Danielle In the Ballroom (Week 10)

Summary

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

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

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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[End of Episode Summary]

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Doug]

Limu Keymoo 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]

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

[Doug]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Very Unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. Affiliates excludes Massachusetts Black.

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[Danielle Fishel]

Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.

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[Danielle Fishel]

Our early Black Friday event. Ulta Beauty Gifting Happens Here. You can try and get rid of me, but I have become one with the ballroom. It's Danielle Fischl, podcaster, TV director, mother of two and self appointed Dylan Efron good luck charm Topanga Lawrence from Boy Meets World and yes, just two weeks ago, I myself was a contestant on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, eliminated from the Elite Eight, only to return like a phantom haunting the show from the audience for the semifinals. I once again saw everything unfold with my very own eyes. And I am here ready to report back to you because in addition to joining a show focused on dance with zero experience in dance, I have also consistently recorded this very podcast, hoping to take you all on the journey right to the very last second when someone who will not be me is crowned the recipient of a Len Goodman mirror ball trophy. I just returned home from the semifinals. It was Prince night. Incredible night of music. Uh, I don't know how many of the younger people who are tuning into Dancing with the Stars for the first time know about Prince or know Prince music, but for those of us who have been Prince fans and who love Prince music, let me tell you, tonight was a fun night of music. I am in agreement with a lot of you that the themes can sometimes make the nights difficult to get behind as far as the dancing, because it is true that, like, if you're going to limit yourself to one artist, which, by the way, limiting yourself to an artist like Prince who has just like, smash hit after smash hit, you could do worse. Like, you could do worse than a Prince night. But the hard part is not every song is made for the dance styles that we have to do. And so, you know, I. I know that, like, TikTok night and even. Even the first week anthem night were nights that people said you kind of makes it difficult. Like, you know, we're. We're trying to do a traditional ballroom style to a pop song, and it doesn't necessarily fit. So I can. I can see how, you know, it can be a little difficult if, especially if you're a newer fan and you're like, wait, what's happening here? And as you heard tonight, some of the songs had to be slowed down significantly in order them for them to work for the dance styles, and some of them had to be sped up significantly in order to work for the dance styles. So I am in agreement with the camp of people who are saying that there are too many themes. I personally think as fun as they are, the show is better with some fewer themes. That would be my overall takeaway now that all the theme nights are done. Next week's the finale. We've seen them all. I love it, but I think maybe that maybe it would be better with just a select group. It doesn't even have to be A select few. If you have, let's say 10 weeks, which is what we have so far. If you have 10 weeks, make five of them themes. You know, Halloween Wicked was an amazing 1. Make five, maybe even six of them themes and then the rest. Maybe we, maybe we don't need to have all of them be themed. That's just my, my opinion. You can agree or disagree. So it was a celebration of Prince music, which I love. A real coup for the show. And since they have tried it for years to clear his music and now they finally worked with the estate to make it happen. I wasn't planning on going tonight. I was, as you know, eliminated back in week eight. And the following week was the 20th anniversary, which felt like just an event I really wanted to be a part of. It's a historical night. It's celebrating 20 years of the show. You know, they reached out and individually invited me. I felt like I really wanted to be there for that one. And then I thought, okay, and then it's Prince week. And then for the finale, I'm gonna be there for the finale. I get to dance in the finale. So I'll take a week off. I'll, you know, give everyone a chance to miss me or something, you know. But then last week was so special, being there for the 20th anniversary. And 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. And as you guys have heard us talk, we. We have a. We have a great friendship and a strong alliance. And I. He was like, you know, now he said, superstition wise, I feel like I need to be able to see you before I go out on the dance floor. And he texted me over the weekend and said, are you going to come on Tuesday? And I said, probably not. You know, unfortunately my kids are sick and I'm not feeling great this weekend, so probably not. And he, like, just didn't. He didn't respond in any way. He didn't like, say, that's okay or even thumbs up it or anything. There was just like silence. And then my kids recovered. I recovered. And so I texted him today, the day of the show, and I said, we've recovered. If you want me there tonight, I am free and can go. And he was like, oh, my gosh, yes, please come. And so I texted the wonderful Dina Katz and I said, I know it's last minute, I feel like such a heel. I'm so sorry, but if you have room for me to come tonight, I would love, love to be there. And she said, let me get right on this. And then she got back to me and said that we could come. So thank you, Dina. And I'm so glad I was there. It was, it was, it was quite a night at this point. You guys all know Dylan's brother Zach was there. It was so nice to meet him. He is just delightful, beautiful, sweet, bubbly personality. Sat with Olivia the whole time. They, they just have such a beautiful family. I also awkwardly inserted myself into their family. I went and sat with them during the elimination time and someone, I don't even know who someone was like, let's take a family picture. And they stood up and took a picture. And I was like, guys, I, I, I, I'm now in your family picture. I'm apparently an honorary family member. And I said, the unfortunate thing is that that probably could have been like a really cute Christmas card and now it just can't be. And Zach turned around and was like, no, now it's a better card, which is so cute. Just so cute. Love their family so much. So I'm really happy I was there tonight and and forced myself into their family. We will be taping a live episode of Danielle with at Disney California Adventure park on December 4, 2025. If you live in the Southern California area or if you can be in the Southern California area on December 4, we have an opportunity for you to join us between now and November 24th of 2025. You can enter for your chance to win tickets to attend the Coast 103.5 Private Holiday Party at Disney California Adventure park on December 4, 2025, including an overnight stay at the Disneyland resort hotel for a family of four and two. Day 1 Park per day tickets to Disneyland park or Disney California Adventure Park. 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[Doug]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Uh, limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us?

