Why Daniella Karagach Says Pasha Pashkov Is Never Her Competition

Sep 17, 2026 - 01:10

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Why Daniella Karagach Says Pasha Pashkov Is Never Her Competition

DWTS' Daniella Karagach Reveals What It's Really Like Competing Against Husband Pasha Pashkov

Daniella Karagach will always have the perfect partner in husband Pasha Pashkov.

Despite competing on season 35 of Dancing With the Stars, Karagach revealed that she and her husband of 12 years don’t really feel the need to keep score in their romance.

“We're not competing against each other, literally he's my teammate,” Karagach exclusively told E! News' Will Marfuggi after the Sept. 15 premiere. “He's my partner. He's my rock.”

While Karagach and her star partner, Paralympic track and field athlete Ezra French, are wearing fighting faces on the ballroom floor, it melts away once she kicks off her heels.

“It’s just never a competition,” she added of working with her husband, with whom she shares 3-year-old daughter Nikita. “He's either helping me or I'm helping him.”

In fact, she, French, Pashkov, 40, and his season 35 partner Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn, 26, are so close they even “have dinner all together.”

“We go to our house and just unwind,” the 33-year-old said. “It's just the best time. It doesn't feel like a competition.”

And French could not agree more.

“Pasha and Amber are—they're unbelievable,” he raved to E! News. “I love them so much.”

Romain Maurice/Getty Images

The 21-year-old noted that their friendly foursome is so in sync that it feels like he’d known them his whole life.

“Just amazing human beings, amazing human beings, and that's all you can ask for,” French added. “This is a human experience. We're around the castmates all the time. We spend so much time together. Literally, every waking second of the day is spent with these people, and so to have Pasha and Amber by our side? They're fantastic. I love them.”

And while it remains to be seen how Pashkov and Glenn do on night two of the competition, French and Karagach were already waltzing into a perfect position after their tango to Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" earned them 20 points from the judges—putting them in second place after Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, who earned 21 points.

For a deep dive into the all stars hoping to nab the coveted mirror ball trophy on this season of Dancing With the Stars, keep reading.

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Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten

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Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson

What did you miss on Glee? The actor taking his musical talents to the dance floor.

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Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart

The former '90s teen heartthrob will hope to MMMBop his way to the top of the leaderboard on season 35.

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Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress will be bringing her fresh moves to the dance floor.

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Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy

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Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov

The 2026 Olympic figure skater will take her skills from the ice to the ballroom.

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Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach

The Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete will show off his athleticism on DWTS.

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Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills

After sister Brooks Nader competed on season 33, the Love Thy Nader star is trying her hand.

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Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold

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Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is following in the footsteps of wife Whitney Leavitt—who competed on season 34.

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Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess

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Jackson Olson & Emma Slater

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Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson

The Jimmy Kimmel Live! star is ready to learn some new moves.

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Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong

The Summer House star is prepping for her turn in the ballrom.

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The Love Island UK alum is hoping her love for DWTS doesn't betray her as she manifested this experience.

"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," she told E! News in May. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."

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