First Date Jitters
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What if you ask two different people the same set of questions? Even if the questions are the same, our experiences can lead us to drastically different answers. I'm Minnie Driver, and I set out to explore this idea in my podcast, and now, Minnie Questions is returning for another season. We've asked an entirely new set of guests our seven questions.

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Welcome everybody to I do part two. This is the podcast where we get to talk to people, um, about their relationships, what they got wrong, what they're getting right. Bottom line, if you got it wrong the first time, this is the podcast for you. And we love talking about hope and second chances and third chances. And that's what this is all about. Um, and today some of your hosts are here, uh,

Amy Robach and TJ Holmes my partner yes my love TJ Holmes and um look we we do get to talk to a lot of people but man we have a very special person to talk to today I have to say when they first came to us about uh I do part two and we said okay it sounds fun they gave us a couple of names and then they told us about Kelly Ben Simone and we're like okay cool fine um

And went back and watched her season. Yes. Or seasons. As a real housewife. Yep. And got one impression. But then when we met her, she is absolutely one of the highlights of agreeing to do I Do Part Two. She is just crazy.

This is a compliment, Kelly. You're a hoot. That's a compliment, okay? She's a hoot. She's full of life and enthusiasm. And I would just go with this. You're passionate, Kelly. And I appreciate someone who's invested. And that means sometimes when things are good and sometimes when things aren't so good, but you know exactly where you stand. And I appreciate people like that. You don't mince words. You don't pretend. You say what you think and you mean what you say. And so we like people like you, Kelly.

Oh, Amy, you guys are the best. I mean, you know, I started this with you guys. And so I'm actually really excited to talk to you because I've changed. I know people are like, I've changed. No, but I genuinely and inherently feel a fundamental change, not only in the way that I see myself, the way that I talk about myself, but the way that I

myself with other people and how I, and the expectations I have for myself and the expectations I have for other people. What prompted the change, Kelly? It was a very cathartic moment. We've seen some very strange things. We've seen some very, it's like Alice in Wonderland. I'm like, ah!

I can't unsee that. No, but you've been really open. You've been really open about your love journey. And we actually are coming to you for this podcast because we want an update. You actually had a first date in real life. You were set up by one of our producers here on I Do Part Two. And we cannot wait to hear the details because this was weeks in the making, correct? Yeah.

Yes. I mean, we've had a lot of fun. You know, Jana Kramer and I have had so much fun. She I like literally was DMing movie stars with her and new friends that we've been. Cheryl Burke's been a really good, good new friend of mine. I've made some new friends on the podcast. We've been doing all these things.

fun and wild like antics to meet, meet new guys. But actually my executive producer, she's like, I have this great guy for you. And there's a reason I want you to meet him. And you're going to tell me why after you met him. So we started talking and texting first. And then I'm chatting on the phone for the past like two weeks. I'm a stellar human.

Highly educated, beautiful family, respectful to his ex-wife, really good, genuine father. You guys are great parents. You can really appreciate that. Just a very stellar human. And it's interesting because she's like, how was the date? And I was saying, we were kind of, I'm going to talk about that. But before we even talk about the date,

The thing that for me is just so wildly important is that I, Kelly Kalor and Ben Simone, can finally date a stellar human. That's awesome. I have confidence to actually date someone who I respect. And I think that is something that is so important.

new for me. And I'm just, you know, very, very happy that I got to meet Mr. Tennis. You know, it also, Kelly, call me crazy. This doesn't sound like a transition. What you're explaining here is something that would happen overnight. How long have you been going through this thing? I mean, has your entire dating life been that other Kelly who was maybe dating someone that you shouldn't have been dating? And now here you are. But that has to be a

long process to get to this point. Well, I mean, it's been really full on since I met you guys last fall. No, seriously. So we prompted it. You are so, you know what? This is why we're here. We're here to do good work. Okay.

Seriously. And, you know, it was really interesting because like, you know, talked about how, you know, you met me and, you know, you, you know, you watch my shows and then you, then you met me in real life. And, you know, when I sat down with you, with you guys for the, and I've been interviewed by a lot of people and I just felt immediately very drawn to you guys. And, and,

I, my, my executive producer, she was like, when you first did that interview with them, she's like, I could tell you really wanted to tell, you know, the two of you more, but I was just so like, I don't know.

