Hi Steve,
So do you think Michael will be considered a little bit of a villain after he self eliminates in the sense that had he figured that out before, Andrew would have gotten a hometown and it kind of seems unfair that he took that slot away from someone when he wasn’t ready. Also has a self elimination ever happened on the show before right before hometowns (after getting chosen for hometowns but before going on one?)
Thanks!
Comment: This email was sent before the episode obviously, but after watching it play out, I don’t think anyone looks at Michael as the villain in this. Anytime a kid is involved, you have to give the benefit of the doubt to the parent. If that’s how he felt at the time, no one can question his judgment. It’s his kid and his feelings.
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I feel like your best podcast interview was the one you recently did with Ella. It was just really smooth and conversational and I began thinking that is really hard for an interviewer to pull off. I feel like one of your strengths is asking questions that may not have been prepared in advance but are based on something that the guest said. I am sure that it varies but how many hours would you say you put into prepping for each guest?
Comment: Thank you. I don’t put hours into it, that’s for sure. But thanks for thinking I do. I have an outline of where I want to go with every podcast, but, I also know that their answers are gonna spur me to ask follow ups like hers did. I always leave room open for that because if I just asked the questions in order of what I have written down in my outline, it wouldn’t flow at all. And it would seem like I’m not paying attention to their answers if they say something interesting or insightful and I’m just looking at the next thing on my list. So I know the topic I want to address, the few questions within that topic I want to ask, then leave room for following up on any answers they gave.
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Hi Steve,
I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed listening to your Podcast with Ella Nolan last week. The first season I ever watched was Jake’s and Ella was a favorite of mine!
Your interview with Kasey Kahl was great too.
The behind the scenes is fun and seeing where contestants are now I always interesting.
I am really enjoying this season. I like having Tayshia and Kaitlyn as co-hosts. It makes so much more sense to me to have people around the same age as the lead and who have been through the process to help give the lead advice etc… Chris Harrison has been “The Face” of the show for so long but I didn’t tune in week after week for him. ???? I think a change was long overdue.
As for Michael being the next Bachelor… I don’t really get the appeal there? He seems sweet but kind of boring…. I really hope it’s Andrew S. Have there been any rumblings of him as a possibility? I know we still have Michelle’s season to get through but I just thought Andrew was so down to earth and a fun personality.
I 1000% understand why you guys stopped doing them but I miss the lives with Ashley.
Love your site and what you do.
Thanks
Comment: I miss the lives with Ashley too, but, she’s in a better place now and she doesn’t watch the show. It’s tough to do an IG live that’s Bachelor related or talking about what’s going on in Bachelor Nation with someone who doesn’t follow it anymore.
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Hi Steve!!
A few questions for you this week. What did you think of the Katie/Magi situation? I honestly thought it was nothing more than ignorance originally from Katie on the podcast, but then when Magi responded I definitely saw why that would bother her. Had Katie responded in a different way I think I’d feel different, but since she came back in a joking and defensive way, I thought that was a really bad look. Similar to the CH situation, even if you personally don’t see why it’s bad, if it offends people you should make an effort to make it right. More respect lost for Katie, what’s new. I agree. Once Magi shared her side without throwing any shade whatsoever towards Katie, and then to have Katie get pretty defensive and make jokes about it, I didn’t think that was a great look. But when I first heard it on the podcast, I didn’t think Katie meant anything malicious by it at all. She froze. Hell, sometimes I forget how old I am. Or even on my podcasts, how many times have I stumbled on something that’s sooooooo easy to remember. When you’re put on the spot like that, I don’t care how easy the question may be, people blank sometimes. And that’s what I feel happened to her. If that’s not it and she’s completely clueless about African countries, then yeah, she should break out a map once in a while. But I just got the impression she was put on the spot, froze, and had a brain cramp. That’s not hard to believe. However once Magi shared her side, Katie should’ve handled her response better.
Another idea for you. I understand that this will probably never happen, but just planting the seed. Would you ever do a season where you tell every bit of spoilers you hear, walk us through your process of vetting, etc.? Or even on a way former season kind of walk us through everything you got (true or false) and how you deduced it down to the truth? It would be a big task understandably so I know this is a long shot, but your job interests me so much. Frankly if you needed help with putting it all together, you know where to find me. Just a genuinely interested fan of yours. I actually think I’ve done that quite a few times in the past. Especially when I’ve initially gotten wrong info then changed it to the correct info. I’ve walked people through how and when I’ve heard stuff. Which mostly leads to getting shit on by people for trying to “explain myself” and getting “defensive.” Imagine for a second if I put out a wrong spoiler, lets just take Hannah Brown for example. I initially said she was engaged to Tyler, remember? Then about 2-3 weeks into the season I changed it to Jed. Can you imagine if all I wrote was, “Tyler was wrong, Hannah’s engaged to Jed,” and just left it at that? That’s it. Nothing else. Just sent out one sentence over a tweet or in a column that the biggest spoiler of the season had changed. Don’t you think people would’ve had sooooo many questions about the how/why it was wrong? Of course they would, that’s why I always explain the process or when I started hearing things, etc. Can’t win for trying with some people.
