downtime pepe where you're are you in better shape leaving the villa and going in or is that you're not getting the same type of workouts no i wish.
Pepe
You don't even get to work out that much it was like like honestly what happened more more than likely was you'd get maybe a third of the way through your workout and then they'd be like pepe you got to go do this and it's like and then you do whatever you have to do and you're like i don't feel like.
Nick Viall
Working out anymore they're like we got the shot tell pepe we need them.
Pepe
So it's like man you do wish you were but i think all of us all the boys that was what we were complaining about we're like hey you know what if anything happens next season they better get a better gym.
Iris
Like that's all we hope for sauna for a gym gym at this point.
Pepe
For the next season to get an.
Nick Viall
Amazing gym speaking of your friends so much conversation online was about each cast members handlers as they call them online yeah and you know some handlers seem to walk a different way move a different ways how did you feel about your friends and how they handled your social media they seem like they did a good job for my end i.
Iris
Don'T know but yeah no they killed.
Nick Viall
It other people like created a bit of a a firestorm for others like yeah how did you go about that decision because like you know for other people we were just like these people aren't friends like well like i keep.
Iris
A very tight group of friends and all the people that i'm friends with i trust them and they're all good people the girls i live with i live with four girls and we live in a house and like we are all the same person basically and i was like one of my roommates bella was like you're gonna run my instagram for me because i know you're gonna kill it and she and then my friend melissa like i think they both like did things on my instagram and then my tick tock and i was looking at it and when i came back and i was like this is hilarious like they were like like doing the meme thing they were doing like the makeup thing it was so good everything that they did and like it.
Natalie Joy
Was amazing i mean you had to have made a killing on like your ltk link clicks because they were linking.
Iris
Every outfit you really did i like i was like i didn't ask them to do much i just said like just do whatever you feel like i trust you guys and they did and they did the ltk thing and they put my clothes up there and they put like all they were working what else did they do they did something else that i thought was pretty funny but i can't think of it right now oh they did like reaction videos.
Nick Viall
Oh yeah they really seem like they had your best interest in mind and it was just kind of fascinating because i don't think that's the case with with everyone who who they asked to handle their social how'd you go about that pepe one of my really good.
Pepe
Friends jason was he manages some accounts and he just kind of was like you want me to do it for you and i was like you know what nobody else in my family could possibly do it so i was like yeah and and honestly i he killed it him and a good friend of mine as well kind of just went back and forth with that tick tock threads so instagram tick tock threads snap i mean the whole thing you know and they killed it it it's one of those things that going into it i was like i might get a couple thousand followers like nothing crazy so you know just have fun with it don't go overboard obviously not only did they go overboard in the right way but came out with a lot more than that so it was great i mean i i appreciate them for like you said having my best interest in mind and you know taking time out of their busy day to do that to do that because it definitely isn't i mean there's no way it could have been a a one two minute ten minute thing you know they definitely had to put countless hours no that's a job yeah yeah and yeah and that comes from just love you know.
Natalie Joy
Wait let's circle back to you inviting iris into your bed can you give us more context why did you do that.
Pepe
There was a clip that i like opened up my sheets and said like it kind of looked like and i said do you want to come here and they obviously clipped that out and made it very which which is hilarious but it was one of her sheets had like spray tan thing but.
Iris
It wasn't for me no it wasn't.
Pepe
From her so it was like it.
Iris
Was just someone else's spray tan in the bed i was sleeping in and.
Pepe
So i was like you want to sleep here i'll sleep there that's why.
Iris
He asked me oh wait who is sleeping in your bed we honestly the.
Pepe
Thing is throughout the day you kind of there's sometimes where you can take naps and whatever so it's like never.
Iris
Took naps oh so i have no idea there must have been a guy.
Natalie Joy
Spray and you're also a spray tan.
Iris
Artist so wouldn't you like so that's why i was like yeah so that's.
Pepe
Where it's funny that you said that that's where that clip came from where it was like you want to switch beds that way i'll sleep in the bed that's dirty and then but again that just comes from it's funny that like i wish it got portrayed in that way because just to show like how much i actually cared for it was like and how much we cared for each other and she was saying like no no i'll sleep here don't worry i kind of no like like let's let's switch beds that way you don't have to sleep in a dirty bed or like not a dirty bed but a bed that had some spray.