I wound up and so guarded that I was afraid. I mean, I was even like, I wasn't even looking up the entire, the entire podcast. I'm looking down like this. Yeah. Yeah. You know what, you know what it is though, Kelly? I think when you've lived a lot of your life or at least, you know,

the life that people know of you in front of a camera and you know you're viewed through that lens only. You know people are looking at perhaps maybe your weakest or your least proud of moments and defining you by that, you start defining yourself by that. You don't feel like you're worthy. You don't feel like you can look up because people have seen you not just at your best shining amazing self but maybe at your, not your worst moment, but at your less than best moments.

And that's tough to know that they live on and people can watch them and then form opinions of you before they even meet you. That's not a fun space to be in. Right. And I appreciate that. I think you never hear the good because you're not really focusing on the good. All you do is hear the bad. You know, people are like, oh, my God, you're awful. You're this, you're that.

And so I was just wildly insecure for so long for obvious reasons. When you spend a lot of time by yourself, it's not like you're like, great work. You're awesome. Good job. You know, it's like, you're just like, you know, a one man band. And, you know, my ex-husband was significantly older and we weren't, you know, we didn't have that kind of Virgin River love where, you know, you see people and they're like,

how was your day? I just really care about how you feel. My ex-husband was French. He never even, he didn't even know. What was he going to say? Oh, your feelings. How are your feelings? He never, he never asked that. I love that you made a Virgin river reference. I'm obsessed with that. Um, also just such a false narrative of what life is or love is, but anyway, still get sucked into the narrative of it all. That's hilarious. So anyway, my point is then from that on, from that, uh,

and, you know, moving on to dating different people, like, you know, being a television and dating people that were not the right people for me. But, you know, house in the housewives world, you know, you guys are in the news. We're in the funny business. So it's like, you know, people treat you because they respect you and they, they can't wait to hear what's coming out of your mouth for us. It's like, it's a show. What's happening? Yeah.

You know, whatever. We became both, Kelly, just so you know. True. I thought it was true. But I mean, just for the birth, like, you know, the 90% is like the good news. And so I guess just from being a part of that narrative, which was very difficult for me to navigate and also be raising two kids alone.

I became, I was around people that were like, if they liked me, I was like, oh, they like me. Of course, you know, I wasn't like, I'm going to wait. I'm going to kind of figure out what, you know, what are the things that I am looking for in my life?

And so I kind of gravitated towards those love bombers, you know, the super fast, we're going to get married tomorrow, all of that kind of nonsense. And, you know, now we know of them as red flags, but like, I am focused on the green flags. I am focused on all of the good news, the slow and steady wins the race, the stellar humans, the

the good, the good news, like the good bears. I don't, you know, I'm not interested in anyone who wants to like, there's no song and dance. I don't want, you know, that's, that's the past. All right. So let's talk about Mr. Mr. Green flag, I guess. We call him Mr. Tennis, but he's going to be Mr. Green flag as well. Only how long were you all talking and you just met, but how long before the meeting had you all been going back and forth on text and phone?

So two weeks. We've been talking for about two, two and a half weeks. Two and a half weeks. Texting, FaceTiming. No FaceTiming. No FaceTiming. Just talking and calling. How long are the phone calls? I didn't want to FaceTime. I didn't want to FaceTime because I didn't want to...

I didn't want to be like, oh, I'm going to look at him and I'm going to feel a certain way. I just wanted to meet him in real life because when you meet people in real life, it's like the way they smell, the way they look. On a FaceTime, it's like people have their phones right up in their face. You don't know what they're looking like. They're like driving a car. Sorry, DMV. People are doing things that are like, you're like,

Wait, is that his nose? What is that? Like, so I just wanted to meet him in a real way. And, you know, just to get take again, I'm like all focused on like taking my time, like being like I'm being very like cool. OK, well, Kelly, we know we saw the you saw his picture. At least you knew what he looked like. How did that compare to what showed up?

Very, very similar. And that's a good thing, right? That is. It's very good. The cold catfish thing is like, you know, it's like the new narrative. So he looked exactly like he did in the photos. Tall, dark, and handsome. Handsome. Nice.

Very athletic. He really is like a really, really good tennis player. Like very, very good. And I love that too. Like I love that he has like a sport that he really loves. And that's not just about like what restaurant he went to, but more like what he's doing to better himself. I like, I love that.

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Good people, what's up? It's Questo, Questlove. And Team Supreme and I have been working hard to bring you some incredible episodes of Questlove Supreme with gifts you definitely don't want to miss.

