Danielle With…Witney Carson

Summary

Pod Meets World: Danielle With…Witney Carson

Host: Danielle Fishel
Guest: Witney Carson
Episode Date: January 21, 2026
Podcast: Pod Meets World (iHeartPodcasts)
Summary by [Podcast Summarizer]

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Episode Overview

This episode is a special edition of Danielle’s “Danielle With…” series, featuring two-time Dancing with the Stars champion Witney Carson. Danielle and Witney, both busy working mothers and ballroom alumni, engage in a rich, revealing conversation about Witney’s DWTS journey, the pressures and unexpected joys of live performance, industry insights, and motherhood. It’s an episode packed with nostalgia, candid career talk, and heartfelt advice—ideal for longtime DWTS fans and new listeners alike.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Witney’s Career Trajectory and Boy Meets World Crossover

• Danielle opens with an enthusiastic introduction, tracing Witney’s rise from DWTS troupe member to pro, highlighting her high-profile partnerships and victories (with Alfonso Ribeiro and, most recently, Robert Irwin), and preparing listeners for a deep-dive into carving a path in ballroom and beyond.
  • "It makes you wonder, how could she top it? What's next for this fellow mom of two adorable boys who seems to capture dance magic year after year?... Ms. Witney Carson." (03:55).

2. The Special Bond with Alfonso Ribeiro

• Witney reflects on her enduring partnership and friendship with Alfonso, describing him as a mentor who helped her navigate Hollywood from a young age.
  • "He is just such a gem of a human. I mean, you know him. You've known him for years, but he really is like an uncle, a brother to me. ...He’s always been a mentor to me. But that specific interview that he did with you, I—he had never told me those feelings or thoughts before. ...I immediately started crying." (06:23–07:37).

3. Family, Travel, and Life with Kids

• Witney shares her excitement (and nerves) about an upcoming family trip to Australia, a surprise for her two animal-loving sons, and the thrill of letting Robert Irwin be their “tour guide.”
  • "We actually surprised them on Christmas morning that we were going and so they were so excited. ...We’re in Robert Irwin’s hands for, oh man, two weeks." (08:43–09:45).

4. Unexpected Friendship with Robert Irwin

• Witney talks about the joy and surprise that DWTS connects her to people from all walks of life, singling out her friendship with Robert Irwin:
  • "No, I never thought in a million years that one of my good friends would be a zookeeper from Australia. ...During rehearsals too...he’d be like, 'Remember, Whitney, I am just a zookeeper.' I’m like, right." (14:51–15:42).

5. Early Influences: Childhood and Parental Support

• Witney describes her modest beginnings in American Fork, Utah, and the sacrifices her parents made to support her dance training.
  • "My mom...grew up very, very poor. She could not afford dance. ...So that’s, you know, I started dance very young and I loved it, loved it, loved it....They did trade a lot for my dance training because at times we couldn’t afford it and they wanted so badly for me to go after my dreams." (16:35–18:29).

6. First TV Break and ‘So You Think You Can Dance’

• Witney credits her mother’s intuition for urging her to audition for So You Think You Can Dance at the last minute, a pivotal career moment.
  • “My mom’s intuition...she was like, I really just feel like you need to try and audition for this and just see what happens and don’t get upset or, you know, determined, but just go for it.” (19:34–20:56).

7. DWTS: From Troupe to Pro

• Danielle and Witney discuss whether starting as a troupe member should be “mandatory” for DWTS pros, with Witney emphasizing how the behind-the-scenes apprenticeship prepared her for the rigors of the show.
  • “I do think that it helps a lot because the beast of the show is something unlike anything. ...You can be the best dancer in the entire world, but if you don’t know how to teach, then...it can become very hard for you.” (22:45–24:11).

8. Winning with Alfonso: The Learning Curve

• Witney recounts the pressure of partnering with Alfonso, learning to balance personal ambition with making the celebrity shine.
  • “You have to find little tricks that kind of allow them to shine. ...Which in turn, honestly, makes you look better as well, because you know it's a win-win when you really think about their journey and what makes them shine.” (28:12–29:09).

9. Mom Guilt & Career Juggling

• Both women reflect on “mom guilt” and the immense challenges (and rewards) of balancing intensive dancing schedules with parenthood.
  • Danielle: “My oldest son’s meltdown...He was like, ‘I hate this job. You don’t have time for me...All you do is dance, dance, dance.’”
  • Witney: "That would literally kill me. I’d be like, okay, I’m quitting." (37:00–37:19).

10. The Pressure to Win Again & Defining Success

• Witney addresses whether winning once changes the hunger for another championship, emphasizing that “success” means different things each season.
  • "It’s a hard decision. Right. Because it's a show that I love very much...TBD. To be determined." (60:04–60:42).

11. Social Media’s Role: Toxicity and Fandoms

• The increased influence of social media on DWTS is discussed—both positive viral moments and toxic fan behaviors—plus coping strategies for negativity.
  • Witney: “We’re just not by nature, we’re not negative people, and so we don’t like that energy at all. ...If it’s just nasty and mean, I don’t really care. It kind of bounces right off of me.” (53:56–55:07).

12. App & Giving Back: Finesse

• Witney talks about her new dance/fitness app, Finesse, designed to provide accessible ballroom training and workouts for all levels.
  • “This was kind of a project for us that can be accessible and affordable to anyone that wants to learn ballroom dance and wants to learn from me specifically...” (58:30–59:48).

13. Dancing with the Stars Live Tour: Advice and Insights

• As Danielle prepares for the DWTS live tour, Witney offers tips for travel, performing, and enjoying the unique atmosphere of meeting fans around the country.
  • “That’s the best part—meeting the fans and being able to give them something that they want and love...It’s an amazing full circle moment where you’re like, okay, this is why I do what I do.” (64:51–65:43).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Alfonso’s Tribute:
  • “[Alfonso] had never told me those feelings or thoughts before...I immediately started crying because he’s that type of person that just knows you better than you know yourself...” —Witney Carson (06:23)
• On Unexpected DWTS Friendships:
  • “No, I never thought in a million years that one of my good friends would be a zookeeper from Australia.” —Witney Carson (14:51)
• On Parenting Sacrifices:
  • “My dad...would actually take down sets for us and travel with us to competitions and set it up to trade for a lot of my dance training.” —Witney Carson (18:29)
• On First Meeting Alfonso:
  • “They surprised me on this one because I think they knew I would know who he was. ...He got it like that. And I was like, okay, this is gonna be really good.” —Witney Carson (25:21)
• On the Grind of DWTS:
  • “If you don’t know how to put your hip to the left and put your arms straight immediately, like, it takes some time.” —Witney Carson (47:42)
• On Mom Guilt and DWTS:
  • “Had I made it that far, that would have been the exact same situation for me, too.” —Danielle Fishel (36:34)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |------------|---------------------------------------------------| | 02:12 | Danielle’s intro and Witney’s career summary | | 05:35 | Witney reacts to introduction & Alfonso discussion| | 08:22 | Australia trip, family life with young children | | 14:51 | Meeting Robert Irwin & building unlikely friendships| | 16:35 | Childhood, early dance memories, parental sacrifice| | 20:50 | ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and career break | | 22:45 | DWTS: Troupe vs. Pro pathways | | 25:21 | Being paired with Alfonso, winning the mirror ball| | 28:12 | Secrets to successful partnerships on DWTS | | 37:00 | Mom guilt balancing dance & family | | 42:21 | Losing with Milo Manheim, fan reactions | | 44:15 | Robert Irwin’s week 1 performance pressure | | 53:56 | Handling online fandoms & social media toxicity | | 58:30 | Launching her dance/fitness app, Finesse | | 60:04 | Will Witney compete again? (TBD) | | 64:29 | DWTS Live Tour advice for Danielle |