Nick Viall
T i mean listen it worked out we love to see you guys connect but they kind of did you dirty in the moment but it all it all maybe you know what they know what they're doing you know you know.
Pepe
What they they did they all the they have they have their best our best hearts at interest and and you know you can only just all they ask you is to be yourself and clearly i was being myself and and they had my best heart and her best heart of interest and it worked out so i'm not even mad about.
Nick Viall
It what are each of your love.
Pepe
Languages physical touch you could have noticed.
Natalie Joy
Physical touch yeah physical touch for both.
Pepe
Of us for sure i think love language is a funny thing i think everybody likes all of them it's just one kind of dominates another and hers was definitely physical touch from the beginning and then mine is as well so so i think that also made i.
Iris
Think i learned that in the villa that like my love like what my love language was because before i was like i don't want to be touched like by some random like date you know yeah but then i was like.
Pepe
You kind of miss it wait yeah.
Iris
Hold my hand yeah you get you.
Pepe
Know you get put in the hotel for a couple i mean some couple days some a couple weeks and and you're like dang i don't have any interaction with a human being other than like the cast managers and you're like.
Iris
Like yeah there's times i was like hugging like like you're just like i.
Pepe
Kind of just i want some type of affection from somebody because hugs actually.
Iris
Like feel so like they feel so.
Pepe
Good especially when you haven't in a.
Nick Viall
While yeah they make you live longer yeah heard that natalie makes me hug her for twenty seconds makes yeah my makes i mean i love it you know but i i'm like one iris.
Natalie Joy
How do you know so much about crows.
Iris
I don't know i just know like i just know like random stuff like that like i just was like thinking about it and i was like like right before i went into the villa like i was watching something about aliens and this one does that was in my head for a minute i couldn't stop thinking about it and just just all this random stuff was flowing through i forgot a lot of things too music i forgot how music sounds and certain lyrics to songs and i don't know i was like i feel like i might have short term memory.
Natalie Joy
Loss so during these challenges is it like dead silent or are they playing music through some sort of speaker somewhere.
Pepe
No dead silent is just yeah it's awkward the cast members doing what we're supposed to do clapping all of them.
Iris
Like when we came in to to do our kissing thing in our lingerie and lace we was it music play.
Pepe
Yeah i've clearly blacked out on that.
Iris
Wait actually i don't know i don't.
Nick Viall
Think so you guys have you guys checked out the love island like playlist on spotify oh no y' all probably.
Natalie Joy
Didn'T hear any of the songs but it's all the songs that they placed over b roll i was mowing the.
Nick Viall
Lawn listening to it oh my god.
Iris
My mom played my walkout song for me today like she saved it she's like like so good this is the.
Nick Viall
Best song iris i actually just thought of something i did talk a little about you earlier when you came in.
Iris
Okay i used to it at this.
Nick Viall
Point and if i maybe i heard you wrong but you said early on that you didn't like dinner yeah oh yeah and i was like what is she going to do for fun when she gets older cuz like that's all we do is like have dinner with friends i can be a golfer i'm.
Pepe
Dennis.
Iris
I i just think like dinner is like well i mean i meant like as a first date like after a while when you get to know.
Nick Viall
For sure as a first day it's a nightmare it's like a whole meal.
Iris
I just like hate dinner dates and i hate just sitting across the table from someone and just like what should we get what do you want to.
Nick Viall
Eat like okay so it's a date.
Iris
Do something fun and like break the ice and like you know i just feel like i've been on a lot of awkward dinner dates yes oh that.
Nick Viall
I totally agree i wasn't sure valid that makes sense that you were talking about like just dates yeah for the.
Iris
Rest of my life of course yeah.
Nick Viall
I was like man this is not.
Pepe
Kind of no we were talking about.
Iris
That last night yeah we were literally talking about this last night so funny.
Pepe
It'S like we we like the we like the fun dates but every once in a while you kind of want.
Iris
To dress up and go to dinner.
Pepe
Yeah just sit across from each other and just eat and talk but we definitely are more of let's get out there and do something fun yeah so.
Natalie Joy
Have y' all planned any sort of.