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Listen to Questlove Supreme on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, so you didn't FaceTime. You just talked on the phone and you texted. And he shows up. Where did you first meet? Did you meet in a public place? Did you pick him up from the airport? How did that all go down?

So he came to my building to meet me to go to dinner. And the doorman just let him into the hall, which they never do. And they let him come down the hallway. I think that they were thinking he was somebody else. I don't think that they were thinking that he was like a date.

They were like, he's like, I'm here to see Kelly. And they're like, oh, yeah. Wow. You got some security concerns. Or he looks so, you know, impressive that people just assumed that he belonged there. I'm going to try that, Kelly, at your building. They're going to be paparazzi shots of me in handcuffs. He literally was like at my door and the doorbell rang. And I'm like,

Um, no one ever rings my doorbell. So I was like, okay. So I opened the door and it was him. Okay. That's awkward and awesome. What happened? What'd you do? I hugged him. Oh, that's awesome. That's good. I hugged him because I was so happy to see him. All right. And then what? Not going to lie. I was taken back. I was not, I was expecting like for me to like walk down the hallway, give myself a little moment, like, and then, you know, have him like see me.

Like the big reveal. But no, he came and like ding dong. I was like, what? Wait, Kelly, wasn't that better? I love that you were caught off guard. You didn't have a chance to try to get yourself together. And you just answered as the big old, beautiful, bouncy, lovely Kelly Ben Simone. Here I am.

That's awesome. Totally. That is me. Yeah. Thank you. Bouncy. Very bouncy. Yes. And that was, and I had come, you know, I was in work clothes. So like, I mean, normally I would be like my, one of my really good friends, she was like dressed super casual, like wear a t-shirt and jeans. Well, I'd have time to change.

And so I was like, you know, just work clothes. And so we went to go have dinner at this restaurant called The Corner Bar. And he was very polite and very interested to learn about Soho and, you know, where I live and what I like to do and, you know, very chatty. And on this other podcast, this woman told me she was like, I like to ask a lot of questions. And

And I'm like, I'm not really like a question person. Like I like to have a conversation, you know, like you guys are asking me questions today, but normally you just are like, how are you? And then you just kind of organically speak. You don't, there's no like waiting for the follow-up question, like normal life. I mean, I'm not like that. You don't want it to feel like a job interview.

That's what she said. That's what she does. She says she does that. And I'm just like, I'm like, oh, you like red shoes? What kind of red shoes? How was your law degree? You know what I mean? Were you attracted to him at first sight? How did he smell? How did he look? He doesn't really have a smell. I thought that was like, I was like, L.A. is probably going to be like wearing some kind of like Tom Ford scent of the day. No, no.

Like I was, I was like, wait, like ivory soap, like nothing. Like just very clean, simple, like nothing. Um, I was like, okay. And then, um, dress like very, you know, kind of like a cool pink coat on and sneakers and like Converse sneakers and jeans and just very casual, uh,

Yeah. I mean, his date, you know, he's a day job. He's a lawyer. So I think that he was coming to New York and he wanted to be like casual and cool. Meanwhile, I'm all dressed up. Wait, so you didn't dress, you didn't change into the jeans and the t-shirt? I didn't have time. What? Wait a minute. And when he came to the door, did you invite him in or he had to stand outside the, in the hall?

Well, my oldest, my youngest daughter was in the apartment. So I was like, Oh my goodness. I wish I could have seen this scene. Um, but you're at the dinner. What, what, if you didn't interview him kind of, what was the back and forth, the conversation, a lot of laughter where the drinks flowing, give us an idea of how that went. Oh yeah. So we went to the corner bar. We're at the bar. Um,

This was one thing that he did that I thought was very sweet. The bar at the corner bar is like this highly coveted bar. And they were going to give us two seats as you walk in. And it's been very, very cold in New York. And so he was like, oh, no, no, no. I don't like those seats. I want seats that are over there. And so I just thought that was like he was making an effort to create an environment that was –

you know, calm for him, but also like I wasn't sitting in the cold, which I thought that was really sweet. Cause most guys would be just be like, we'll sit there. Those are, those are two were available. We'll sit there. I feel bad complaining, obviously. Well, it's not a good place. That's okay. But once you got to chatting it up, what was that conversation was again, was it, could you tell we have chemistry? You laughed. It was easy, not an effort.

