Dancing with…Britt Stewart

Summary

Pod Meets World: “Dancing with… Britt Stewart”

Podcast: Pod Meets World (iHeartPodcasts)
Air Date: October 10, 2025
Host: Danielle Fishel
Guest: Britt Stewart

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Episode Overview

This special episode of "Pod Meets World" brings together Danielle Fishel—famed for her role as Topanga and current “Dancing with the Stars” contestant—with Britt Stewart, celebrated dancer and trailblazing “DWTS” pro. The conversation centers on Britt’s journey on “Dancing with the Stars,” her approach to dance, representation, and her professional and personal milestones. Danielle, herself grappling with the competition’s demands, looks to Britt for advice, and the two share insights about community, perseverance, and the transformative power of dance.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Britt Stewart’s “DWTS” Roller Coaster

• Unexpected Early Elimination with Baron Davis

  • Britt and Danielle express surprise and disappointment over Britt and Baron’s week 2 elimination.
  • The competitiveness of this season is highlighted, given that many participants bring either social media followings or dance backgrounds.
  • Quote:

    “If I can get Baron to week three, even week four, people are going to fall in love with him.” — Britt (06:16)

• Baron Davis’ Impact

  • Both women reflect on Baron’s charisma, authenticity, and generosity in mentoring fellow contestants (07:33).
  • Discussion on how connecting authentically made the partnership special, and how vulnerable one must be to fully engage in the competition.

2. The Reality of Contestant Support

• Fan Reaction and “Justice for Baron” Movement

  • Danielle and Britt discuss the groundswell of online support for Baron after his elimination (09:48), acknowledging that making such an impact so early is atypical.
  • Britt shares her perspective on accepting outcomes and believing things happen for a reason (11:04).

• Unrealized Dances and Theme Weeks

  • Britt shares plans for what would have been future performances with Baron, including a true LA hip-hop dedication to his kids and black culture (11:50).
  • Danielle expresses hope that Britt and Baron might still collaborate on creative projects outside the competition (13:28).

3. Maintaining Relationships & Wedding Stories

• Keeping in Touch with Former Partners

  • Britt maintains close friendships with former partners, particularly Johnny Weir, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding (16:03).
  • Humorous exchange about their nicknames (“Doodle” and “Bruce”) and shared quirks (16:27).

• Showmance Turned Real Love

  • The conversation dives into Britt’s romance with Daniel Durant, her “DWTS” partner from Season 31, culminating in marriage (47:27–52:03).
  • Quote:

    “The first time he kissed me...I was like, oh, this is over. It’s over.” — Britt (50:45)

4. Britt’s Path to “DWTS” & Dance Origins

• Disney Roots & High School Musical

  • Britt didn’t realize the significance of working with Kenny Ortega at a young age—her dance career began in a whirlwind of serendipitous events (18:14).
  • She reflects on moments of “kismet” and being guided to formative opportunities (21:28).

• Transitioning to Ballroom without Prior Experience

  • Initially selected for troupe, Britt immersed herself deeply in the ballroom world, even competing in Pro-Am to show respect for the culture and to grow (31:36).
  • Discusses the challenges for classically trained dancers adapting to ballroom’s unique demands (32:10–32:27).

5. Representation and Personal Growth

• Becoming the First Black Female Pro on “DWTS”
  • Britt recounts her initial disappointment when troupe was eliminated and her job disappeared, only to return as the first Black female pro (33:23–35:13).
  • Navigating newfound pressure and the importance of showing up authentically for herself and others (36:09, 37:41).
  • Quote:

    “All I have to do is show up as myself, and that would be the perfect representation, because that’s all I have is me.” — Britt (38:24)

6. Inside “DWTS”—Rumors, Pairings, and Creative Roles

• Traveling Dancer Life

  • Britt shares that she never tired of dancing to Katy Perry’s music during a 3-year tour (25:24).

• Involvement in Tour and Choreography

  • Dispelling the rumor that pros like her or Emma request to be paired with early-exit celebrities to focus on tour prep; her actual involvement in tour choreography begins only once the tour starts (27:26–29:59).

• Pairing Celebrity Talent: ‘Ringers’ vs. Underdogs

  • Britt acknowledges she’s yet to be paired with a “ringer” and discusses the complexities and fairness of casting (52:03–55:09).
  • She emphasizes the unique journeys of her partners, with Daniel Durant described as a true dark horse (53:38).

7. The Heart of “DWTS” — Connection and Growth

• Debate: Should Celebrities Have Dance Experience?

  • Britt sees both sides but cherishes seeing true beginners blossom through hard work and learning. That journey, she says, is the soul of the show (39:20–40:48).

• Biggest Strategy for Success

  • Above physical ability: "the connection with your partner" is the critical ingredient to winning over the audience and achieving growth (56:21).
  • Quote:

    “If you can find that essence, I feel like people fall in love with that. People want to root for that as well.” — Britt (56:21)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Authenticity and Vulnerability:

  “One of my mottos for life is to be a consistent student, to always be a student, and to always learn.” — Britt (09:25)

• On Representation:

  “Not only is, you know, this dream of mine coming true, but now I’m becoming, you know, this representation that has not existed until now, until you.” — Britt (36:09)

• On Dance Partnerships:

  “Sometimes you just have to…marinate and get some sleep sometimes.” — Britt (35:13)

• On Perseverance:

  “Like any industry dancer does...you pivot, and you pivot immediately.” — Britt (34:20)

• On the Transformation of Celebrities:

  “The heart of the show is teaching someone how to dance…from their first days of rehearsals and then at the finale, doing their freestyle like a proper dancer. That is the heart of the show.” — Britt (40:14)

• On Danielle’s Growth:

  “You are the stars of Dancing with the Stars…and you keep spirits high and you are patient…” — Danielle (42:21)\

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Notable Timestamps

• [04:26] Britt Stewart introduced; career highlights
• [05:36] Discussing the shock of early elimination with Baron Davis
• [11:46] Britt shares creative plans for unrealized “dedication week” dance
• [16:03] Britt’s continued friendships and wedding stories with former partners
• [18:14] Britt’s dance beginnings and Disney connections
• [25:24] Brittany talks about touring as a professional dancer
• [33:23] On becoming “DWTS”’ first Black female pro
• [39:20] Debate: celebrities with or without dance experience
• [47:27] How Britt and Daniel’s romance developed after the show
• [52:03] Discussion of fairness and factors in pairing pros and celebrities
• [56:21] Britt’s biggest “DWTS” strategy: connection with your partner

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Episode Tone & Closing

Throughout the episode, Danielle and Britt share open, heartfelt, and frequently humorous reflections on the highs and lows of dance and life in the spotlight. Their camaraderie is tangible—from fangirling over choreographic challenges to sharing secrets of “DWTS” success. The tone remains warm, supportive, and empowering, concluding with mutual gratitude and excitement for future collaboration.

