Chicks in the Office

Danielle Fishel Spills on 'DWTS' Exit, Judges Feedback, Closest Friendships + More!

November 14, 2025

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  • Dolores Catania and Paulie Connell are engaged, with Paulie proposing at the Apple Store where they first met, a detail that initially confused listeners. 
  • The hosts confirmed upcoming release dates for 'Traitors' (January 8th) and 'Tell Me Lies' (January 13th), alongside news that Sabrina Carpenter will star in the 'Alice in Wonderland' musical film. 
  • Danielle Fishel detailed the intense, seven-day-a-week schedule of 'Dancing with the Stars' (DWTS), which includes hours of rehearsal and numerous required meetings, leading to her six-year-old son feeling neglected to the point of telling his teacher his mother had died. 
  • Danielle Fishel started her *Dancing with the Stars* podcast, 'Danielle with the Stars,' right when she committed to the show, unaware the official *Dancing with the Stars* podcast existed, though production later asked her to change the name. 
  • Fishel's contemporary dance package on *DWTS* focused on overcoming outside noise and societal pressure, not her breast cancer journey, which she felt was inaccurately emphasized by the show's editors. 
  • Despite her initial competitive mindset, Fishel developed strong, supportive friendships with her fellow *DWTS* competitors, particularly Dylan, whom she now plans to support backstage for future performances. 
  • The latter part of the episode features a competitive game segment called 'Beat Ria & Fran game 197' played by Mo & Katie against guests, which covered pop culture trivia ranging from *High School Musical 2* to *Gilmore Girls* and Disney Channel history. 
  • Ria and Fran ultimately won the trivia game against Mo and Katie with a final score of 6-2. 
  • The episode concludes with promotional segments for Planet Fitness, Men's Warehouse, and the food delivery service Wonder. 

Segments

Podcast Intro and Ads
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode begins with sponsor messages for McDonald’s Buffalo Ranch sauce and DraftKings responsible gaming.
  • Summary: The opening includes advertisements for McDonald’s new Buffalo Ranch sauce and responsible gaming reminders from DraftKings. Listeners are also directed on where to find every episode of Chicks in the Office.
Podcast Theme Song and Welcome
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(00:01:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts welcome listeners, mentioning the stacked episode featuring Danielle Fishel, PopCorner, and a trivia game.
  • Summary: The hosts, Rhea and Fran, greet listeners with Friday energy, highlighting the main interview with Danielle Fishel. They confirm the episode also includes a game of trivia and the PopCorner segment. The segment transitions into sponsor reads for One Hershey’s Double Chocolate protein bars.
Dolores Catania Engagement News
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(00:03:32)
  • Key Takeaway: Dolores Catania is engaged to Paulie Connell, who proposed with an 11-carat ring at the Apple Store where they first met.
  • Summary: The hosts congratulate Dolores Catania on her engagement to Paulie Connell, whose last name is Connell. They note the proposal occurred at the Apple Store in Woodcliffe Lake, New Jersey, bringing their meeting place full circle. They speculate on whether Dolores will change her last name from Catania.
New Show Release Dates
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(00:09:34)
  • Key Takeaway: ‘Traitors’ returns on January 8th, and ‘Tell Me Lies’ returns on January 13th, providing weekly viewing excitement for the hosts.
  • Summary: The hosts express excitement for the return of ‘Traitors’ and ‘Tell Me Lies’ in the new year. They anticipate the weekly discussion opportunities these shows will provide. Additionally, Sabrina Carpenter was announced to star in the live-action ‘Alice in Wonderland’ musical film.
Devil Wears Prada Sequel Date
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(00:10:30)
  • Key Takeaway: ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ is set for release on May 1st, close to the May 4th Met Gala date.
  • Summary: The release date for the sequel to ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ was announced as May 1st. The hosts have faith in the sequel due to the involvement of Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. They note the release timing is close to the annual Met Gala.
Frida McFadden Book Review
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(00:13:52)
  • Key Takeaway: The host found Frida McFadden’s book, ‘The Teacher,’ to have a rushed ending with twists introduced too late for proper development.