Yes, very easy. A lot of chemistry. You know, I could tell that he really liked me. We just get along really well. We were talking and we're having fun talking. And I and he even said he was like, you know, he has two children, younger children. He said the one thing about me that he was he was nervous that I wasn't going to show up, that he was going to fly to New York and that I was going to you know, that he was going to like I wasn't going to I wasn't going to be available.

Wow. And did he come just to meet you? He didn't have business in New York? Well, he had a meeting on Friday morning that he arranged. Okay. But he made the meeting because he wanted to meet you. The trip was to go and meet you. And he was there all weekend? Yeah.

Yes. All right. So what did you do? Like, that's a lot of pressure. It's your hometown. So what did you guys do for the weekend? And yes, it is really cold in New York. We can attest to that. Yes. So really cold in New York. We just walked around, you know, we went to a really fun bar. We had the rest, you know, we were at the restaurant having, it was really fun. And then he's also very chatty with other people, which I liked. Like there was someone that was talking to like, Hey Kelly. And he was like, Oh, you want me to take your picture? He wasn't like, you

you know, a jerk. And it was like, why is he taking your photo? Like, that's so awkward. Right.

Or like saying things like, don't you hate that? When guys say, don't you hate that? I'm like, that's part of my job. I thought that was very like easy, cool. So the things that normally guys would do, he did not do. He was very easygoing. And just the conversation that he was having, he's like, well, when I'm dropping my daughter off at lessons, I can talk to you about

about like, oh my God, you know, the traffic was crazy and, you know, she was upset and she was doing this and this was happening. And he's like, you just didn't, you were never like, oh my God, call me back in 32 seconds. I was like, oh, you know, call me back when you're done. And, you know, sometimes if I say I'm going to call you back, it could be five minutes. It could be four hours. And he was just, is very cool about that. And he was very

He liked that I was easygoing about that as well. He said that being a single dad is difficult because a lot of women take that time away as being inconsiderate towards them. And I just think people are busy. And I know he'll be like, hey, I'll text you. So there was that kind of bond that we had as well about just being easygoing with each other and not be...

So demanding. All right. So when you said goodbye for the evening, if you said goodbye for the evening, I don't want to assume or presume anything, but was there a kiss? Yes. Was it good? He's like soft lips. Yeah. Very, very like sweet, sweet,

Also, I'm not the kind of person, like listen, people do different things. Again, like Virgin River, I was watching the scene last night where this girl hops on top of the bar and jumps on top of Preacher and starts making out with him. I am not that kind of person. I'm very like, I'm like, if you want to touch my hand, I'm like, oh, that was nice. Yeah.

Another Virgin River reference. Yes. I don't get any of these references. I know Preacher. Yeah, I know. I know that scene. He would never. Preacher. Preacher. Preacher is one of the characters. He's the bar. He's the guy who runs the bar in the kitchen. Yes. Jack's restaurant. But anyway. Right. So and he's, you know, I am not an assertive person like that. I will not. You know, my friend Luann, she's like she was giving me tips on dating and she's like, pretend.

Put your napkin on fire. Send a note to your waiter that you think that guy's hot. Like, these are things I would not do. No, I would never do that either. First of all, set anything on fire? No. But she's like, yeah, just make a little scene. I'm like...

I'm 5'10". You cannot miss me in a restaurant. You are the scene, Kelly. Yes, you are. No, no. I didn't mean that. I didn't mean it like that. I'm a tall drink of water. If you miss me, you're like, you know. You had the date that night, but was there any other date time? Did you have a second date? He was there for the weekend, right? Yeah. What else did you do besides the dinner that night? Did you take him somewhere? In the morning...

Okay, so we went after the restaurant, we went to this really fun bar, Finale's, which is like the best bar, cool scene. And like, everyone's having a great time. Like the bartender who I know, she's like, he's so handsome, he's so cute. And she was asking all about LA and everyone in the whole bar was talking to him about LA. And it was just, he was having a lot of fun. He was having a lot of fun. And then he walked me home and he gave me another little kiss. And that, but it was polite. It was like very like,

Polite and like well done like if he had stuck his tongue down my throat I probably would have been like ew what do you do ew yeah total ew like I would have been like what are you doing super and then the next morning he texts me he's like what are you doing I'm like I'm going to dance body he's like okay I'm gonna pick you up and I'm gonna walk you there and he walked me to my exercise class

And then went to have a, he went to have brunch at Square Diner and then met me. And then we walked home and I had to work again. And then he met me later on and we had like a little lunch, like a salad at St. Ambrose. We just walked around and then he wanted to get tennis sneakers. Cause I told him when he came, cause he's a big tennis player. I said, you should definitely play tennis at Vanderbilt. You have to play tennis there. It's the coolest, coolest court.