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Tone and Language

Conversational, warm, and candid. Both Danielle and Witney speak openly about the joys and challenges of their careers and motherhood, with supportive banter and shared enthusiasm for their craft and each other.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

If you love behind-the-scenes stories, thoughtful perspectives on performance and teaching, or want actionable advice from two experienced working moms, this episode is a must-listen. You’ll come away inspired by Witney’s relentless positivity, industry wisdom, and generosity of spirit.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Whitney Carson]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

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[Whitney Carson]

This is US Olympic gold medalist Tara.

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Whitney Carson]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

There's a fire inside you you can't ignore. Stand still. Not a chance. You're a lifelong learner who's come this far. Now we're here to help you keep Going further, Capella University. What can't you do? Visit Capella Edu to learn more. Hello and welcome to Danielle with a podcast that, if you're hip to industry lingo, recently flipped into my solo interview series Teen Beat. But since I, Danielle Fishel, director, podcaster, mom of two, and TV ready ballroom dancer, am about to go out on the road for the Dancing with the Stars live tour, I figured that I'd not only be updating you from all cities like Hershey, Pennsylvania and Bangor, Maine, I'd also prep a bit and return to talk to some of my favorite pros and contestants from the show. I'm hosting 28 live performances over three months and since this is a safe space, I will admit one thing. I have no idea what to expect yet. I am very excited to meet some of you live and in person at these shows and if worse comes to worse, I will just use any free time I have on the bus to force Jenna Johnson to help me get abs. But today, I wouldn't just return to Danielle with for any meaningless reason. It would have to be for a guest of the utmost importance. A superstar, even. And so for this week's special episode, I'm joined by the owner of not only one but two mirrorball trophies. With her most recent victory capturing the nation by storm and forever changing the culture of the show moving forward, she first appeared on the ballroom floor as a member of the troupe in seasons 16 and 17, then the following year was promoted to big league competitor and it only took two cycles to score her way into the winner's circle. Partnered with Alfonso Ribeiro, who at the time was just just a lowly celebrity contestant, but with her help, not only transformed into one of the most impressive winners in the show's history, he would later become the face of the process. Then over the next 13 seasons, she'd have eight top five finishes, including her turn with Milo Manheim, whose second place showing is often referred to by dance experts as a total effing crime against rhythm. But in 2025, things began to look up, or should I say down under, when she paired with human koala bear Robert Irwin. And right out of the gate, the pair stole America's hearts, gliding into the finals and securing the Len Goodman trophy. It makes you wonder, how could she top it? What's next for this fellow mom of two adorable boys who seems to capture dance magic year after year? Well, I'll tell you what, she's sitting with me to talk about her undeniable hall of Fame career in the Hallowed halls of Dancing with the Stars and what I can expect on this tour, I'm wildly nervous about it. So please welcome to Danielle with the reigning champ, Ms. Whitney Carson.

[Whitney Carson]

Oh, my gosh. What an intro. Holy moly. Chills. Like, two different times. I was like, this is incredible. How do I get that? Danielle, I need a whole monologue for myself.

[Danielle Fishel]

I will get it for you. We'll. We'll snip it. We'll send it in. It's actually a really. A really great intro for my.

[Whitney Carson]

My.

[Danielle Fishel]

One of my first questions, which is I. When we had Alfonso on the show.

[Whitney Carson]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Talk about getting chills. The way he spoke about you and the love and the reverence and the respect he has for you and the way he knows you and, like, really sees you was so special. And one of the clips of him talking about you went pretty viral.

[Whitney Carson]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

What did you think when you first heard that?

[Whitney Carson]

Oh, my gosh. He is just such a gem of a human. I mean, you know him. You've known him for years, but he really is like an uncle, a brother to me. And he really helped me kind of spread my wings in this Hollywood world because I. I'm from American Fork, Utah, a small town. I did not know what I was getting myself into. And at 18, like, you're still a kid. And so the fact that he was my partner was such divine intervention for us because he really. He actually really taught me so much and kind of put me under his wing. And from then on, we've just had, like, this inseparable bond and something that I can't really explain, but it's. It's a bond that's really traveled with us through adulthood and through my marriage. And he's always been a mentor to me. But that specific interview that he did with you, I. He had never told me those feelings or thoughts before. And so I was hearing it for the first time on social media, and I immediately started crying because he's that type of person that just knows you better than you know yourself, and he's that for me. And so I was like, you know what? That is so true. And it just resonated so much with me. And obviously, it resonated with so many of the you guys and people watching, and it just kind of took off. And I'm just so grateful that he's always been in my corner, and he's just been such a safe space for me in a world that can be so stressful and that you can kind of lose your way at times. And it's such a crazy, wild ride within this industry and especially with the show. How stressful and how physically and mentally demanding it is for him to be there in the studio and mentoring me and just, honestly just being there made it made me feel like I was so safe.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

And so that's, that's what he is for me. So that was really sweet to see that kind of go viral and people just love that because our bond is very special.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, that's very apparent. I am speaking to you the day before you leave for Australia with your family. We were just discussing before we started recording about how stressful the idea of a 16 hour flight is with two small children. How excited are you and how excited are the kids for this trip?

[Whitney Carson]

We are so extremely excited. We honestly weren't planning on going to Australia this quickly. Yeah. But it kind of just fell into place and the kids are. We actually surprised them on Christmas morning that we were going and so they were so excited. And my boys love animals and we just can't stop talking about the koalas and they love Robert. So the fact that we get to comb all of those Robert and animals in the zoo, like we're just so, so excited. So they. This is actually the first trip with Jet out of the country so he's never been internationally so I think it's going to be, the trip is going to be crazy but when we get there it's going to be, it's going to be amazing. And Robert and I have FaceTimed and texted over what we're going to do and our plans. He's like, can I just go ahead and plan everything for you guys? And I'm like, please. I'm like, please, here, take it. And so he's been very kind and sweet enough to. He's got a whole plan for us. We're in Robert Irwin's hands for, oh man, two weeks.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you're in very good, capable hands. So that's at least a safe feeling.

[Whitney Carson]

Yes, for sure.

[Danielle Fishel]

How once you touch down, how long are you there before you return home?

