WEBVTT - It’s Danielle with the Stars! 0:00:16.160 --> 0:00:22.600 That's my airhorn, sirens, because welcome to Danielle with the Stars, 0:00:23.840 --> 0:00:29.440 who there is absolutely no turning back now the news 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:31.800 is out. I'm daniel Fischel, and I'm going to be 0:00:31.840 --> 0:00:34.159 on season thirty four of Dancing with the Stars. I 0:00:34.240 --> 0:00:37.559 am a TV director, a podcaster forever tapanga, and a 0:00:37.600 --> 0:00:40.479 mom of two boys. But as we speak, I am 0:00:40.600 --> 0:00:43.600 learning how to ballroom dance one step at a time. 0:00:43.960 --> 0:00:46.440 You are going to see me on season thirty four 0:00:46.640 --> 0:00:49.879 of Dancing with the Stars, which premieres September sixteenth on 0:00:49.960 --> 0:00:54.200 ABC and Disney Plus. And throughout it all, I will 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:58.040 be recording this podcast chronicling my journey, giving you the 0:00:58.080 --> 0:01:01.960 inside story of just one celebrities quest for the Mirror 0:01:02.040 --> 0:01:05.080 Ball Trophy. In addition to the recaps, I will be 0:01:05.160 --> 0:01:09.440 interviewing fellow contestants, past competitors, and professionals from the show 0:01:09.840 --> 0:01:12.399 in an attempt to both help me become a better 0:01:12.480 --> 0:01:15.520 dancer and also give you an experience like you have 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:19.880 never had before. And listen, even if and when my 0:01:19.959 --> 0:01:22.160 time on Dancing with the Stars ends, I will be 0:01:22.240 --> 0:01:25.360 recording until the finale because now I am invested and 0:01:25.640 --> 0:01:28.479 just as excited as you are. To see who comes 0:01:28.520 --> 0:01:34.200 out on top. Spoiler it could be me. Dream big, dream, 0:01:34.360 --> 0:01:38.560 try do good. As mister Feenie would say. So this 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:40.600 has been a very hard secret for me to keep. 0:01:41.240 --> 0:01:43.800 I have known now for quite some time that I 0:01:43.840 --> 0:01:46.160 am going to be doing Dancing with the Stars. I 0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:50.880 have always wanted to do the show. It's been on 0:01:50.960 --> 0:01:54.400 now for twenty years. I have thought about it many 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:57.160 times over the twenty years. They have even asked me 0:01:57.320 --> 0:01:59.360 a few times to be on Dancing with the Stars, 0:01:59.680 --> 0:02:02.800 and I have said no in the past for many 0:02:02.800 --> 0:02:05.440 different reasons. Something was going on in my personal life 0:02:05.440 --> 0:02:07.280 that didn't make it feel like it was the right time, 0:02:07.560 --> 0:02:09.760 or something was going on in my professional life that 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:13.760 made it seem like it was impossible. And then this year, 0:02:14.560 --> 0:02:18.359 after having cancer last year, after deciding you know what, 0:02:18.760 --> 0:02:21.880 I really just want to say yes to more things. 0:02:21.960 --> 0:02:24.399 I want to have more fun, I want to take 0:02:24.440 --> 0:02:28.320 more risks. The podcast doing Podmeats World has allowed me 0:02:28.480 --> 0:02:33.239 such a beautiful second act in my career now as 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:36.440 a director and a podcast host and a producer, and 0:02:36.720 --> 0:02:40.040 I just wanted to do more stuff that feels like that, 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:42.760 that feels authentic to me, that allows me to be me, 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:46.520 and this show felt like the answer for that, and 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:49.080 so they asked me this year and it was the 0:02:49.160 --> 0:02:55.040 easiest yes ever. With that said, I'm absolutely terrified. I 0:02:55.080 --> 0:03:00.480 have no dance experience. None. When I was very little, 0:03:00.520 --> 0:03:02.400 I don't even think I really took a dance class. 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:06.760 I was in some singing choir thing as a six 0:03:07.000 --> 0:03:09.280 seven year old, and as part of that we had to, 0:03:09.360 --> 0:03:11.480 you know, do some little hand movements or something on 0:03:11.520 --> 0:03:13.720 a stage. That's literally the extent of it. I have 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:18.160 no other dance training. I think that that would have 0:03:18.160 --> 0:03:20.880 been very helpful to have going into a show called 0:03:21.000 --> 0:03:25.800 Dancing with the Stars. So yeah, I'm very nervous. With 0:03:25.919 --> 0:03:28.080 that said, what's the worst that can happen? You know, 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:30.160 you fall on your face in front of millions of people. 