Danielle with… Alfonso Ribeiro

Summary

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Pod Meets World: “Danielle with… Alfonso Ribeiro”

Aired: November 21, 2025
Host: Danielle Fishel
Guest: Alfonso Ribeiro

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EPISODE THEME OVERVIEW

In this episode, Danielle Fishel—actress, director, and recent “Dancing with the Stars” contestant—sits down with Alfonso Ribeiro, celebrated for his roles on “Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” as a former DWTS champion, and as the show’s co-host. They discuss the power of “Dancing with the Stars” to transform both careers and personal journeys, dig into behind-the-scenes moments from the current season, and reflect on the importance of authenticity, openness, and camaraderie both on and off the dance floor. The episode is rich with personal anecdotes, career wisdom, and heartfelt insights into what makes reality TV—and human connection—so compelling.

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KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Serendipitous Connection & DWTS Destiny

[03:33 - 07:24]

• Danielle recalls a “divine moment” coincidentally running into Alfonso at Disneyland with DWTS dancers, right as she was contemplating joining the show.
  • Alfonso immediately asked: “Why haven’t you done Dancing with the Stars yet?” (07:24)
  • Both reflect on the universe nudging them toward meaningful opportunities.
  • Danielle: “You really were that thing for me. That person, that moment—it was intervention. It was a divine moment.” (07:53)
  • Alfonso: “The universe finds ways to tell us our inner thoughts are correct.” (07:31)

2. Alfonso’s DWTS Journey: Rejection, Acceptance & Authenticity

[08:15 - 13:04]

• Alfonso shares he first wanted to join DWTS as early as season 2, but was repeatedly rejected (“Put me in, coach!” [09:26]). He became friends with the dancers and endured a “love-hate relationship” with the show until finally being cast in season 19.
  • “I was always on the outside, right? Nope. You can't get in. You can't get in. You're not part of the club. And then, 17 seasons later… Dina calls me…” (10:13)
• Discusses struggle with typecasting (“99% of strangers only know us by a fictitious name.” [11:11]), and how dance allowed him to show America who he truly was.
  • “All I wanted to do was show that I wasn’t that [character]. … I was truly capable of saying, I’m just going to give you me.” (12:46–13:04)

3. Becoming a Host: Mentorship & Opportunity

[14:04 - 19:22]

• Tom Bergeron, original DWTS host, personally encouraged Alfonso to take over “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and later, potentially, DWTS.
  • “People are always like, Alfonso, you keep taking Tom Bergeron's jobs. I'm like, no, Tom Bergeron keeps giving me his job.” (15:53)
• Alfonso describes being asked to fill in for Tom during emergencies before ultimately stepping into the full co-hosting role when Tyra Banks’ tenure ended.
  • “I said, Dina, I just want to let you know that I’d like to throw my name in the hat. … I want you to personally know that this is what I want to do.” (18:08)
  • Emphasis on asking for what you want and not assuming others know your desires (“No one can be a cheerleader for you more than you.” [25:59])

4. The Value of Self-Advocacy

[25:26 – 28:43]

• Alfonso’s philosophy: “Assume nothing. Take for granted nothing. … No one is going to fight for you more than you.” (25:34–25:59)
  • Citing his approach both in his career and personal life (“How is anyone supposed to know what I'm feeling and thinking and wanting and desires… shoot your shot.” [26:54–27:16])
• WGives examples of reinforcing interest for roles, like calling to request a spot hosting Disney’s Christmas parade: “I loved it. It was fun… For me, it’s always about, go get what you want, go ask what you want. The worst that could happen is you don't get it…” (27:52)

5. Season 34 of DWTS: “The Most Stacked Cast” & Social Media Impact

[28:43 – 36:04]

• Alfonso gives his “report card” for the 20th anniversary season, noting unpredictability and competition depth (“You can take… seven through ten… in most years would be in the final” [31:30]).
  • “The social media impact has thrown the show on its head. … It isn’t about what you do on the stage anymore, fully. … This year, it’s everything.” (32:12)
  • Discusses the best celebrity dancer (“Whitney Levitt was the best celebrity dancer on the show. Not even close.” [33:13])
• Praises innovations (team dances, champion cameos), but notes ongoing challenges with consistency in judging and storytelling.

6. The Heart of the Show: Vulnerability & the Reality Element

[44:21 – 50:13]

• Alfonso’s #1 advice to contestants: Be real and vulnerable. “Open yourself up, go through the journey, let people truly see who you are. … I’ve always described this show as a reality show encased in a dance competition—not the fake reality… true reality.” (44:38)
• Emphasizes the “skybox moment” as the contestant’s one unscripted opportunity to make an authentic appeal to the audience (46:44).
  • “No other moment… everything else is produced. That’s the moment you get to say to America: why me? Why are you voting for me and not someone else?” (46:44–47:08)
• Provides a moving behind-the-scenes story of comforting contestants after emotional moments, emphasizing empathy and lived experience over performance (48:05–49:53).

7. Partnerships & The Growth of Whitney

[51:26 – 57:45]

• Alfonso shares how special his relationship is with pro partner Whitney and her personal growth:
  • “What I am able to look at is her brilliance on the floor. … The season with Milo [Manheim]… to have not come home with the win created different emotions in her… It’s coming back with Robert. … She’s giving herself again.” (52:00–53:34)
• Moments from rehearsal and “wow” performances are highlighted, showing the unique chemistry required in DWTS partnerships.

8. Team Chicago: Camaraderie & Meltdown to Triumph

[61:51 – 69:21]

• Danielle’s favorite memory: Team Chicago’s group dance, achieved through cooperation and support during a stressful prep.
  • Alfonso praises the “yes, and” improv attitude in their team dynamic, contrasting it with other, more contentious teams.
• Shares a touching moment: Danielle’s pre-performance meltdown resolved by Mark Ballas’s compassion, group support, and mutual encouragement:
  • “Mark turned to you, looked you in the eye and said, breathe… and hugged you, and I watched your body melt. … We really cared for one another so much—what do we need to do for all of us to be together and succeed?” (66:44–69:19)

9. Judging: The Challenges and the Role of Social Media

[70:57 – 80:56]

• Alfonso explains the complexity and pitfalls of DWTS judging post-Len Goodman.
  • “With Len being gone, no one has filled that role. … Now it's kind of everywhere. Everyone feels as if they need to cover the Len, but no one's doing Len.” (73:23–73:56)
  • Points out how social media pressure makes judges less forthright: “They’re trying to say it but not say it because they don’t want to get killed on social media.” (74:56)
• Advocates for explaining to the audience and contestants the logic of scoring, accepting inevitable backlash, and embracing DWTS as a reality show first: “It’s a reality show encased in a dance competition.” (80:03)

10. Dream Contestants & Closing Reflections

[81:30 – 84:47]

• Alfonso reflects on the challenge of booking new celebrities (“Getting that A-list movie star… that person ain’t doing this.” [82:01])
  • Suggests Jennifer Love Hewitt or Steve Young (“I think Dena has such a hard job… she’d be really fun to do” [82:55])
• Danielle and Alfonso exchange mutual admiration and gratitude, highlighting their long friendship and shared journey.