[Doug]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings vary underwritten by.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Liberty Mutual Insurance company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.

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[Danielle Fishel]

You know, the ballroom tonight felt different without Andy. I know that is like, you know, it should feel different every time somebody's gone home. And of course it does. And, and also the energy was probably a little bit different because it is the semifinals. So there was, like, a heightened amount of pressure. There was some tension in the air. I think everyone's just running on fumes and adrenaline. And, yeah, the ballroom just kind of felt different. And I don't, I don't know how to describe it. It was a little less electric tonight than, than I think it has felt previously. And I cannot put my finger on what that would have been about other than the fact that Andy's not there. I don't know. Okay, let's talk about the dances. Robert Irwin did a jive, and I, I saw some people were annoyed by the amount of repeat dances because they tonight having to do two print songs. You got to do an original song and then you got to do a repeat. And this technically is Robert's third jive, if you count the relay race with Sochi last week. I don't care that it's a repeat. Watching Robert Irwin do a jive is one of the most joyous experiences you, you can have. It just suits his personality and his vibe and his energy so well. And he's so good at it. I was just so impressed. I, I, I loved it. I loved that trick they did where he went over Whitney's back. I thought that was just spec spectacular. I thought that was amazing. So he did a jive routine to Baby I'm a star and a Viennese waltz to Wow. I was not. Those are not two of my favorite Prince songs. I know a lot of people love them, but when I first saw that he was doing those songs, I was like, huh, I wonder how that's gonna work. Knocked it out of the park. Really? Absolutely loved that. His jive was the first perfect score of the night. He got 10, 10, 10. The gold confetti cannon went off. Very exciting. Super proud of him. Just thrilled. It was very sweet. I went and said hello to Mama Terry. And I walked up and I gave her a hug, and she said, I have to thank you so much for running up into the skybox and congratulating Robert last week. He came home and told me how much that meant to him. My heart. I just love him so much. And then Whitney Levitt did a cha cha to 1999 and a Viennese waltz to slow love. I thought her purple outfit for the cha cha was stunning. I love her red hair, the way it was, like, crimped or waved. Just so good. She was giving. I saw Mayan Lopez commented on one of her Instagram posts on Whitney's Instagram post that she was giving Daphne from Scooby Doo. And it was so perfect. She totally was just absolutely stunning. Whitney is one of the most beautiful dancers I have ever seen in 20 years of dancing with the Stars. I just think she is spectacular. There's no denying it. You can. You can not be a Whitney fan. For whatever reason. You cannot deny that she is an incredible dancer. And Mark has really pushed her. And some people think, like, watching the packages, like, oh, Mark is pushing her too hard. Let me tell you something. Whitney wants that. Whitney wants that. Whitney's been a Mark fan for years. Somebody who's. She's somebody who's watched the show. She knows. She knows how Mark coaches. She wants to be pushed. She wants to be challenged. She really, you know, this is what she's built for. She's very clearly a performer. And Whitney being the best dancer on the show, as anybody who's watched this show knows, being the best dancer or one of the best dancers on this season or on the show is never a guarantee that you're gonna win. So am I surprised that Whitney isn't in the finals? Yes, I'm surprised that Whitney isn't in the finals. I thought she was gonna make it to the final round. I did not think Whitney was going to win Dancing with the Stars. Even though I think she's one of the best dancers, I am surprised she didn't make it to the finals. I will say that the way the package was set up and with the season premiere of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives coming out this week, it felt to