So he got 10. He was like, I need to get tennis shoes. So we went to the Wilson store on Broadway. And he's like, what are you talking about? What is going on here? They have a tennis court in the back of the store, which we discovered. So we're like literally playing tennis. He taught me how to throw a football. We were like, you know, shooting basketball. It was really like fun. I felt like I was on The Bachelor. I was like, wait a minute. This is like...

Kelly, this is cool. We've gotten to know you a little bit. And yes, as you described our first meeting in that first episode we taped, we agree. But you are on fire right now. Looking at you, and folks can hear it in your voice, I'm sure, but you are excited as well. And look at her little shoulder. She looks smitten. Oh, look at her. Smitten. Smitten.

That's the word. You look smitten and you should stay there until further notice. That's so nice because it could have been awkward. It could have gone sideways. You could have realized there was no chemistry. So this is like, it sounds like best case scenario. Do you, what? I've got a question in here. You went out again. Went out that night. You went out again that night. Oh, that's awesome. Wait, what happened that night? Oh, sorry. Oh, okay. Continue. There's more.

We went out that night and we went to this really great restaurant. It was a big restaurant. So fun. Then we went to this, this bar that was next door. My daughter was like, mom, you took him to this place. He's going to love it. And it like makes you look really cool. Hey, what place is this? Can we ask?

You know, KYU. And then went to Temple Bar afterwards. We're not cool. No, we're not cool. I don't know KYU. I've heard of Temple Bar. Yes, Temple Bar, yes. But KYU. So KYU is like, it's like Korean fried chicken. It's a cauliflower. It's amazing. And a very cool vibe. So we were there. We're having so much fun. And like, we both were like, we like, we like, like to, you know, he likes to listen to different conversations that people are having. And I'm like that too. And I'm like, yeah.

chatting we're like talking to each other but we're talking about the people next to us and it was really he's very fun he's a really fun guy and then we went to Temple Bar and he walked me home again then we had a little kiss and then he was like I you know I wish you would come over and hang out and watch TV and I was like nope not yet and he was in a hotel yeah he was staying at a really nice hotel but I'm like I'm not

That's not like, again, like I'm not that kind of, I'm just not like that. I just, I mean, even if I'm like super, super, super, you know, this guy's a really, really

you know, I said, he's a stellar human. So it's like, I'm not going to screw it up by being like, Oh my God, let me go hang out in your, you know, kiss you and be like weird. And then like, have it be weird. And like, I'm taking my time. That's good. I love that. I'm on my timeline. I'm not on anyone else's. Are there plans for a second date? Are you going to come out to California? What, how did you guys leave it? I mean, yeah, that would be great.

I would love to come out to California and say hi to him and see how he is and see his real life. And, you know, it's interesting because my friends were, because they were, they were like, have you ever done, you know, had a long distance relationship? And I've never dated anyone long distance and never dated anyone that wasn't, that was so far, that was far away period or like out of the same city. And so, yeah,

It was just interesting to hear him and to hear him kind of like try to figure out like how we were going to date, how we were going to meet up, where we're going to meet up. And then all the advice from my friends are like, well, you guys could meet, you know, in Chicago. And I'm like, I don't want to be in a relationship where we're constantly on vacation. Like I want to be in real life. I want to see like, I want to walk around like century city and like, I want to, you

I don't know. And it's winter. We don't want to meet anybody in Chicago right now. That's no good, Kelly. I was thinking more like Miami, New Orleans. But Kelly, what is, you can't let, I know he just, just left. So you just saw him, but there's not a plan yet. Do you all have a tentative plan? Like for sure, the next time you see each other will be you in L.A.?

Right. That's what he said. He wants to do that. And, you know, I, and he was like, I want to, I, you know, he's like, I want to do things that we can like have things to talk about. So I was like, let's read the same book and we can chat about it and just try to like have like,

just a different narrative versus like, how was your day? I have no idea what you're talking about. Oh, how was your day? I have no idea what you're talking about. Like, I just wanted to have like some kind of conversations that were like about things that we're doing versus what everyone else is doing. Kelly says, have you seen that last episode of Virgin River? He says, no, I haven't. Kelly, you and I could do a Virgin River club. I would love to dissect that. Yeah.