Pepe
Dates yeah you know what it's funny we planned so many in the villa and then because we didn't think it was we don't know how much the show blew up and again i i think we both only thought we were going to get a couple thousand followers like it wasn't going to be crazy we also weren't very into the drama so it was like we're probably not being shown that much so we might be fine summer yeah we're like we might be fine to still get away and do the fun things but then we saw how what it ended up.
Natalie Joy
Being now you have like a bunch.
Iris
Of meet and greets you got to.
Pepe
Do yeah yeah so now it's like all these fun days we're like it's gonna be a little bit harder to.
Nick Viall
Get to get them done it's funny hearing guys perspective because truly i think that's at first i think for both of you because you guys are both so mellow like you weren't part of the drama i mean you guys i guess got plenty of airtime and then you know really oh yeah yeah but.
Natalie Joy
Like not enough but like you definitely.
Nick Viall
Weren'T like i feel like the overall yeah you guys were just kind of like like just this is like kind of there and i feel like america both for different reasons you know like even like before you guys even got together i feel like america was like wait a second pepe's cool he's hot and same thing with iris it was like wait a second like it was.
Natalie Joy
Refreshing we love this shit you guys.
Nick Viall
Were a slow burn but in the best possible way and it's like america decided that they were sleeping on both of you in a weird way yeah and it's kind of great that you guys came together as a couple because it's almost like we were also sleeping on the potential of you guys so it was kind of poetic in that.
Pepe
Way way yeah that was nice i think we both kind of just stayed on the outskirts of all of it and just kind of butted our way stuck our toe in when we wanted to and we were like this is like what i want to do and then it was the drama kept coming we're like well let's kind of scoop.
Iris
Back like we we both definitely had strong opinions towards things and we gave our take on it and we were like do what you want this is what i think you should do but it's up to you i support you and love you we said we would do that for our friends in there but then you know if they did something that we didn't agree with we'd be like okay well that's your decision and like that's what the route you took and you can hand you're gonna they all everyone was able to handle like every decision that they made yeah.
Pepe
And everybody had a good reason and it's it's going off emotions so whatever reasons you have it's like you can't argue like i feel this way i can't say well you shouldn't feel that way you know it's like well it's valid you you feel a certain way it's very valid that you feel that way and you moved accordingly to how you feel and you kind of just say okay i respect that and you know let's let's keep on going yeah.
Natalie Joy
We know y' all have to get going but we are huge fans of the two of y' all we can't wait to see your relationship unfold and just follow the two of you as individuals and we we loved watching y'.
Pepe
All thank you guys so much yeah.
Nick Viall
Good luck to both of you whatever happens for you guys it's it's been a pleasure getting to know both of you and congratulation everything and i think i speak for a lot of people when we're rooting for you i also.
Natalie Joy
Like i'm buying anything iris is selling you know like you're gonna be the best influencer out there i'm clicking the.
Nick Viall
Links well maybe we'll i'll run into both you and la sometime love it absolutely all right take care guys bye.
Pepe
Nice meeting you guys have a great rest of your day you too marketing.
Nick Viall
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Podcast Summary: The Viall Files Episode E969 – Going Deeper with Iris and Pepe
Release Date: July 18, 2025
In this special episode of The Viall Files, hosts Nick Viall and Natalie Joy delve into an in-depth conversation with Iris and Pepe, a beloved couple from the reality TV show Love Island. The episode, titled "Going Deeper with Iris and Pepe," offers listeners an intimate look into the dynamics of their relationship both on and off the villa, shedding light on their journey amidst the intense environment of reality television.
Before diving into the main discussion, Nick Viall shares exciting news about his wife's involvement in a new Netflix reality TV dating show:
Nick Viall [02:07]: "Yesterday my wife is the host of a new Netflix reality TV dating show we both are for sure yes we are definitely hosting Age of Attraction coming soon on Netflix."
Natalie Joy adds her enthusiasm, highlighting their collective pride and the collaborative experience of hosting:
Natalie Joy [02:56]: "Really fun I'm so excited for everyone to see it...the cast was really great, crew was really great."
They emphasize the promising nature of the show, anticipating a mix of drama, awkward moments, and heartfelt love stories.
Nick and Natalie express their admiration for Iris and Pepe, noting their popularity and the anticipation surrounding their appearance on the podcast:
Nick Viall [04:07]: "We love to have these conversations always... we just want to get to know you guys. We've been such fans of you both as individuals."