me, while I was watching the show, it felt to me like if we look at reality TV as a storytelling mechanism, the same way dance is a storytelling mechanism, the way acting is a storytelling mechanism, if we look at that, what makes the most compelling storytelling was for Whitney to go home tonight, for her ambition to be on the show. On Dancing with the Stars to have been played out in the premiere episode of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and for that to then be shown in her package and talked about in the skybox. And I just thought, you know, the craziest storytelling is somebody being that honest about the things that they want and about their dreams and. And having no shame about it, which I applaud. But storytelling wise, what makes the most captivating TV is seeing all of that and then immediately seeing that person go home. So I had a bad feeling throughout the day, like, throughout the show, that it might be Whitney's time to go home. And I. I was hoping I was wrong, but I was not. Alex did an Argentine tango to Little Red Corvette and a Viennese waltz to Purple Rain. Her Viennese waltz was so unbelievably beautiful. And, man, Alex's journey on this show is one of my absolute favorites. I see it personally. I see it personally, and I see it reflected on the show. When I very first met Alex was in New York for Good Morning America, and we were in the same room a couple of times. She didn't make eye contact with me. I kept trying to make eye contact with her to, like, find it. Find a time to introduce myself and say hi. And I kept, like, looking at her, and she wouldn't make eye contact with me. And then we almost crashed into each other in the hallway. And instead of, like, using that as the opportunity to say hi, she kind of, like, like diverted around me, and I had to go out of my way and be, hey, hi, by the way, I'm Danielle. I'm gonna be on the season of the show with you. And she was like, hi. And immediately so nice and gave me a hug. And I could tell that whatever was stopping her from making eye contact with me before or from saying hello was definitely not that she was a rude person. It was that she was either nervous or she was uncomfortable or something. There was something going on that had nothing to do with. With her trying to be snooty or rude. I could tell that right away, But I could also tell that she wasn't, like, necessarily super comfortable. And then as the weeks progressed and we started seeing each other more and more in the dance rehearsal space, and we got to know each other better, and we would make tiktoks together or we would do things together, her personality just started developing more. And I'm not saying she didn't have a personality and it was developing. I'm. Let's say it, say it a different way. Her personality started. She started feeling more comfortable showing her personality and being her authentic self. And the more I got to know her and the more I just. She is. You want to wrap her up in your arms or in a blanket and cuddle her and hug her and laugh with her and have a good time with her. And there's a real sensitivity to her that I just absolutely love. And I think. I think seeing her emotional journey where she first started, and you could tell that maybe her face was a little more stoic and she wasn't super comfortable, you know, really revealing who she was. And now to see her tonight with tears streaming down her face. And those are tears that I know so well because I felt exactly the same way about the show that going there every single day and meeting up with your dance partner and learning a new dance and being with the friends that we made on the season, you forget that, like, oh, this. This isn't my everyday. This is going to end. And it is hard when it ends. So I felt for her, and I thought it was really great. As much as I don't want to see her cry, I thought it was really great that she was willing to open up and show everyone that. And then for her to come out and just do two such beautiful dances, I thought it was really. It's really nice. Her. Her journey and her evolution on this show has been just really fun to watch. I'm so proud of her. And then Elaine did a fox trot to I want to be your lover. And she opened the show again. And I thought, oh, man, it's tough to open the show. Opening the show is