[Whitney Carson]

So we're, we fly to Sydney and then Brisbane and then we're going to go. I think the zoo's like an hour and a half away and then we'll spend a whole week at their lodge which they've so graciously hosted us for that. We're really excited about that though. I heard the fans food's amazing and so we'll do that for a week and then we'll be on the Sunshine Coast. For the second week. So we wanted a little bit of zoo, a little bit of like the beach town. So everything recommended by Robert, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, I love it.

[Whitney Carson]

I will let you guys know because I know you guys are going or trying.

[Danielle Fishel]

We are, we are, yeah. We're gonna book a trip. I don't know exactly when, but I think. Are you guys gonna be there through the Australian Open?

[Whitney Carson]

I think so, yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, man.

[Whitney Carson]

Now I'm like, do I try and go? You should.

[Danielle Fishel]

Absolutely.

[Whitney Carson]

Yeah. I. That would actually be incredible. But we actually, we decided not to bring any help. So I'm like, are kids allowed? Kids allowed there? I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

They are. You're allowed it. You're. Yeah, kids are allowed at 10. I mean, it's gonna be, you know, diff. One of you will probably be up and down and up and down trying to keep, you know, you don't want them like loud. But yes, I think, I think kids are allowed. Yeah. I mean, you can't be in Australia during the Australian Open and not try to go.

[Whitney Carson]

I know. Okay, we'll try and go. I know Carson will probably be all for it with the sports and. Exactly too. I'm like, I. I'm sure Robert will want to go as well, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, yes. You guys should look into that.

[Whitney Carson]

It'll be fun.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers, growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transact your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member finra, SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc, SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures hey.

[Whitney Carson]

This is US Olympic gold medalist Tara.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Davis Woodhull and I'm US Paralympic gold medalist Hunter Woodhull.

[Danielle Fishel]

As athletes, our lives are about having.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

A clear path and a team that you can absolutely trust.

[Danielle Fishel]

So when it came to getting the.

[Whitney Carson]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

I can't imagine when you started a career in ballroom dancing, you thought it would lead to zoo zoo trips with the Irwin family and no, never.

[Whitney Carson]

And that's what's so beautiful about this show though is you get to meet so many different people, people and walks of life that you just would never expect to become friends with. I mean, if I never had this career, I mean, I don't, you know, I wouldn't know Robert Irwin and he's like one of the most special people in my life. So I'm very grateful to be on a show that allows that to happen and to create friendships and long lasting friendships forever. No, I never thought in a million years that one of my good friends would be a zookeeper from Australia. And it was so funny during rehearsals too. I would get, you know, towards the end and be like, okay, come on. Like, you know this, like, you know the dance step. And he'd be like, remember, Whitney, I am just a zookeeper. I'm like, right, right. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're not. As much as it seems like it, you're not a fellow professional dancer.

[Whitney Carson]

Right, right.

[Danielle Fishel]

This. You've known this for a few weeks.

[Whitney Carson]

Yeah, yeah. No, but he. Honestly, it's going to be hard to have another partner compared to Robert. I mean, I know. Just so amazing. I mean, you know how incredible he is, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's truly incredible. I tell everybody every chance I get, like, exactly what he seems like is exactly what he is.

[Whitney Carson]

I know. Literally, it's so funny. And I, I Forget that he's 21 because he acts like a 40 year old. I know. And then sometimes you get little glimpses and you're like, oh, right, okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, one, yes, exactly.

[Whitney Carson]

But he's. Yeah, no, he's amazing. So we're really excited to see him.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, good. I want to talk a little bit about young Whitney. Kid Whitney, your mom was a travel agent and your dad was in software developing. How did you gravitate toward dance?

[Whitney Carson]

Well, you know what, my mom, she actually grew up very, very poor. She could not afford dance. And she really always wanted to be a dancer. And so I think she knew when I was her first.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Whitney Carson]

So I think once she knew that she could tell that I kind of like to dance, she was immediately like, okay. Like, she kind of lived a little bit vicariously through me because she wanted to give me all the opportunities that she didn't have. And so that's, you know, I started dance very young and I loved it, loved it, loved it. And then as I grew older, she actually became. She started a swimwear company. So she was an entrepreneur. And I remember her starting this business in our basement and just hustling. And I think that's where I get kind of my entrepreneur gene a little bit, that little fire in me to be an entrepreneur because I saw her work so, so hard for something that she wanted so badly. So that was. She was an amazing example to me of hard work and being a mom and balancing it all. And it was really inspiring for me. As a kid and a teen to watch her do that. And my dad, he was in software development so he was obviously the techie guy. But they did trade a lot for my dance training because at times we couldn't afford it and they wanted so badly for me to go after my dreams. And so I'm just so thankful that they were able to sacrifice so much for me too. I mean that's what you do for your kids. And now having kids, I'm like, you would do anything for them, them to have their dreams and to go after their dreams. And so my dad did a little bit of the stage work so he would actually take down sets for us and travel with us to competitions and set it up to trade for a lot of my dance training.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh my gosh.

[Whitney Carson]

So he did that as well as software development and then once the swimwear company kind of took off, they kind of tag teamed that together. So very, very hardworking parent came from.

[Danielle Fishel]

So and creative to think like, okay, there's other ways of, of, you know, other than cold hard cash. There are other things we can do. And so even just thinking of that, like I can take down and put up sets and.

[Whitney Carson]

Yep. And they just, they were just willing to do that for me and it was, I'm just so thankful for that and the, the example of hard work and perseverance through everything. I truly believe if you work hard enough, like you can do anything. And that's what, you know, I always tell my brothers and sisters who are adults now and just, you know, I'm kind of living proof of that. Like you can do anything that you set your mind to. And yeah, they, they, we, we had an amazing childhood and very grateful for.

[Danielle Fishel]

That Was the goal always to end up in Los Angeles. Like when you start dancing and you know you're going to pursue a dance career is the goal, like, let's get to la.

[Whitney Carson]

You know what, that actually, that wasn't really in my sight because I feel like it was so scary for me because, you know, I've always been born and raised in that small town and I just loved dance. I loved it so much that I didn't really have sights on TV or film or that was really, wasn't really in my headspace. I actually had all of my classes set up for college and I was on the dance team. I had auditioned for the dance team in college and I was kind of going that route like, okay, maybe dance can just be a passion of mine and not something that's really on TV or film. And then I remember, so youo Think you can Dance came to Salt Lake City, and my mom, the two nights before was like, mom's intuition, I'm telling, is so good. But she was like, I really just feel like you need to try. You need to try and audition for this and just see what happens and don't. Don't get upset or, you know, determined, but just go for it. And so two nights before, I grabbed my partner and we last minute got a routine together, and I was just like, okay, let's go for it. And that just really skyrocketed my career into TV and film. And so you think you can dance. And then Dancing with the Stars found me on that show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Whitney Carson]

And the kind of. The rest is history from that. But my mom's intuition, she knows.