0:03:30.919 --> 0:03:32.280 Now that they say it out loud, it actually sounds 0:03:32.280 --> 0:03:35.080 pretty bad. But I was trying to make myself feel better, 0:03:35.360 --> 0:03:38.400 but I don't. So this year just felt right for 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:42.680 so many different reasons. My husband has been incredible, he's 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:46.560 so excited for me, and my boys have been very excited. 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:50.040 I waited to tell my sons until we got closer 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:54.120 and closer to the announcement day, which is today, because 0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:56.520 you know how kids are. They just you tell them 0:03:56.560 --> 0:03:58.680 something is a secret. And first of all, I don't 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:00.640 like telling kids things or secrets, but if you do 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:02.080 and then the next day they go on the playground 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:03.360 and they're like, it is what my mom's doing dancing 0:04:03.360 --> 0:04:05.880 with the stars. So I couldn't take that risk, so 0:04:05.920 --> 0:04:07.960 I waited to tell my boys a little later. But 0:04:08.040 --> 0:04:10.840 my husband has been great about picking up everything that 0:04:10.880 --> 0:04:13.880 needs to be done for them around the house, just 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:16.320 managing all the stuff that needs to be managed so 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:19.839 that I'm able to fully throw myself into this. If 0:04:19.880 --> 0:04:22.320 you have found this podcast because you are a listener 0:04:22.360 --> 0:04:26.400 of podmeets World, you have probably gathered by my personality 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:29.320 and my organizational skills and my keeping the boys on 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:32.800 track that I'm a little type A. I'm a little controlling. 0:04:34.000 --> 0:04:37.479 Everything I take on, I take on to the nth degree. 0:04:38.000 --> 0:04:41.680 And as much as I want this experience to be fun, 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:44.359 and it already has been, I will get into that 0:04:44.400 --> 0:04:46.800 in a little bit. But as much as I want 0:04:46.800 --> 0:04:50.159 this experience to be fun, I'm also here to win 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:54.520 it all if I can, and I know that's a 0:04:54.560 --> 0:04:59.440 big if. If I can. My dream is that I 0:04:59.560 --> 0:05:02.240 have a permanent shelf in my house that a mirror 0:05:02.240 --> 0:05:05.520 ball trophy lives on that has its own little light, 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:08.799 and that when people come over, I go come see 0:05:08.800 --> 0:05:14.200 my mirror ball. So we'll see. As for my odds 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:18.839 of that, well, my competition this year is pretty pretty stiff. 0:05:20.080 --> 0:05:23.040 Let's talk about who the other celebrities are this year. 0:05:23.320 --> 0:05:27.320 The people that were announced before today's date were Whitney 0:05:27.360 --> 0:05:29.880 leave It and Jen Affleck from the Secret Lives of 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:35.640 Mormon Wives on Hulu, Robert Erwin, who is Bindy Erwin's brother, 0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:38.440 and Bendy Irwin won her season of Dancing with the Stars, 0:05:39.040 --> 0:05:44.520 and Alex Earl influencer and podcaster, And so they were 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:47.440 all announced. They have been able to promote the show. 0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:49.360 They've been able to talk about the fact that they're 0:05:49.360 --> 0:05:52.279 a part of it. The rest of us have not 0:05:52.480 --> 0:05:57.200 been able to. The full cast is Jordan Chiles, myself, 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:02.680 Baron Davis, Dylan Efron, Jenn Affleck, Whitney leave At, Alex Earl, 0:06:03.240 --> 0:06:09.960 Robert Erwin, Corey Feldman, Hilaria Baldwin, Lauren from Fifth Harmony. 