Pod Meets World: "Dancing with…Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach"

Aired: October 19, 2025
Host: Danielle Fishel
Guests: Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach

Episode Overview

This special episode of "Pod Meets World" takes a detour from nostalgic “Boy Meets World” rewatching to spotlight host Danielle Fishel’s journey on Dancing with the Stars. She’s joined by fellow season 34 contestant Dylan Efron and his professional partner, Emmy-nominated Blackpool and mirrorball champion Daniella Karagach. Together, they offer an inside look at the world of televised ballroom dance: the pressures, bonding, physical tolls, and little joys of competition. The trio revel in friendship, share backstage stories, discuss dance challenges and alliances, and reflect on personal growth, both on and off the dance floor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Demands and Vulnerability of Dancing with the Stars

• Unrelenting Schedule

  • Danielle and Dylan reflect on the intensive rehearsal demands: “It’s a lot. Especially when you see it on TV, it’s like one dance in a package that looks like 30 seconds or whatever. But those packages you’re filming every day for hours, and then you have like 10 interviews and then you have life. It’s just…multiple fittings, multiple rehearsals, and blogging.” (Dylan, 04:59)
  • The impact seeps into daily life, self-care, and mental energy: “You haven’t even mentioned self-care…the doctor’s appointment, red light therapy.” (Danielle, 05:21)

• Personal Decisions to Join

  • Dylan recounts his process weighing the opportunity, coming from a place of reservation and avoidance of the spotlight. “It wasn’t an immediate yes…My initial instinct was just like, there is no chance I would do that…my own messages caught up to me—I am being a hypocrite. This is so uncomfortable, maybe I should embrace it. And yeah, I’m very happy I did.” (Dylan, 05:53-06:59)

• Family Dynamics & Identity

  • Dylan shares what it was like growing up as Zac Efron’s brother: “I always just looked up to him…and then it just kind of was natural that, like, everybody else started looking up to him. It never felt weird. If anything, I always just felt grateful for him.” (Dylan, 08:03-08:54)

Coaching, Growth, & The Art of Teaching

• Teaching Non-Dancers

  • Daniella on training contestants with no dance background: “I love the process of watching someone with no dance experience truly learn the craft…In the end, it’s about you growing, not only as a dancer but as a person too.” (Daniella, 09:54-10:55)
  • Developing patience became a key lesson: “My first season, [I] experienced learning how to be patient…That is something I was never good at. With contestants, trusting a partner is one thing, but patience—reminding yourself this person has never danced before—it takes a lot.” (11:41-12:30)
  • Teacher as therapist: “Sometimes you’re not only a teacher, but a therapist, and finding ways to make them still feel good.” (13:13)

• Mutual Admiration Between Partners

  • Dylan on Daniella: “I have so much trust and confidence in her…she’s going to work her ass off until it’s to a good spot.” (Dylan, 14:51)
  • Daniella on Dylan: “He wants to be here. Because he’s so committed, it makes it so much easier for me…one of my favorite things is because we’re so similar in the work ethic.” (Daniella, 16:04-16:30)

Notable Dance Moments

• Dedication Night: Dancing with Family

  • Discussing the powerful moment of Dylan dancing with his sister, Olivia:
    • “For me, it was their moment. I wanted to make sure that they had their moment and she was a star, you know?” (Daniella, 20:39)
    • “It was the first time that it didn’t feel like I was trying to perform. We earned this moment…It didn’t feel like taking a test and trying to get straight As.” (Dylan, 21:15)

• Song Choices & Tactics

  • On starting off the season with “Milkshake” and “Macarena”:
    • “Definitely [nervous]. I knew I just had to go out there and almost, like, just be funny. Like, put on a show in a goofy way…” (Dylan, 24:18)
    • “You chose Milkshake and you told me that.” (Daniella, 24:52)
    • “After he chose it, it went viral.” (Daniella, 25:08)