[Danielle Fishel]

She knew for sure. So that was around 2012 that you were on so youo Think youk Can Dance. You finished in the top six, and in that first season, you were partnered with Stephen Twitch Boss, a dancer that I, as a fan, admired very much from afar. What are your memories of working with him?

[Whitney Carson]

Oh, my gosh. That was one of the most influential times in my career was with Stephen. And he was such a beautiful person, a beautiful dancer. Obviously, everyone who watched him dance just felt an instant connection, soul to soul. It was kind of indescribable. And working with him, he was so sweet because I was a ballroom dancer, so I wasn't, like, completely comfortable with hip hop. And although we cross trained a lot, I mean, this was hip hop, hip hop. So I was very much intimidated. But he made it so fun. He made it so comfortable. And who was our choreographer? Luther. Luther Brown was our choreographer, and they had known each other for a while. So I just remember coming into the studio and feeling like, so welcomed, and we just had so much fun. And that was one of the most memorable, memorable routines that I ever did on the show. So, again, I'm just. I'm so grateful that I was able to have the opportunity with him. That was fun. That was very fun.

[Danielle Fishel]

So fun. You were there for two seasons, and then in 2013, you made the jump over to Dancing with the Stars as a member of the troupe. Right. It was a little bit of a hot button issue this season because some were critical of pros who don't start in that, like, quasi apprentice position. Do you think it should be mandatory to ease into the. The competition by starting on Troop?

[Whitney Carson]

I mean, you know, what's hard is so they took away the Troop for a while, and so I think, like, that transition kind of changed the way the producers thought about the troupe and getting promoted to being a professional. I do think that it helps a lot because the beast of the show is something unlike anything. I mean, you can't. You can't be prepared for a show, like, no matter how much training in the studio that you do. So being on the troupe, it helps you see kind of how it works, how the beast of the show works and how to teach, because you can be the best dancer in the entire world, but if you don't know how to teach, then you know that it can become very hard for you. And, you know, you do have to be. I think it's. It's helpful if you are a little bit cross trained, because now. Now we're seeing, you know, the freestyles and we're seeing, you know, obviously there's jazz and contemporary styles that get judged. And so it is really nice to have a little bit of everything and also just to get a little bit more information and education under your belt before you get promoted as a pro. And I did feel a little bit bad for Jan that he wasn't able. I mean, he had never been involved in the show. I mean, it's nice when you can kind of see. See it firsthand before you step into that role.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

And so I think it would just be helpful. I don't know if it needs to be mandatory, but I think that it would help the pros.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, it benefits the pros.

[Whitney Carson]

It benefits the pros. Honestly, like, if I. If I had to choose, I would say put me on troop first before I get promoted to a pro. But, yeah, I think it's. It was very helpful. And then obviously, each season that you do as a professional is still so much that you learn. I mean, my first season to. This season is dramatically different. You know, each. You learn more, and you get better at teaching, you get better at choreographing. You get better about how you plan everything. And so now, like, within the last, even few years, I feel like I've gotten a grip on that where I feel like, you know, I've watched back some of the routines that I did with Vaughn Miller, and I'm like, oh, my gosh, what was I thinking? You know, which I think everybody does that in. At some point in their work.

[Danielle Fishel]

Correct.

[Whitney Carson]

But, you know, it. It definitely each season teaches you and. And makes you grow in ways that you didn't expect.

[Danielle Fishel]

And as we talked about then, in your second season, you were paired with the incomparable Alfonso Ribeiro. And you take home the mirrorball trophy with him. Did that partnership feel special just right from the start?

[Whitney Carson]

I. Yes. And I remember actually our first meeting, and I knew exactly who he was. They didn't. They used to just surprise us. And it got. It got.

[Danielle Fishel]

When people. Yeah, because sometimes people didn't know who they were.

[Whitney Carson]

Exactly. And you're like, nice to meet you. I don't know who you are. But they surprised me on this one because I think they knew I would know who he was. I mean, I watched Fresh Prince all growing up. Like, I was. So, of course, I was instantly excited when I met him. And then we started to get into. I remember it was just simple cha cha locks across the floor. And he got it like that. And I was like, okay, this is gonna be really good. And I could just feel it. I could just feel how different it was. And he was so good in the fact that, like, okay, so it's my second season, right. I'm still very much competitive. Like, I'm still trying to prove myself in a way, because, you know, the first season I was with Cody Simpson, and I got. We got eliminated, I think, like, the fourth or fifth week. Okay, fairly early. So I still had something to prove, and I was very competitive and very hard, very hard on him. And he was just so patient and kind with me, and he was exactly what I needed to be like, okay, it's okay. It's about. It's about making the celebrity better. And I think all. Once you get into a groove, you understand that. But at the beginning, you're really focused on, you know, I've got to prove myself. I have something to prove, and I want to win. And you're very much competitive in that way. So. So he was really good to kind of, like, balance out the mental part of everything and the emotional part of everything.

[Danielle Fishel]

So that part would be hard because, you know, the celebrities on the show are not usually trying to leave their. With a new career as a professional dancer. Like, that's. That, you know, we go into it for different. Everyone comes into it for different reasons. But, like, best case scenario, you're getting somebody there who just wants to learn and wants to improve week after week and wants to have fun doing it and wants to be out of their comfort zone and wants to, you know, see how far they can take this and is competing with themselves week after week. But for you guys, especially when this is what you've trained for your whole lives, like, this is your career. This is your reputation. This is so it's hard to separate between me, Whitney Carson, wanting to put on my best performance and show people what I'm capable of. But also. Oh, yeah, this, it's called Dancing with the Stars, and I need to make my star look good. And so, yeah, that would be real. Like, that's a, That's a, That's a learning curve that you have to go through between finding the balance of showcasing what you're capable of and making your star shine.

[Whitney Carson]

Yeah. And I think that it takes honestly years to do that. I mean, I, like I said, I didn't really quite figure that out fully until the last maybe five years. And with some celebrities, it's just so different. Like, I, I know for me, some celebrities, I don't. I don't dance like, my full ability. Like, I don't, like, I, I'm able to. I almost dance like a notch down just in case something happens and they fall off timing. And so if they're off timing, I watch them and I go off timing. So it looks like they're on timing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Whitney Carson]

You find little tricks that kind of allow them to shine, which in which in turn, honestly makes. Makes you like, look better as well, because you know it's a win, win when you, when you do it that way and you really think about their journey and their. And what makes them shine and finding those moments to really make them stand out.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. What do you think made him such a perfect contestant for the show?