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NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• On Seizing Opportunities:
  • “Assume nothing. Take for granted nothing. No one is going to fight for you more than you.” — Alfonso (25:34)
• On Being Real:
  • “I’ve always described this show as a reality show encased in a dance competition… true reality where we’re gonna see you live on air in your most vulnerable state.” — Alfonso (44:38)
• On Authenticity and Vulnerability:
  • “It was the most beautiful moment I have seen in all my time on the show. … Mark turning to you, who’s not your partner, and said ‘Breathe.’ And hugged you… we really cared for one another so much that it was like, what do we need to do for all of us to be together and succeed?” — Alfonso (66:44–69:19)
• On Teamwork:
  • “There’s an improv thing… ‘Yes, and’—and our group was ‘Yes, and’ all the time. … That brought everyone together.” — Alfonso (64:44)
• On Judging:
  • “The biggest problem is… we start on week one and someone gets eights… but no one is explaining that… Everybody thinks of it as the arc of a season, and…” — Alfonso (76:31)
• On DWTS as Human Journey:
  • “That’s a special moment for me on a personal level that I get to share with all of our incredible celebrities… every week.” — Alfonso (50:13)
• On Personal Growth and Letting People In:
  • “She is a ball of beautiful love… there’s always a little nah, you not a little out… and I think she’s recognizing that that has to go away for this to happen.” — Alfonso on Whitney Carson (54:54)

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TIMESTAMPS OF IMPORTANT SEGMENTS

• 03:33 – Danielle recounts her serendipitous run-in with Alfonso that inspired her DWTS journey
• 08:15 – Alfonso’s early DWTS rejections and eventual acceptance
• 11:11 – The power of authenticity beyond iconic TV roles
• 14:04 – Mentorship from Tom Bergeron and entering hosting
• 18:08 – Alfonso’s proactive pursuit of the DWTS hosting role
• 25:26 – The importance of advocating for oneself
• 28:43 – Season 34 report card and impact of social media
• 33:13 – Discussion of this year’s best dancer, judging, and surprises
• 44:21 – The key advice for DWTS contestants: vulnerability and authenticity
• 46:44 – The significance of the “skybox moment”
• 51:26 – On Whitney Carson’s evolution as partner and professional
• 61:51 – Danielle’s favorite moment: Team Chicago and group support
• 66:44 – The story of Danielle’s panic, group comfort, and triumph
• 70:57 – In-depth conversation about judging challenges and social media
• 81:30 – Who Alfonso wants to see on the show next

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FINAL THOUGHTS

This episode provides a heartfelt, behind-the-scenes look at “Dancing with the Stars,” with Alfonso and Danielle spotlighting the importance of seizing opportunities, the hard road to authentic self-expression in show business, and the irreplaceable power of teamwork and vulnerability. With concrete examples, moving stories, and actionable advice both for showbiz and life, the episode is a must for fans of DWTS and anyone interested in personal growth and resilience.

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Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

This is an I Heart podcast.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Alfonso Ribeiro]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Definitely both.

[Lego Star Wars Advertiser]

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[Danielle Fishel]

It's once again time for an episode of Danielle with I am your host Danielle Fishel, a podcaster, TV director, mother of two, and one time kushling spokesperson Topanga Lawrence of Boy Meets World fame. But for those of you who know what a pasa doble is, you probably recognize me as a recent Competitor on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, an experience I consider to be one of the most meaningful of my life. And keep in mind, I only finished eighth. Imagine if I won. I do. And every night anyway, here I am, days away from the final show where I will dance once again, still recording this podcast, keeping you up to date on my ballroom adventures. Just as excited as you are to find out who will hold that Len Goodman mirrorball trophy above his or her head. And I continue to talk to experts, former contestants, incredibly gifted pros and instrumental crew members hoping to give an inside glimpse into what it takes takes to produce a show as fun as Dancing with the Stars. And today I have the honor of sitting with someone who has become synonymous with the program. A sitcom star who began his Hollywood career as a child on shows like Silver Spoons and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, then began his own Dancing with the Stars journey in season 19, where he became one of the show's most iconic participants, taking home first place and forever reminding the world who exactly created the Carlton Dance, now known as the Alfonso. He would leverage his lovable nature on the show into a hosting gig on America's Funniest Home Videos, never knowing exactly how the ballroom could ever make its way back into his life. And then in 2022, for season 31, Alfonso was named co host of Dancing with the Stars, a position he still holds today, becoming a face of not the network, but proof of what Dancing with the Stars can do for not only your career, but also your spirit. He's the man who sees it all and isn't afraid to talk about it. It's my fellow Team Chicago member, the great Alfonso Ribeiro.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Hello.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Hello.

[Danielle Fishel]

So good to see you, Alfonso. I do want to start with a story I have never told publicly, which is this extremely odd coincidence of when my husband and I noticed that we were walking right next to you at Disneyland. So nobody would even know that this had happened. But I had just started thinking, I wonder. I wonder if this is the year I do Dancing with the Stars. I wonder. Like, it was just kind of on my brain a little bit, and I knew I've wanted to do it for so many years. And I. You know, it's summer, and I know the season's coming up. I'm like, I wonder if this is the year. And. And then Jensen and I are walking out of the Grand Californian, and I hear this beautiful voice, and I go, is that Alphonso? And sure enough, directly in front of me by, like, just five steps, is you. And you were there with some of the pro dancers from Dancing with the Stars. And I come up behind you. You were with a tour guide. And I come up behind you. I tap you on the shoulder. I'm like, alfonso. And you turn around, I'm like, hi. And we had this beautiful reunion. We hadn't seen each other in ages, and the first thing out of your mouth to me was, why haven't you done Dancing with the Stars yet?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. Yes. Yes. It was supposed to happen.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was supposed to happen.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Yes.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

The universe finds ways to tell us our inner thoughts are correct.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. To let you know you're on the right path.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

You're on that path. Like, hey, just. Just in case you are, you're going down this road, but really, you might go the other way. Here's a little something to just push it over the edge.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. And you really were that thing for me. You. You were that person, that moment that was like. This feels like it was intervention. It was a divine. It was a divine moment. Running into you, talking to you, hearing that you. I mean, it. It looks as though you're having the time of your life. It just. It was like, okay, I really do think this was. This was for a.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

A purpose, and it was. Yeah, it was great.

[Danielle Fishel]

I want to talk to you about your own dance journey.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

There was an interview this week with Dina Katz where she said that you had originally reached out to her about doing the show during season two. What was it about Dancing with the Stars that made, you know so early on that it was something you wanted to be a part of?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

You know, I. I felt like this minute I saw the show, the fir. After the first season, I was just like, you know, if there was ever a show that I could connect to that I would love doing and have fun doing, this was the concept. Right? It wasn't. It was popular, but it wasn't like, in its heyday, popular yet, right. And I was like, this. This would be perfect for me. This is something that I would enjoy. I watched, you know, I saw Apollo, and I saw, you know, Joey Fatone do it, and I saw these people, and I was like, this looks amazing. Like, put me on. Put me, you know, put me in coach.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And I was, you know, shown no love in the beginning, you know, that it was like, no, no, no, no, no. And I. And I. I had such a.

[Ryan Seacrest]

High.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And low love hate relationship with the show. By time I did get on the show, right? Because, you know, I had wanted to do it. They wouldn't let me do it. Then I didn't want to do it because I was like, get them. You know, it's like, you know, it's like a divorce where you go through all the different stages, right. Of a breakup and, like, went through all of that. And because I was, you know, I was friends with a lot of the dancers at that point, right. Because of my friendships of people who had done the show, I got to become friends with all of their pros.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. So I knew Karina through Mario, and I knew, you know, Kim Johnson, and I knew Cheryl, and I knew. So I knew all of these people, but I was like, you know, always on the outside, right? Nope. You can't get in. You can't get in. You can't get in. You're not part of the club. And then, you know, 17 seasons later, right, in season 19, you know, Dina calls me. I'd literally just gotten back from a vacation with my family, and she was like, now's the time. We're asking you to do it. And I was like, you know, 15 pounds overweight, you know, just gotten off vacation in summer. But I was like, there was nothing I was specifically coming back to. Specifically. So just like, all right, let's go and started that journey.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's amazing. I mean, I totally understand the love hate rollercoaster. You go on with something like that. And so by the time you got there, it was season 19.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

19. Yes. Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Well, you and I have one big career distinction that we share, and I do think it's one of the major reasons why Dancing with the Stars can be really, like, transformative for us. 99% of strangers only know us by a fictitious name. Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then here you get this opportunity to be Alfonso.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

And to really let America see who you are outside of what they already know, for you to be and for you to do it in a Way where you get to be vulnerable to. Through dance. Did that resonate with you? Did you see that right from the beginning?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Oh, right. Well, I saw that from the beginning in season two.