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For fans of “Boy Meets World,” “Dancing with the Stars,” or anyone interested in the journeys of women whose authenticity and resilience are their true superpowers, this episode delivers inspiration, behind-the-scenes reality, and a celebration of growth—on the ballroom floor and beyond.

Transcript

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[Danielle Fishel]

Welcome to Danielle with the Stars. I am Danielle Fisher, a TV director, podcaster, forever Topanga and a mom of two. But nowadays I am an aspiring ballroom dancer competing on the 34th season of Dancing with the Stars. And all the while I am Continuing to record a podcast forever immortalizing my attempt to be the 2025 Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy winner. And every week, I am podcasting for a leg up. Threw a bruised leg up by talking to pros, former contestants and and even some of my peers, accepting any and all advice in hopes that my national TV dream of a perfect score could soon come true. And today, I am being spoiled with expertise because my guest is a fan favorite Dancing with the Stars superstar who joined the show in 2016, later becoming the first black female pro dancer in the show's history. She began on troupe, then just a year later was partnered with figure skater Johnny Weir, a celebrity she took on all the way to the semifinals. But since then, she has ridden a bit of a Dancing with the Stars roller coaster. Paired with Karate Kid and Cobra Kai star Martin Kove, TV actor Daniel Durant, former NFL player Adrian Peterson, legacy Hollywood name Eric Roberts. And then this season, she was with a teddy bear who was eliminated in week two, the ray of light known as Baron Davis. I think it's safe to say she has not had it easy, but yet, through it all, her star has shone brighter than ever. Her infectious smile and undeniable talent has stood out to everyone who watches. And now I get the chance to know her on a deeper level while also picking her brain about my own journey. Please welcome to Danielle with the Stars, a total pro, a trooper, and someone who can make anyone shine. It's Brit Stewart.

[Brit Stewart]

Oh, my goodness. Hello. You are the queen of introductions. Can you just, like, come with me everywhere? I will, I will.

[Danielle Fishel]

Anywhere you want to go. Just let me walk in before you give a little intro. I'll shorten it. I'll make it a little tighter, you know?

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah. If I could just have that in, like, a ball of a daily affirmation.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'll let you keep the paper. I am so happy you agreed to do this podcast. I have been trying to have you as a guest, literally since day one of the podcast. You were at the very top of my list.

[Brit Stewart]

Thank you. I'm so excited to be here and I know. I'm just excited to talk to you. You're so sweet, and interacting with you at the rehearsal studio and everything, it's just. I'm excited to go on a deeper level.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, me too. I. I wish we were here talking just because we were still both rehearsing together. I. In no. In no universe did I anticipate that we would be sitting down for this podcast after you and Baron had been eliminated just during week two. It was absolutely flabbergasting to me. Was it as shocking to you as it was to, I think, everyone else?

[Brit Stewart]

It actually was. And I tried to say that without any ego involved, but I feel like if you're a fan of the show, if you are. If you've watched it for, you know, it's been on air for 20 years. Yes. If you watch it and then of course, being part of it, you kind of. You kind of have a feeling of who's going to go home or you have like a few options. And I really. I didn't think that we would go home week one. No. I knew it was going to be difficult because this year is the cast. Is it? I don't know if we've ever had this competitive.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

Of a cast. I mean, if you don't have dance experience, you have social media following or you have both. And so, you know, I knew it was going to be an uphill climb for us, but in my mind I was like, if I can get Baron to week three, even week four, people are going to fall in love with him.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, he does. He has so much charisma, his personality, his smile, his sense of humor and. And so much of that just takes a little bit of him getting comfortable for him to reveal it. And so you knew, like your work was gonna be. How do I get him comfortable enough out there to start letting more of that shine?

[Brit Stewart]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. It's just. I was. I was already seeing it, but I feel like I got to. Baron and I connected very early on. We connected in New York during Good Morning America. We ended up as being somehow the only two cast members on the pro bus. There were two different hotels and the rest of the cast somehow got on the right bus to go to their hotel and ended up on the professional dancer bus. And you guys all got dropped off first. And so it was just Baron and I for maybe a 10 minute bus ride. And just in normal conversation, we were like, oh, you're one of my.

[Brit Stewart]

We're. We're.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're one of my people. And from that moment on, every time I knew he was there, we made a point of finding each other, checking in with each other. He was always so generous with his advice, asking me how I was feeling, showing me different stretches. We did our first show and tell.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah, we together.

[Danielle Fishel]

And that was such a special moment. And I was so. I had no idea what to expect. And the work you put in with him and you can't. You guys danced your first dance to youo can't touch this. And he just came alive. I. Yeah, I. I think he's just such a special person, and it is not. Not at all surprising to me that the two of you connected. Did you guys connect the same way? It feels? Baron and I connected.

[Brit Stewart]

Oh, yes. You know, what I love about Baron is he comes forward as his authentic self always. And so I feel like if he's met with that same energy, it's hard to not be connected with him.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

I think he's also an extremely curious person.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

So if he, like, sees. Oh, oh, he wants to try to get to know you and try to, you know, and also be present in an experience and be present in whatever he is doing. And so, you know, I knew Baron and I would get along because during our first meet, he was like, I'm just here to learn something new, to challenge myself to be vulnerable. And that's my type of people. I. You know, for me, I'm all. I do wear. I don't wear my heart on my sleeves, actually. But I am very sensitive. Okay. And I try to. I don't try. I lead my life with authenticity. And one of my mottos for life is to be a consistent student, to always be a student, and to always learn.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ooh, I love that.

[Brit Stewart]

And so when I first met him, I was like, okay, this is gonna be. This is going to be fun. And then he has a sense of humor on top of it. Right. So, you know, we connected very quickly. I joke with him. I'm like, I don't know if you manifested getting a sister, a little sister in this life, but you have one now.

[Danielle Fishel]

You have one now you're stuck.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah, we. We definitely connected.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did it surprise you at all to see the amount of support online? Yes, it did, because there is quite a swell of justice for Baron.

[Brit Stewart]

There is a big swell. And I know it doesn't. I know it doesn't make it better.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Brit Stewart]

But I wanted to make sure that he knew that that is not normal, especially in the beginning, like, especially the first few eliminations. It's not. That's not typical. You know, even though he was only on the show for two weeks, he made an impact totally, which is a huge deal.

[Danielle Fishel]

And people saw in him the same thing we see, which was just a few more weeks. Everyone would have been. You would have blossomed like a flower, and everyone would have been able. So it does. It feels like a robbery. We, the America, Canada, the world was cut short of being able to know. The Baron we know is just right Below that surface. And it's interesting that people were able to see it. And so it just makes me say, where were the votes?