0:06:10.000 --> 0:06:13.040 I just met her tonight. She was a totally last 0:06:13.200 --> 0:06:17.200 second addition to our wonderful cast and so I don't 0:06:17.200 --> 0:06:19.600 even know her last name. She unfortunately wasn't then at 0:06:19.640 --> 0:06:22.080 our promo shoots with us. She hasn't been at rehearsal 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:24.680 with us yet, so I just met her tonight very briefly, 0:06:24.680 --> 0:06:26.359 so I don't actually know her last name. But Lauren 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:30.640 from Fifth Harmony is joining us. Scott from Pentatonics, who's wonderful. 0:06:30.720 --> 0:06:33.600 I met Scott and his husband Mark the other day, 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:36.919 not in an ideal way. So when we show up 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:39.840 to rehearsals, there have been a lot of paparazzi outside. 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:43.080 The show draws a lot of attention, and everyone's been 0:06:43.080 --> 0:06:45.000 trying to figure out who's on the show and who's 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:48.359 partnered with who and all of that stuff. And so 0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:51.840 they ask us to come disguised, and they have these 0:06:52.000 --> 0:06:54.839 face shields that they will give us when we arrive 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:56.440 in our cars. But they want us to wear like 0:06:56.520 --> 0:07:00.360 baggy oversized sweats to hide our shape or or as 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:02.680 much of us as we can. Well you know I 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:04.839 heard that, and I was like, face shield, huh, you 0:07:04.880 --> 0:07:08.200 don't say, I have two boys. We've got some masks. 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:13.280 So I showed up every day in a different character mask. 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:18.320 I wore a big black oversized hoodie, black sweatpants, and 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:21.400 the first day I wore a Hulk mask. The second 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:23.880 day I think I wore an Iron Man mask. I 0:07:23.920 --> 0:07:27.440 wore a black panther mask, I wore a Spider Man mask, 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:30.920 and there was a fifth mask I wore that. Now 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:33.760 I don't remember what that mask was, but anyway, I 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:36.280 had to disguise myself, which was really funny. And so 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:41.440 after wearing all those masks, I saw online a post 0:07:41.560 --> 0:07:44.120 that said who is this? Who was this person in 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:47.720 a Frankenstein mask? Guess what that was? Me in a 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:52.080 Hulk mask. Wah oh man. That made me so happy. 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:54.840 Let me tell you anyway, I tell you all of 0:07:54.880 --> 0:07:57.840 that to let you know that I had fully worn 0:07:58.280 --> 0:08:02.520 my Hulk mask and my oversized sweatshirt and gloves baseball gloves, 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:05.120 my kids' baseball gloves, and was getting ready to leave 0:08:05.240 --> 0:08:07.960 when Scott from Pentatonics was like, hi, good y'alla. I 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:12.000 was like, hold on, this isn't exactly how I wanted 0:08:12.000 --> 0:08:14.840 to meet you. I couldn't see him, I could barely 0:08:14.880 --> 0:08:16.760 talk because the mask was pushed up against my face. 0:08:16.960 --> 0:08:18.720 And you know what he said, He said, you know what, 0:08:19.200 --> 0:08:21.960 this is better? It's way more memorable this way, and 0:08:22.000 --> 0:08:25.720 he's not wrong, so he absolutely will have that memory forever. 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:30.800 So all of those celebrities are paired with incredible professional dancers. 