[Danielle Fishel]

Season two. Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Like, I was like, oh, this, this dance that everybody knows me for, this character that everybody knows me for. I. I continued for years and years and years to continue to say that's not who I am. Right. Like, I'm this kid who grew up in the Bronx in New York. Right. Like, I wasn't. I wasn't this Bel Air kid that everybody thought of me as. And. And all I wanted to do was show that I wasn't that. I think that, you know, once again, like, you know, saying, like, your situation, the universe finds the right way in the right time. It wasn't the right time. Right. I wasn't in the right space yet to. To present myself as who I truly was versus who I wanted people to see me as.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Oh, what a great distinction. Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And so being. Being able to do it in season 19 because I'd gone through the ups and the downs and the ins and the outs and the highs and the lows, I was truly capable of saying, I'm just going to give you me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And I'm just going to go on this journey. I'm gonna go on this, you know, this, this 11 week, you know, 14 week, really journey. Hopefully I get to 14 and just give people me. And if it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't. But at least it was truly me and that's who. That's who it was. I was, I was so in my. Out of my head, in my body and just being that. I think that it, it elevated my performances because it was really me. It was really just a love and a joy of. And feeling so blessed to be on the show, to be able to do the show, to finally been given the chance to be part of this family that I so longed to be a part of before that. That joy, I believe came across and I think it helped elevate me amongst the competition.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, absolutely. While you're there, I'm sure you never imagine that Tom Bergeron is going anywhere, but while you're dancing on the show, did the hosting of the show ever cross your mind? Like, wow, I bet this is a fun show to host.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Absolutely.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Now, that was. This was like many years later. Right. That obviously things came into play, of course. But Tom Bergeron is the reason for my hosting career, like, in general, in a success. Right. Because I had hosted before.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

But he turns to me on week seven or eight, and, you know, personally, he goes, no, I'm leaving America's Funniest Home Videos. And I said, I did not know that. Why are you leaving? Like, it's great job. Why would you leave that? He goes, it's just time. It's time for me to start slowing down. And it's. It's a hard job with the family because we live back east and back and forth, and we constantly have to come back out here to do tapings. And they want us here for voiceover, not be able to do it from a studio elsewhere. And it's just become too much for me. And so I think. And he's saying this to me, I think you would be the perfect replacement for me. And so I'm going to go to Vinda Bone and ABC and let them know that. That this is my feeling. Not that that feeling had a lot of weight, but it absolutely had weight because it made Vindebona, who didn't know me, who didn't really know that much of me, take a look. Right. And that became, you know, literally the launching pad for my career. And it's funny because, you know, obviously people are always like, alfonso, you keep taking Tom Burgers runs jobs. I'm like, no, Tom Bergeron keeps giving me his job.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

He keeps saying, you're the person, you're.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

The guy, you're the guy, you're the guy. And. And so, you know, of course, I looked at every. Hosting every all shows. Like, when you're trying to be a host, you're like, oh, that would be something that's good for me. Oh, that would be. Oh, that wouldn't be so good for me. I don't think I could really do well at that. And you're looking at all of it. And of course I'm thinking this show would be amazing. But I'm like, Tom is never leaving this show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Never.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

There will never be a time that Tom's not on this show. So, like, don't even think about it. Right. And then, you know, people know of this, but like, Tom's parents got sick.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And I got a phone call from Dena one Sunday afternoon saying Tom might not be able to do Monday night show. Cause back then it was on Mondays.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And you're the one we'd love to come in and have and do this for tomorrow.

[Danielle Fishel]

And this was how many seasons after yours?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

This was like three seasons after. Two or three seasons after. I think it was two seasons after, I think it was season 21. And. And. And I'm like, wow. So I talked to Tom, and he's like, dude, I, you know, really appreciate if you could do that for us. Like, I'm. You know, we're not sure what's going to happen.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

He ended up not missing that episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

But then his mom did get sick.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And so the next week, I came in, and so I hosted the show. So before I actually hosted the show, right. I had already hosted the show, and I had an experience, and. But once again, it was like, that was cool. That was awesome. It's never happening, right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Or even in your mind thinking, well, that's a nice position to be in. Anytime they need somebody to fill in for someone, they know they can count on me. I'm absolutely. Great news.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I'm the guy. Right. So that's awesome. So then we read of Tom no longer being on the show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Was like the. Immediately I'm like, no.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

No, it's. It's not for me right now. This is not the right move. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Especially not on good terms. Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. Tom is leaving.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Handing it over.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And I went, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. Not that they offered me the job, but it was still like, nope. I don't even want to get into that. Obviously, Tyra was hired. She had done a couple of seasons, recognized that it wasn't necessarily working out well, you know, for all parties. And so I called up Dina Katz one day, and I said, hey, let's go to dinner. And so, you know, all four of us, right? Jerry and my wife Angela, and I, and Dina went to dinner, and I said, dina, I just want to let you know that I'd like to throw my name in the hat. I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know whether she's leaving. I don't know what you guys are deciding. I don't know any of that. What I do know is I want you to personally know that this is what I want to do. And she was like, I'm really happy you said that. I never thought you would actually want to do it because of your relationship with Tom. And. And so I was like, yeah, but I think enough years have passed that it's not me taking his gig, it's me coming after him on a gig he did, which is a difference.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're right. Absolutely.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

You know, and I said, this would be really awesome if that would happen. And then a few weeks later, I get a phone call from Conrad Greene, who had just then been hired to come back in. And it was, look, here's what's happening. The show is no longer gonna be on abc. It's gonna be on Disney only. Is this still something you wanna do? And I'm like, absolutely. Even if it's doing this show on the way out, I would still love to do it. And because it was moving to Disney, it could no longer be a single host show. It had to have two hosts because no commercial breaks, there was no time, there was no other ways to move the stuff in and out of the set. So you had to go off of the stage to create that space, right? So I said yes. They said yes. I start, I start with Tyra. And I absolutely loved. I was in the skybox, I was with all the celebrities and the pros and I had a blast and it was great. And then ultimately, you know, there was a parting of the ways between Tyra, ABC and the show. And I got a phone call and we're moving you downstairs and we've hired Julianne to be upstairs and to co host with you. And the rest is really history. It's been incredible. 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 Limu. Is that guy with the binoculars watching us. Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty, Liberty, Liberty. Liberty Savings Very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company affiliates excludes Massachusetts.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. As winter approaches, make sure you set aside some time for self care now through December 2nd. Get great savings on personal care essentials when you shop in store or online. Buy two participants self care items and save $3. Shop for items like Tresemme shampoo, Dove Shampoo, Dove Men's Care body Wash, Dove Body Wash and Axe shower gel. And save $3 when you buy two or more items. Offer ends December 2nd. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Anabe Sofa Advertiser]

Time for a sofa upgrade. Introducing Anabe sofas where designer style meets budget friendly prices. Every anibe sofa is modular allowing you to rearrange your space space effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces. Annabe is the only machine washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy. Liquids simply slide right off. Designed for custom comfort, our high resilience foam lets you choose between a sink in feel or a supportive memory foam blend. Plus, our pet friendly stain resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years. Don't compromise quality. For price. Visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your living space. Today sofas start at just $699 with no risk returns and a 30 day money back guarantee. Get early access to Black Friday now. The biggest sale of the year can save you up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns. Shop now at washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Lego Star Wars Advertiser]