Lastly, I’m really interested to see how the Katie/Greg fight plays out. I don’t see a way where he comes out of it as the bad guy and she comes out of it heroic. I think they’ll both take a hit. Do you think the network is even trying to protect her and make her look good anymore? She does so much that is seemingly against their advice or against them, so I feel like they could just say f*** it and hang her out to dry.
Thanks for all you do. My offering earlier was 100% earnest, FYI. You rock, your work rocks, and you do a really nice job.
Comment: I don’t think anyone thought she’d look heroic. I have no idea how it’ll make her look. I’m sure she doesn’t look like a queen in it either. But it all depends on what they decide to show. And from the beginning, all I heard was that it was Greg was the one who went to her about the process being difficult and that it turned into an argument that lasted for hours. Knowing this show the way I do, 42 seasons in, if you can’t handle the fact that someone you’re falling for may have feelings for someone else, and you take it up with them and it turns into an argument, then yeah I don’t really see a way where Greg can possibly come out looking good in any of that. But it’s possible Katie doesn’t either. We’ll see. This will definitely be a polarizing fight because Greg has a fanbase who think he walks on water, so nothing he does in their eyes will look bad and they will come after Katie with pitchforks.
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Dear Steve (and Rob), My mind was blown when I saw that Rob was on the Reality Steve podcast this week. I am a loyal listener/subscriber of both podcasts (they are my favorites) and to have my two favorite hosts collide was kismet. I have listened to Steve interview Stephen and Dalton over the years, but this was really the cherry on top. Reality Steve was the first podcast I ever listened to and subscribed to several years ago when I discovered podcasts. I soon went looking into other podcasts about shows that I like and found the treasure trove that is RHAP and really have never looked back consuming a lot of their content (not just Survivor related). I really enjoyed the conversation between the two of you. You are both the best around and it shows.
I do have two questions related to Survivor for Steve that you did not get to that I know Rob will reveal after he finishes his 40 season countdown. Steve, what are your top 3 favorite seasons of Survivor and who are your favorite winner(s) from the franchise and why? I am a huge Second Chances, Cagayan, Winners at War, and Heroes vs. Villians fan. My fave winners are Tony, Sarah, Parvati, and Jeremy to name a few.
Thanks again for a great podcast!
Comment: This is where my memory retention with Survivor sucks. Favorite seasons I can’t remember at all. Because I mix up who was on what season. But I did like All Stars and how Rob and Amber maneuvered their way to the finals. But other ones I can’t remember. I think Tony winning twice was great, playing two completely different ways. He’s in my top 3 winners. I did like Jeremy as well. Parvati was always entertaining. I still can’t believe Cochran won. Those are a few.
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Hi Steve!
Do you think Lauren Zima will ever come back with Roses and Rose or do you think it off the table given her relationship with Chris Harrison?
Thanks and have a great week hopefully with working air conditioning!
Comment: No. She’s hitched her wagon to Chris. I can’t imagine she covers anything Bachelor related ever again. Wouldn’t make any sense for her to. She’s chosen sides, and that’s with her boyfriend. Her talking and covering a show that fired her boyfriend basically is just not something that she’s gonna do.
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Hi Steve,
Maybe I was one of the only people to actually like Bachelor Listen to Your Heart but can you provide any updates to the contestants? Why are none (that we know of) going to appear on BIP? Do you see any other bachelor spin-offs happening in the future? Thanks!
Comment: I guess they feel like people forgot about them and they weren’t important a year later. I think if BIP was last year, some would’ve been on. But they are out of sight, out of mind. I have no idea what any of those people are doing. I follow none of them.
Can you please provide insight as to why Michael A. left over not seeing James when James would have supposedly been flying in for the hometown date a few days later to meet Katie? The timing of his departure doesn’t make any sense!
Comment: I discussed this yesterday in the column, but there’s a number of factors we don’t know about. If they flew James out, he would’ve just left again and probably would’ve been confused. Then again, we don’t know even know with COVID if he would’ve been allowed to fly out. I don’t think it’s as easy to say “he was just about to see him.” Clearly he wasn’t, so, I think Michael knew he wasn’t seeing James until he was completely off the show. Why that is the case, only he knows.