0:08:31.280 --> 0:08:34.640 Some of us started meeting our pros about a week ago, 0:08:35.200 --> 0:08:36.920 others met a little less than a week. I'm in 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:39.640 the little less than a week camp. I had no 0:08:39.920 --> 0:08:42.559 idea who I was going to be partnered with. None 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:46.080 of us do little behind the scenes stuff about how 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:50.760 it works. Celebrities are allowed to make requests, but they 0:08:50.840 --> 0:08:54.200 tell you right off the bat there are no guarantees. 0:08:54.800 --> 0:08:57.840 If you request somebody, we will take it into consideration. 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:02.360 But they really pride themselves on having done this for 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:05.200 twenty years and thirty four seasons now, and there's a 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:10.000 science that goes into it. They know personalities. They really 0:09:10.040 --> 0:09:13.120 are very thoughtful about who they partner up and so 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:15.640 you could request somebody, it doesn't mean you're going to 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:18.360 get the person at all. So I had no idea 0:09:18.400 --> 0:09:20.400 who was going to be partnered with. I think he's 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:23.840 the perfect personality for me, but I didn't know that 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:26.160 until I started hanging out with him. But within the 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:28.960 first five minutes of us being in a room together, 0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:32.960 we were laughing. We were joking. We have an easy camaraderie. 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:37.520 We get along just very very well. And he is 0:09:37.559 --> 0:09:41.199 a perfectionist and I am a perfectionist. So I think 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:43.880 that makes us a really good team because we still 0:09:43.880 --> 0:09:45.680 have a lot of fun, but we want it to 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:48.200 be as close to perfect as possible. So that's what 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:51.200 we are reaching out to do. I am going to 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:56.080 be stepping up my social media game so much. A 0:09:56.080 --> 0:10:00.360 part of this show is you, the fans. You don't 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:03.880 know the exact science behind the votes and the judges 0:10:03.920 --> 0:10:07.280 scores and then the votes. You the people who who 0:10:07.440 --> 0:10:10.640 text or vote on ABC dot com or whatever the 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:13.520 website is I'll link below. I'll figure out what that 0:10:13.640 --> 0:10:16.520 is before we put this out into the world. But 0:10:16.720 --> 0:10:18.559 those of you who vote make up the other fifty 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:21.360 percent of it. And you know, I do not have 0:10:21.520 --> 0:10:24.680 the largest social media following on this cast by a 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:31.319 long shot. My competition is very young and very talented. Oh, 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:35.280 Elaine Hendrix, I forgot Elaine Hendrix and Andy Richter, two 0:10:35.480 --> 0:10:38.560 other cast mates on the season who are so fun. 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:43.040 So a lot of me Elaine and Andy a lot 0:10:43.080 --> 0:10:46.280 of our competition and Hilaria, A lot of our competition 0:10:46.400 --> 0:10:51.080 is significantly younger, and a lot of them have dance 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:54.560 training and know what they're doing. Everyone wants to know, 0:10:55.840 --> 0:10:57.880 when did you tell your friends? When did you tell 0:10:57.920 --> 0:11:01.240 your family? I had to be very, very very tight lipped, 0:11:01.520 --> 0:11:06.079 but I did tell Will and Writer sometime in August 0:11:06.880 --> 0:11:09.240 because it was time for us to start planning the 0:11:09.280 --> 0:11:14.160 scheduling for Podmeats World, and I knew I wasn't really 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:16.440 going to be available as much as I had been. Normally, 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:18.520 they send out the emails and They're like, okay, let's 0:11:18.559 --> 0:11:20.280 pick some dates, and I'm like, I'm free, em free, 0:11:20.360 --> 0:11:22.480 em free, or you