Teen Beat with Danielle Fishel — "Danielle’s Diary: 1/23/26" (January 23, 2026) — Detailed Summary

Main Theme & Purpose

In this solo diary-style episode, Danielle Fishel offers a candid behind-the-scenes look at her life on the Dancing with the Stars tour. The episode is a personal, humorous, and heartfelt exploration of Danielle’s experience as a non-professional dancer traveling and performing with the show's pros, her tour preparation, anxieties, and small victories. Listeners get insider details about tour logistics, the hard work behind performances, and the gratitude the cast feels toward fans—all with Danielle’s charming, self-deprecating tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Life on the Dancing with the Stars Tour

• Excitement and Pinch-Me Moments:

  • Danielle describes her awe and excitement at being part of the tour, rehearsing with world-class dancers, and performing in grand venues.
  • "I'm pinching myself every single day that this right now is my life." (03:30)

• Professional Dancers’ Talent:

  • Watching the pro dancers perform together is vastly different from seeing them partnered with celebrities on TV; their full range and skill come out during tour numbers.
  • "No offense to my fellow celebrities on the show, but when they dance with us … they're not able to dance the way they want to. But boy, to see them dance with each other for a two hour show and to see what they're capable of is amazing." (04:25)

• Choreographing a Show from Scratch:

  • Danielle marvels at the creativity of Mandy Moore, the tour's choreographer/director, and the ability to build impressive routines so quickly from nothing.
  • "Within like 20 or 30 minutes, they have a gorgeous number. And I'm like, what? In what world, how does this happen?" (06:20)

Danielle’s Tour Routine & Packing Realities

• Wardrobe & Glam Realities:

  • Unlike on TV, Danielle and the cast must do their own hair and makeup. She details an exhaustive packing list — multiple sweat sets, jeans, winter outerwear, makeup, hair tools, and body makeup.
  • "I had to bring multiple palettes of makeup because who wants to wear the same palette of makeup for an entire month? Not me." (11:32)

• Hotel and Bus Life:

  • She’s yet to truly experience "bus life," explaining the routines: doing a show, getting ready for bed in a venue (no bus showers), and the use of 'junk bunks' for overnight essentials.
  • "The only thing you're really allowed to have with you on the actual bus is like a small duffel bag. And that's because while the buses are big, there are like eight people staying on the bus." (12:49)

• Laundry & Suitcase Rotation:

  • Tour life means one hotel day per week, which is the opportunity to launder clothes and refresh the weekly wardrobe from the giant under-bus suitcase.
  • "Apparently that's really the only day you want to take your giant suitcase out ... and then refresh your clothes from your big suitcase into your carry on." (19:39)

• Bus Stock and Creature Comforts:

  • Grocery shopping ('bus stock') is done weekly; Danielle insists on apples and a Nespresso machine for morning sanity.
  • "I requested apples, I requested coffee because I can't imagine life without coffee. I also requested like an espresso machine, which I know that's super bougie." (15:08)

Performance Preparation & Challenges

• Dress Rehearsals and Mishaps:

  • The first full dress rehearsal was fraught with “so many little mistakes in all areas.” Mandy Moore helped the cast course-correct with a "cue to cue" rehearsal day.

  • "I am not exaggerating, and I don't think I'm speaking out of turn when I say [the first dress rehearsal] didn't go the way we wanted." (15:59)

  • Team discusses quick changes, choreography tweaks, and how to create breathing room so dancers aren’t “literally huffing and puffing” onstage.

  • "No one wants to literally be huffing and puffing when they enter stage trying to do a beautiful dance." (18:08)

• Personal Perfectionism and Struggles:

  • Danielle candidly admits to being the “weak link” among pros and fixates on perfecting a tambourine section she hasn’t nailed yet.
  • "There are still a million things I need to and want to do better and just hold up my end of the bargain here. ... I at least don't want to look like, you know, somebody plucked me off the side of the road and threw me in there." (24:16)

Health, Sleep, and Making it Work

• Travel Pillows and Sleep Rituals:

  • Danielle laments having to leave her beloved “pillow cube” at home to fit podcast equipment, resulting in poor sleep and stress (as verified by her Oura ring).
  • "My ring is like, what are you doing, lady? You normally sleep great." (22:39)

• Body Image and Stage Lights:

  • Notes the harshness of stage lighting on legs and the importance of self-application of spray tans and body makeup.