It's funny, though. It's such a girl. I'm sure guys out there like it, too, but it's such a girl thing. It's very funny. Did you know that future health can make weight loss resolutions come true? When it's about biology and not willpower, it's not your fault that the dieting just doesn't work. Find out if weight loss meds are right for you in just three minutes.

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I'm Arturo Castro, and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse and so many commercials about back pain. And now I'm starting a podcast because honestly, guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week, I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and comedians to talk about the wildest true escape stories in history.

to tell them a buckwild tale from across history and time. People like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Zoe Chow. Titanic. Charles Manson. Alcatraz. Asada Shakur. A sketchy guy named Steve. It's giving funny true crime. I love storytelling and I love you, so I can't wait. Listen and subscribe to Greatest Escapes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Ever wonder what it's like to be on the phone with an NFL general manager as you finalize the biggest contract in NFL history? I'm AJ Stevens, Vice President of Client Strategy at Athletes First, where we've negotiated $1.4 billion in current NFL quarterback contracts.

Introducing the Athletes First Family Podcast, the quarterback series. Along with my co-host Brian Murphy, Athletes First CEO, we're pulling back the curtain on how these historic deals come together. You'll hear directly from the agents who shaped the NFL's financial landscape. The ones who negotiated Justin Herbert's extension and Deshaun Watson's fully guaranteed contract that sent shockwaves through the league. This isn't just about the numbers, though.

It's about the untold stories behind these massive negotiations and the relationships the NFL superstars like Dak Prescott, Tua Tungvaluwa, and Jordan Love have with their agents at Athletes First. For the first time ever, the agents who orchestrate these deals are sharing the details of the negotiations and everything that led up to their clients signing on the dotted line. Listen to the Athletes First Family Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. ♪

Good people, what's up? It's Questo, Questlove. And Team Supreme and I have been working hard to bring you some incredible episodes of Questlove Supreme with guests you definitely don't want to miss. Now, one of the things I love about this Questlove Supreme podcast is we got something for everybody, every type of musical ever. We enjoy speaking to the people who are the face of some movements, some people you've seen on stage or TV or magazine covers, but we also love speaking to the folks who are

who were making it happen behind the scenes and they paved the way for those that followed. You know, keystones to the culture. This season, we've had some amazing one-on-one conversations like I'm Pete Peel chatting up with hit maker Sam Holland, Sugar Steve chatting with the legend Nick Lowe, and I've had pleasures of doing one-on-one conversations with Willow, Sonata Matreya, Kathleen Hanna, and The RZA.

These are conversations you won't hear anywhere else. So make sure you go back and you check those episodes out, all right? Listen to Questlove Supreme on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I have here, do you all already have pet names for one another? I told him that he was Trouble. Oh, his name's Trouble? That's not a good pet name. Yeah, and then he called me Malibu.

Okay, that's a good one. Malibu is cute. I like that. Why trouble? I like Malibu Barbie even though I'm a brunette. Okay. You're more Malibu than I am. I'm Robes. TJ gave me a pet name or a nickname like

What is it? It's Robes. My name is Amy Robach, but he's the only one who called me Robes. He called me Robes on the air when we were at ABC News together. He just, he never called me by my first name ever. I cannot remember. And I never saw you as a Barbie. She's, she's tall. That's right. I'm only 5'5". Um, but Kelly said, um,

Kelly, what are we, oh my goodness, this sounds so exciting. You were giving, you came on, you've been a celebrity mentor to a lot of people that we've had on and who are trying to find love. What have you now learned through your experience that you're ready to pass on? Because you were giving advice earlier on before you kind of came around, before you became the whole new full new Kelly. Yeah.

So what advice now are you able to give, given the new Kelly and the new experience that you're going through? Well, it's just, it's interesting because I've been doing so much talking about relationships. And so with him, I talked a lot about relationships and he really liked that. He liked hearing, he liked talking about his relationships and,

I think that he appreciated that I was open to hearing about whatever he wanted to share with what he was doing and what he was going on with him. Like, I think that that is something that's new to me. I mean, I'm not, I've never been the person that's like, tell me about your ex. Can't wait to hear all about her. I'm like, I don't care. Like I literally was like, I do not care. And I just been, I dated, you know, men who have had such wild exes that like, I really have zero interest in,

hearing about people's exes, but I asked him because I just was like, you know what? I'm not going to be that person. I'm not going to be closed off. I'm not going to be judgmental. Everybody has people in their orbit. And I also, just like I said at the beginning, the top of this, just about how I just have more self-respect.