Does anything go better than Lego and Star Wars? I don't think so. Kids will love becoming a part of the galactic action while playing out their favorite adventures like with Jango Fett Starship. I mean this Lego set is fantastic. It features a detailed recreation of Jango Fett's starship with four stud shooters, a seismic charge dropping function and wings that rotate with gravity. Plus it has three Jango Fett with two blasters and a jetpack, Young Boba Fett and Llama Su. Perfect for endless play. Now for the big fans, there's Jango Fett's Firespray class Starship from the Ultimate Collector series. Packed with details and surprises for fans, this large scale set is perfect for anyone hunting for a mindful building escape. Plus you end up with a fantastic display piece. You can build this while your little ones build the kid set. You'll be like Jango and Boba building an adventure. Shop now for Star wars lego sets on lego.com or in lego retail stores.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

You guys, the holidays are coming and I am personally so excited to start making the cookies. It's one of my favorite parts. Every year you get to make them and then you get to eat them and maybe you give them away also. And before you know it, Black Friday is here and Pandora Jewelry is offering up to 40% off store wide and sitewide now through December 2nd. Explore jewelry designed to last beyond the season. From classic charms to modern rings, bracelets, earrings and more. Whether you're holiday shopping or treating yourself, now's the perfect time to find something Special. [e-mail] and your local Pandora store exclusive supply.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love I think my favorite part of that story is when that you made the decision to to call Dena and say let's go to dinner and then you actually saying I just want to throw my name into the hat. Because so often we assume that if if something is right for us or we go well I've already I've already hosted Dina probably knows that I. That maybe they're already. And you don't. You don't say anything. You don't make the extra effort. You go, if they wanted me, they probably would have asked. We make all of these bad assumptions, and yet then when actually decided I have. I want to let her know that I would love this. This would be a dream for me. Her response was, I would have. I would never have thought you would do it. And so you could have been sitting around thinking, well, of course they know I want it. And yet it's the exact opposite. They're thinking, he would never do it. Let's not even ask.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right?

[Danielle Fishel]

So I love that you. You took this upon yourself. Your. You made your dream come true. You manifested that for you.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

But that's the way I've always looked at everything. Right. Assume nothing. Right. Take for granted nothing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. You are. You know, look, I think I've been incredibly lucky and fortunate to have incredible reps my entire career.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

But they're reps.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

They're not us. Right. There's no one who is going to fight for you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

More than you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And no one can be a cheerleader for you. More than you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. We allow our egos to get in the way of our passions. Right. We. We, like, you know, I mean, I can't really, like, go in and say I want something, because if I didn't get it, then, like, my heart would be broken, and then.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then I would feel desperate because I said I. What I wanted. Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

None of that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. For me, you know, switching gears slightly, it's like I hit on my wife. Right? Like, yeah. Like, I was like, I'm interested in you. I want to take you on a date. I would. Like this. Yeah. And, you know, almost to the point where it was like, whoa, he's so.

[Danielle Fishel]

So forward, sir.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Okay. Like, really, all of that. Like. But my thing always was, well, how is she supposed to know?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

How is anyone supposed to know what I'm feeling and thinking and wanting and desires and no one could ever know that. So it doesn't. You're not. You know, there's. In the dating world, right? Like, you know. You know, shoot your shot. Right? Like, there's so many guys who are like, I can't shoot my shot. Like, I mean, she might turn me down. Well, you already turned down if you don't shoot your shot.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. Yeah. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take 100%.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

So I'm like, hey, this still could have been zero, right? But. But I wanted to put my name in there. And I felt. And I feel like even now, still when I want to do something, I make phone calls.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

You know, like, last year, I hosted the Disney Parks Christmas parade. They're special in Orlando. I called up my team and said, hey, still want to do this again this year? Let me know. Make some calls. We want to do this.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

They're like, are you sure? You know, it's like. And I'm like, absolutely, I'm sure.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I loved it. It was fun, right? It was a tough week because of the different things that were happening here and there, but still, I wanted to do it. And so for me, it's always about, go get what you want, go ask what you want. The worst that could happen is you don't get it and you didn't have it anyway. And it's not for you. It wasn't made for you. It wasn't designed. Right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

It wasn't your gig. It was someone else's gig. Yeah, fine.

[Danielle Fishel]

It also is, like, it may not happen this year, but it could happen next year. You know, you don't know.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

You never know when, you never know how, and you never know how someone is going to get the idea. Right. So you just always present that in hopes that they do get the idea. They do, like, go, oh, wow, that actually could work. And then find a way to make it work rather than find a way for it not to work.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, really smart. Really smart. I love that. I love that. I want to talk now about this season of the show in particular.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

You have been around. You've been paying attention since season one. So you, you are. You are a historian of the show. Some might say it's the 20 year anniversary, and everyone keeps saying it's one of the most stacked casts we've ever seen.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

You and I were. We are now just chatting a few days before the finals.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

If you had to write out season 34, year 20, a report card. You're gonna write a report card for the season. Okay, where are we at?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Well, if we were writing this at the beginning of the season, some things would be very different.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Let's hear. Let's hear it.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Well, I mean, obviously, you know, being incredible friends with. With Emma Slater.

[Lego Star Wars Advertiser]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

So Emma and my wife Angela are, like, best friends, and so. And she goes on vacations with us and, like, she is a member of the family, and I know how incredible she is, and I know what she can do with someone, especially utilizing the social media space.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

But could never have guessed that Andy Richter would have gone as far as he did. Right, Right. Could never have seen that. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Nope.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

But yet it happened right at the start of the season. I never could have imagined a world where Whitney Levitt wasn't in the finale.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. Never. When we did our dance, our team dance, that we would win and yet one of our members would go home.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. Like, these are things that knowing the show, knowing the history of the show, knowing the tendencies of the show, could you ever imagine that these things would have happened?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I think that this season is remarkable because you can take, let's say, seven through nine. Seven through nine, seven through ten, that group of. Of the contestants in terms of order. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Like, so we're gonna have five. Right. So, yeah. Seven through nine or ten. How good they would be. But be seven through ten.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Because every one. Of everyone in that group.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

In most years would be in the final.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Like, without question. Right. I think the only other season that I would say that that wouldn't be the case would be Charlie d' Amelio season. Right. Just stacked.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. But I wouldn't say that that that last season, which was very good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Could even compare to the quality of dance, the quality of growth.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

That this season has had. Right. The social media impact has thrown the show on its head.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Because it isn't about what you do on the stage anymore. Fully. It is a lot of how you handle and guide your season online.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And that's a whole new can of worms that no one ever really had to deal with until this. Right. There was little bits of it last season. Like you saw it with Alona Mar and you saw it with Steven Nitarazek. Right. You saw that their social media campaign created a little bit of buzz and. And got them further along than they might have otherwise. This year. It's everything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. You're right. It makes such a difference. It's.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

It's everything. Like, you. You can't say. You know, and I'll say this because I believe this, and I would say this in every world, but Whitney Levitt was the best celebrity dancer on the show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Agreed. I said. Yeah. I said it too.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Like, you can't deny, like Alex, Earl and Robert have gotten. They're close.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're very close. Yeah. They're great dancers. Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And. And. And we could discuss other aspects of why some of those might even be above her in different ways.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

But in terms of pure on the floor dance. Not even close.

