Pod Meets World – “Danielle In the Ballroom (Week 10)”

Release Date: November 19, 2025
Podcast: Pod Meets World (iHeartPodcasts)
Host: Danielle Fishel

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, Danielle Fishel takes listeners behind the scenes of the “Dancing with the Stars” Season 34 semifinals, lovingly dubbed “Prince Night.” With Danielle no longer competing but ever-present in the audience (and the contestant families!), she offers a first-hand account of the atmosphere, the performances, and the emotional highs and lows as the final contestants are chosen. Danielle’s reflections mix fan perspective, insider anecdotes, and heartfelt admiration for her fellow contestants and the evolving DWTS family.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Danielle’s Return to the Ballroom [03:00]

• Danielle, previously eliminated in Week 8, describes being invited back for the 20th anniversary episode and debating whether to attend the semifinals.

• Ultimately, her friendship and ongoing “superstition alliance” with dancer Dylan Efron convinced her to come after she and her family recovered from illness.

  • Quote: “Dylan made such a sweet point of telling me how nice it was to be able to see me right before he went out and did his dance... Superstition wise, I feel like I need to be able to see you before I go out on the dance floor.” (09:00)

• Danielle shares a humorous story about awkwardly becoming part of the Efron family’s group photo:

  • Quote: “I’m now in your family picture. I’m apparently an honorary family member... Zach turned around and was like, ‘No, now it’s a better card,’ which is so cute.” (10:30)

Reflections on Theme Nights and the Prince Special [03:30]

• While celebrating the rare clearance of Prince’s music for the show, Danielle voices ambivalence about theme-overload on DWTS:
  • “I am in agreement with the camp of people who are saying that there are too many themes... The show is better with some fewer themes.” (04:40)
• She praises Prince Night’s music but notes the production challenges of matching dance styles to iconic songs, which sometimes requires awkward tempo adjustments.
  • “If you’re going to limit yourself to one artist... you could do worse than a Prince night. But—not every song is made for the dance styles.” (04:10)

Atmosphere and Missing Contestants [15:44]

• Danielle describes a different energy in the ballroom without Andy present and notes the tension and fatigue among semifinalists, making the night feel “less electric.”
  • “The ballroom just kind of felt different… It was a little less electric tonight than, than I think it has felt previously.” (15:44)

Detailed Recap of the Semifinal Dances

Robert Irwin [16:30]

• Dances: Jive to “Baby I’m a Star” and Viennese Waltz to “Wow”
• Danielle celebrates Robert’s joyful energy, calling his jive “one of the most joyous experiences you can have.”
• First perfect score of the night; gold confetti; heartfelt interaction with Robert’s mother, Mama Terry.
  • Quote: “Watching Robert Irwin do a jive is one of the most joyous experiences you can have.” (16:50)

Whitney Levitt [18:30]

• Dances: Cha Cha to “1999”, Viennese Waltz to “Slow Love”
• Danielle admires Whitney’s talent and styling, suggests her elimination was a surprise and reads it as a product of strong reality TV storytelling.
  • Quote: “Whitney is one of the most beautiful dancers I have ever seen in 20 years of Dancing with the Stars.” (19:17)
• Notes the coincidence with Whitney’s upcoming show, “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives”.

Alex [22:45]

• Dances: Argentine Tango to “Little Red Corvette,” Viennese Waltz to “Purple Rain”
• Danielle recounts her personal connection with Alex, observing her emotional growth from shy and stoic to authentic and open.
  • Quote: “Her journey and her evolution on this show has been just really fun to watch. I’m so proud of her.” (24:28)

Elaine [27:10]

• Dances: Foxtrot to “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” Paso Doble to “When Doves Cry”
• Danielle empathizes with the challenge of opening the show; lauds Elaine’s commanding paso doble and celebrates her perfect score.
  • Memorable moment: Judge Carrie Ann drops to her knees exclaiming over Elaine’s performance (29:30).