Fan Interactions and Tour Policies

• Fan Appreciation:

  • Danielle emphasizes how vital fans are to the show’s existence.
  • "You guys are a functioning member of the Dancing with the Stars team. You just really are. We would be nothing without you." (09:37)

• Changes to Post-Show Meet and Greets:

  • For the first time in tour history, fans will not be able to meet the dancers at the buses after the show due to heightened security and safety concerns.
  • "The show is bigger than it's ever been and there are a lot of security concerns ... not just the performers, but all of you dear fans who come out to meet the dancers and to meet us." (27:11)

• Meet & Greets Still Available for VIPs:

  • Official, controlled, and pre-numbered meet and greets will be held indoors instead.

• Danielle reassures that production value and on-stage energy will still wow the fans.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I can't believe it. Like, I wake up, I go down to the studio where we're rehearsing and I watch 10 of the most incredible dancers on stage doing things that I just cannot believe a human body can do." (03:40)
• "I'm just trying to keep up, and I'm trying not to drag them down with me, and I'm trying to make sure that you are fantastic watchers and, you know, listeners of the podcast, but watchers of the show and voters on the show, people who love Dancing with the Stars, who come to this expecting the highest caliber and quality of product, that you get it and that. And that I contribute to it in some way." (09:04)
• "I am packed within a millimeter of my life." (10:16)
• "We all huddle up … and Val led the speech today, and … he mentioned just how grateful we all are that we get to perform for you and that we still get to keep doing things that we love." (08:57)
• "I used to be a little more low maintenance. I used to have less things." (10:13)
• "I sleep like a baby angel at home, and I have a travel pillow cube. ... but my travel pillow cube was the thing that got removed so that I could take my podcasting equipment with me." (21:43)
• "There is a part of the show that involves tambourines. And it is my favorite part of the show, which is saying a lot because I have quite a few favorite parts, but I think my number one favorite part is the tambourines. And I haven't quite nailed it yet." (23:43)
• "Hopefully you will feel our love through the show. If you have a meet and greet or a VIP pass, those are inside, they're controlled ... But as far as the after near the buses meet and greet, it's not gonna happen this year." (28:00)
• "Every single second I'm not on stage or changing, I am watching the show in the wings, just absolutely mesmerized by these people and I know that you will be too." (30:46)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:30 — Danielle describes awe at touring and Dancing with the Stars dancers' full talent.
• 06:20 — The Mandy Moore choreography process: "create something from nothing."
• 09:37 — The cast’s gratitude toward fans highlighted by Val’s pre-show huddle speech.
• 10:13 – 12:49 — Packing logistics, suitcase rules, and bus/venue living realities.
• 15:08 — ‘Bus stock’ ritual, Nespresso and morning tour optimism.
• 15:59-24:16 — Dress rehearsal disasters, cue-to-cue fixes, and striving for tambourine perfection.
• 21:43 — Pillow cube saga and the sacrifices for tour vs. podcast equipment.
• 27:11 – 29:20 — Changes in meet & greet policy due to security and health concerns.
• 30:46 — Danielle’s admiration for pro dancers and backstage moments.

Overall Tone & Takeaways

Danielle is open, self-effacing, and sincerely grateful throughout. The episode blends logistical detail and backstage storytelling with her characteristic humor and warmth. Fans get an honest look at the hard work, tensions, and joys of tour life.

For Listeners New to the Show

This episode gives a thorough, relatable picture of what it’s like to be a “rookie” among pros, the daily grind and unexpected challenges of tour, and the significance of fan support. Danielle’s love for performance, the Dancing with the Stars community, and her fans shines through, making this both an entertaining and heartfelt diary entry.

"We have a wonderful show. I don't think you guys are going to feel like you are missing out in any way. The production value of this show is just incredible. ... Seeing them dance to their full potential is remarkable and you're gonna love it. It's going to be amazing."
— Danielle Fishel (30:40)