[Danielle Fishel]

Correct. Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Because art that no one gets to actually understand and see what's the difference in the choreography? What is the. The level of choreography that's done. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

You know, there are moves that look great, that are easy, and then there are moves that don't look great, that are really hard. And the professionals can see the difference, but regular eyes can't. And you question whether was the choreography almost so hard that they couldn't show more flair?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

In their routines. Right. Now that's a. That's a lot of insight. Right. But at the end of the day, you could never imagine that she doesn't make the finale.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, I know.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. So the report card is, man, a tough one. Right. Like, I see as the host, I can't criticize certain things.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

But consistency. Right. Being a little all over the place in terms of scoring and numbers and theories. Right. So the theory of judging, not the. Not them actually judging the theory.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Are we all being judged on the same scale or are there different scales for different people?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And I don't think. I don't know the answer.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. World doesn't know the answer. Only the judges know that answer. Right. But that kind of consistency is difficult for the show. So doing a report card, I say execution of dance A plus. A plus plus. Right. Execution of the show A plus plus.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. The. The. The. The things that Conrad Green has implemented this season with the celebrities and the host being part of the team dance and all of the different things, bringing a past champion back to dance along with the celebrity. Only mind blowing that we accomplished this and it was fantastic.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. And it was so great.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. Like, wow. You know, I think that there are some things that the show still needs to look at. Elevate it even further. And I think. And I've pitched some ideas to Conrad, I won't get into all of those things, but, like, things that will, I think, help tell the story from the beginning to the end. Even better.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

But I gotta give the show an A on this season. It really has been a phenomenal show. I think we all laugh at it, but there's only one real negative so far, and that was our Rock and Roll Night hall of Rock and Roll hall of Fame night judge. That was kind of all over the place. Right, Right. But those things have happened. Those things have happened before, and technically it was better than the season before. The person.

[Danielle Fishel]

I heard. I heard.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yeah. We're not saying names for themselves. Right. But I really think the show this season has been. It's been absolutely phenomenal. I think that the relationship with Julianne and I hosting the show together has grown to a really wonderful level of consistency and connection. And I think, you know, our celebrities, you and the others, like, brought so much to this season. People have asked me, you know, why is this show so successful right now? And I think many reasons, but one of the main reasons is obviously we have an incredible cast and tells an incredible story and engaging, and so many of you guys opened your heart up, you know, to the world. To be vulnerable, to go through this journey, you know, purely has been amazing. And I think that there's. There's no way to script it, there's no way to write it to. To. To put the pieces together, to manipulate it. Right. It just has to happen organically, and that just comes down to people really opening themselves up. I think one of the most amazing things is to watch someone like Alex Earl, who at the very beginning was.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep. I.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

There was no entrance. Right. Not allowed in here.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. There were a lot of walls. A lot of walls came across as cold.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. But those were. Those were security, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Correct. Masks. Yeah. Protection.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Those were protection for herself. Right. She lives in this social media world where, you know, one wrong word and they're coming after you. Right. So those walls are up. But to see where she's at now.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

It's beautiful.

[Danielle Fishel]

I. I said the exact same thing. Her journey has been maybe my favorite of the people left in the. In the finale. Her Jo has been my favorite for exactly that reason. And even behind the scenes, it was very similar. You know, it wasn't just the. The Persona she was representing to people in the first couple of weeks was. Was very guarded behind the scenes. She was very guarded.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Absolutely.

[Danielle Fishel]

And over the weeks, there has just been a thawing and a defrosting, and her personality is oozing out of her now. And she. It's just. It's beautiful to see.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

So I see now she has the followers that she has.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Even though she doesn't really give them this. That we've been so blessed to see. You know, when I first met her, that party in New York, and she just came and hung out with me. She just stood with me for, like, almost an hour. Right. But it was like, I'm not getting in here.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. How do I. What do we.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. Like, yeah. Like, we're talking, but I'm not. I'm not getting in.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Now when I have a conversation with her, I'm like, there she is. Yeah, yeah, right. And those kinds of journeys are what makes this show special. And when people give of themselves and go through it and we get to witness it, that's, that's, that's TV brilliance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

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. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us. Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company Affiliates excludes Massachusetts.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. As winter approaches, make sure you set aside some time for self care. Now through December 2nd. Get great savings on personal care essentials when you shop in store or online. Buy two participating self care items and save three doll. Shop for items like Tresemme Shampoo, Dove Shampoo, Dove Men's Care Body Wash, Dove Body Wash and Axe Shower gel. And save $3 when you buy two or more items. Offer ends December 2nd. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Anabe Sofa Advertiser]

Time for a sofa upgrade Introducing Anabe sofas where designer style meets budget friendly prices. Every anibe sofa is modular allowing you to reach rearrange your space effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces, Annabe is the only machine washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy. Liquids simply slide right off. Designed for custom comfort, our high resilience foam lets you choose between a sink in feel or a supportive memory foam blend. Plus our pet friendly stain resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays in beautiful for years. Don't compromise quality for price. Visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your living space. Today sofas start at just $699 with no risk returns and a 30 day money back guarantee. Get early access to Black Friday now. The biggest sale of the year can save you up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns. Shop [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Lego Star Wars Advertiser]

Does anything go better than Lego and Star Wars? I don't think so. Kids will love becoming a part of the galactic action while playing out their favorite adventures. Like with Jango Fett Starship. I mean this Lego set is fantastic. It features a detailed recreation of Jango Fett's starship with four stud shooters, a seismic charge dropping function and wings that rotate with gravity. Plus it has three minifigures. Jango Fett with two blasters and a jetpack. Young Boba Fett and Llama Su. Perfect for endless play. Now for the big fans, there's Jango Fett's Firespray class starship from the ultimate Collector series. Packed with details and surprises for fans, this large scale set is perfect for anyone hunting for a mindful building escape. Plus you end up with a fantastic display piece. You can build this while your little ones build the kid set. You'll be like Jango and Boba building an adventure shop. Now for Star wars lego sets on lego.com or in lego retail stores.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

You guys, the holidays are coming and I am personally so excited to start making the cookies. It's one of my favorite parts. Every year you get to make them and then you get to eat them. And maybe you give them away also. And before you know it, Black Friday is here. And Pandora Jewelry is offering up to 40% off store wide and sitewide now through December 2nd. Explore jewelry designed to last beyond the season. From classic charms to modern rings, bracelets, earrings and more. Whether you're holiday shopping or treating yourself, now's the perfect time to find something Special. [e-mail] and your local Pandora store. Exclusive supply.

[Danielle Fishel]

You mentioned the party in New York and I saw you there as well. And actually you told me that there was one piece of advice you give to all of the contestants when they start the show. Are you comfortable sharing that with our audience?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yeah, I mean, the advice that I give is literally, I kind of gave a lot of advice, but I do give good advice. I sometimes say the one thing and then like the next day I say another one thing. Here's one thing, here's one thing. But there's tomorrow, there'll be another one thing is, is to truly give of yourself.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Open yourself up, go through the journey, let people truly see who you are. And I've always described this show as a reality show encased in a dance competition. But not a reality show that we're used to seeing. Right. It's not the fake reality where we're going to create drama on it's true reality where we're gonna see you live on air in your most vulnerable state. Give the audience give of yourself and we will be with you on that ride. Yeah, that was the one thing that I said.

[Danielle Fishel]

That was the thing you said. My piece of advice is this is a reality show and therefore you have to be your most real.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

And yeah, it isn't you know, that is the thing I loved about it is, you know, in all the OTFs and in the master interviews, there are prompts, you know, they want. They're trying to. They're trying to weave a story. They don't want the story to be false, but there has to be a story.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I. I would regularly go, well, no, I'm not gonna say that, because that's. That's not resin. That's not resonating for me.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

They sometimes hated me on my season because I was like, I ain't saying that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Like, I'm not.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm not doing that.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Never coming out of my mouth. Right. Like, badly. Do you want to win? You want to win this?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Like, I'm never saying that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I'm not. I'm not doing that because now I'm creating expectation. Yeah. And that expectation can come off cocky.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Come off arrogant. That there's all kinds of layers underneath those words that I'm like, nah, I'm too smart to know about how this all works. So I was guarded but open.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. The other thing that I always. That I said to everybody and I didn't know whether it was going to be one of the two things. Right. Was when you get up to the skybox, you have. This is the only moment in the show that no one has control over you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

No other moment. Everything in the package is edited, everything on the floor is choreographed. Every. Every moment of the show that you're scene is produced.