Natalie Joy outlines the busy week filled with Love Island stars, emphasizing the significance of Iris and Pepe's story:
Natalie Joy [04:11]: "We loved hearing more about them, I think you will too."
Iris and Pepe recount their initial experiences upon entering the Love Island villa, addressing the social dynamics and their personal interactions:
Pepe [05:37]: "I had never seen the show before... I posted a TikTok and it kind of went viral."
Iris shares her perspective on integrating into the villa community, striving to maintain friendliness despite the competitive environment:
Iris [06:44]: "I just want to talk to everybody even if you're my friend because if you don't talk to people you're walking around the villa and you're like hi and it's just like awkward."
The couple discusses the strategic pairing by producers, highlighting the challenges and uncertainties that came with being placed together amidst existing drama:
Nick Viall [07:15]: "You were literally like the sacrificial lamb being thrust into being paired with Iris."
Iris elaborates on her experience with the on-screen drama, particularly the tumultuous relationship between Hoda and Jeremiah, and how it affected her introduction to the show:
Iris [07:49]: "I was afraid... I just wanted to explore someone else."
Pepe reflects on his initial interactions and how his genuine care for Iris and others set the foundation for their relationship:
Pepe [10:46]: "People were really drawn to you... you have such unique character about you."
The conversation shifts to how Iris and Pepe developed their relationship organically, emphasizing mutual respect and friendship before romance:
Iris [34:03]: "We've had conversations about our past relationships... we focus on what we can do together."
Pepe adds that their bond was rooted in friendship and mutual support, allowing their relationship to flourish naturally:
Pepe [35:34]: "We just really focus on what we can do together because every relationship's completely different."
Iris addresses the challenges of maintaining their relationship under the scrutiny of fans and media, particularly regarding past relationships and on-screen interactions:
Iris [25:47]: "I need to just focus on like I have one week left here and I just need to forgive and forget."
Pepe discusses the importance of open communication and staying true to their feelings amidst the pressures:
Pepe [36:39]: "We're really enjoying our time here together... we want to explore on the outside too."
Both Iris and Pepe emphasize their commitment to personal growth and building a strong foundation for their relationship outside the villa:
Iris [38:10]: "We had really deep conversations about our past relationships and how we grew up."
Pepe [38:27]: "We focus on date one person and see if we want to be with each other for a very long time."
They express optimism about their future together, unburdened by the villa's constraints.
The couple explores their love languages, highlighting physical touch as a primary means of expressing affection:
Pepe [57:53]: "Love language is a funny thing... hers was definitely physical touch from the beginning and mine is as well."
Iris shares how the villa environment helped her rediscover her appreciation for physical affection:
Iris [58:07]: "I realized I miss holding hands and the simple gestures of affection."
Nick and Natalie commend Iris and Pepe for their authentic approach to relationships, free from drama and built on genuine care:
Nick Viall [62:00]: "You guys were a slow burn but in the best possible way... poetic in that."
The couple acknowledges the challenges posed by the show's dynamics but remains steadfast in their commitment to each other.
As the conversation wraps up, Nick and Natalie express their admiration and support for Iris and Pepe, anticipating their continued success both individually and as a couple:
Natalie Joy [64:36]: "We are huge fans of the two of y’all. We can't wait to see your relationship unfold."
Iris and Pepe reciprocate the gratitude, affirming their dedication to nurturing their relationship beyond the reality TV spotlight.
This episode of The Viall Files provides a heartfelt exploration of Iris and Pepe's relationship journey on Love Island. Through candid discussions and personal anecdotes, listeners gain insight into the complexities of maintaining authenticity and love amidst the pressures of reality television. Iris and Pepe's story serves as a testament to the power of genuine connection and the importance of navigating relationships with respect and honesty.
Notable Quotes:
Nick Viall [02:07]: "My wife is the host of a new Netflix reality TV dating show... Age of Attraction coming soon on Netflix."
Iris [07:49]: "I just want to talk to everybody... if you don't talk to people you're walking around the villa and you're like hi and it's just like awkward."
Pepe [35:34]: "We just really focus on what we can do together because every relationship's completely different."
Iris [58:07]: "I realized I miss holding hands and the simple gestures of affection."
Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus solely on the meaningful discussions and insights shared by Iris and Pepe.