Pod Meets World – Drew Lachey (April 1, 2026)

Host: Danielle Fishel
Guest: Drew Lachey (Pop star, 98 Degrees member, Dancing with the Stars champion, host, and home renovation expert)

Episode Overview

This episode of Pod Meets World blends nostalgic reflection and candid storytelling as Danielle Fishel welcomes Drew Lachey. Together, they reminisce about 90s pop culture, boy band life, and the unique journey from small-town Ohio to pop stardom. The conversation spans Drew’s serendipitous path from the US Army to the stage, the grounding influence of his lifelong relationship with wife Leah, memorable encounters with pop icons, and his late-budding passion for home renovation. With warmth and humor, the episode reveals the human side behind the “Teen Beat” magazine profile.

Key Topics & Insights

1. 90s Boy Band Mania and Cancun Memories

[03:00 – 08:44]

• Danielle recounts first meeting Drew during a chaotic MTV Spring Break in Cancun, noting that NSYNC left her with the 98 Degrees guys, who “took me in like I was one of your family members. You made sure I never walked back to my hotel alone. You made sure I always had plans for dinner” (Danielle, 08:32).
• Drew: “It was either stare at the other three schmucks that are in the group or look at you. So … you were an upgrade.” (08:44)
• Both reflect on how young artists felt pressure to say yes to every opportunity due to FOMO and the fear that any “no” could end the dream.

2. Behind the Boy Band Wars

[09:10 – 12:26]

• Drew dispels the myth of hostile rivalries between 90s boy bands: “Everybody thinks it was like this really bad version of, like, West Side Story … No, I mean, we … became friends.” (09:34)
• He describes meeting NSYNC on a European tour: “We all walked a similar path ... There is a level of respect and appreciation.”
• On song selection and style: “Once NSYNC and Backstreet kind of got into the Max Martin camp, that was their world … We just kind of tried to stay in our lane — the harmonies and things like that — and leave the ones that required dancing to the people that might be a little bit more proficient.” (11:53)

3. Growing Up in Ohio & Discovering Music

[12:26 – 14:07]

• Both Lachey brothers attended a Cincinnati performing arts school: “You walk down the hallway and there would be somebody practicing cello in the stairwell … If I hadn’t gone there, I never would’ve probably pursued a career in the arts.” (Drew, 13:39)
• Drew and Nick balanced athletics and arts: “If you’re somewhat coordinated and athletic, you can kind of make your way through it, fake your way through sports … Having a bunch of shirtless photos in teen magazines makes people think you’re more fit than you might actually be.” (14:18)

4. Teenage Relationships, High School Sweethearts, and Authenticity

[16:13 – 19:51]

• Drew met Leah in elementary school: “Me, I roll in, in the fifth grade … We grew up in classes together. We went out in the sixth grade, and then junior year, we got together.” (16:44)
• On the longevity of his relationship: “I kind of always say that I never dated ... I just found somebody that I enjoy being around and loved, and it’s just been that way.” (18:08)
• Danielle: “For as long as you’ve been in the industry, you’ve never not been the guy from Ohio. You’ve never been the Hollywood type.” (18:55)
• Drew credits living in Ohio with staying grounded: “When you’re just going to the same places you went to as a high schooler and you’re still seeing some of the same people that you grew up with, it makes it a lot easier to stay grounded in who you want to be.” (19:21)

5. The Ohio Staple: Skyline Chili

[19:51 – 21:31]

• They share an enthusiastic defense of Cincinnati’s iconic Skyline Chili: “That finely shredded cheese is so special … I need, you know, a pound of it.” (20:03)
• Drew: “Each entrée has literally like three pounds of cheese on it ... it is like, ingrained into your DNA.” (20:32, 21:17)

6. 98 Degrees Origins & Leah’s Influence

[21:31 – 25:03]

• Leah became the group’s choreographer after proving her skills behind the scenes: “She did those three songs. The label loved them. It made us look like we actually know what we were doing, and she’s been our choreographer ever since, much to her … frustration.” (21:37)
• On partnership longevity: “The biggest thing is just having a level of mutual respect for each other. Remember why you got together, and stop trying to find reasons why you aren’t happy.” (25:53)
• On marriage annoyances: “So I don’t always necessarily get my socks in the hamper ... is it that big of a deal? Apparently it is, but ... Just not sweating the little stuff.” (26:18)

7. The Formation of 98 Degrees and Nontraditional Beginnings

[32:18 – 36:24]

• Three of the original four members had known each other since childhood (“since elementary school”).
• Drew’s practical detour: He joined the Army to become a medic, intending to “live on the side of a mountain somewhere and save people that can’t read a map or a compass.” (33:37)
• The call from Nick to join the band: “I called my dad... He was like, so once in a lifetime opportunity … which one you gonna do?” (35:30)
• Within days of joining, Drew was “opening for James Brown at the House of Blues.” (36:24)