know, I block out this date, 0:11:22.520 --> 0:11:25.040 but mostly I'm free, and this time it was going 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:27.120 to be a little different. So I did tell them 0:11:27.280 --> 0:11:31.840 very early. They were both very surprised. Writer especially Writer, 0:11:32.120 --> 0:11:38.320 was just shocked what you were doing? What Will? I 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:41.880 think knew that it was something that I would do 0:11:42.040 --> 0:11:44.160 eventually and that it was just a matter of when 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:48.000 the time was right, but Writer was really shocked. They 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:51.920 have been so fun about it, They have been so supportive. 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:54.079 As a matter of fact, I think we're going to 0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:58.520 have some very funny and wonderful bonus content coming for 0:11:58.600 --> 0:12:02.080 you from them related to my journey on Dancing with 0:12:02.080 --> 0:12:04.439 the Stars, and I'm looking forward to hearing that because 0:12:04.960 --> 0:12:07.439 the two of them together just make me laugh so much. 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:11.760 Podmeets World is going to continue as normal, as much 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:14.559 as normal as we can possibly do it. There may 0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:17.720 be times I'm there for a recap, but I'm not 0:12:17.880 --> 0:12:19.960 there for an interview, or I'm not there for the 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:24.680 second episode that week, and that's just because this schedule 0:12:25.240 --> 0:12:30.720 for Dancing with the Stars is nut. So so I've 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:33.560 only had four days of rehearsal, and as of right now, 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:36.920 there is a limit on how much they'll let us rehearse. 0:12:37.679 --> 0:12:41.720 That limit is four hours a day, six days a week. 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:45.960 That's what they're limiting us to. So I have only 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:49.080 had four days of rehearsal for four hours each day. 0:12:49.440 --> 0:12:52.240 But then on top of that, you have wardrobe b 0:12:52.280 --> 0:12:56.760 dtings interviews that they call otfs, which are on the fly, 0:12:57.240 --> 0:12:59.400 so like in the middle of your rehearsal period, say 0:12:59.400 --> 0:13:01.640 you're like I need to drink of water. Sometimes they'll 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:03.360 just pull you off to the side and interview you 0:13:03.400 --> 0:13:05.720 real quick, like how's it going, how are you feeling? 0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:09.959 You know, what's this week? What's the stress? So there 0:13:09.960 --> 0:13:14.200 are those interviews, and then there are something called a 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:16.880 master interview, where you go and you sit down with 0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:19.760 them and you tell them about your journey, how it's been, 0:13:19.840 --> 0:13:21.920 and why you're here, and what you're looking forward to 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:24.400 and what your fears are and all of those things. 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:29.000 And then there's spray tanning, and you know, there's I 0:13:29.600 --> 0:13:31.880 gotta wash my hair and I'm not sure when I'm 0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:34.360 ever going to get another nail. My nail's done again. 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:37.920 That the time is crazy. My body is so sore. 