[Brit Stewart]

I know. Oh, it's so frustrating. You know, it is what it is. Yeah. And you can't change it.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Brit Stewart]

And I'm one of those people, you know, Even though I'm like, it was too short, all these things, I'm, you know, I. Again, I'm sensitive, so I. I felt all my feelings. Yeah. At the end of the day, I still believe that that is what was meant to happen. Right. So.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Because what if it's meant for you? It will be yours.

[Brit Stewart]

Yours.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. And so you may not know exactly the why of it happening, but you know that. Okay. It is what it's supposed to be. So that's. I mean, that's a wonderful perspective to have in anything you do in life. Looking forward, had you guys continued, what were some of the things you were looking forward to for some of the theme weeks? Do you want to share any of your.

[Brit Stewart]

I actually would love. Great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Because I'm dying to know. I want to know what your vision was for him.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah. So something super simple. We were supposed to have a tango this week.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Brit Stewart]

And his frame was actually the best frame that I've. Like, his frame was incredible.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, gorgeous frame on day one.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes. So not only were we robbed of Baron, but he. We were robbed of his gorgeous frame. But that's okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Brit Stewart]

I was really looking forward to. We were going to do a West coast, like LA True LA Hip Hop for his dedication week.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, man. I still want to see it. Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

And so I, you know, that. That would just have been a big celebration of not only, like, Los Angeles, where he's from, it was going to be a celebration of his kids and almost this generational. This generational celebration.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

Of what he is curating for his children. And, you know, within that, with hip hop and everything, also the celebration of black culture, too.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Brit Stewart]

So I was really looking. I had a lot of ideas for Baron actually. You know, he's a. He's a businessman, too. So I was even thinking, like, how can I dive into this, like, structured business world of what you normally think of what a businessman is in our eyes in America.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Brit Stewart]

But how he completely is not defined by what that stereotype is. And he's this mega businessman.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

So I was playing around with ideas, with that, and. Oh, I love that. I had some dreams. Any.

[Danielle Fishel]

Any chance we could get you guys to still put that together for that dedication week? I feel like that dedication week. Everyone needs that.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah. Okay, let me. You know what? Let me give him a call. Let's see what we can do.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'll give him a call, too.

[Brit Stewart]

I called him.

[Danielle Fishel]

Y. I called him yesterday. I wanted to check in. He was like, you know, I. I kind of want to come visit. And I was like, I mean, you know.

[Brit Stewart]

You know what? That's actually breaking my heart maybe the most is he's really upset. He. He.

[Danielle Fishel]

He said he missed everyone.

[Brit Stewart]

Oh, he misses it. And I don't think people realize when you really take a chance on something, when you really open yourself up to an experience. Yeah. Takes a lot of vulnerability. And so he's. Yeah, he's. He's missing you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Let me know how I can help you. Let me know what I can do.

[Brit Stewart]

I want me to.

[Danielle Fishel]

We need to rent a space. I'll rent a space.

[Doug (Liberty Mutual Ad)]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

I just want. I want you guys to be able to go out on your terms. Pick, you know, for you to have, like. Okay, I didn't get to. I didn't get to make the decision that we left on week two, but here's a week that was going to mean something to black culture, to your children, to music, to him. Let's do it anyway. Let's do it anyway. Why not?

[Brit Stewart]

Why not?

[Danielle Fishel]

Why not put it together, have fun with it, have it for himself.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Cause he did say when I talked to him yesterday, he was like, you know, I just. I guess I'm not a dancer. And I was like, surprise.

[Brit Stewart]

You are.

[Danielle Fishel]

You are. And he started dying. He was like, yeah, you know what? You're right. Surprise.

[Brit Stewart]

I am.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was like, you are. You were so. I don't know. I just want to see. I just want to. I want to see it. I want there to be. I want there to be a nice button that feels like there's some ownership.

[Brit Stewart]

I love that for you both. Thank you.

[Danielle Fishel]

So I don't know what I can.

[Brit Stewart]

Do, but anything I can do that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is very inspiring, I want to do. Now, outside of the obvious, have you kept in touch with a lot of your partners over the years?

[Brit Stewart]

I actually have. Well, we all know the very obvious. I married. I married one. I married one.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's why I'm saying, outside of the obvious, the one who you recently. Recently married and live with. Because I'm thinking about moving in with Pasha and Daniela.

[Brit Stewart]

I think maybe you should. Maybe you should just purchase a commune, and then, you know, your families can just.

[Danielle Fishel]

I actually love that idea.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Communal living. We can be there for Each other, raise the children in a group. I think that's smart.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I haven't talked to them about it.

[Brit Stewart]

But I think it's a great idea.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I think so.

[Brit Stewart]

They'd be fine. You know, I'm still really good friends with my very first. First partner, Johnny Weir. He was actually a bridesmaid.

[Danielle Fishel]

I saw that in the photos. Wonderful.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes. And he is just. You know, we instantly clicked. Okay. Instantly. And, you know, I call him Doodle. He calls me Bruce. It's a thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

So cute. What are those nicknames?

[Brit Stewart]

Doodle. So I don't know. I just started calling him Doodle. He's so cute.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like a little Doodle.

[Brit Stewart]

He is just a Doodle. And I. I. It's just. So now it's his nickname later to find out his family any. They call anything that's cute Doodle.

[Danielle Fishel]

Really?

[Brit Stewart]

Yes. And I had no idea. I just started calling him Doodle. I know that. I know.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's weird. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. That's a soul connection.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes. Oh. Oh. 1000% is a soul connection. And then he calls me Bruce because apparently I'm like, very. Sometimes I can be aggressive when I count the cha cha.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh.

[Brit Stewart]

Which was. I don't know. He would be like four. I would sometimes go, four, four.

[Danielle Fishel]

And he was like, okay, Bruce.

[Brit Stewart]

Hey, Bruce. Bruce is out. I sent him in one of our. You know how we get the camera blocking photos. Oh, my mouth was, like, doing something crazy. Like, I was obviously mid scream, you know, leading barely on the floor. And I sent. I like, zoomed in very close in. I was like, doodle. Bruce is back.

[Danielle Fishel]

Check out this photo of Bruce.

[Brit Stewart]

Check out Bruce.

[Danielle Fishel]

Those photos. I don't love a lot of them.

[Brit Stewart]

No, no. It's like mid motion, weird things. I saw the one with your hair. Hilarious.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, great. Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

So good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Hair was all over the place there. I also with my leg bruise when the day that I did the cartwheel, I was wearing shorts and it was like, you know, mid cartwheels, by the way. Just not gonna be attractive.

[Brit Stewart]

No, period.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's just legs everywhere. And then, like, dark bruise in my upper thigh. I was like, guys, did we. Could we not have just not snapped the camera during that moment? But, you know.

[Brit Stewart]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

I wanted to talk to you a little bit about your Disney roots because that is something we share. You are a principal dancer in all three of the High School Musical films, all directed by Kenny Ortega. Were you intimidated working with such an icon at a young age?