[Danielle Fishel]

Correct. Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

That's the moment that you get to say to America, why me? Why are you voting for me and not someone else? This is your moment.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And I love that. I love that. And I love that Julianne has gotten, you know, over the last couple seasons so good at making that connection. Right. Like, I don't think in the beginning it was truly understood how important that moment was for all the celebrities journeys, but now it's like she. She. She gets it. And that's why I think even this, the elevation of the show, the show is that much better because everything has been elevated and the understanding of the importance of these moments. And, you know, the other night, like, yeah, I don't. You know, the judges didn't recognize it, but Jordan and Ezra had a crash in the routine where he got hit on one of the lifts, and she came over to me, and it's like, I'm off mic at this point. Like, I didn't put the mic up to my mouth, and I'm like, are you okay?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I'm seeing her eyes well up and. Right. So I'm holding her hand in that moment. And those are the moments for me that I truly enjoy the most, where I'm making this human connection. Yeah. There's a TV show happening, and we know. And it's the lights and the glamour and the. And, you know, Bruno jumping up and, you know, all of the judging and all of the theatrics. But at the end of the day, like. And I said this to every one of you guys coming in. I got you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I'm there with you. My heart is connected to yours. When you come to me and I'm like, are you okay? And she was like. And she had, like, a kind of but not really moment that I thought was like, wow. Okay, I got you. Whatever they say right now, whatever energy's coming, like, I'm putting my protective bubble around you. I got you. And then they stood up and they were like. I was like, what? And I looked out at my hand. I looked at her. We both looked at each other, and we just let go of each other's hands.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Went off.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. It's no big deal. Nothing happened. I didn't make a face. Nobody even knows.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yeah. But it's those beautiful moments.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

For me, on a personal level, that is, like, I love it when I come over and I get, like, a moment with you guys, even if it's just a look.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Just, like, making eye contact of just saying how proud I am of what you guys have accomplished. That's the part that makes it so special for me, on a personal level. Not the job. Right. Do the job. We do the thing. I come up with a line. I might say something funny. I might be whatever it is. But for me, it's that moment. Because no one else on that stage knows that moment. Like, we all do.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Know what it's like to stand over there and have given our heart, worked our butts off. This is the last time we'll do that dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's over. It's over.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

All of that work, all that work, every hour, every moment, all the pain, all the suffering that we go through to deliver that one moment, that minute and 20 seconds on that stage.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Now it's done.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Nobody else can understand that moment like us.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

That's a special moment for me on a personal level that I get to share with all of our incredible celebrities like yourself every week.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah. And it is a special moment because I. I always looked forward to knowing that at the end of that dance, I get to go stand next to you and have that moment with you. And having you stand there, you know, it's like you're. You're with your pro partner, who's the person you have grown the closest to and you trust. I mean, assuming you have a good partnership, most people. Do you trust them as if they are a member of your family. Like you have. You have learned to just totally trust them. And then having you on the other side, I always felt like I am. I am sandwiched between a fortress of goodness. And so no matter what happens from this moment on, at least right here, I feel good. So thank you for. For making that such a safe space. Robert has had such an incredible journey on the show, and it is no secret that he is the Vegas favorite to win his partner, Whitney. She has won her only mirror ball with you. What do you think makes Whitney such an amazing partner?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Well, you know, we.

[Ryan Seacrest]

We.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

We talk behind the scenes a lot.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I am a life mentor to her in many ways, and my wife Angela is even more of a life mentor for her on a personal level. It's incredible to watch the growth of that little girl that I met 12 years ago. Yeah, right. Like, she was a baby, literally. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

How old is she? How old is she?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

30.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Maybe 32. Wow. So she was, like, 20.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yeah, she was. She was 20 when. When we. When we worked together. She's 20. She's either 30, 31. To see who she's become is incredible. What I am able to look at is her brilliance on the floor. She's able to create weekly with her contestants. You know, sometimes it's a battle. Right. For her. Sometimes it's easy. Milo, with her was the season that she should have gotten her second one. Right. They were incredible together.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And I actually believe. And I think I'm saying something that I've never really said to her, but I believe that season broke her slightly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Aw.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Because I believe that, like, she put everything into that season and was still so young that to have not come home with the win created different emotions in her and a bit of separation between herself, the pro, and the show or celebrity and the show.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

It's coming back. It's coming back with Robert. And I'm watching her give in a different way that she's done over the last several years.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Give herself. Right. And open up and allow people in. This is a funny story about. About who Whitney is. She'll kill me. But.

[Lego Star Wars Advertiser]

But it's true.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Our season we win. We go to New York, we do gma we do the View, and that's it. Right? It's over. That's done Is done. There are no more obligations. It's over. And Whitney picks up her bag and says bye with her back to me as she's walking out the door.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I was like, hey, hey, come here. It's like, what? I was like, come here. She's like, no.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm like, whitney, now we're gonna have a proper goodbye.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Come here. This is. You are gonna give me a hug. You are gonna. We are gonna say goodbye. We're gonna share and have this moment. You don't want it. I get it. You're. She doesn't like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I don't like goodbyes. Yep. Nope.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

We are doing this. And that is Whitney.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

She is a ball of beautiful love.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

She's a competitor. She's a tough young woman. She is a go getter. She is incredibly talented. But there's always a little. Nah. You not a little out. Right. A little in the beginning, not letting in. I think the Milo season kind of cemented that slightly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Reinforced that wall a bit.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. And I think she's recognizing. We had a conversation, but I think she's recognizing that that has to go away for this to happen. And it was beautiful to watch the difference this last week with Prince Knight. Semi final week.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Because it happened after our conversation. There was a difference. And what she's able to accomplish with Robert never being a dancer.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I mean, he's an athlete, right? Like, he is. It was funny. There's a video, I was standing behind it when it happened, of Robert and Alan burst in doing, like, seeing how high, like, the box jumps. Right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

They were doing it based on the judge's desk. And Alan would have busted his head on the desk. Robert would have jumped up on the desk, like, from a standstill, just, like, literally straight up. His feet were well above the desk.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Kid's an athlete, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Absolutely.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

You know, you wrestling alligators and crocodiles and stuff, you know, you're gonna be an athlete.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

But to see his. His texture start to come to life.

[Lego Star Wars Advertiser]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And Whitney is the perfect person to do that. Whitney knows how to make a quarry, make a number, choreograph a number to be memorable.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah. She definitely does that. The trick that they just did this past week where she flips him over her back, I thought it was so much fun. I was like, that's just. You know, stand up and applaud like. Yes.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I want to see more of that. They, they didn't show it at all on Monday.

[Danielle Fishel]

Really?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Never showed it on Monday.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow. So they only did it during dress rehearsal.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Rehearsal. And then the show. And we were like, what was that?

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh, that's so cool.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

It was one of those, we ain't got to show everything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

We just got to be prepared to do it. And. And it was incredible. It was an incredible move. And like, she barely does anything. He just basically like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Somersaults over her. Yeah. Backflips over her. Whatever you want to. I know.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

It's pretty incredible how, how are you doing that? So an incredible partnership. And yeah. I think at the end of the day, I think that depending on what happens this week, they're the favorites. They're the ones to beat. But I think Alex is right there.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Right there.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

We'll see.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Three hour finale. Gonna be amazing.