8. Pinch-Me Moments & Meeting Idols

[39:00 – 40:56]

• First pinch-me moments: Hearing their song on the radio, meeting and performing with Stevie Wonder and Boyz II Men.
• Drew describes feeling shy about “putting himself out there” and was always grateful for having more outgoing people do band introductions: “Everybody needs one of those people in their lives, for sure.” (40:56)

9. Fads, Tattoos, and Iconic Boy Band Looks

[41:12 – 43:32]

• Discussing the infamous tribal armband tattoos: “It was kind of like this thing … it wasn’t cliché at the time. We were badasses for getting tattoos.” (41:55)
• The drawbacks of foreign-character tattoos (“it could be something else … it’s all just stories, life”).

10. Collaborations & Encounters with Mariah Carey

[43:39 – 45:18]

• Their Grammy-nominated hit with Mariah Carey was coordinated remotely, but Danielle prompts a memorable Mariah moment:
• “She literally, like, pulls her sunglasses down and looks at me. She's like, 'I know you.' ... It would have been really embarrassing had you … just… hello, nice to meet you, sir.” (45:15)

11. Reality TV, Dancing with the Stars Legacy, and Family

[45:24 – 48:37]

• Drew talks about early reality TV, the early days of Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, and how story-shaping shifted reality TV.
• Danielle asks about the return of Dancing with the Stars: Drew shares pride that his daughter, born just after his championship, is now a fan. “I definitely do follow it … because you can’t be a part of it and then not get asked about it.” (47:39)

12. Home Renovation and the HGTV Shift

[48:42 – 53:10]

• Drew discusses learning home renovation after a “nightmare” contractor experience: “My pride couldn’t handle the fact that I got bamboozled … so I started trying to learn everything I could.” (48:56)
• Finds satisfaction in tangible achievement: “There’s a grounding to it … Being able to do something with your hands … there is this, you know, actual before and after moment that you can kind of appreciate.” (49:48, 50:15)
• Discusses his role on HGTV’s Rock the Block: “You’re literally given the shell of a house … and we had to design and build out these houses.” (51:09)
• Most difficult remodel task? “The things that people find the least sexy are the most difficult … I’m running new electric … I'm more intrigued by, like, the guts of the house.” (52:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It was either stare at the other three schmucks that are in the group or look at you. So… you were an upgrade."
  — Drew Lachey (08:44)
• “Everybody thinks it was like this really bad version of, like, West Side Story … No … we became friends.”
  — Drew (09:34)
• "If I hadn't gone there, I never would've probably pursued a career in the arts."
  — Drew on performing arts school (13:39)
• "I kind of always say that I never dated … I just found somebody that I enjoy being around and loved, and it’s just been that way."
  — Drew on his lifelong relationship with Leah (18:08)
• "Each entrée has, like, literally, like, three pounds of cheese on it."
  — Drew on Skyline Chili (20:32)
• "Just try not to screw it up. That’s the secret."
  — Drew on a long marriage (25:53)
• "It was kind of like this thing … it wasn't, like, cliché at the time. We were badasses for getting tattoos."
  — Drew on tribal armband tattoos (41:55)
• "I was always the guy that never wanted to introduce myself to anybody. … I didn’t want to deal with 'I'm sorry, who?'"
  — Drew (40:08)
• "There’s a grounding to it ... Being able to do something with your hands vs. … everything else I do … there is this, you know, actual before and after moment that you can kind of appreciate."
  — Drew on home renovation (49:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:00] Intro & Danielle's Cancun story with Drew/98 Degrees
• [09:10] Setting the record straight on boy band rivalries
• [12:26] Performing arts school, childhood & musical formation
• [16:13] Drew and Leah’s early romance & authenticity in relationships
• [19:51] Skyline Chili love
• [21:31] Leah’s role as group choreographer; partnership secrets
• [32:18] Anatomy of 98 Degrees’ formation and Drew’s path from medic to pop star
• [39:00] First LA “pinch me” moments, meeting icons
• [41:12] Tribal tattoos and 90s style confessions
• [43:39] Collaborating (and re-encountering) Mariah Carey
• [45:24] Reality TV lessons, return of Dancing with the Stars, fatherhood
• [48:42] Drew’s journey as a home renovation DIYer & upcoming HGTV show

Tone & Style

The tone is amicable, self-deprecating, and nostalgic. Drew brings Midwestern humility and humor, poking fun at both his “teen magazine” image and early band decisions. Danielle matches his warmth, offering both insightful prompts and playful banter.

Summary

For fans of 90s pop, behind-the-scenes stories, and candid reflections on fame (and real life beyond it), this episode is both nostalgic and endearing. It highlights how formative friendships, family roots, and a willingness to try the once-in-a-lifetime are at the core of Drew Lachey’s success—and how staying grounded (and handy!) makes all the difference.