[Brit Stewart]

Oh, this is quite embarrassing, I have to tell you. I didn't know who Kenny was. You were like, wasn't weird for me. No, I was like, okay. Hey, dude. Hey, what's up?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, hey, bro, call action.

[Brit Stewart]

I was like, okay, this is great. No, I. So I didn't go through the normal audition process. Okay. They were. I happened to be in New York at a national dance competition. It's called New York City Dance Alliance. And one of the co choreographers, Bonnie Story, she has a daughter the same age as me, and we were both there alone without our big dance studios. And we bonded in the rehearsal process. And Bonnie saw me dance and randomly we were on the same subway after like a late night rehearsal. Okay. With my. I was with my mom, Kelly, her daughter, same age as me, was with Bonnie. And she just looks at us and she goes, this is going to be absolutely insane. But I'm filming a movie this summer in Utah with Kenny Ortega. And we are looking for one more dancer, one more female dancer. And I really. I've already called Kenny. You are it. You would have to come straight from New York to Utah, but you can, you can live with me and my family and the girls, the whole thing. And my mom and I were like, oh, okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Come and live with us, you girls.

[Brit Stewart]

What? We'll think about it. Gotta get your number. Yeah. And so then, you know, I was like, I'm supposed to be staying and assisting this choreographer named Brian Friedman at the Broadway Dance center after New York. Who's. I don't know, Kenny Ortega.

[Danielle Fishel]

Kenny Ortega.

[Brit Stewart]

In Utah. In Utah. You know, I'm from Colorado, so it's not too far off, but still. And you know, you're in New York, I'm in New York. I'd have to go without my parents, like all, all these things. So I call Brian Friedman, who I was meant to assist in his classes and his master classes, and he goes, brit, you. Kenny Ortega, you have to go. You have to go. Ends up Brian Friedman. His first job was as a dancer, as a child was newsiest. And Kenny Ortega choreographed newsies. And so he was like, this is kismet that this is happening. This would be your first professional job. You have to go. And so I went. And you know, High School Musical was not supposed to be what it was. It was six weeks. It was low budget Disney Channel film that became this phenomenon.

[Danielle Fishel]

Cultural phenomenon. Yeah. Wow. I can't believe how many things in your life are all connected.

[Brit Stewart]

It's. It's actually wild.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you notice them in the moment or are you the type of person who, with a with some space and time, looks back and then finds the connections. Or you do you notice as they're happening, you're like, oh, here's a. Here's a thing. Here's a sign.

[Brit Stewart]

No, they just kind of happen. I mean, same thing with Dancing with the Stars. I got the audition from being in a rehearsal. Had no idea. Absolutely no idea. Just, again, these big moments feel quite kismet in my life. I feel very blessed in that way.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, you've got guides.

[Brit Stewart]

I do.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I do. You've got guides. And they're.

[Brit Stewart]

They're doing their work.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, they're doing their work. And then you're like, oh, thanks, thanks.

[Brit Stewart]

Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

And you are prepared at the right place at the right time and wow. It's pretty great.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Now through November 4th. Shop the annual beauty event and save $5 when you spend $25 on select beauty products. Shop in store or online for items like Dove Body Wash, Native Body Wash, Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser, Dr. Squatch body wash, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, Dial Liquid Hand Soap, and Olay Body wash. And say, $5 when you spend $25 or more. Offer ends November 4th. Supply offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Doug (Liberty Mutual Ad)]

And Doug, here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Danielle Fishel]

Limu. Is that guy with the binoculars watching us?

[Doug (Liberty Mutual Ad)]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com.

[Danielle Fishel]

Liberty Liberty, Liberty.

[Doug (Liberty Mutual Ad)]

Liberty Savings.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.

[Ed Helms]

Hey, everyone. Ed Helms here.

[Matt Rogers]

And hi, I'm Kal Penn and we're the hosts of earsay, the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the iHeart podcast. I choose me to discuss the new Audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. There's no wrong answer. What role would I play?

[Brit Stewart]

You know what? I can see you as Mr. Darcy. You got a little Colin Firth.

[Ed Helms]

Okay, that's really sweet. I appreciate that, but are you sure I'm not the dad? I'm not Mr. Bennett.

[Brit Stewart]

Here.

[Ed Helms]

Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

JBL Tour Pro3 earbuds are for those who don't conform to the standard.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, I mean, if you want to get into some touchscreen technology, how about the smart charging case clear sound? These are not standard things. You're only going to get them with the JBL Tour Pro 3, baby.

[Bowen Yang]

And I love the sound of JBL when it goes. These earbuds are packed with innovation because you can't stand out by following others.

[Matt Rogers]

Touchscreen smart charging case for one touch control, instant EQ customization, true adaptive noise canceling. And the one of a kind audio transmitter which can plug and play with everything from game consoles to in flight entertainment.

[Bowen Yang]

The audio transmitter also allows for JBL Spatial360 sound that takes any audio and turns it into a 360 immersive experience.

[Matt Rogers]

What more could you want first doesn't follow. Grab a [e-mail].

[Danielle Fishel]

You have danced with Janet Jackson, Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Nick Jonas. As a dancer on tour, do you ever get sick of hearing the songs? Because that could be an occupational hazard. You're losing a lot of bops in your life. Can you still listen to all the music of the people you've danced for?

[Brit Stewart]

So the longest I've danced for an artist is three years, and I was with Katy Perry for three years. Wild.

[Danielle Fishel]

Three years.

[Brit Stewart]

Three years. And I'm actually proud to say I did not get sick of her music.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, great, Good. They're. Those are boppy.

[Brit Stewart]

They're boppy. They're great. But I'm very shocked by my answer, honestly. And I can still listen to Teenage Dream and still love it.

[Danielle Fishel]

I still love it.

[Brit Stewart]

It like, takes me back a little bit.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, it's a little nostalgic for you. Okay, well, that's good. That makes me happy. Is there a dream musician you would want to tour with?

[Brit Stewart]

You know what? I think I'm gonna be honest. I don't know. I don't think so. I think as far as a dancer goes, touring with Katie for that long was such a full experience. I mean, I got to go all over the world. We did. I was in her super bowl performance. Like, I got to do so, so much with her. And then like, after I danced for Janet Jackson, I was like, yeah, what else is there?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, this was pretty cool. Yeah, exactly.

[Brit Stewart]

I'm good. So I don't know about dance. Maybe if I could like, choreograph for somebody, maybe.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love that.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is that the next. Is that where your sights are starting to send you?

[Brit Stewart]

You Know, I'm a little bit. I'm a limitless dreamer, and I've always believed that choreograph would still be my connection to dance after I stopped dancing. Right. So, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I talked to Mandy Moore the other day. I interviewed her, and she was telling me a little bit about her process for choreographing the tour and how some of it. She's a planner, some of it needs to start now, but also she needs to see how the season ends up. And is there, now that you have some unexpected free time, does Mandy ever ask you to come in and help think of things, put things together, being that you are clearly so good at what you do?