so hard. So I felt for her having to be in that position again. And the judges gave it three nines. And when the show first started, it seemed like there was a lot of pressure coming from the judges now that we were in the semifinals to up our games. Like, everybody's game needed to be elevated and raised and upped because it was the semifinals. And I thought there were quite a few dances that deserved higher scores than they got. But they were saying, like, listen, it's the semifinals. I'm not gonna let little mistakes go. If I see it, if I see a slip up, I'm gonna mark you down for it, which I can also appreciate. Like, at this point in the competition, you are fighting for your place in the finale. So I also understood that. And then they said she wanted. They wanted to see more fight from her. And she went up into the skybox and she said, the next thing you're Gonna see for me is some fight. And they had a perfect dance to do that with. They had a paso doble to When Doves Cry. I loved their costumes. I thought their costumes were just great. I thought Elaine killed this dance. And, you know, you never know. Like, you see people as graceful and elegant as Whitney and Alex and Elaine, and you see them in the ballroom styles, and you see them with their long arms, and it's so beautiful and flowing. And then you think, how are they gonna do stomping around? And then you're like, wow, you're good at that too. So that was great. And sure enough, the judges were just thrilled. And Carrie Ann came out from behind the judges table and fell down to her knees and said, that's what I wanted to see. And I thought right away, like, all right, Elaine's gonna be in the finals for sure. Based on these reactions, Elaine is gonna be in the finals. And she got three perfect tens for that dance, which I know meant the world to her, because if I'm not mist other ten, did she. She must have gotten a tenth of last week, but maybe not. I think her only other 10 may have been a flava flav 10. Which not to say that a flavor flav 10 is not the same as any other 10, but if you're one of the core three judges and you're a contestant on this show, you probably place a little more weight into what they think. So getting a 10 from them, or three tens, as it were, really means a lot. So I'm sure she was absolutely thrilled about that. And then my girl Jordan, she did a jive to Raspberry Beret. Oh, one of my favorite songs. And you saw them set up in her package. How badly she wanted a perfect score. She wanted it so bad. She was calling it out. I was rooting for her. And she did the jive. I thought her jive was amazing. I thought her kicks and flicks were on point. It was so enjoyable. I loved her costume. I loved her hair. I just. I thought it was great. I thought it was a great jive. I thought the choreography was incredible. Ezra killed it. That little, like, breakout moment they had over on the side I thought was unbelievable. Very exciting. And then they called out a mistake and she got three nines. And I thought, oh, my gosh, I just want her to get her perfect score so badly. And she made sure she got it. She came out with an Argentine tango in a pose, upside down. She looked incredible. Ezra has really become one of my favorite choreographers on this show. I love how risky he is. I love the risks he takes, and I love that Jordan trusts him enough and goes, yeah, I know this doesn't look like a conventional, you know, this doesn't look like conventional choreography I've seen done by a bunch of other people. I don't care. That's exactly why I want to do it. I want to stand out. I want it to be different. Like, I just love it. So they came out and absolutely killed an Argentine tango to you got the look. It was so well done. And she got her perfect score. And I cried. It was the only time I cried in the ballroom tonight. You'll be happy to know. I think everybody thinks I'm just a giant softie who cries all the time. But that was the only time I cried. I was so. I was just so immensely proud of her. Really, truly so proud of her. And she got her perfect score and I was sitting not too far behind her family. And so I got to congratulate them on not only making the finals, but on the perfect score. And Jordan's dad was so kind and he said, I am so grateful that you guys are friends, which is just so sweet.