Jordan [29:50]

• Dances: Jive to “Raspberry Beret,” Argentine Tango to “You Got the Look”
• Danielle roots for Jordan’s perfect score, and tears up when she gets it for her tango. Praises Ezra’s inventive choreography.
  • Quote: “She got her perfect score and I cried. It was the only time I cried in the ballroom tonight.” (32:15)

Dylan Efron [38:50]

• Dances: Tango to “I Would Die 4 U,” Cha Cha to “Kiss”
• Danielle confesses she may have missed technical flaws due to her focus on performance presence and improvement.
• Expresses pride in Dylan and details emotionally charged elimination announcement, including sitting with his family for support.
  • Quote: “I sat down next to Dylan’s stepmom, and I held Dylan’s girlfriend’s shoulder… and we sat there holding our breath.” (40:45)

Family & DWTS Community Vibes [36:14]

• Danielle marvels at the cast and families’ genuine affection and mutual support, rare for a competitive show.
  • Quote: “How did this cast luck out so much? That not only do we all love each other so much and support each other so much, but we love all of our families too. Like what?” (36:14)
• Special shout-out to Mark (pro dancer), highlighting his resilience in the face of online scrutiny and his unwavering support for others.
  • “His strength of character and the goodness of his heart... he is a special—he’s a special individual.” (37:51)

The Emotional Toll & Bonding of DWTS [48:10]

• Danielle reflects on the “unique immersion” and emotional toll of participating in DWTS, describing the bittersweetness of elimination and the deep bonds formed.
  • “I think maybe we’re all trauma bonded, but like, good trauma… Is there such a thing?” (49:37)
• Looks ahead with anticipation and bittersweetness to the finale.

Finale Preview & Next Episode Teaser [50:41]

• Danielle teases the upcoming finale (“We get an Ezra freestyle... We get a Daniella Kara Gosh freestyle... we are going to just be floating in freestyle goodness, I can’t wait.”).
• She’ll participate in the opening number and other featured moments.
• Upcoming episode will have Alfonso Ribeiro as a guest, with Danielle excited to ask about his hosting gig and dance schedule.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Prince Night production coup: “Since they have tried for years to clear his music and now they finally worked with the estate to make it happen.” (05:20)
• Theme commentary: “If you have 10 weeks, make five of them themes… Maybe we don’t need to have all of them be themed.” (05:00)
• On Whitney’s legacy: “One more week—making it to the finale wouldn’t have made it more... She’s already won.” (37:20)
• On Mark’s mentorship: “If you want help with something, I don’t know how he has the bandwidth, but he’s just… he’s a really special man.” (38:15)
• On the DWTS bond: “The show has a weird—It has a weird emotional hold over all of us... I sound like an insane person. I’m gonna stop. It’s late. It’s 9:30. This is, you know, almost my bedtime.” (49:57)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:00] – Danielle’s debate about attending semifinals; story about Dylan Efron invitation
• [04:10] – Reflection on Prince music and DWTS theme nights
• [09:00] – Danielle’s ‘good luck charm’ story and the Efron family photo
• [15:44] – Ballroom feels “different” in Andy’s absence; semifinal tension
• [16:30] – Robert Irwin’s dances and perfect score
• [18:30] – Whitney Levitt’s performances and elimination shock
• [22:45] – Alex’s emotional journey and connection with Danielle
• [27:10] – Elaine’s rubrics, paso doble, and perfect 10s
• [29:50] – Jordan’s chase for a perfect score, achieved in her tango
• [38:50] – Dylan Efron’s performances and elimination suspense
• [36:14] – Reflections on cast camaraderie and support; Mark’s legacy
• [48:10] – The unique bonds and trauma-bonded cast
• [50:41] – Finale preview, teasers for Alfonso Ribeiro interview

Episode Tone & Language

Danielle’s tone is warm, deeply personal, supportive, occasionally self-deprecating, and always affectionate toward colleagues and fans. She directly addresses listeners (often as “you guys”), blends behind-the-scenes insights with on-camera events, and isn’t afraid to get a little emotional or silly, especially when recounting the night’s high and low points.

Perfect For...

• Fans of “Dancing with the Stars” wanting inside perspective and emotional play-by-play
• Anyone interested in reality TV production and contestant experience
• “Boy Meets World” aficionados following Danielle’s journey beyond sitcom stardom

Next Up

Danielle teases a special finale episode and an in-depth interview with “Dancing with the Stars” host Alfonso Ribeiro in the coming week.

[End of Episode Summary]