[Brit Stewart]

Thank you. Not typically. Actually. That sort of process really happens once we're in the rehearsal process.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Brit Stewart]

I mean, Mandy is like my. I actually call her one of, like, my fairy dance godmothers because she had such a massive part in bringing me on to Dancing with the Stars. Really? Oh, yeah. Like, that rehearsal that I was talking about was her rehearsal, and she put me in. She actually asked me to dance with Derek in a moment that I wasn't supposed to dance with him, but he needed a partner.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Brit Stewart]

And that we were filming a wide, and that's what got sent to all of the producers and the network execs, and that's how I got my audition for troupe. Wow. And so she just kind of made all the puzzle pieces of the puzzle come together, and she really helped and supported me in that journey. But, you know, sometimes she'll. She usually during a season, will sit down with each of the pros that are going on tour and just talk about some of the things that we really are either feeling inspired by or feeling like, hey, I did a cha cha last tour. I don't necessarily need to do a cha cha, but maybe I can do a rumba this year. That is our involvement in her creation process. And then things she. Yes, absolutely. Things unfold and develop within the rehearsal process. It's actually. I'm actually really glad that you asked me this, because there's this rumor going around that Emma and I request to have partners that get eliminated early so that we can have involvement in.

[Danielle Fishel]

Can you imagine being the type. I mean, in order to be a part of this show and to even do remotely well in it, you have to be competitive.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Can you imagine being a professional dancer who's involved in a show where you're gonna try to win a mirror ball by teaching a celebrity who most of the time knows very little about dance, and then Being like, I only wanna do it for, like, a couple of weeks. Can you give me. I mean, that's a. That's a pretty crazy rumor.

[Brit Stewart]

It is crazy. But Emma is the host. She's one of the co hosts of the tour. And then I'm dance captain when we go on tour. But my work doesn't really start until we get out on the road.

[Danielle Fishel]

Until you get out on the road. But at least you know where the impetus for that rumor started. You guys have special names and roles attached to the tour that maybe other people do not have. And so there was a little bit of an assumption made. But.

[Brit Stewart]

So.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. You do not actually have a hand in the choreography until you're in the actual tour and things flourish on their own collaboratively.

[Brit Stewart]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. And so with your origin on Dancing with the Stars, producers saw you in this wonderful World of Disney show.

[Brit Stewart]

Right. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

In that rehearsal. Okay. And they ask you to audition for troupe. You get the job, but you didn't have any experience in ballroom dancing. Right. Okay. And so this is an important question for some of us. Very relevant to me at least. How did you get so good so.

[Brit Stewart]

Fast and can I have it? You know what? It's. First of all, I feel like I was always meant to do this style of dance because it didn't come. I don't want to. It didn't come easy, but I loved it right away. I also feel like, you know, I was on. I was on troupe for five seasons, actually.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Brit Stewart]

And so it gave me time to become a student. So as I was doing Troop my first season, I was also training simultaneously.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Brit Stewart]

And then when I got into the world and learned more about the ballroom world, I was like, this is completely different from the type of dance and the community that I grew up in. And I really wanted to not only show respect to the art form, to that, to the dance style, but to also my peers.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

So I ended up competing in Pro Am as well. To really, like, not for the. Not for the accolade, not for anything other. To dive deeper into the culture of ballroom because it is. It is unique all on its own.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

It's completely different than how I was raised in the dance world.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. That's what Mandy was saying too. Mandy was saying, it doesn't matter how well versed you are in contemporary or modern or jazz or hip hop. It does not matter. It's a totally different thing.

[Brit Stewart]

It's wild. Yeah, it's wild. I actually love teaching kids that have ballet, contemporary jazz, tap, hip hop training to do ballroom because I know exactly how it feels. And sometimes I'll look at them and I'll say, I know this feels crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I know. This is. This is.

[Brit Stewart]

This is exactly opposite from what your ballet teacher is teaching you right now. Right. But this is why this is how we initiate a movement like this in ballroom. Yeah. I kind of geek out on it a little bit.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love that. I love that you geek out on it. I feel like Pasha geeks out on it too.

[Brit Stewart]

Oh, I think Pasha geeks out more than I do.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Okay.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was gonna say, I feel like Pasha. Pasha's definitely geeking out. And I'm like, okay. You really love this.

[Brit Stewart]

He loves it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

I love Pasha's dedication. He's always practicing, always perfecting, always. And I feel like you guys are a very good match.

[Danielle Fishel]

We are. We are a very good match. He's been saying in interviews that he thought he was a perfectionist until he met me. And now he feels like he can let go of that title. I was like, no, no, no. Definitely not. What did it mean then for you when you in 2020, were asked to first black female pro on dancing with the stars? What did it mean to you?

[Brit Stewart]

Oh, my goodness. Well, it was very overwhelming, and it was also unexpected. So I did five seasons on Troupe, and the season before season 28, they actually got rid of the troupe. And right before that season, I had re auditioned to become a pro. And I remember at the time the showrunner, different than Conrad, called me, and he was straight up from the beginning. He's like, I don't wanna sugarcoat anything. This call is not gonna be good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, man.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah, I know. He was. He basically said, we were very impressed with your audition. We love you, but we're not gonna promote you to be a pro. And then on top of that, we're getting rid of troupe this season.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you're not. You don't even have to.

[Brit Stewart]

So I was out of the job. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Not only do you not get the job you want, but the job you have, you don't have it.

[Brit Stewart]

Exactly. And so then I just. Like any industry dancer does. Or I should say anyone in this industry does. You.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Brit Stewart]

You feel what? You pivot, and you pivot immediately. And that's exactly what I did. I just did. I just called my agent. I was like, get me booked.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly, Exactly. Calendar's free. Find me some. Some work.

[Brit Stewart]

Exactly. And the work that I did in that year actually ended up being really great. It was. And I think it all prepared me to become a pro. And I'm actually very grateful for that time off because I think if I would have become a pro immediately after troop, I would have been too close to it. I would have been like. I don't know, it gave me a little bit of a fresh perspective and just a breath.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, A breath of. Yeah. A nice little breath away from something which is also something you do. And dance.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes. Yes. You have to. Sometimes you just have to. Not practice. Just need to. I. I call it marination.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Brit Stewart]

Need to let it marinate and get some sleep sometimes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Not always. Not if you're just being lazy.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah, there's a difference. There's a big difference.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

Huge difference. So. And then, of course, in 2020, the world shut down.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Brit Stewart]

So, you know, I was also like, we were still isolated when I. When I learned that I was going to become a parent.

[Danielle Fishel]

How did you learn that you were gonna become a this? Now I wanna hear the flip side. Cause you had the conversation that started off with, guess what? This is bad news. I'm just warning you now it's gonna be a bad conversation. What was the flip side of that conversation?