And so it's easy to say to somebody, oh, you have an ex? I'm sure she's so stupid and ugly. Like I used to say like, oh my God, your ex-wife, she's so skinny. She hasn't eaten since the ice age. Those were the things that I used to say, which are awful.

And I don't want to say those anymore. I love that. I just don't want to have that narrative. Well, it's about you. It's not about their past. It's not about comparing. It's not about the comparison or the contrast of what he had versus where he is now and all of that. And that's incredible growth. I'm curious. And it was interesting. I'm going to interrupt you and I'm apologizing. But it's interesting that because I didn't come to when we were talking about his exes or what he was doing with his life, because I didn't come with like,

defensiveness or negativity, there was just like a conversation. Yeah. Like you and I having a conversation versus like, you know, me being like competing with someone I don't even know. Does that make sense? Yeah. I feel like that's what happens. Or feeling threatened by someone who seems like they have it all together. Right. A stranger.

And we don't know anything. Like they have their relationship, but their relationship is their relationship. And my relationship with him is my relationship. And I just want to keep that however, you know, how it is. I have a question for you, Kelly, for people who are listening, for folks who are listening and they are just starting off, maybe they're in your boat. They've just started to date someone new and they really like them. How often do you text them? How often do you call them?

how often do you, like, do you wait before you return the text? Are you still playing little games or are you just being vulnerable and open and, and sharing your feelings or are you withhold? Like, I'm just curious, cause that's always the dance. People don't know what to do. Um, and, and what the right thing is and what, what would be a turnoff? What would be a turn on? Are you, is that all in your head or are you just going with your heart? Well, I mean, of course it is like, like, you know, I'm, I'm a single female. I've been single, you know, for 15 years. So, um,

And, you know, it's interesting because most people are like, oh, my God, you've been single so long. You're such a player. I'm like, no, no, no, no, not a player. That's one thing I'm not. I'm just very like.

whatever I feel like if I feel like calling you, I feel like texting you. I mean, I was like thinking I was just cause it was so nice. I wanted to write him like a little thank you note, just thanking him for, you know, I'm just a very open and like, I'm very like loving. But that does not mean that I'm in love. Do you know what I mean? Like I'm just a jet. I'm just a very love loving person. So I just, you know, I, I text him things, but I'm also, you know,

Dating other people. So it's not like he's the only person that I'm dating. And I just want to be open to myself and to my new journey. Why? He's not the only one you're dating. But why is he the only one we're talking about, Kelly? You know why? You know why we're talking about him? Because my executive producer set me up with her partner.

best friend's brother. Okay. But is this guy, is he the, is he a front runner though? Kelly, is he a front runner? That's my point. That's my point. Like he is someone that I'm being introduced to by someone that I respect and

And so I am definitely giving this person, you know, like open eyes, like, you know, let's see what happens. You know, it's not like I don't feel I need to be guarded because I am interested in him and I and he's already been vetted. So there's a trust there.

Whereas everybody else that I'm meeting, I don't necessarily know them or I know them kind of through someone. You know, the last guy that I was dating was younger and he was very sweet, but he was like love bombing me and saying like after like the first date, he was like, we're getting married. You're my person, which was very kind. And I appreciate that. But, you know, his actions, you know, actions speak louder than words. Yeah.

And so you can just say how much you love me. But if you're not like making plans, making, you know, trying to make situations, doing stuff that does not, that does not make me feel like you're in love with me and you want to get married to me. So I'm like learning my lessons slowly, but surely I'm going to make a lot of mistakes. You guys, I'm going to have to fall through a lot of holes. So you might have to pull me out. Sounds like you're doing great. It sounds like you're doing great Kelly. But my only, my last thing is how does he feel about dating you with you?

telling your entire dating story essentially to the public. So I asked him that. I said, how do you feel about... He was like, I think that's amazing. That's great. And he has a lot of confidence too. And that's another thing. He has a lot of confidence. He's not intimidated by what I'm doing. He just is happy for me and excited for me to... He even said to me, he's like, I'm just so happy to have met you, which is so nice.