[Whitney Carson]

If you know Alfonso, he is good at everything. And that mentality, it takes a certain personality, takes a certain person, whether it was. It was something in their childhood or their career or whatever they. That made them that way. But Alfonso is that like, if he wants to golf, he's the best at golf. If he is trying to do tennis, he's the best at that. Like, he will go, go, go until he is. He's mastered it. And so that's how he came into the Dancing with the Stars. He wasn't like, okay, I'm here to have fun. Obviously, I'm sure that's. Yeah, that comes with it. But he was like, I'm going to give this everything in my, like, everything that I have. And I think that was the same with Robert, too. And you have those few personalities where you're like, okay, like this. I know, I know he's gonna do amazing because he's got, he's got what it takes to really go there. And on a show like this, you have to do that. You have to put your whole soul and heart and Everything into it. And that's just his personality. And I think that he's been in TV for very. For so long, so he's comfortable on camera, and that really helped. He was very mature in the way that he handled the producers and in the studio and with me, and very much, like, calm and collected, and he was. I think that he was just such a. Just a special person for people to watch, too. They just connected to us so much because we connected, obviously, and. And people root for the connections and the partnerships, too. Yeah. We made. We made the talk shows quite a bit from our little banter, which was really funny.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's so cute.

[Whitney Carson]

People still tell me they're like, my favorite thing you ever said to him was when you hit. Hit him in the crotch and you said, do you need a snack? It's like, that's a good line. I still do that nowadays, too. I'm like, I hit people like, you need some food. Food will make it better.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you want some chips?

[Whitney Carson]

It will make it better, I promise. But, yeah, I think just his personality and his drive and the way that we connected, I think what is what made us successful and now he's, like, such a big part of the show. He's such a. Oh, yeah. He's the heart of it, you know, opinion. So I think that it all worked out for the best.

[Danielle Fishel]

Absolutely. He's such an incredible host. I know everyone who's ever seen the show with him knows that he. He is spectacular to watch. And everybody talks about. Everybody just watches him. And then every now and then, someone will just look at each other and go, wow, that's. He's good. He's really good.

[Whitney Carson]

He's really good. I love that he is so invested in each of the celebrities, too.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

Don't you feel like he gave you, like, some good advice? And he was very much like, just. He wants everyone to genuinely do well.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

And he takes his job seriously. So it's like if. If he knows that you're struggling with something in the week, he'll. He'll maybe bring that up or he just really can. He really puts everything he has into everything that he does.

[Danielle Fishel]

So he really does. He's everyone's safe space. I mean, really, that he is. He gives everyone that feeling of like. Like, as long as I'm here and I'm with him, I. I know I'm in a safe place.

[Whitney Carson]

Yeah, exactly. Oh, I love that. How did you feel like your last. Your last week of like, did you feel like. Did you feel like you Got out what you wanted from this experience or, like, how. What was your mental space coming into it? Like, did you just want to have fun or did you want to win? Like, what was your mentality? I'm curious.

[Danielle Fishel]

When I first started, before we even started, once I knew I was doing the show. So, like, sometime at the beginning of August, when I knew, okay, I'm doing the show, I was like, I'm gonna win. I want to win. I'm very competitive, but I'm also, like, competitive and a realist. And so once we actually started and. And I saw all the other dancers and, you know, going into it, obviously I was a fan of the show, so I knew there was going to be a lot more involved in winning than just danceability. It's likability and personality and who connects with the audience. And you don't know, like, those are all factors kind of completely out of your control. And I remember then, like, on pretty much the first week being like, oh, wow, this is a stacked season on all of those fronts. Like, different. Different likabilities, different rivalries, different partnerships that people are gonna root for. Lots of prior dance experience. And I, similar to Robert, had no prior dance experience.

[Whitney Carson]

Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

So, you know, I'd never even taken a dance class, so it was like, oh, my goodness.

[Whitney Carson]

I didn't know that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I have. I've never. I'd never danced. And so then I kind of was like, okay, well, maybe I'm not gonna win, which is fine. Maybe there's a win in a different way. And that is. Then I was like, the win is competing with myself and. And getting better every week and feeling like, you know, the language of dance is both in my body and in my brain, and I feel like I just understand it more, and I definitely feel like I got all of that out of it. What I will say is that if I wasn't. If I didn't have small kids, I probably would have. And I don't know if it really would have made that much of a difference. Cause I don't look back on my experience on the show and say I didn't work hard enough. Like, we busted our butts. But when I left the studio, I then did have to come home and. And be a mom, and I had to put my kids to bed, and I had to. You know, there were things I had to do that I wanted to do in order to not feel like I just truly abandoned my family. There was enough feeling like, you do that anyway, and then it meant, like, I had 15 to 20 minutes at night to review tape, and right before I would fall asleep. And if I were younger and. Or did not have children, there probably would have been more I would have. I would have been able to do than just that. So who knows, though? If it would have made a difference, I wouldn't change anything about my experience.

[Whitney Carson]

That's so. I'm so glad. I just was curious about that. I. I feel the exact same way because I have two little ones as well. But I think that's what makes us have such a unique perspective when we do get. Get out on stage, when we do dance, and when we do emote. Like. Like, I feel like I connected to you so much because you are a mom. And.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

Like, your heart and your passion and your. Like, the way that you emoted on stage, like, made that so personal. Like, so. So I feel like it was all. It was all meant to be. I mean, is your balance, like, rebalance so much as a mom? Like, I. I know it was crazy. Like, towards the end, like, Carson, my husband was like, just go for it. He's like, I got the kids. So they didn't have a mom. Honestly, for probably the last, like, four weeks of competition. Like, I left before they got up, and then I came home when they. After they went to bed, like, they did not have a mom. I was like, so sorry. I will see you in four weeks.

[Danielle Fishel]

And there. There was no other way around it. Had I made it. Had I made it that far, that would have been the exact same situation for me, too.

[Whitney Carson]

Exactly. And. And it's just. It's just so hard when you are balancing so many different things.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. And you feel so guilty, too, because you're like, they don't understand. They have no idea. And my son. My son did have a meltdown. I told you about my. My oldest son's meltdown. He was like, I hate this job.

[Whitney Carson]

I did not hear that. Oh, my God. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

He said to me, he was like, I hate this job. Why did you even take this job?

[Whitney Carson]

Job?

[Danielle Fishel]

You don't have time for me and Keaton anymore. All you do is dance, dance, dance.

[Whitney Carson]

Oh, my gosh. Shattered.

[Danielle Fishel]

Shattered.

[Whitney Carson]

Literally kill me. I'd be like, okay, I'm quitting.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. I was like, it's not gonna last forever.

[Whitney Carson]

It's.

[Danielle Fishel]

I swear, if I make it to the finals, we've only got four more weeks, Adler. And he was like. He was very upset.

[Whitney Carson]

Oh, my gosh. Oh, that's hard. The mom guilt is so real. Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

It really is.

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[Whitney Carson]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Whitney Carson]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Whitney Carson]

So good.

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[Whitney Carson]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Rock, paper, scissors for it.

[Whitney Carson]

Rock, paper, scissors. Shoot. No.

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[Danielle Fishel]

Once you win your first mirror ball Trophy. Does the pressure lessen or do you have, like, a taste for blood now and you just want to keep winning another one?