[Brit Stewart]

So Dina texted me, and she just simply asked, can you do a video call at this time? And I was like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, okay. Okay.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah, I guess. Of course.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sure.

[Brit Stewart]

I mean, even if I wasn't in isolation, I would have dropped everything, too. Like, when Dina texts you, when.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is Dina Katz, for those of you who may not know. Dina Katz, executive producer, Casting. Really? Very, very, very high up. Head honcho. Lots of decisions being made by Dina.

[Brit Stewart]

Exactly. And so I said, yes, anytime, whatever. Yeah. So then we get onto a zoom, and she tells me that I'm becoming a pro. And I actually. I was like. I think I was in such shock, I was almost emotionless because I was like, just say yes. Yeah. And that you're just happy and grateful. Out of the zoom.

[Danielle Fishel]

Zoom as fast as possible.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes, yes. And then I called my mom, and I was like, I lost it. When I called my mom, of course I lost it. Yeah. And I was just. Just filled with so much gratitude. And then after that, I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm. Not only is, you know, this dream of mine coming true, but now I'm becoming, you know, this representation that has not existed until now, until you. And, you know, it's. The representation has been in the celebrity partners, but never as a dancer, which is so important. And. And it was very overwhelming, very exciting. And then when I got there for the premiere, I Had a little baby, like, not freak out. But I felt very overwhelmed, and I felt very much like I was putting a ton of pressure on myself to be perfect and to be right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Now I have to be it all.

[Brit Stewart]

Now I have to be it all. Yeah. And that season, I'm so grateful I was partnered with Johnny that season. Johnny is so. There is no other human in this world that is like Johnny Weir. And he taught me so much in that season. I always led with authenticity, but sometimes in moments of fear or moments of anxiety, I would. I would just little of myself, make myself small. And I just learned in that moment that all I have to do is show up as myself, and that would be the perfect representation, because that's all I have is me. I don't need to do anything other than just show up and be me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. And so wonderful that you had a partner that was able to recognize you doing it and to be able to point it out to you and say, don't do that. You know, again, such a wonderful, like, the things that have happened for you in your life, like, what a perfect first partner for you. What a gift.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Probably a decision made by Dina, by the way.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes, it was. And yeah, he was like, just let your Bruce, your inner Bruce fly, everybody. Let your inner Bruce out.

[Danielle Fishel]

Let your inner Bruce go. I love it. I ask every guest this because I know that there are sort of two camps on the subject. One that is one camp is totally fine with celebrities coming in, having previous dance experience, and then the other camp who think the premise of the show should be to teach newbies. Where do you fall on. On the subject?

[Brit Stewart]

It is so interesting. I'm gonna say this. Ooh. This is actually a little bit difficult for me because I've actually, outside of Johnny, who, even though he's a figure skater, never took a dance class. Right. I've actually never had a partner with previous dance experience, so. So I come from that side of it's. I see my peers with partners with dance experience, and they're able to have, like, a lot of creative freedom, I'll say.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Brit Stewart]

Yes. So that is. I could see some. Some people on one side saying, okay, like, you can, like, really produce some things. There's not as many, like, limitations or what have you. But I still go back in the heart of the show is teaching someone how to dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

And is teaching someone the very beginning and what that journey is like, you know, and some. You know, if you go to the past season, some of those people that won that had zero Dance experience. Oh, my gosh. How rewarding.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Brit Stewart]

How incredible to see them from their first days of rehearsals and then at the finale, doing their freestyle like a proper dancer. Right. That is. That is the heart of the show. And I. And I almost think it's like, it's a little bit more rewarding in my eyes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah, you're right. And certainly for you as the pro, to be able to see, like, I did that, you know, of course the celebrity had to put in the work, but, like, you were able to figure out how to communicate to somebody in a language they do not speak.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

How to become fluent.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

In this language in a short amount of time.

[Brit Stewart]

In zero time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Zero time. I mean, I. I mean, I'm talking about how crazy the schedule is. Four hours a day is just not enough time to really get everything across. I mean, Pasha talks a lot about teaching in layers. You know, like, the first day is really just. You are in your brain 100% of the time, making sure you can try to remember the steps.

[Brit Stewart]

That's day one goal.

[Danielle Fishel]

Day one goal. Can you just remember the steps? And then after that, it's like, okay, that's honestly gonna end up only being worth about 10% of this whole thing. If that's all we got, we're not gonna have much. And that's crazy. So then you're like, now I gotta start doing the steps. Bigger, wider, grander, more. More this. And now I gotta twist while I'm doing em. And now I gotta perform while I'm doing it. Now I have to be in my heart and not in my head. The fact that you guys are able to do it with total dum dums like myself. I do not know how you do what you do, But I will say my biggest takeaway so far in only however many weeks I've been a part of the show is how truly remarkable you guys are.

[Brit Stewart]

You are.

[Danielle Fishel]

You are the stars of Dancing with the stars. And you keep spirits high and you are patient and you don't. I mean, I would be losing my marbles if I would be losing my marbles. I don't know how you guys do it, but you're incredible.

[Brit Stewart]

I mean, I will say I was so pleasantly surprised that first time we did a show and tell with you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Brit Stewart]

I mean, I thought you blew me away.

[Danielle Fishel]

Really?

[Brit Stewart]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes. I would say, like, just. Just trust in your process because it's. It's paying off. Like, it is to me to watch you go out on the ballroom floor and do what you do with no previous experience is absolutely remarkable. Like, thank you. I remember in that first show and tell I looked at and I was like, you are the epitome of this show.

[Danielle Fishel]

You gave all of us a very nice pep talk. And I went home and I specifically told my husband, I said, brit just gave us the nicest talk, you know? Cause every. We. We all pretty much nailed that first show and tell. We were all nervous. We had never done this before. We're about ready to show our dances for the first time. And even though, of course, were there things we all could have done better or little things that were missing. Sure. But nobody fell apart.

[Brit Stewart]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

Which is kind of the expectation is like, let's do this so that you get your fall apart moment now. And nobody really fell apart.

[Brit Stewart]

And then we were all just looking.

[Danielle Fishel]

At each other like we just did that. And at the end of it, you were like, I just have to give. I have to tell you, you guys are what the heart of this show is. And it meant a lot to us who were in that room. And so thank you. It's just. It goes to show what a special person you are.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway this fall. Take care of the little ones in the family with baby Club Savings now through November 4th. Spend $25 on select Baby Club products and save $5. Shop for items like Pediasure bottles, Pedialyte powder packs, Huggies, baby wipes, Huggies diapers, Gerber puffs and Gerber pouches. And save $5 when you buy $25 or more on participating products. Offer ends November 4th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Doug (Liberty Mutual Ad)]

Here we have the Limu emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual fascinating immortal accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Danielle Fishel]

Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Doug (Liberty Mutual Ad)]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty, Liberty.