  • Summary: The host finished reading ‘The Teacher’ and felt the numerous twists were crammed into the final chapters, making the conclusion feel rushed. Despite this, the host plans to read all of Frida McFadden’s books, noting they share a similar structure. The host’s least favorite McFadden book mentioned was ‘Never Lie’.
PopCorner Segment Begins
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(00:18:15)
  • Key Takeaway: The PopCorner segment opens with a voicemail questioning if ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ waters down Kyle Richards’ celebrity brand.
  • Summary: The PopCorner segment starts with a listener’s hot take suggesting Kyle Richards’ involvement in petty reality TV fights diminishes her potential as a chic celebrity figure. The hosts disagree, arguing that reality TV, including RHOBH, is central to her current public identity, similar to the Kardashians. They conclude that her association with the show is integral to her current status.
Taylor Swift Wedding Invite Speculation
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(00:22:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Miles Teller’s uncertainty about receiving an invitation to Taylor Swift’s wedding suggests a cooling or change in his friendship with the singer.
  • Summary: A listener called in after Miles Teller expressed doubt about being invited to Taylor Swift’s wedding, which the hosts found suspicious given their past closeness. They noted that Taylor Swift has publicly stated she wants everyone she knows to attend her wedding. The hosts concluded that something must have happened between the two friendships, even if they remain civil.
Sydney Sweeney Film Flop Analysis
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(00:27:20)
  • Key Takeaway: The poor box office performance of Sydney Sweeney’s film, ‘Anyone But You’ and ‘Immaculate’ (implied), is attributed to a combination of poor marketing and audience perception, not just her American Eagle ad.
  • Summary: The hosts debated whether Sydney Sweeney is underperforming as a leading lady, noting that women watching her rom-coms do not find her aspirational. They pointed out the film received almost no promotion, contributing to its low opening weekend earnings of $1.3 million against a $15 million budget. The conversation noted Sweeney’s recent string of less-publicized films and polarizing public persona.
Danielle Fishel DWTS Schedule Intensity
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(00:39:09)
  • Key Takeaway: The DWTS schedule is seven days a week post-premiere, requiring a minimum of four to six hours of dance rehearsal daily, plus extensive media obligations.
  • Summary: Danielle Fishel detailed that after the initial three weeks, the mandatory day off disappears, leading to a grueling seven-day schedule. This includes hours of rehearsal, wardrobe fittings, interviews, and press commitments, often resulting in late nights. She mentioned that her six-year-old son felt neglected, leading him to tell his teacher his mother had died.
Balancing DWTS and Podcasting
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(00:48:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Danielle Fishel managed to record her podcast immediately after the live DWTS show, which helped with the adrenaline come-down, but she eventually had to stop editing a second podcast due to exhaustion.
  • Summary: Fishel recorded her podcast around 10 p.m. after the live show, press, and dinner, often not sleeping until 1 a.m. while still waking up at her normal (5:30) a.m. time. She found discussing the experience on her podcast helpful for processing the intense energy. However, managing two weekly podcasts, plus editing, became too much, forcing her to drop editing duties for one show.
Handling Internet Noise
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(00:53:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Learning to manage internet feedback improves with age, often requiring developing a ‘callus’ to let criticism bounce off.
  • Summary: Danielle Fishel noted that Reddit was harsher than Instagram regarding her DWTS performance, but she has improved at ignoring internet noise over time. A friend compared overwhelming feedback to everything being ‘hot pink,’ making it easier to ignore. She suggests treating intense feedback periods like having the flu—isolating until it passes.
Starting the DWTS Podcast
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(00:54:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Fishel initiated her podcast, ‘Danielle with the Stars,’ immediately upon agreeing to DWTS to connect directly with potential voters, unaware the show would launch its own official podcast.
  • Summary: The idea for her podcast came right after she said yes to Dancing with the Stars, as she recognized the importance of fan votes and wanted a direct medium to connect with that audience. She learned about the official DWTS podcast later, which prompted a request from production to change her podcast’s name. Production allowed her to continue the podcast, though they requested the name change to avoid confusion with the official one.