[Whitney Carson]

Oh, goodness. I gotta think back to when I first won. I feel like you can kind of take a deep breath a little bit. You can kind of be like, okay, I feel like I've proven myself a little bit. I can win. And now it's just kind of. I think I was interesting what you said, take the wins in different ways. Like, and I think that that is the mentality you have to have because not everyone can win. It's not really about the. The pros winning anyway, so it's not really about us winning our wins. Like, I feel like with Danny last season, not Daniela, but with my Danny and Manila, it was more about, like, no. The viral stuff, like, on social media. And like, that was like our. In our own way, like, our win, you know, like, for us, like, that's what we were trying to really push because we knew, like, there were some crazy good dancers. So, like, we are. We're not gonna win. So let's. Let's do our thing. Let's try and win in different ways. And I think that's how you have to think on this show. But after I won the first time, I feel like that was kind of the mentality. So each celebrity after that was like, well, how can I make him look good and how can I make us go as far as we can? And I think at the beginning you can kind of tell if you have a winner or not. Like, kind of you can tell. You can be like, maybe not a winner, but you can tell if you're going to make it to the finals. And there's obviously that dark horse where people don't really know, but I think every season I have a pretty good intuition. So, I mean, with Milo, I thought really we had it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

That was the only one where I. My intuition was not right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did you. Were you just as shocked by that finale as everyone else?

[Whitney Carson]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

But at the same time, looking back, looking back at the time, no, but looking back, you know, Milo was so young and we did not have Tick tock, so we did not have that. That younger viewership that we have now.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Whitney Carson]

And I do believe if we had that younger viewership, we probably would have won. Yeah. But because Bobby was so popular with that demographic that, I mean, it makes sense looking back now, why that?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Yeah, you're right. That younger demographic, you don't think about that. That, like before the age of social media and really Getting to get this younger generation hooked on the show. That. That wasn't his youth, which would be such an asset now was actually a detriment back then.

[Whitney Carson]

Right. Like, if. I think if I, you know, if he did the show right now, I think hands down he would. Would. He would win, he would take it. And it's just the, the timing of it all. But honestly, we talk about it all the time, Milo and I. It actually did us good win because now it's so. So talked about, which, you know, we'll take it. We'll take.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I mean, it really is finding wins in other ways that like, that really was the win. You know, the win was in that situation that everyone for years since has been like, talk about a robbery.

[Whitney Carson]

Talk about. Exactly. Yes. And I remember the first. Who was it that. Do you remember Chelsea Hightower?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Whitney Carson]

The first pros.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Whitney Carson]

I remember her telling me, celebrate in the small successes. So like every. If they point their toe on a certain count that celebrate. Celebrate that great. So like, I kind of had that mentality throughout the years of just like celebrating those moments.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Well, that's a perfect transition into our buddy Robert Irwin. I remember after week one, a dance that I think goes down in the show's hall of fame for week ones. I saw you at rehearsal and I told you guys how. Thought how much I just how magical I thought it was. And you mentioned how hard it was going to be to continue that trajectory. Were you nervous coming off a dance that Derek said might be the best week one performance ever?

[Whitney Carson]

Yes, I was very nervous. I mean, I think we were. The thing about that week one and I think about the thing about Robert Irwin coming in after Bendy Bindi was so beloved and she obviously won and now her brother coming in and the Irwin family is just a truck. Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, they are. There are royal family.

[Whitney Carson]

They are.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're not even American, but there are somehow. There are a royal family.

[Whitney Carson]

Yep. And they. They deserve all of it. But it was a lot of pressure for us because that first week, so we were like. My mentality was like, just do the absolute best that you can do. Like, I'm not holding anything back. I'm just gonna push, push, push. And you know, normally I feel like I would maybe hold some things back week one. Maybe I wouldn't, you know, go as strong as I did. But because we had this pressure, my mentality and we had so much time that it kind of just. That's kind of just what it was. So we just, we pulled out all the Stops on that week one. And I think Derek saying that it was the best he's ever seen was great, but it also hindered us just a little bit, because after that, people had an expectation every single week. So of course, we had that pressure and. But I think that's what makes the show so beautiful and our journey so beautiful. Is it kind of did this.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

People love to root for that. People love to root for you when you do go down. And they need a hero story. They need an arc. So if we stayed there the whole time, I don't know if the. You know, our journey would be the same and the same outcome, you know, So I think that it all played out to how it was supposed to, but lots of pressure, definitely. But I love what Robert always says is pressure is a privilege. So that's our mentality. We were like, this is a privilege to match that, try and match that. And obviously, each. I mean, you know, because you've done it. Each style is different. You have weaknesses and strengths within each style. And Robert's strength was jive. Like, he is the jive king. So anything after that was. Was a big challenge. And what you. What everyone saw on the live show was hours and hours and hours of. Of, you know, training. And I really realized that after we did the team dance. Did. You were at the team dance, right? You did. You were on the other team, huh? But I realized that really, it was very apparent when we did the team dance, because I was watching Alex, Earl, and Robert side by side learn the same things. Yeah. And her hit the position immediately.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

And with Robert, it took a long time to get there. Yeah. And I think that's the difference when you have dance experience versus when you don't.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

And you don't. So it. I mean, it took.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I was next to Whitney Levitt.

[Whitney Carson]

Exactly, Exactly. So you got it.

[Danielle Fishel]

So I was like, oh, oh, okay.

[Whitney Carson]

Yeah, have to. You have to work that much harder. And. Which I wish people would have seen in the packages a little bit more grind. Like, it's a grind. Like, if you don't know how to put your hip to the left and put your arms straight, like, immediately, like, it takes some time.

[Danielle Fishel]

It takes some time. And you look like a baby deer. Just you're like. And so the fact that where you start on day one and sometimes even in the middle of day two, compared to, like, oh, my gosh, only a week later, here we are with what we put out in front of millions of people live. You don't. If you're only there a small period of time or you're not really committing. It's not going to look great. But it. But with the hours and hours and hours and hours in the grind, I know.

[Whitney Carson]

Then that's what people see. And that's the other thing, too. With the week one, we had three weeks to prepare versus five days.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Whitney Carson]

That was also. I mean, if we had three weeks for every dance, like, we got it, like, unbelievable.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. I know. And I remember those first three weeks because I know there were a lot of people that had already then learned their second week during those three weeks. And. And we. We talked about what we were going to do. We did, like, a little bit of it. But I think, you know, Pasha didn't know me well enough at that point, and I think he was worried that if we learned too much of that second week, things for this first week were going to fall out. And also, like, you don't really know what your celebrity is going to be like at that first live show until you have your first live show. You can do run throughs and you can do show and tells, but, like, the night of that live show is all. You can't prepare for it.

[Whitney Carson]

No, you can't. And I think the pros are just as nervous as the celebrities on that one because, like, you said the, like, what do you crack under pressure? Do you have under pressure? Like, we don't know. Are you gonna forget everything that we did the last three weeks?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

So it was very telling when Robert came alive. Like, yep, He. He comes alive, like, when. When the cameras are on. And so that, for me, I was like, okay, I can take a deep breath now. Like, he's. He's. He's good with pressure, which you don't get that a lot.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah. What was your connection to him? Like, right from the beginning, so many people felt like they saw you guys as like a big sister, little brother relationship. Did it feel like that at day one?