[Danielle Fishel]

Liberty.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Liberty Savings Ferry Unwritten by Liberty Mutual insurance company and affiliates, excludes Massachusetts.

[Ed Helms]

Hey, everyone.

[Matt Rogers]

Ed Helms here, and hi, I'm Kal Penn, and we're the hosts of Irsay, the automatic and I heart audiobook club.

[Ed Helms]

This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the iHeart podcast. I choose me to discuss the new audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. There's no wrong answer. What role would I play?

[Brit Stewart]

You know what I Can see you as Mr. Darcy. You got a little call in Firth.

[Ed Helms]

Okay, that's really sweet. I appreciate that. But are you sure I'm not the dad? I'm not Mr. Bennett. Here, listen to Earsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds are for those who don't conform to the standard.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, I mean, if you want to get into some touchscreen technology, how about the smart charging case, clear sound. These are not standard things. You're only going to get them with the JBL Tour Pro 3, baby.

[Bowen Yang]

And I love the sound of JBL when it goes. These earbuds are packed with innovation because you can't stand out by following others.

[Matt Rogers]

Touchscreen smart charging case for one touch control, instant EQ customization, true adaptive noise canceling.

[Bowen Yang]

And.

[Matt Rogers]

And the one of a kind audio transmitter which can plug and play with everything from game consoles to in flight entertainment.

[Bowen Yang]

The audio transmitter also allows for JBL Spatial360 sound that takes any audio and turns it into a 360 immersive experience.

[Matt Rogers]

What more could you want? First doesn't follow. Grab a [e-mail].

[Danielle Fishel]

So in season 31, let's talk about the fact that you were paired with actor Daniel Durant. You place fifth. Your best showing to date. But most importantly, did you ever say, I will never have a showmance on Dancing with the Stars? And did you actually believe that?

[Brit Stewart]

I actually believe that you did, yes. I, you know, and no judgment to. I mean, I can't, obviously I can't judge because I had a showman.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, we know.

[Brit Stewart]

There's no judgment.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean.

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

But I just, you know, I think also starting in the industry at such a young age, at 15, I think I saw a lot of showmances and I kind of never.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, that's not for me.

[Brit Stewart]

That's not for me. I like to keep my work and my love separate.

[Danielle Fishel]

Totally.

[Brit Stewart]

And funny. With Daniel, he's the same way. Cause you know, you can have an intimate scene or a love scene or a character, whatever, but then you go home and that was your character. You left that at home. Totally. Or you left that at the studio, whatever it is. And so we both had the same mindset entering into work.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. This is a business. It's a business and we're gonna be friends.

[Brit Stewart]

Of course.

[Danielle Fishel]

We have to have chemistry.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

But that's where it ends.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes. And I knew we had chemistry. We both knew that we had chemistry from the beginning. But it wasn't. It wasn't really, like.

[Danielle Fishel]

It wasn't romantic right off the top.

[Brit Stewart]

It was romantic. It wasn't, like, intimate in that sort of way. And it's so funny. The way Daniel says it is hilarious. Like, American Sign Language is extremely expressive sometimes. Like, if I was to interpret what he was signing, it'd be like, oh, I didn't. I was not attracted to her at all. I didn't even. I didn't even.

[Danielle Fishel]

I didn't even cross my mind.

[Brit Stewart]

No, Never even crossed. And I'm like, whoa, easy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Settle down, settle down. You can still appreciate you're at a 10, 80 G attitude.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes, exactly. But we really just. In that process, we became teammates first. Like, we just had this goal, and we just. We. We wanted to have a great team and just have fun together. And, you know, I'm way more competitive than he is, but he was still very competitive.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

And then we actually became legitimately friends. Like, we would go get IVs, and with his interpreter, we would like to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Get his best friend thing to do.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes. Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know, go get IVs.

[Brit Stewart]

Who doesn't go get IVs with their friends? Anyone not in LA.

[Danielle Fishel]

That sounds very weird to anyone not here. But for us, we did a cold plunge.

[Brit Stewart]

We did a cold plunging.

[Danielle Fishel]

We would do contrast therapy, some IVs.

[Brit Stewart]

Red light. No. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Red light beds. You know, a casual friend date.

[Brit Stewart]

I love that. And then we got eliminated, and we didn't see each other, and we started texting. And then one day. And one day he was. It was actually in his trailer. He was just. It was. It was after we got eliminated. Okay. And his interpreter stepped out, and he was, like, staring at me, and I looked at him, and I was like, why are you looking at me like that?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Brit Stewart]

And all he signed was, I think you know exactly why I'm looking at you. And I said, I do. And same. But. And then. And then we were like. And I was like, I gotta go figure out my life. And then we, like, went to dinner, and then nothing happened. And then I think both of us were so hesitant because we had been with each other every single day. Dancing with the Stars is extremely intense. And I don't know if we thought it was real.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right? You're like, was that because we were kind of forced to be in a.

[Brit Stewart]

Room together for that many hours, or is this legitimate?

[Danielle Fishel]

Will it survive outside of the pressure Cooker.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes. And then he. The first time he kissed me, he asked so sweet, like, he's, can I kiss you? And then we kiss, and both of us were like, oh, this is over. It's over.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yes.

[Brit Stewart]

Oh.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you guys. I mean, you've started the falling in love process on the show, but you didn't technically fall in love on the show. It's not like the cameras were around and you were like, pretend we're just friends. You guys really were just. Just partners with the same goal in mind who became legitimate friends and then after you were eliminated, actually fell in love.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, gosh. I love your love story so much. For your wedding. Were people intimidated to get on the dance floor? I thought about that the minute. The minute I knew you were getting married. I was like, how do normal people dance at a wedding for incredible dancers? I would. I'd be like, I'm just gonna sit this one out.

[Brit Stewart]

You know what's so funny? It was actually our family and friends that weren't d dancers that were dancing the most.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Brit Stewart]

Which is hilarious.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's great.

[Brit Stewart]

I also think Daniel and I, for our first dance, we didn't do anything, like, choreographed or anything. We just slow danced. We just went out there, and so I think we set the tone. Pretty. Like, this is gonna be chill.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's gonna be fine. We're not gonna put on a whole thing.

[Brit Stewart]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

A lot of the fans of the show feel like some of the pros get regularly paired with celebrities that may be on the out outside. Don't seem as though they're gonna go as far. Do you feel like the. The sharing of celebrity talent has. Is generally fair or how. It's such a hard question to ask because I know the casting process has so many factors that go into it, but when you hear fans say, like, come on, how come some people seem to get ringers year after year and other people seem to get whatever the opposite of a ringer is year after year? What are your thoughts on that?

