We’re less than 24 hours away from the reveal of this year’s cast of Dancing With the Stars. And while ABC has already announced almost a third of the stars that will be competing for the Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy this season, there is still plenty of mystery as to which actors, athletes and others will be hitting the dance floor on Sep. 16.
Of course, everyone who is connected with the long-running reality show, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary, has their own pie-in-the-sky wishes for which stars they would want to foxtrot alongside. So when Parade had the chance to talk with pros Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov, who have been part of the main cast since 2019 and 2020, respectively, we had to ask who their dream celeb partners would be. And, surprisingly, the married couple went a bit unconventional, both opting for same-sex partnerships.
“Maybe Cameron Diaz,” says Daniella. “She’s my idol. I love her. Jennifer Aniston, I love them. I’ll take anybody. As long as they’re not seven feet.”
The Season 30 champ, of course, is joking about the show putting her with not one, but two NBA players in the past few years. And while she was able to make things work with Iman Shumpert, taking home the Mirror Ball, her time with Dwight Howard was not as successful.
Speaking of athletes, Daniella goes on to admit that she would probably also want to dance with Lionel Messi. But it’s not out of any sense of her fandom for the legendary soccer player, but her husband’s.
“I am just a huge soccer fan,” Pasha adds. “I think there are two people who I just want to meet. And I’m like, ‘Well, this is a great opportunity to get to know them: Lionel Messi and Eminem. I doubt either one of them will ever do the show. But if you’re asking me my dream partner, it’s gonna be a same-sex with either one of them.”
While both pros have their wish list for celebrity partners, that’s not to say they haven’t had many encounters with stars over the years. Paula Abdul, for example, wished Pasha a happy birthday, despite the two of them having never spoken before (the former American Idol judge, notably, did guest judge on the show when he was on in 2023).
“We’ve had some DMs from really cool people,” Daniella reveals. “Julia Stiles was one of them, which was huge for me. Because my dance with Iman Shumpert was inspired by Save the Last Dance. So when she DM’d, I was like, “What?! That’s crazy!” There are some people like Denise Richards. So many people in our comments, who we never even thought knew who we were. And for us, it’s insane.”
While it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing a Grammy Award-winning rapper or a former Friends star showing up on DWTS anytime soon, we shall see which celebrities will be joining Daniella, Pasha, and the rest of the pros. The Season 34 cast will be revealed exclusively on Good Morning America on Wednesday, Sep. 3, ahead of the premiere on Sep. 16 on ABC and Disney+.
Related: Here’s the Rumored Cast for ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 34
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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