That's a very sweet thing to say. And it sounds like he followed up with actions. Exactly. And actions speak louder than words. So to answer, Amy, what your question, actions speak louder than words. And I feel like if you like someone, you know, I mean, I wouldn't be sending like heart emojis every two seconds, but, you know, thinking of you or, you know, hope your meeting went well.

but not like, what do we do tomorrow? Do you need a coffee? Should I come pick you up? Like, that would make me, I mean, that would scare anyone. You know, like, oh my God, what? If it hasn't been made clear, fellas, do not love bomb Kelly Ben Simone. Okay? Right. You know when you're like in school and you're like writing down and you're like, I love... This is like, I'm in my 50s. I can't be doing, you know, it's like you have to be like, like be open to like,

Kelly, I suspect that when you were a kid in school, you didn't do that either. You weren't writing little notes. Kelly loves. It just doesn't seem... She watches Virgin River. Oh, yeah. Okay. My bad. That's my bad. It's like a die-hard romance. Yes. We love love. We love love. When you told me you watch Virgin River, I know. Okay. I know. I missed it. I know. I missed it. Well, Kelly, we are so happy for you. And I know everyone listening is excited too because...

It's one of those things when you hear something good happen for someone else, someone who's been searching, someone who's been single deliberately for 15 years, finding something that could lead to something that there's that little spark, that little excitement. It's hope for everyone else too, that yes, it's never too late.

It's, I totally agree with that, Amy. And I appreciate that. And it's also like, you know, I always talk about like, there's like two kinds of energy. There's kinetic and there's frenetic. And when like something good happens, more good things are going to happen. And so whether it's Mr. Tennis or Mr. Soccer or whomever, I just feel like he is such a, he's really, he's

He's such a, I will, I will, if whether we end up together or we don't end up together, I'm just very grateful for what happened over the weekend because it's really been good for me and just so healthy and,

And I've never felt like healthy in an emotional romantic space before. Oh, Kelly, that was really we are huge fans of yours, not because of anything you did on TV. But when you walked into that I Heart Studio in Manhattan, we just fell in love with you from the you were vulnerable with us. And we did. We I think you got comfortable with us and we were comfortable with you and it all worked out. But we just adore you and appreciate any time we get to spend. So congrats to you.

and Mr. Tennis, and it sounds like there's a Mr. Soccer, a Mr. Golf, a Mr. Badminton, it might be a Mr. Basketball, but whatever. Whatever you're doing, enjoy your dating time, Kelly. Oh, Mr. Basketball.

Oh, Kelly, thank you. We will talk to you very, very soon. And folks, if you're out there and you want to be dating like Kelly and you want some dating advice, you can call or email us. You can follow us on the socials. All the information will be in the show notes. Make sure to rate and review the podcast as well. That's right. So that's going to wrap it up for this edition of I Do Part Two, an iHeart podcast where falling in love is the main objective. Have a great day, everyone. I'm Amy Robach. Oh, and I'm TJ Holmes. Yeah. Yeah. I figured we should say our names. Okay. We'll see y'all.

Did you know that future health can make weight loss resolutions come true? When it's about biology and not willpower, it's not your fault that the dieting just doesn't work. Find out if weight loss meds are right for you in just three minutes.

and for less than $3 a day. Eight out of 10 users say that using the Future Health program is more effective than anything they have ever tried. I take health seriously. So when my friend was struggling with weight loss, I encouraged them to look into GLP-1s because they are science-backed and have proven results. With Future Health, get started.

ongoing support from over 6,000 physicians and licensed pharmacies nationwide. Find out if weight loss meds are right for you in just three minutes at tryfh.com. That's tryfh.com. Tryfh.com. Future Health is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed at provider's discretion. Results may vary. Sponsored by Future Health.

John Stewart is back in the host chair at The Daily Show, which means he's also back in our ears on The Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Join late night legend John Stewart and the best news team for today's biggest headlines, exclusive extended interviews and more. Now this is a second term we can all get behind. Listen to The Daily Show Ears Edition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

The forces shaping markets and the economy are often hiding behind a blur of numbers. So that's why we created The Big Take from Bloomberg Podcasts, to give you the context you need to make sense of it all. Every day in just 15 minutes, we dive into one global business story that matters. You'll hear from Bloomberg journalists like Matt Levine. A lot of this meme stock stuff is, I think, embarrassing to the SEC. Follow The Big Take podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. Hi. Hi.

Hi, I'm Arturo Castro, and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse. And now I'm starting a podcast because honestly, guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history.

Each week, I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and comedians, people like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I love storytelling and I love you, so I can't wait. Listen and subscribe to Greatest Escapes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.