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:42.640 I know that a massage sounds like a pampering experience, 0:13:43.120 --> 0:13:48.520 but I have had to get multiple very deep tissue, 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:53.400 incredibly painful, one hour massages just to work out some 0:13:53.480 --> 0:13:57.959 of the kinks in my neck and my back. So yeah, 0:13:58.040 --> 0:14:00.360 it's a very busy schedule, and this is on It's 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:02.600 only four hours, six days a week for right now 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:05.440 at the beginning of the season. As we go along, 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:07.280 and of course, my hope is that I make it 0:14:07.280 --> 0:14:10.680 to the very end. You start rehearsing eight hours a day, 0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:14.440 six days a week, and even then that's just the 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:17.320 rehearsal day, but on camera blocking day and on shoot day, 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:19.640 you're arriving at six am and you're not leaving until 0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:22.520 nine pm, so there's going to be press lines and 0:14:23.000 --> 0:14:25.240 it's a whole it's a whole new thing. And guys, 0:14:26.200 --> 0:14:30.400 I haven't been in front of a camera in so long. 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:33.760 The last time I was a performer in front of 0:14:33.800 --> 0:14:36.320 the camera was a Girl Meets World, which at this 0:14:36.440 --> 0:14:39.320 point was eleven years ago. Started eleven years ago now. 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:42.560 So on the one hand, it's a little like riding 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:44.680 a bike. I'm very comfortable in front of a camera. 0:14:45.080 --> 0:14:48.760 But on the other hand, there's a lot of vulnerability 0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:52.240 with it. I just I'm not used to it, so 0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:56.560 I'm taking my time adjusting. But it's going to be 0:14:56.720 --> 0:15:13.840 a whole new ballgame. So tonight was the night before 0:15:14.360 --> 0:15:20.280 our Good Morning America announcement. We had a gorgeous rooftop 0:15:21.160 --> 0:15:25.080 Dancing with the Stars kickoff party with Julianne and Alfonso 0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:29.600 and all of the judges, Carrie, Anne Bruno, Derek Huff. 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:33.880 We had all of the cast, all of the incredible 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:39.480 pros and some spouses, some people from the BBC, some 0:15:39.520 --> 0:15:47.000 people from ABC. Everyone is so warm and welcoming and 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:50.920 they truly want every person who's a part of the 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:54.640 show and a part of each season to feel valued 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:57.240 and to have a great time. And it's like the 0:15:57.360 --> 0:15:59.480 number one thing. The more people I talk to and 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:01.320 I say like, oh, you know, what do you like 0:16:01.360 --> 0:16:04.720 about the show or what are your favorite aspects, everybody 0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:07.720 comes back to the same thing, which is like, we 0:16:07.760 --> 0:16:11.080 want everyone to walk away from this experience saying that's 0:16:11.120 --> 0:16:14.640 some of the greatest fun I've ever had in my life. 0:16:14.840 --> 0:16:19.280 And this sounds insane considering I've only had four days 0:16:19.320 --> 0:16:21.280 of rehearsal. I've had a photo shoot and four days 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:25.120 of rehearsal, and now this welcome party in less than 0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:26.960 a week. It's already been one of the most fun 0:16:26.960 --> 0:16:30.720 weeks I've ever had. Has it been hard, has it 0:16:30.760 --> 0:16:33.480 been kind of stressful? Has it been nerve wracking? Of course? 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:37.960 But it has been so much fun. And we're just 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:41.000 getting started, so I'm already you know that feeling when 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:43.400 somebody is about ready to start your favorite show and 0:16:43.400 --> 0:16:45.600 they've never seen it, Like when somebody's like, oh, I've 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:48.360 never seen Breaking Bad and you're like, what, you've never 0:16:48.400 --> 0:16:50.240 seen it? Oh my gosh, I'm so jealous that you 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:52.600 get to watch it for the first time. I have 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:54.960 that feeling about me that I get to be doing 0:16:55.040 --> 0:16:56.720 Dancing with the Stars for the very first time. But 0:16:56.720 --> 0:16:59.360 I'm already envisioning myself in the future sad that I 0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:01.440 don't ever get to do again. Now I'm like trying 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:03.840 to live in the moment, but also already said that 0:17:03.920 --> 0:17:07.480 it started and that means it'll eventually be over. So 0:17:07.560 --> 0:17:11.920 this party was unbelievable, lots of great food, everybody mingling. 