[Brit Stewart]

I do think that when pairing comes that. That. Honestly, that's kind of a hard question, but I do think, you know, when pairings do happen, I think everything is considered right. I can only speak for myself, and I don't know if I. I don't actually. I know. I don't think I've had a wrinker.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

And I do feel like I want that chance. You know, I don't know if I've had that chance. I do think Baron could have been a dark horse.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

Again, if we he could have potentially been a dark horse, but again, it was very, very competitive. I would actually argue that Daniel was a bit of a dark horse.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

You know, if we're. He had an incredible story. Yep. But, you know, he. The challenge of dancing when you're deaf.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

Can be. And for Daniel, he's profoundly deaf. So deaf is very vast in what the community is. He can be.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Brit Stewart]

Like a spectrum. It's a huge spectrum. And Daniel's profoundly deaf. So he. People don't realize how hard he worked on the show because he had to learn everything. He had to learn the choreography, but then he had to learn the rhythm. He had to memorize when something was fast and when something was slow. Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

I didn't even think about any of that stuff.

[Brit Stewart]

Yeah. But he does have this, like, very. I always call it an internal metronome that for some reason, he shocked me every single week. But, you know, he. In his season, he came on. If we're talking about just social media, just numbers.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

He came on to that season, which was stacked with Charli d'. Amelio, Wayne Brady Shangela has a huge social media following. Social media following. I know I'm missing some other people. Oh. Jordan Sparks, like Selma Blair. He came in with 50,000 Instagram followers, and we made it to fifth place. So he. I would actually consider Daniel to be a underdog for sure. Dark horse for sure. But, yeah. I don't know if I've gotten a ringer yet, actually.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know you have not gotten a ringer yet. And you're ready for that.

[Brit Stewart]

Oh, my gosh. I'm so ready.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

I'm so ready.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I'm ready for you to have that, too. I'm ready for you to be like, you know what? I actually like having somebody with a little dance experience. It feels pretty good. I mean, maybe I'd just like to pitch that maybe for season 35, you get, like, Usher.

[Brit Stewart]

I mean, you know what's crazy? One of my friends had a dream that I would. That I was gonna be paired with Usher, and I. That's really weird that you just said that. It's. That's wild. I don't think Usher would ever do the show, but maybe.

[Danielle Fishel]

Maybe.

[Brit Stewart]

You know what? Hold you. I'll bet you Baron knows him.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know him.

[Brit Stewart]

I bet you Baron does.

[Danielle Fishel]

Baron probably does. Everybody, we are calling Baron the minute we leave here. One to figure out when he can get into rehearsal personal space with you for this dedication week dance that I'm gonna somehow facilitate and two, to see if he knows Usher. Also, side note, do you know Usher? Okay, I am going to ask for. I'm not asking for any sort of leg up here because all of my competition could listen to this podcast. But if you had to reveal the biggest strategy that you have learned over the last six seasons of Dancing with the Stars, what would it be?

[Brit Stewart]

I would actually putting dancing scores, you know, social media trends. All of that aside, I think it's actually the connection with your partner. I think if you can find that. That connection, which I believe you and Pasha have, you guys, you have this. An amazing, amazing camaraderie with each other and support. And it's also very cute to see, like, Dani and Dylan and the four of you. And if you can find that essence, I feel like that people fall in love with that. People want to root for that as well. You know, talking from experience, you know, my best seasons have been with people that I also have a big connection with.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Johnny.

[Brit Stewart]

Johnny. Daniel. And that grew within the show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

So that would be my one and big advice to you, which I think that you're already doing. I feel like, again, I said it. You. I. I think casting you is incredible for the show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you.

[Brit Stewart]

And you're pleasantly surprising on the dance floor. You're dynamic and. And what's so exciting about you is you're gonna see your growth.

[Danielle Fishel]

I hope so. I really. I desperately need to start getting better every week. And, you know, we're doing such drastically style. Different styles of dance that it to go, you know, well, if. Maybe if I were to do a tango again in week four, I'd be like, oh, look at the difference in tango week one versus week four. But I'm struggling to be like, you know, they're all so different. But I do think it'll start. It'll start to be more apparent that I'm growing and learning also.

[Brit Stewart]

So close to it. Yeah, you're. You're staring at yourself four hours, miserable.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't even like to look at myself for two minutes, much less for four hours.

[Brit Stewart]

And I'm like, welcome to a dancer's brain. This is why we have so many problems. No, I'm just.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, seriously, he. Like, every now and then, Pasha's like, okay, let's do it toward the mirror. And I'm like, really?

[Brit Stewart]

No. Do we have to?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, please don't. No.

[Brit Stewart]

But imagine our audience, they get to see you once a week.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Brit Stewart]

And so they, you know, you're so close to it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Brit Stewart]

So the audience's perspective is we're seeing your, like, major big shift shifts each week.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Well, and I appreciate your advice also, because I feel like it's so perfect coming from you because you are such a person who, as you have said, and it's very clear to anybody who meets you, you really do truly lead with authenticity and that your advice about the connection with your partner is something you can't fake. No, it. It's something you have. It's something you nurture. It's something, if you have it, you use it to your advantage. And it is. It's such a. It's about connecting authentically with the other person in the room with you who you're creating with and you're storytelling with. You know, it's. I've also, I've been so surprised by how much dance is just a storytelling element. I had never thought of in this, in the entertainment industry. And now that I get to be a part of it, it's such a fun new thing to play with. And I know, I already know I'm going to be not just a better dancer at the end of this, but I really believe I'm going to be a better person at the end of this. I already am. And so much of that has been because of you and your advice and getting to know you. And I am so grateful that you came and spent your time with me on this podcast today. Thank you so much, Britt.

[Brit Stewart]

Oh, my goodness. Thank you. I think you're such a ray of light. Be like you just beam. And so I'm so happy that I'm here.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you. I hope this is not. This is not the end of our journey. I can't wait to spend more time with you.

[Brit Stewart]

Yes, please. Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you all for listening to this episode of Danielle with the Stars. I'll see you next time. Danielle with the Stars, produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman. Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer, editor and engineer Tara Sudbaksh. Theme song by Justin Segal. Follow us on Instagram annielewithstars and and vote for me.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway this fall, take care of the little ones in the family with baby club Savings now through November 4, spend $25 on select Baby Club products and save $5. Shop for items like Pediasure bottles, Pedialyte powder packs, Huggies, baby wipes, Huggies diapers, Gerber puffs and Gerber pouches. And save $5 when you buy $25 or more on participating products. Offer ends November 4th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

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[Danielle Fishel]

What kind of man would let this happen to his family?

[Brit Stewart]

Inspired by shocking actual events I'm working on, story about the Murdochs their abuses of power are playing out in real time. Starring Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette and Jason Clark.

[Avis First Narrator]

It's only cheating if you get caught.

[Brit Stewart]

Hulu Original series Murdoch Death in The Family premieres October 15th on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.