[Danielle Fishel]

It really is. It's gonna be. It's gonna. Those last few minutes, as per usual, are gonna be nail biters.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Can we talk for a minute about Team Chicago? Because it for me is a major life moment. Really, that performance and the work we put into it and then pulling it off that night and all of us crashing to the floor and then standing up and celebrating like we had just won a mirror ball or won the super bowl is my I have so many favorite memories from the show and it's not even hard for me to say that's my favorite moment. That's my favorite memory and my favorite moment. From my entire time on Dancing with the Stars, it will be that moment that really sticks with me. So why do you think that week and that. And that group of people blended so well together?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Well, I think that a lot of it has to do with your. Your ability to pick the right team, like you and Dylan coming up with that. I, you know, I. I saw your. Your. Your podcast on that one. And what you say, like, devising a plan on how you were going to get these members together.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Yes.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Was brilliant. Because really, that was the right group.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. Everybody in that group was going to work well together. Right. And I'll go into the whys. Obviously, Danielle and Pasha. Right. So you guys are a foursome that were together, and. And so that team had to be together. Right. So obviously, Ezra and Jordan, Whitney and Mark were the outliers in that. But Daniela and Pasha used to take from Mark's mom.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

They know each other incredibly well.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. Jordan and. And Ezra were kind of the outliers. Right. But the beauty of having Ezra was Ezra was actually had great ideas.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And. But never had the. Wait a minute. I believe the seniority thing, the competitive. He just would be like, yeah, what about. And everybody would go, that's even better.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's good.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And so what. What was great about our group and this, I think, really brings it down to the core is there's a. There's a improv thing that people do. If you're. If you do improv, one thing that you have to do in improv, and that is. Yes. And. And our group was. Yes, and all the time. It was never no, but.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And that brought everyone together. They felt like their voices were heard, even if it wasn't what was chosen. It was always about improving for the team. You can't ever understand from the outside how important teamwork is when you're trying to accomplish something as a group.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And. And I'd heard stories from the other group that that was not the case. That there was a lot of. Well, I think it should go like this, and I think it should go like that. And we were working together, and we were always improving. Can I tell the audience something that happened with you?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. That.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

That, I think is a beautiful thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

So obviously, the whole week, it was great. We get to the. The video is playing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

We're on right before.

[Danielle Fishel]

We're about ready to perform.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

We're ready to go. Right. And it's a minute and a half. Right. And we go over the celebrity only section. Right. And you Were struggling.

[Danielle Fishel]

I called it a meltdown. I did. I talked about it on my. I did. I called it a meltdown. I had a full blown meltdown.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I was like, I can't do this. It was a full. Full moment of, oh, my gosh, this is. I can't. I don't have it. And I. And you no longer were breathing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I was, like, shaking. Right. And you were shaking. And this was the most beautiful thing I have seen in all my time on the show. Oh, Mark. Turning to you, who's not your partner.

[Danielle Fishel]

Nope.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. Turning to you. Looked you in the eye and said, breathe. Yeah, Breathe. Take a breath. And you couldn't get your breath. And breathe. Just breathe.

[Danielle Fishel]

And he put his hands on my shoulders and he grabbed me into a tight hug.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And hugged you. And when he hugged you, I was standing behind you. Right. And I watched your body melt.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Into his body, like, full. You're right. I will do my best. I will try to give in here. Stop the demon from running.

[Danielle Fishel]

Correct.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And you melted into his body. And you. And you took a breath.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Your body melted. Your hands stopped shaking.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And he was like, you got this. You've got this. Just breathe into it. Relax. We've got you. We're here. And I walked around to you, and I looked you, and I said, we got this. And then you guys separated. And we did it one more time. I think There was like 15 seconds left on the clock. Right. And you did it. You did it perfect.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. We got into our circle. The music started. You're supposed to. You're right behind me when we start. And, like, it was like. Because we were counting out our eight. So you were in the third count of eight. And I turned around and I said to you. I looked in your eye and I went. And I smiled, and you smiled back. We got this.

[Danielle Fishel]

And you.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yeah. And then we went at it and.

[Danielle Fishel]

And we did it.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Killed it. I mean, killed was literally. There was nothing looking back at it. There was nothing that I could find.

[Danielle Fishel]

Nope.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I would go. It should be this or it could have. It was perfect. And it was the most beautiful moment of taking where we were from the beginning.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. Walking in there as a team, figuring it out.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

The pros having an idea. But, like, working through it after that first day, feeling like we only got halfway through this and we only got one more rehearsal. How are we even gonna do this? To. To that moment was one of my greatest moments on this show from my season and any other season was really seeing that moment And I even just like, I said it to Mark later that next week, and I was like, that was the most beautiful thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Because we really cared for one another so much that it was like, what do we need to do for all of us to be together and succeed?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

It was beautiful.

[Danielle Fishel]

I have. That is why that moment. That's why that dance. That's why that week of. It's very easy for me to go, favorite moment. I know exactly what it is. I know exactly what it is. And it's because of all of those. It's because of all of those things that, like, no one would ever know that.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

And no one would ever know or even imagine how much we put into every second that we are out there. It is truly a complete giving of yourself and. And know what? You know, if you think about 34 seasons of this show, if we were to. We could figure it out easily how many people in total have done the show? Let's say it's a thousand. Whatever. A thousand people. Do you know how small it is to have a thousand people who truly know what this experience means?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And I would say a lot less than that, because most don't ever get to that point in the show.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're right. Most are. You know, a lot of them are gone. Whoever's gone. Week one, week two.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. All of those. You got 34 weeks gone. Right, Right. And more than likely the first three or four never really get to that place of full connection, and they're starting to, like, go from I'm absolutely terrified to walk on the floor to, let's go perform this.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

You know what I mean? And so it's a very small number of people that really get to understand and feel what this journey, this experience, really.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I want to talk to you. You mentioned it a little bit. And I want to talk to you about some of the judging, because I think if it would be remiss for us to not touch on the idea that. And maybe it's. Especially after this last week, it feels like maybe all three judges have a totally different approach to their job. And in a lot of ways, that's great. Who wants three of the same person up there? You want three different approaches. But with that said, when you've got different approaches, sometimes that means there can be some tension.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

How. What is your overall? I know you said you had made you have some thoughts and some suggestions. You don't have to tell us your ideas that you've pitched to Conrad, but what do you think about how difficult it is to explain how and why you are giving a score that you are giving week to week, person to person, and how is. Is there a way to make it a little more straightforward for the audience to understand it?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Well, I think that's a very difficult question. In first, I would say, you know, I've guest judged on this show. I've done it several times on Strictly Come Dancing, which is the uk, the parent, the original show. And judging is incredibly hard. And the reasons why it's hard is because you're having to try to come up with something to say to starting with 14 contestants for 11 weeks and now add 34 seasons for Bruno and Carrie Anne. Right. How do you stay fresh? How do you stay relevant? How do you stay sometimes self important? Right. And that is. That creates a really difficult thing for each one of them. When Len was on the show, everyone understood their roles. Right. It was very clear. Right, yeah. Len was the technique. Right, yeah. Stickler. Right. Carrie Ann was the emotion. Right. Judge and Bruno was the show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. So it's very clear with Len being gone, no one has filled that role. So because that role's not being filled now, it's kind of everywhere. Everyone feels as if they need to cover the Len, but no one's doing Len. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Very astute. Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

They're all kind of. But not.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And so there have been inconsistencies because on one hand you're saying, oh, I love the story, but I'm giving it a 7 because you had a hop or you had a. And you're like, well, wait a minute, then why are you telling me it's the problem? Isn't the scores the problem for me would be the explanation. Because now this is the bigger view we have social media. And social media is creating a difficulty for them to express themselves because they're getting hammered on social media. Yeah, Right. So now no one wants to actually say. They're trying to. They're trying to say it but not say it because they don't want to get killed in social media. That, to me, is the problem.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Every one of those judges have a right to decide what they want to give and what they want to say. That's their right, that's their job. Whether we agree with it or disagree with it. Plenty of times I'm like, what? You know what? Talking about, like, I don't know what you saw, but I saw. But that's why. That's why they're people and not.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right. And that is it is what it is. And a lot of us could sit there and say that we would be better at it, or some people can say they'd be better at it and do this. I guarantee you, after two shows, you'd be real. A lot of people be real quick to be like, I'm good.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm good. I'm good. I don't want this job.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I don't want this job.

