Nick Viall on What Reality Taught Him about America & Learning the Difference between Love and Infatuation

Mayim Bialik's Breakdown

Mayim Bialik

Mental Health, Society & Culture, Wellness, Health & Fitness, Comedy, Thebigbangtheory, Spirituality, Selfimprovement, Mentalhealth

4.7 • 5.2K Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2025

⏱️ 82 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Nick Viall (former BACHELOR star, bestselling author of “Don’t Text Your Ex Happy Birthday”, host of the chart-topping podcast The Viall Files) reveals the shocking truths behind the franchise's evolution and his own emotional journey as he navigated the process. From surviving the heartbreak of being a runner-up twice on Andi Dorfman & Kaitlyn Bristowe’s Bachelorette seasons to dealing with public vilification, Nick opens up about the psychological toll of reality TV, the need for therapists on set, and how filming the show made him question his own feelings. He dives deep into his spiritual crisis, the grief he shared with his wife after their miscarriage, and why he’s chosen to stay off social media. Plus, find out why texting your ex "Happy Birthday" is a huge mistake and more helpful dating advice and tips! You won’t want to miss his candid, eye-opening reflections on love, fame, and personal growth!

Transcript

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0:00.0	As a key player on four seasons of the Bachelor franchise,
0:05.0	Nick Viol has practically made a...
0:07.0	Going on The Bachelor, I felt like I kind of emotionally relapsed
0:11.0	back into 19-year-old me.
0:14.0	That environment basically says if it feels good, do it.
0:17.0	When I got off that show, I was a mess.
0:20.0	I was emotionally f***ed with for like six weeks and then like thrown to the wolves.
0:24.6	If you were, God forbid, having a crisis, I'm assuming they would get help.
0:29.6	There's a lot of producers playing therapist, and the actual therapist was more of a legal requirement.
0:34.6	I don't think the people making that show have any idea what it's like to be a contestant
0:40.3	on that show.
0:41.3	I don't think they do a good job of preparing people for being thrown into public life.
0:47.3	I felt like on an island and I was looking for my support system.
0:51.3	I learned a lot about America filming reality TV.
1:05.2	Before we dive into today's episode, I'm going to ask you to do something very quick,
1:13.2	very easy, but super helpful. I'm going to ask you to hit the subscribe button. You see it? Go get it.
1:19.0	Hit the subscribe button. It just takes a second, but it means a lot to us. You have probably noticed from all of the comments that we get, many people find that listening to MBB regularly
1:24.1	is helping them feel happier, healthier, more inspired. And you know what? That actually
1:29.7	is why we are doing this. It makes my heart swell to hear that so many of you are feeling
1:35.8	inspired. So subscribing to this show, whether you're listening on YouTube or whether you're
1:41.5	listening to it through a podcast app, it's the easiest way to ensure
1:45.0	that you will never miss an episode. So we don't want you to miss a single one and you don't want
	...

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