[Whitney Carson]

It honestly really did. Like it. It honestly really did. He. I. I met him when he was 11, when Bindi did the show. So it felt very much like someone that I already knew. And obviously I didn't have a chance to. To really get to know him when he was there with Bendy, just because, you know, we were all in our own worlds. But when he showed up and he walked in, he was just so excited, and I could tell he was really nervous. Yeah, I mean, he. Robert doesn't really get nervous, but the energy, I just felt, like, a little bit more nervous. Energy. And I felt instantly like I wanted to, like, shield him and, like, yeah, him. And I think because. Because I am a mom now and, like, him being so young and, you know, I have two boys, and I immediately wanted to just protect him and be like, it's fine. You're good. I got you. We got this. Like, we're so. And it was just. The energy was so infectious, and it was. It just felt really warm, and it felt really, really good. And then I started doing a few, like, kicks and flicks with him because I knew our first dance was jive. So I was like, okay, we're gonna test this out a little bit. And I was like, what have you been doing for three months? Because you got announced.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

Now are you taking dance. Were you taking dance lessons this whole time? And he had done none of it. I'm like, why wouldn't you do something?

[Danielle Fishel]

Hello.

[Whitney Carson]

Anyway, so we were starting from ground zero, but he learned so quickly that I was like, okay, that's a really good sign that his. His agility was really good. He was very athletic, and he was able to learn quickly, which is exactly what I was looking for. So I'm like, even if you don't have dance. Exactly. Experience. If you can learn pretty quickly and keep it retained, Yep, that's going to be really important. So that's what I was kind of looking for with that one. But immediate connection, immediate, like, protectiveness.

[Danielle Fishel]

At one point, you jokingly wanted to play matchmaker for Robert, the planet's most eligible bachelor, and then your inbox was attacked with dms. Can you give me a little bit of the vibe of maybe some of the messages you were receiving?

[Whitney Carson]

Oh, my gosh. What started out as, like, a really big joke started becoming very real for every girl in America and Australia. So somehow my. My email was getting leaked, and I was getting emails of applications. I was getting dms, I was getting text messages. People really did their detective work with my email.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh.

[Whitney Carson]

But some of them were really sweet and, like, amazing. Like, some of these girls really just want to meet Robert. And, like, I don't blame them. I don't blame them at all for shooting their shot.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

But a lot of them were just a full explanation that they love animals and they're really good. I mean, they're. They're great girls. But it just became so overwhelming for me that I was like, guys, I can't focus. I'm trying to win a competition. I can't play matchmaker right now. Robert, you're on your Own. And Bindi was like, yeah, thank. Thank goodness I have someone to help me with this, because she's.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm sure that happens to her too.

[Whitney Carson]

Yes. So we've kind of split the load there. But I'm like, robert, you're on your own now. I'm gonna let you handle that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, another big discussion this past season involved the online discourse. A lot of very passionate fandoms were participating, and social media played a much bigger role on the show than it ever has before. The word toxic was thrown around quite a lot. Did it affect you and Robert at all?

[Whitney Carson]

Not really. I feel like Robert and I are very much in the same person as far as, like, comments online and feeding into the negativity. We're just not by nature. We're not negative people, and so we don't like that energy at all. So anything negative, it kind of bounced right off of us, and we kind of focused on what we were doing. I mean, we're all human. And obviously, sometimes I would read it, and it would hurt my feelings a little bit, but I wouldn't let it affect me. If anything, my personality. Being a dancer and getting critiqued so much, that was my whole life. It was getting critiqued. It was, fix your hat, fix your head, fix your fix, fix, fix, fix. So for me, critiques, constructive criticism, I love, and I actually take that, and it motivates me. If it's just nasty and mean, I don't really care. I don't really care. It kind of bounces right off of me. But I know a lot of people. I mean, I feel like Robert and I were lucky enough to not. Not get as much as some of the other couples did. Like, I feel like Whitney and Mark got a lot.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Whitney Carson]

And that would be very, very hard to deal with if I was getting that every single day. And she is a tough. She's a tough woman. Like, that's. That's very hard to do when you're getting, you know, such negative, hateful comments every single day. And I think people need to realize that we're all human. We're all trying to do, you know, the best that we can. So I do feel bad for some of the couples that really got it. It.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

Badly. But I did. We definitely didn't feed into it, and we would definitely. If there was anything negative, we would just swipe or we would just not read it or, you know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

Kind of protect our peace, I think, because it's. It's mentally challenging already enough as it is, you know?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, absolutely. I. I feel very much the same way. I'm also just not a negative person. And so if there is some of it out there, I really try to just go, ow.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Okay.

[Whitney Carson]

Did you feel. Did you feel like you got any at all?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, not.

[Whitney Carson]

Nothing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Nothing. That was just straight up nasty. People being. You know, people saying whether or not they thought I could dance or critical or whatever. Sure. But, like, people just being nasty to me. No, I really was spared.

[Whitney Carson]

And.

[Danielle Fishel]

And like you said, some people were not spared that. And.

[Whitney Carson]

And that would be. That would be very hard, but very hard.

[Danielle Fishel]

Looking back on your partners, Milo excluded, is there someone that sticks out as a competitor who deserved a longer run?

[Whitney Carson]

I'm trying to think back at all my partners. I've had so many deserved a longer run. Trying to think. I feel like all of the partners that I feel like had potential all made it to the finale.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Whitney Carson]

I do feel like with Vaughn Miller, I feel like those. That's one season that I kind of look back at and wish I would have tried a lot harder. And not that I didn't. And not that I didn't put my best effort forward. I just wish I would have had him in the last, like, few years to. To really give it, you know, I know. A lot more.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

I'm a lot more experienced, and I feel like I could really. Because he was so strong and so athletic. I do feel like I could give it a better. A better season if I had him in the last few years, for sure. So that's kind of one season that I'm. I go. I. I regret a little bit.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. You wish you knew then what you know now.

[Whitney Carson]

Exactly. And that's. That's hard. Right. Like, everyone kind of does that, but I think that's one specific. Because he just had come from the Super Bowl. He was mvp, super bowl champ, and there were a lot of expectations on us, and I. And I really. I had just gotten married.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

So I feel like I was very much in this marriage bubble.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

And, you know, it's hard. It's hard to balance all of that, but I really feel like I. I wish I would have given it a little bit more.

[Danielle Fishel]

I totally get that. You are a mom of two, as we've mentioned, and you look absolutely incredible. I think a lot of listeners, including myself, want your tips and tricks. So let's talk about finesse. Tell me about it. Tell me about your app. Why did you create it? I want to know everything.

