Danielle Fishel Opens Up About DWTS Struggles
Danielle Fishel is candidly revealing how Dancing With the Stars is affecting her mental and physical well-being. The 44-year-old actress shared on the November 3 episode of her Danielle With the Stars podcast that the upcoming Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night performance is triggering disordered eating and intense emotional stress.
“We are doing ‘Dream On’ by Aerosmith,” Fishel explained. “We are telling the story about how difficult it can be to be a woman in society where we are somehow always too much and also never enough… There’s no winning, and having been in the public eye and on TV since I was 10 years old, I have been under a microscope, and my choices have been scrutinized. … And I’m resistant to it because it’s triggering so many things in me.”
The Emotional Toll Behind the Spotlight
Fishel admitted that preparing for her contemporary routine with partner Pasha Pashkov has stirred “a lot of negative self-talk” and personal struggles. “Instead of leaning into the dance, the reactions I’m having are making me not want to do it,” she said. With decades of public scrutiny, even professional performances can bring deeply personal challenges to the surface.
Former DWTS pro Louis van Amstel praised Fishel’s honesty, calling it a “beautiful, heartfelt moment.” He encouraged her to channel her nerves into performance energy:
‘You’ve made it so far. You can take the nerves and give up, or you take the nerves and switch on, use the adrenaline, and say, ‘People at home, watch this.’
Fishel’s husband, Jenson Karp, also expressed support:
“Love you and am just absolutely blown away by your courage. Leave it all on that floor.”
Leading Team Chicago
Beyond her personal struggles, Fishel is serving as a captain for season 34’s first team dance competition. She leads Team Chicago, which includes Whitney Leavitt, Jordan Chiles, Dylan Efron, their professional partners, and cohost Alfonso Ribeiro. Their routine will feature Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4,” while the rival Team Kool, led by Andy Richter, will perform Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration.”
“If I do say so myself, I picked an all-star team and it didn’t come randomly. I had a full strategy going into it, and my strategy paid off,” Fishel said. Still, she admitted feeling like the “weakest link” on her team at times. Van Amstel reassured her that her growth since week one and her likability factor were far more important than experience.
Key Takeaways from Fishel’s Podcast
- Societal pressures and public scrutiny influence her self-image and emotional state.
- Van Amstel advised staying off social media to avoid negative feedback spirals.
- The upcoming dance has personal significance, helping Fishel confront deep emotions.
Why This DWTS Story Matters
Fishel’s openness highlights the mental and emotional toll of competing on Dancing With the Stars. Van Amstel encouraged her to “rip off all the layers that are left” and embrace her emotional self, showing the transformative power of the show. Her candid reflections resonate with fans and underscore the real pressures of life under public scrutiny.
Fishel and Pashkov previously earned all 8s for their Halloween jazz routine on October 28, advancing to week 8. Other remaining competitors include Andy Richter, Jordan Chiles, Dylan Efron, Robert Irwin, Elaine Hendrix, and Alix Earle.
For more celebrity insights and DWTS updates, check out our related Top Stories. For official show schedules and streaming information, visit ABC.