• Iconic Past Performances

  • Danielle, as a fan, gushes over Daniella’s “Five on It” dance with Iman Shumpert:
    • Danielle: “Your dance with Iman Shumpert, ‘5 on It’ is hands down—of all the dances I’ve ever seen on Dancing with the Stars—my favorite dance.” (28:23)
    • Daniella explains the creative process and how inspiration came from Jordan Peele’s Us: “He was like, ‘it’s horror night, you have to see this movie’…the way the ‘tethered’ move…helped me choreograph it. He was so tall, I could trust him with the lifts.” (28:52-31:50)

Backstage Realities & Rituals

• Physical Toll

  • Body aches and constant adaptation:
    • “Every week it changes…my upper body was really sore, my neck…then you do jive and your calves and Achilles kill.” (Dylan, 26:31-26:51)
  • Recovery routines are crucial:
    • “Keep icing your body.” (Daniella, 44:05)

• Social Bonds and “Alliance”

  • The trio describe the importance of after-show dinners and their “Dancing with the Stars alliance”:
    • “One of our core values is eating together after tape nights. We all know this.” (Danielle, 37:57)
    • Hilarious recounting of sushi and dessert nights, stealing bites, and Erewhon food rituals.
    • “The desserts…you guys could eat so much of so many desserts.” (Dylan, 39:02)
    • “It’s one of the reasons our little Tuesday night dinners mean so much—the trailer burger, our trailer food.” (Danielle, 45:34)

• Future Plans & Dreams

  • Talk of touring and taking alliances on the road—a dream for both families and the group:
    • “If we do [the tour], can we make an alliance, go into the same places?” (Danielle, 43:02)
    • “We need to go in and get cool buses…just follow the Dylan, Daniella, and Pasha bus.” (Dylan, 43:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On pushing comfort zones:

  • “Those things that are out of your comfort zone are the best things in life.” — Dylan Efron (06:55)

• On teacher-student dynamics:

  • “You build trust. In terms of not just dance, but emotionally. But physically, too—when you’re tired and the last thing you want to do is dance…it takes two people.” — Daniella Karagach (10:27)

• On mutual belief:

  • “She had faith in me before I had faith in me.” — Dylan Efron (14:25)

• On not being self-critical:

  • “You can’t be so hard on yourself. If you miss a step, that’s not what people remember; it’s your personality, the way you connect.” — Dylan Efron (44:39)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:28] – Danielle introduces her new Dancing adventure and why she started this podcast sub-series.
• [04:59] – The group discusses the grind and routine of DWTS.
• [05:53 – 07:21] – Dylan’s process deciding to join DWTS.
• [08:03 – 08:54] – Dylan on growing up as Zac Efron’s brother.
• [09:54 – 13:13] – Daniella explains what it takes to coach non-dancers and maintain patience.
• [14:51 – 16:30] – Dylan and Daniella exchange praise about each other’s work ethic and partnership.
• [20:39] – The meaning of Dedication Night for Dylan and Olivia.
• [24:18] – How song choices and performance strategies are set.
• [28:23] – Danielle asks Daniella about her most viral/creative choreography.
• [31:50] – Lifting, trust, and choreography with Iman Shumpert.
• [37:57] – On the alliance’s tradition of after-taping meals.
• [42:23 – 44:10] – Camp tour dreams and advice for coping with the physical toll.
• [44:39] – Final advice: avoid harsh self-critique, and focus on self-care and joy.

Tone & Chemistry

Warm, supportive, and full of camaraderie. The episode is steeped in mutual admiration—between dance partners, professional colleagues, and newfound friends. Danielle’s hosting style is heartfelt, witty, and self-deprecating, putting everyone at ease and encouraging authentic stories and laughter.

Takeaways for New Listeners

• Dancing with the Stars is about more than choreography—it’s endurance, trust, teaching, and vulnerability.
• Even celebrities and pros feel imposter syndrome, but growth is found by leaning into discomfort.
• Bonds formed under pressure—like the weekly dinners and the supportive alliance—are what contestants treasure most.
• Advice offered: keep up with body care, trust your professional partner, and don’t be the harshest critic of yourself—the journey is what matters.

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