[Whitney Carson]

Oh, you're so sweet. Thank you. I. It's actually Been a passion project of mine for many years. As, like, I grew up, I really realized that, like, a lot of dancers don't have the accessibility of really good mentors and trainers, and people either can't afford it, or they don't have teachers close by, or they don't have studios close by. And so this was kind of a project for us that can be a accessible and affordable to anyone that wants to learn ballroom dance and wants to learn from me specifically and have. And learn choreography that I do on the show. And also we have some workouts on there as well. So if you're looking to dance and get some cardio and move your body, there's workouts in there. And then if you're wanting to learn just the basics and choreography, there's also a lot of options on there as well. So it really started as, like, a passion project that really anybody can access. And it's been really well received, and we're so, so excited about it, and it's been really fun. It's been really fun to kind of give back to a dance community that's given me so much, and I'm grateful for my childhood and having great mentors. So I just really wanted to make sure that everybody had that accessibility.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love that. That I'm gonna. I'm gonna join, by the way.

[Whitney Carson]

Yes, you need to. It's so fun.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, I will. All right, let's cut to the chase. After something like season 34, basically winning the show's super bowl, do you plan on returning to the show and defending the title?

[Whitney Carson]

Oh, my goodness. He's hitting me with the hard question.

[Danielle Fishel]

Hard hitting questions.

[Whitney Carson]

I know everyone's. Not everyone, but, you know, people are asking me, they're like, please don't retire. And I'm like, it's. It's a hard decision. Right. Because it's a show that I love very much, and it's been so much a part of me, and I've mentioned that so many times, and it's had kind of a resurgence, and it's beautiful that people are giving dancers a platform and us this opportunity to share what we love so much. Tbd. To be determined.

[Danielle Fishel]

Tbd. I mean, how could you top Robert? That's the hardest part.

[Whitney Carson]

That's. That's the hardest part. That's the hardest part. But like you said, it's. It's not every season about winning.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Whitney Carson]

The mirror ball. Right? Like, it's not. That's not necessarily what it's about. You can find your own experience and your own growth and your own successes without winning the mirror ball. So. And you know, I don't, I don't expect to win again. But actually Dina just text me the other day. She's like, you're not pregnant, right? And I'm like, oh goodness. So we're kind of, we're kind of tossing it up because, you know, my youngest is two and we want more children. And you know, unfortunately it's kind of the timing of it also. It's like, do we have a baby? Yeah, go back to the show. So we're kind of okay doing that. So. Tbd.

[Danielle Fishel]

Tbd.

[Whitney Carson]

Honestly, my honest, honest response to that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, I appreciate the honesty.

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[Whitney Carson]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Whitney Carson]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Whitney Carson]

So good.

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[Whitney Carson]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Rock, paper, scissors for it. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.

[Whitney Carson]

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[Danielle Fishel]

I am about to embark on a wild adventure. I'm doing the Dancing with the Stars live tour. You have participated in the past, and you'll be coming for some special dates with Robert on this live tour as well. What should I expect? What? The fact that we have to do our own hair and makeup is traumatizing me.

[Whitney Carson]

It's actually, it's actually great because you have, you get to expect. Explore some amazing cities in the country. And, you know, what we don't get to do on camera or on the show is to really meet the fans who have voted for week after week after week. And that's the best part. That's the best part of meeting the fans and being able to give them something that, you know, that, that they want and that they love and that is performing and spreading joy and like, you know, then they're so excited and it's just, just, it's an amazing full circle moment where you're like, okay, this is why I do what I do. You know, I really feel the love and the energy in each theater. And I love that they do theaters now because it used to be arenas and it was just, it wasn't intimate. So this was very intimate. And you, have you ever done live performances like on Broadway or anything, or.

[Danielle Fishel]

Never have done Broadway, but for. We've done a podcast live tour.

[Whitney Carson]

And, and you know, okay, so you, you know how that feels. And I think you're gonna, you're gonna be way more relaxed because no one's judging you. They really, they love you for you and for what you can offer and, and that's, that's amazing to them. So they're, they're gonna be so excited. It's gonna be chill. I mean, nobody's gonna be judging you. Honestly, you could go out just like that, like I would just do natural makeup and just have my hair like this and do the costumes and.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Whitney Carson]

Fun. It's so fun. You're gonna. Don't stress about it. Honestly, it's. It's. It's a blast.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. I'm really looking forward to it. How do you pack to be gone for so long? Like, do you just bring warm sweatsuits? I'm gone through the winter. I'm doing all the January, February dates.

[Whitney Carson]

Okay. Are you gonna be on the east coast then?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Yes.

[Whitney Carson]

Yeah. I mean, I would just plan on loungy wear. Plan like a few things that you can explore the city because it's really fun to go do that and do kind of the touristy things in, and then you perform and then you go to bed and you hang out with everyone and it's. It's really. So how many dates are you doing?

[Danielle Fishel]

20. I'm doing 28 shows.

[Whitney Carson]

Oh, my gosh. So exciting. Yeah, yeah. No, I would just pack light because lugging that suitcase in and out of the bus and into the venue, make sure you have, like, a little carry on so you have, like, your makeup, your toilet stuff, and your shower stuff. Stuff so that you can just take that little carry on into the venue. Great. I mean, so just like, do that so you don't have to get your whole big suitcase out. Okay. Just a little carry on and then just have fun. I'm. I'm jealous you're doing that many dates. Like, I would love to do that. How are your boys staying home?

[Danielle Fishel]

They're staying home, but my husband is gonna bring them out for about a week. So I'm gonna be gone for two weeks. Then they're gonna come out and join me for a week. Then when they go home, I'll only have one week left. Stuffed.

[Whitney Carson]

Perfect. See, that's perfect. Yeah, my. My kids are coming. We're doing an rv, so we're renting an rv, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Great.

[Whitney Carson]

And they're just doing city to city with me because I. Yeah. And. And like, we've done the whole bus thing before. I actually had my contract the last time I did tour that Carson had a bunk.

[Danielle Fishel]

Great.

[Whitney Carson]

Actually had his own bunk with me. And so that was really fun. But you'll have a blast. Blast. You'll have a. You'll have so much fun.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm looking forward to it. And I'm gonna have to pick one of your and Robert states. I want to come and watch when you guys are there, so.

[Whitney Carson]

Me too. I think.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Whitney Carson]

Do. I swear we do la but yeah, you do.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're. You're more of the local ones, I think. Also. Are you Vegas too?

[Whitney Carson]

Vegas too.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. And will you be at the Irwin gala On September? On May 3rd?

[Whitney Carson]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Me too. I'm so excited. Okay, good.

[Whitney Carson]

Big reunion.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Okay, great. I'm really looking forward to it. Whitney, thank you you so much for spending your time with me. Have the best time in Australia. I'm gonna want all the details. I'm gonna make sure you have my phone number so we can text. But when you get back, I want to know everything about it. I want to hear all the details. I want to see family pictures. I adore you and just loved my time with you this past season. And thank you so much for spreading your light and sharing it with all of us here today.

[Whitney Carson]

Oh, you are the best. Thank you for having me. Love you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Love you. Bye.

[Whitney Carson]

Okay, bye.

[Danielle Fishel]

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 Siegel. Follow us on Instagram daniellewithstars and vote for me.

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Whitney Carson]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.