[Danielle Fishel]

I agree with you.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

It's. It's. It's. It's the job that only brings hate. Right. No one sits there and says, we love you.

[Danielle Fishel]

We love you so much.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

You told this person that you didn't like their full week of work. Right. So it's. It's a thankless job. I call it parenting. Right. It's just no one tells you that you're a good parent. You just happen to find out later, when they're adults. Right. Whether they go off and do something special.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

So. So to me, it's. There are. I think there are ways to create growth so that you can show the growth of contestants, but there's also a way for the show to explain what they're judging.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

World of Dance tried to do it, and it was way too complicated.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

They had, like. It was a rubric.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

It was like, what is this? Right. Like, just give us a score.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

The biggest problem is, in my opinion, is we start on week one and someone gets eights. I know, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Now, but let me backtrack for a second. The problem is, is that it's not about the journey. It's actually not about the journey. It's 11 individual weeks.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Now, Robert has done the jive three times, so that's a little crazy. But when you do that routine, you're not doing it again.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

So, yes. It's possible that you, on week one, could actually deliver a 10.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. And then the next week, you might get a six.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Absolutely. Because you can do the jive week one and get a ten, and then do week two and do the. Do the samba and be horrible. Or you get to the foxtrot and you have no rise and fall, and you're.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And you got heel leads when it's toe leads and. Or it's the other way around, but.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Like, it's there. You can. You can go up and down, and that's okay. But no one is explaining that.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

No one is saying that. And everybody thinks of it as the arc of a season, and.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Anabe Sofa Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I mean, I. I know. I felt It. Because I, you know, I would sometimes see dances, and it. The one dance would be 7, 7, 7. And then another dance would be 8, 8, 8. And I'd go, wait, are you telling me that those two dances are only three points apart? How could that be?

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

And so in that would be that. Well, because really, that one shouldn't have been a seven. It should have been something else. But because the week before it was a 7, 7, 7. There's nowhere to go.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

But.

[Danielle Fishel]

But there is somewhere to go. But that isn't what we're used to seeing as the audience. And maybe it's not what the judges are used to doing. So there is a feeling that you cannot go backwards.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

But like you said, that that isn't true. And I do think, although painful for maybe the fan base and the celebrity to go, wow, it really hurts to get nine, nine, nine. And then the following week, see 666. But they're individual dances. You would walk away from that and go, you know what? The. The Argentine tango's not for me with the three sixes, but I love the one where I got the three nines. And that's just how it is. Some were cut out for some dances more than others.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

That's okay. But that is, unfortunately, that is an emotional.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And the audience will literally kill the judges.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

If they did that. So now we're in this very difficult arena of what do they do, what can they do? What should they. Right, right. Well, they're doing the best they can.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep. Exactly.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And they will forever be criticized, because that is job.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And so, you know, I think it's been interesting to watch on social media, people doing their own judging and, you know. But it's been quite interesting to watch that. But you always have to remember, as I started this interview, it's a reality show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Encased in a dance competition. And so the reality show still has to exist. It has to be a human experience. And you have judges. Like, I remember Len would. Sometimes he'd be in a good mood and something would tick him off. And Len was not gonna give anybody more than a four.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And you'd be like, that wasn't no four. Good game. Last week, you gave a six. How are you gonna give a four? And it was worse, and then last week, better. And it would be like, because I'm in a bad mood and I can.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Okay. All right, all right. You know what I mean?

[Danielle Fishel]

That's a reality TV show. If you want something other than that, go to A ballroom competition, you know.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Absolutely. And that's what this is. And by the way, it's the best that anyone has ever done it.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're exactly right. Exactly right. It is so well done. It's the best.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Conrad Green coming back to this show, understanding what the core of this show is, but still being able to bring it into this new generation. And this new thing with the show has been phenomenal. And he's truly one of the best execs I've ever had a chance to work with. But brilliant.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Brilliant.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And knows this show. He's done an incredible job of developing this into. Into the number one show on tv. The rating this week was through the roof. Was it through the roof?

[Danielle Fishel]

That's amazing. It's amazing.

[Lego Star Wars Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

My final question for you, and I know you get asked this all the time, but with all the new online discourse, I think it's worth asking again. Who is one celebrity you would love to see on the show? You never know. You may run into him at Disneyland.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yeah, well, you know, that's such a hard thing because I recognize the reality of where the celebrities are at that point doing the show.

[Lego Star Wars Advertiser]

Right.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Like, there's been such a change in what is a celebrity these days. You know, getting. You know, getting that a list movie star that you see people, you know, this would be my dream partnerships. And you go, that person ain't doing this.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Tom Cruise is not going to do Dancing with the Stars. I don't know what you're thinking. Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

I mess around and say will Smith should do it. Will Smith be doing this? Let's just real. Right? So it's been really difficult. I think Dena has such a hard job, especially 34 seasons in. I know I have said Jennifer Love Hewitt.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, you know, I just ran into her. I ran into her at Halloween fest.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

And she was watching, and she was a fan. I think that's a possibility.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Well, the problem is she's her. Her show is still going at the same time, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know, I know.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Until that show ends. And we never want shows to end, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. Fingers crossed. She can't do it for a while.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

You know, we're looking at many seasons down the road. I think she'd be fun. I think she'd be fun to do. I think people, the nostalgia, the talent, the joy. She is a fan. I've mentioned it to her in person. I think she'd be really fun to do.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's a great answer. You're absolutely right. She would be fantastic for the show.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Yeah, yeah. And then. And then, you know, I keep working hard on getting Ava's godfather to come do the show, which is Steve Young. Oh, 49er quarterback. So I keep working on them.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Saying, all right, next year, next year, next year, next year, next, next, Next year. We're gonna. Next year. This has been four years now. So, so funny when he watches this. We gotta put. I gotta put him out. Put him on. Put him out there again.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, I. I just sat behind Justin Turner at the last week's taping, and I am friendly with Justin and his. And I think he would be an incredible booking.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

He'd be a great get.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, absolutely. Alfonso, thank you so much for taking the time. I talk. I could talk to you forever. Honestly, I. I so enjoy your perspective. I just think you're one of the most lovely, smart, driven, considerate, wonderful people. I mean, you're such a family man. There's. I could say so many wonderful things about you, and I hope everyone knows. I think they do. You're also one of the most inspiring individuals in career wise that I have ever met. And I so admire you. I look up to you. I hope to do a fraction of the things that you have done. So thank you for being here with me today, and I will see you next week for the finale.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Finale. The finale.

[Danielle Fishel]

We're finally here.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Incredibly kind words. Obviously. We've known each other for decades.

[Danielle Fishel]

A long time. Yeah.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

And it was such amazing. It was so amazing to have you on the show. And I'm so happy that we ran into each other at Disneyland.

[Danielle Fishel]

Me too.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Make this happen, because you brought a lot of joy to a lot of people this season, and it was very special.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you, Alfonso. So good to see you. I'll see you in a couple days.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Couple days.

[Danielle Fishel]

Danielle with the Stars. Produced and hosted by Danielle 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 at daniellewithstars and vote for me.

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[Alfonso Ribeiro]

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[Alfonso Ribeiro]

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[Alfonso Ribeiro]

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The Amazon ad [e-mail] our-story this episode is brought to you by PBS.

[Alfonso Ribeiro]

Home of Ken Burns. His newest film, the American Revolution, reveals untold stories of people, some familiar, many forgotten, who risked everything to change the course of history. It's the story of a war that was bloody, complex and profoundly consequential. Ken Burns and his co directors Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, shine a light.

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[Alfonso Ribeiro]

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[Danielle Fishel]

This is an iHeart podcast.