Contemporary Dance Story Misrepresentation
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(00:57:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The package for Fishel’s contemporary dance focused solely on her breast cancer journey, despite the choreography being explicitly about overcoming outside noise and societal expectations.
  • Summary: Fishel felt frustrated that the pre-dance package emphasized her cancer experience, which was only a small motivational factor, rather than the dance’s true theme of fighting external noise and self-doubt. The choreography depicted fighting, embracing, and rising above external pressures, which was entirely omitted from the broadcast package. She speculates the producers may have focused on cancer to protect her from appearing passive-aggressive toward the judges.
Navigating Judge Feedback
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(01:10:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Fishel strongly believes in receiving feedback from judges, as it signals belief in the contestant’s capability to improve, even if the feedback itself is ignored.
  • Summary: The lack of specific feedback can lead contestants to assume judges are offering platitudes like ‘good job, sweetie,’ which is unhelpful for growth. The judges’ comments significantly influence audience perception, potentially leading to lower scores for contestants who receive criticism compared to those who receive only praise. Fishel noted that the pressure seems to have affected the judges’ delivery more than ever before.
Carrie Ann Inaba Apology Context
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(01:12:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Carrie Ann Inaba apologized for a ‘cheeky’ comment about Fishel’s small stature, which Fishel felt the internet overreacted to, as she did not find the comment offensive.
  • Summary: Fishel interpreted Inaba’s comment about her being a ’tiny woman’ as lighthearted banter, not a serious critique of her body. She felt confused when Inaba apologized for hurting her feelings, as she was not offended by the initial remark. Fishel appreciated the willingness to apologize publicly, regardless of whether she felt the offense was warranted.
Relationships with Fellow Stars
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(01:15:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Despite initial competitive fears, the intense schedule and shared vulnerability of DWTS fostered a deeply supportive, family-like bond among the celebrity contestants.
  • Summary: Fishel went into the competition expecting to dislike her competitors due to her competitive nature, but the shared hard work quickly dissolved that feeling. She found herself ‘bleeding for every one of these people,’ offering advice like the importance of counting beats to others. She remains in regular contact with several cast members, including Baron, Hilaria, Alex, and Dylan.
Alliance with Pasha and Daniella
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(01:18:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Pasha Pashkov and Fishel shared a near-identical perfectionist personality, contrasting with Pasha’s unflappable demeanor when facing last-minute choreography changes.
  • Summary: Fishel and Pasha were extremely similar, both being perfectionists who actively avoided anything resembling sympathy votes, making their alliance special. Pasha, whom Danny calls ‘Buddha,’ never gets ruffled, even when he changed eight counts of choreography just days before a show, causing Fishel significant frustration. They utilized Daniella Karagach as a ‘secret weapon’ to teach them complex Argentine Tango tricks, as both she and Pasha had limited experience teaching the female role in those specific moves.
Rooting Interests and Strategy Talk
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(01:23:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Fishel is strongly rooting for Dylan and Daniella, partly because Dylan’s Traitors experience led them to develop a serious, spreadsheet-based strategy for the team competition portion of DWTS.
  • Summary: Fishel feels obligated to attend future shows to give Dylan pep talks before his dances, as he found her presence calming. Dylan, influenced by his time on The Traitors, insisted on analyzing the team selection process using spreadsheets to predict captain picks and outcomes. Fishel also expressed admiration for Robert’s charisma and Alex Earl’s willingness to push herself physically during rehearsals.
Sabrina Carpenter Song Clearance
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(01:36:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Securing the rights to dance to a Sabrina Carpenter song required Fishel to personally contact the artist after the music department initially cited budget constraints for the live band version.
  • Summary: Fishel told Sabrina Carpenter immediately about joining DWTS and requested to dance to one of her songs, which Sabrina agreed to facilitate. The production initially cleared the band’s version of a song, but Fishel insisted on the original artist’s recording, which was more expensive. After the music department claimed budget issues, Fishel texted Sabrina, who secured the clearance within two hours.
Pop Culture Trivia Game
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(01:47:20)
  • Key Takeaway: The teams debated the year Ashley Simpson released music, eventually settling on 2005 after an incorrect guess of 2007.