0:17:12.880 --> 0:17:14.720 I have said it before and I'm going to say 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:18.600 it again. The pros on this show. So we have Brandon, 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:24.320 We have Gleb. We have my partner Pasha, his wife Danny. 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:28.640 We have Mark Ballas who came back this year after 0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:32.920 retiring from the dance floor. He came back very exciting. 0:17:33.320 --> 0:17:37.280 We have new dancer Yan who was a Taylor Swift 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:42.240 dancer on the Eras tour. He is tall and very 0:17:42.359 --> 0:17:47.280 dream bodie. Let's see. We have Whitney Carson, who is 0:17:47.600 --> 0:17:49.840 one of easily one of the most beautiful people I've 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:52.359 ever seen in my entire life. We have Riley Arnold 0:17:52.400 --> 0:17:55.760 who is paired with Scott from Pentatonics. We have Emma 0:17:55.920 --> 0:18:01.679 and Alan. Emma is dancing with Andy Richter and Alan 0:18:01.800 --> 0:18:05.359 is dancing with Elaine Hendrix. They are a really fun pair. 0:18:05.440 --> 0:18:07.080 By the way, Elaine and I have been able to 0:18:07.080 --> 0:18:09.960 spend some time together. We had our photo shoot on 0:18:10.320 --> 0:18:12.160 the same day at the same time, so we sat 0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:13.680 next to each other in the hair and makeup chair 0:18:13.720 --> 0:18:15.720 for a little bit. And then we had the same 0:18:15.760 --> 0:18:18.040 flight out here to New York together, so we got 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:20.399 to chat a little bit in the airport, and then 0:18:21.359 --> 0:18:24.040 at JFK when we were walking to meet our cars. 0:18:24.119 --> 0:18:26.119 We got to talk then, and her and Alan seemed 0:18:26.160 --> 0:18:29.000 like they were really fun pairing. Alan is very funny. 0:18:29.359 --> 0:18:33.240 Gleb and Hilaria are paired. They're a very good looking couple. 0:18:33.720 --> 0:18:37.680 And then we have Ezra and Jenna and Val, another 0:18:38.040 --> 0:18:42.320 married couple. Val was very sweet tonight. So I met 0:18:42.400 --> 0:18:46.320 Val very briefly at a rehearsal the other day. You 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:48.560 know what, I think that's why it was we didn't 0:18:48.600 --> 0:18:51.960 actually meet. I saw him and thought, oh, there's Val, 0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:53.520 and because I have been a fan of the show 0:18:53.560 --> 0:18:55.280 and I've seen him on the show. To me, that 0:18:55.400 --> 0:18:57.480 was like we know each other already, but I don't 0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:01.000 think we actually were formally introduced. So to he came 0:19:01.080 --> 0:19:03.280 up to me and he said, Hi, I'm Val. It's 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:05.000 nice to meet you, and I said, oh, hi, you know, 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:06.960 nice to meet you. And I gave him a hug 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:09.680 and he said, is it inappropriate for me to tell 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:12.040 you how much I love you? And I said, no, 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:15.440 that is so sweet. I will take it. I will 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:17.639 listen to it all the time. That's very kind of you. 