[Doug]

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]

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

[Doug]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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

[Doug]

Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Ferry unwritten by.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Liberty Mutual Insurance company and affiliates Excludes Massachusetts.

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[Danielle Fishel]

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? It's you. It's. It's not. This is not easy to have this many people spend this much time together during a competition show and for everyone to just be so supportive and loving to one another and it's very genuine. Speaking of things that are very genuine. Connor, Whitney's husband. Immediately after Whitney had been Whitney and Mark had been eliminated, Connor turned like he. He watched Whitney walk off stage with Mark. And I gave him a hug and I. I told him the same thing I told Whitney, which is she has already won. Being in the finale is not going to change the fact that Whitney Levitt is going to be a massive star. It just. She already is. And I think the opportunities for her to be a performer are going to. If they have not already started, they are just going to continue and she is going to have her pick of anything she wants to do in the entertainment industry. And one more week. Making it to the finale wouldn't have made it more wouldn't. It wouldn't have changed it. She's already won. And he said that he was really proud of her. And I said I was proud of her, too. And immediately after I was done talking to him, he turned to Jordan's family and just with so much enthusiasm and, like, genuine support, said, I am so excited and I'm so proud of Jordan. Congratulations to you and your family. It was so nice because no one would have judged him for just kind of being in his own head and not saying anything or. Or even just saying like, hey, congratulations and being down. And he just didn't. He is. Connor is the hype man in the audience for everybody's family and especially for Whitney. His love and support for her is unmatched. I also really want to specially acknowledge Mark. Everyone knows that Mark is one of the best dancers and the best choreographers the dance world has ever seen. Definitely one of the best dancers and choreographers Dancing with the Stars has ever seen. He started on Dancing with the stars in season five and has been there for 15 years. He has been around for a lot. And I don't think I'm speaking out of turn when I say that this season has been the most difficult season to manage. Opinions and online criticism and hate and, you know, death threats, the things people will say online about his family and just truly insane. And through it all, I think I'm the most amazed by is. Is how well Mark handles it all. And I know it's difficult. I know it's not easy. But his strength of character and the goodness of his heart, oh, boy, it's. He is a special. He's a special individual. He really is. He. He's a great, great friend. And he is a friend to every single person and every single celebrity, every single pro that's on this season. And I believe probably of every season in the past that he's. That he has been a part of, he is there for. And if you need a pep talk, if you need advice, if you want help with something, I don't know how he has the bandwidth, but he. He's just. He's a really special man. And I told him that tonight. I told him that, you know, his choreography this season was incredible. His dancing this season was incredible. All of it's great and yet none of it, to me is as beautiful as the character he showed throughout this year. And. And I told him I would continue to scream it from the rooftops to anybody who would listen, because I just think it should be known what an amazing man he is. And then my boy Dylan, he did a tango to. I would die for you. I thought his tango was amazing. I will say I did not see the feet. I wasn't super paying attention to his feet because I was so focused on his sharp head turns. Because I remember from when I did my tango, like, knowing how important those sharp head turns were. I was watching his elbow because I saw that something they were talking about in his package. I was really paying attention to, like, everything other than heel leads. And I know that heel leads are important. Derek called it out tonight, and I can't say that I paid any attention to that. So I can't even say like what, But I will say, because I did not without seeing that I thought this dance deserved at least 110. I don't know, call me crazy. I thought this dance was a little underscored. I really liked it. I thought the tango was great. I thought he did a great job keeping his booty tucked. And then they did a cha cha to kiss, which I was so proud of him for doing a cha cha. Because they didn't decide to do his best dance. They decided to do a dance that would really show how far he's come, which is, you know, you're calling it out, you're saying, hey, look at me. This is going to be good. That's why I'm doing it. Because I want you to compare it to my other one and notice how much better it is. I just, I think that kind of stuff is really. I love that. I think that, you know, it's what Whitney and Mark said, why they decided to do their dance as well. I. I thought this dance was incredible. Danny's choreography for. For this cha cha was spectacular. The way they used the musicality to punctuate the dance moves, I just thought it was great. And it didn't get as high of a score as I thought. And they were on the bottom of the leaderboard. And although that made me nervous, if there is one thing this season has showed us, it's that being at the bottom of the leaderboard doesn't mean. It doesn't mean that you're going home. So I wasn't. I wasn't too worried, but I was just a little bit worried. And when it came time to the elimination, I looked at Jensen, who was sitting next to me, and I said, I'm sorry, but I need to go sit with Dylan's family. And he was like, okay, go, go, go. And I got up and I ran across the. To the other side. And that's when I sat myself down in the chair and inserted myself into what eventually became a family photo, but without Dylan. So they wouldn't use it for a Christmas card. Anyway, Dylan's not in it. Oh, maybe they could just replace me with Dylan. They can Photoshop me or they can Photoshop Dylan over me. That's a good idea. I'll