  • Summary: The trivia game involved ordering High School Musical 2 songs by their appearance in the movie, which Mo and Katie correctly sequenced as ‘Fabulous,’ ‘Work this out,’ and ‘You are the music in me.’ Phoebe Buffay’s hepatitis contraction story from Friends Season 9 involved a pimp spitting in her mouth during her homeless days. The score was tied 1-1 after these initial questions.
Ensemble Movie Actors Quiz
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(01:50:35)
  • Key Takeaway: The A-list actors appearing in both Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve were not correctly identified by the contestants within the time limit.
  • Summary: The question required naming two A-list actors in the ensemble casts of Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve; contestants guessed Jennifer Garner and Zach Efron, but the correct answer was not revealed in the provided context, though Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Biel were mentioned as being in one of the films.
Miley Cyrus Black Mirror Character
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(01:52:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Miley Cyrus’s character in her Black Mirror episode was named Ashley O.
  • Summary: Ria and Fran correctly answered the question about Miley Cyrus’s character name in Black Mirror, securing a point and tying the game at 2-2. The hosts expressed surprise that one of the contestants had never heard of The Proud Family animated series.
Disney Channel Movie Trivia
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(01:53:18)
  • Key Takeaway: The Disney Channel Original Movie based on sisters Courtney and Eric Anders in junior drag racing was Right on Track (2003), which starred Brie Larson.
  • Summary: Mo and Katie incorrectly guessed Fast Track and Motocrossed before the correct answer, Right on Track, was revealed, noting that Brie Larson was in the film. The score moved to 3-2 in favor of Ria and Fran.
New Girl Cousin Identification
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(01:54:48)
  • Key Takeaway: The comedic actor who plays Schmidt’s recurring cousin, Big Schmidt, in New Girl is Rob Regle.
  • Summary: Ria and Fran correctly guessed Rob Regle based on a visual impression of him fitting the role of Schmidt’s cousin. This answer brought the score to 3-3, tying the game again.
Planet Fitness Advertisement Read
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(01:55:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Planet Fitness offers a high-value membership supporting any fitness journey with over 2,700 locations, many open 24 hours, featuring best-in-class equipment.
  • Summary: The advertisement highlights the availability of strength training, cardio equipment, and unlimited free fitness training for members. Enrollment requires being 18 or 13-17 with parental consent, and details can be found on their website or app.
Movie Clip Identification
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(01:57:04)
  • Key Takeaway: The movie clip featuring dialogue about a girl with beauty, style, and grace, who was a gymnast in high school, was identified as This Means War.
  • Summary: Mo and Katie struggled to identify the movie clip, with one host recognizing the female voice as Reese Witherspoon’s, but the correct answer, This Means War, was provided by the opposing team. This brought the score to 4-2 for Ria and Fran.
Actress in Multiple Films Quiz
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(01:58:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Kate Hudson is the actress who appears in the ensemble casts of The Glass Onion, Mother’s Day, and Something Borrowed.
  • Summary: Ria and Fran correctly identified Kate Hudson, noting that one of them had auditioned for a role in Mother’s Day. This answer extended their lead to 5-2.
Fictional Production Company Name
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(01:59:42)
  • Key Takeaway: The fictional film production company featured in the show The Studio is named Continental Studios.
  • Summary: Mo and Katie incorrectly guessed Silverlight Studios before the correct answer, Continental Studios, was revealed, leading to a score of 5-3 for Ria and Fran. The hosts expressed disbelief that one of the contestants had never heard of The Proud Family.
Gilmore Girls Secret Society
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(02:01:24)
  • Key Takeaway: The secret society at Yale that Logan Huntzberger belongs to in Gilmore Girls is the Life and Death Brigade.
  • Summary: Ria and Fran correctly named the Life and Death Brigade, securing their victory with a score of 6-2. The description of the society involved members jumping off a ledge with umbrellas.
Taylor Swift Perfume Release
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(02:07:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Taylor Swift’s perfume released in 2011 was named Wonderstruck.
  • Summary: Ria and Fran correctly answered the final trivia question, confirming the final score of 6-2. The segment concluded with the hosts thanking the guests and promising to send merchandise.