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:20.800 His wife Jenna also she and I got to spend 0:19:20.800 --> 0:19:22.560 a little bit of time together at the photo shoot 0:19:22.560 --> 0:19:25.760 as well. She is paired with Corey Feldman, and Val 0:19:25.960 --> 0:19:28.880 is paired with Alex Earl, who is actually the only 0:19:28.960 --> 0:19:32.119 person I have yet to meet face to face. We 0:19:32.280 --> 0:19:36.480 also have Britt, who recently got married. She was the 0:19:36.520 --> 0:19:39.840 most gorgeous bride. Every photo I have seen of her, 0:19:40.240 --> 0:19:44.000 she is like just glowing. And then tonight at the party, 0:19:44.000 --> 0:19:47.160 they were giving speeches like a Conrad and Dina Kats 0:19:47.200 --> 0:19:49.960 were giving speeches, and I looked across the room and 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:52.520 Britt was just sitting there listening to the speeches. And 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:59.400 she's just other worldly beautiful, just outstandingly gorgeous. So Britt 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:01.840 is one of the dam She is dancing with Baron Davis, 0:20:01.880 --> 0:20:05.960 who is so fun. Can I tell you what kind 0:20:05.960 --> 0:20:07.840 of feels a little bit like a secret and I'm 0:20:07.880 --> 0:20:09.879 not sure how it plays out on this show yet, 0:20:09.960 --> 0:20:14.919 but I obviously love my partner Pasha. We have a 0:20:15.280 --> 0:20:21.040 great relationship. We really connect. He's so smart, he's so funny, 0:20:21.280 --> 0:20:24.480 and I'm completely equally as obsessed with his wife, Danny, 0:20:24.600 --> 0:20:27.440 and the feeling is mutual. She loves me so already. 0:20:27.600 --> 0:20:31.440 I'm like, Jensen, you just get to know these two 0:20:31.520 --> 0:20:34.040 because I'm never letting them out of our sight. They 0:20:34.040 --> 0:20:36.320 have like a two year old daughter named Nikita who 0:20:36.320 --> 0:20:39.040 they call Keiki. I have a four year old son 0:20:39.119 --> 0:20:41.960 named Keaton, who we call Keke. I was like, we've 0:20:41.960 --> 0:20:44.520 got to get our kids together. We kind of live 0:20:44.640 --> 0:20:48.280 close to each other. It just feels like this is 0:20:49.440 --> 0:20:52.199 a match made in heaven. And then to add on 0:20:52.240 --> 0:20:59.679 top of that, Danny's partner is Dylan Efron. Dylan and 0:20:59.720 --> 0:21:03.320 I'm on day one, same day we met our partners, 0:21:04.000 --> 0:21:10.320 and we just clicked. He is so smart, so funny, 0:21:10.840 --> 0:21:15.359 so sweet, has a Samsung, you know, all the things 0:21:15.400 --> 0:21:18.879 that to me make a good friend. And I just 0:21:19.000 --> 0:21:24.680 knew that Danny and Dylan and Danielle and Pasha are going. 0:21:24.800 --> 0:21:27.120 I was like, how do we how do we make 0:21:27.200 --> 0:21:29.960 this an alliance of sorts? You know, I don't know 0:21:29.960 --> 0:21:32.240 how alliances work on this Dancing with the Stars. I 0:21:32.280 --> 0:21:35.520 don't know that it really does. But I want one. 0:21:35.640 --> 0:21:38.600 I want the four of us if I could. This 0:21:38.640 --> 0:21:41.879 is day one, guys, this is insane day one planning. 0:21:41.880 --> 0:21:43.399 But I'm going to say it here because where else 0:21:43.440 --> 0:21:45.840 would I say it other than with Danielle with the Stars. 0:21:47.200 --> 0:21:52.199 My goal, my dream on day one is that Dylan 0:21:52.560 --> 0:21:56.159 and Danny and Pasha and I are in the finals together. 0:21:56.440 --> 0:21:59.040 That's my true That's it. You know what I'll feel like. 0:21:59.040 --> 0:22:02.160 That's a victory period. If the four of us are 0:22:02.200 --> 0:22:06.360 in a finals. I can't even get myself to say 0:22:06.359 --> 0:22:09.040 out loud. I don't care who gets the mirror ball, 0:22:09.040 --> 0:22:11.560 because I do I care, But if the four of 0:22:11.600 --> 0:22:13.199 us make it to the finals, I will consider that 0:22:13.640 --> 0:22:16.960 a mirror ball like victory. I will be thrilled with that. 0:22:17.200 --> 0:22:20.040 So that's my big goal. I've got a lot of 0:22:20.040 --> 0:22:24.800 work to do. I am in this process trying to 0:22:26.080 --> 0:22:30.760 heal a part of me that has spent my entire 0:22:30.840 --> 0:22:36.720 life chasing perfection, being very hard on myself, and I 0:22:36.800 --> 0:22:39.320 wanted to take out of this experience at the end 0:22:40.880 --> 0:22:46.560 the ability to give myself grace and maybe not be perfect. 0:22:46.720 --> 0:22:51.040 Guess what, Danielle, you don't have a year to become 0:22:51.080 --> 0:22:54.879 a dancer. You have a few weeks, and so enjoy 0:22:54.920 --> 0:22:57.639 the road, enjoy the process, but know that you're not 0:22:57.680 --> 0:23:01.560 going to be perfect. That has been harder, harder on 0:23:01.640 --> 0:23:03.760 me than I wanted it to be. I was hoping 0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:05.760 I was just gonna suddenly be a different person and 0:23:06.400 --> 0:23:10.359 be nice to myself, but I haven't been. With that said, 0:23:10.800 --> 0:23:14.960