give them that suggestion. Anyway, I still ran over there, and I sat down next to Dylan's stepmom, and I held Dylan's girlfriend's shoulder. I held Courtney. She was sitting in front of me. I held Courtney's shoulder, and I had my arm around Dylan's stepmom. And we sat there holding our breath. And Elaine was the first one called safe. When alfonso said, She's 54, and the whole place erupted celebration for her, and she, you know, ran off. And then Alex and Val were next. They were called safe. And then Robert and Whitney were called safe and left standing up. There was Jordan and Ezra, Dylan and Danny, Whitney and Mark. And the second there was silence, I said out loud, dylan and Danny, Dylan and Danny, Dylan and Danny, Dylan and Danny, Dylan and Danny. And they announced that Dylan and Danny were safe. And they walked off. And the minute I knew that it was down to Jordan and Whitney, I said, whitney's going home. And sure enough, they called Jordan and Ezra safe. And that was it. Whitney came walking down, and I was wondering if she was surprised, but I also know that she told me last week that she really thought she was going home last week. And, you know, I went out onto the ballroom floor, and she seemed very composed. And I said, I told you what I told her. I said, you know, you've already won. She said, I know I have. She gave everybody a hug. And then her and Mark walked, you know, after they talked to everybody, her and Mark walked up and then walked off the stage and she seemed very composed. She seemed like she was, you know, probably a little bit in shock and taking it all in. And then she changed clothes and she was on her way to go do the Dancing with the Stars podcast. And I saw her, I saw her one more time outside and then, you know, she was more emotional at that point. I think she had had some time to be with Connor and to let some of the emotions hit her. And it's never easy. It's never easy when the stuff, when this journey ends. Even if you make it all the way through the semifinals, you know, it won't be easy next week for the people in the finals. The show has a weird. It has a weird emotional hold over all of us. And I don't know if it's just dance. I think it's the immersion. I think it's the full immersion of our lives and our time and our physical bodies and the amount of vulnerability and trust it takes to do this kind of a schedule and in front of millions of people and to like, really let the world see you for who you are. The pros, the cons, the skills, the lack of skills, the flaws, all of it. And it's. I mean, I think maybe we're all trauma bonded, but like, good trauma. Is there such a thing? I don't think there's such a thing as good trauma, but like, you know, it's such a unique experience and it is so like in the trenches. I just think, yeah, there's. There's a weird bond, but. But I'm sad for Whitney. I'm sad for all of us who, who didn't get to do it for all 11 weeks. And even when it's over at 11 weeks, I'm gonna be sad for just all of us that it's over. I can't believe we don't get to like, do this for the rest of our lives. I know that sounds insane. I sound like an insane person. I'm gonna stop. It's late. It's 9:30. This is, you know, almost my bedtime. I mean, minutes away from my bedtime, so. Guys, we're at the finals. I can't even believe it. We're at the finals. I. It's just gonna be incredible. We get an Ezra freestyle. We get an Alan Burst in freestyle. We get a Daniella Kara Gosh freestyle. We get a Val Shperkovsky freestyle. We get a Whitney Carson freestyle. Guys, we are going to be just floating in freestyle. Goodness, I can't wait to see them. It's gonna be. It's gonna be spectacular. I cannot wait. Also, in the finale. Ya girl, that's me. I'm your girl. I get to dance in the finale. It's a very small little thing. I think there's, like, an opening number that I get to be a part of, and then there's some sort of bumper that I get to do. I don't know who I'm. I mean, obviously I'm paired with pasha. Pasha's my forever, forever partner. But I don't know, like, who I'm gonna be in a. In a grouping with. I think there's, like, two other couples. I don't know who they are. I will find out soon. Rehearsals for that start later this week. And then, I mean, it's a week from now. It is a week from now, the finale, and I can't wait to be there. I can't wait to tell you all about it immediately after it's over. I hope you guys are looking forward to it. And while we wait, I am going to be sitting down with one half of the dynamic duo that hosts dancing with the stars. That's right. He's 90s royalty. He's 2000s royalty. He's just american royalty. It's. It's Alfonso ribeiro. Can't wait to sit down and talk with Alfonso about what it's like to host dancing with the stars. It really does seem like a total dream job, and I want to know, is it. Is it as dreamy as it looks? And I want to talk to him about his dance schedule, too. I want to know, what kind of classes is he in? What's he up to? What's he doing? Anyway, thank you all for listening to this episode of Danielle with. I will see you all next time. Bye. 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 segel. Follow us on instagram daniellewithstars and vote for me.

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[Danielle Fishel]

Ah, there. The last one. Enjoy a coca cola for a pause that refreshes.

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[Danielle Fishel]

Limu Emu.

[Doug]

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]

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

[Doug]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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

[Doug]

Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Fairy underwritten by.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates excludes Massachusetts. Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons N Safeway. Flu season is here and our pharmacies have you covered with a free flu shot with most insurance plans. Plus it's cough and cold season and now through December 2nd. Stock up on all the season's essentials and get ready for relief with discounts on items like Mucinex, Cold and Flu, Kickstart, Mucinex, Fast Max Products, Vicks Dayquil and nyquil Combo Pack. Alka select, also Airborne and afrin offers end December 2nd. Restrictions apply and offers may vary by location. Visit Albertsons or Safeway.com for more details.

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[Danielle Fishel]

This is an iHEART podcast.