Daniella Karagach talks about competing against her husband Pasha Pashkov on “DWTS”

Daniella Karagach talks about competing against her husband Pasha Pashkov on “DWTS”

The relationship between Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov receives a full score of 10.

The couple married in 2014 and continue to dance through life as husband and wife, working together on the hit ABC show “Dancing with the Stars.”

However, there is a catch: Karagach and Pashkov are competing with each other.

Daniella Karagach on season 32 of “Dancing with the Stars”. ABC via Getty Images

However, the Dainty founder wants her fans to know that she and her better half are always in harmony.

“I think, first of all, it was never a competition between the two of us because we always helped each other,” Karagach said in an exclusive interview with The Post on Monday. “That’s pure honesty. And when you’re in competition – 100 percent transparency – all you can think about is your own partner and making sure they remember the choreography week after week and don’t forget their steps.”

“You’re so focused on living in the here and now,” she added, “and so focused on surviving each day with your partner that I don’t think you care at all about what the other person is doing.”

Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov attend the Nevada Ballet Theatre’s Black & White Ball. Getty Images

The duo joined the cast of “DWTS” in 2019 and have been guests in the ballroom every year since. Karagach has learned that “during the season, you’re so focused on what you and your partner are doing.”

“You literally have no time to think about anyone else or anything else,” the professional dancer admitted. “So you’re just in survival mode.”

And for Karagach, it is even nicer to have his real partner on the show.

Pasha Pashkov and Daniella Karagach of Dancing With The Stars Live 2024 perform at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre on March 26, 2024 in Hollywood, California. Getty Images

“Honestly, it’s so great and helpful to have my partner in the competition like my spouse because I know that if I need a little tweak here and there or need help, he’s always ready to help me out and vice versa,” she gushed. “If he needs help, I’m right there, so it’s so nice to have a person there and go through the whole process with you.”

The process is exhausting. Not only do the professionals create the dances for themselves and their celebrity partners, but the couples also rehearse throughout the week.

And then of course there are the live performances once, sometimes twice a week.

Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov perform at the Nevada Ballet Theatre’s Black & White Ball 2024 at Encore Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 6, 2024. Getty Images

And how does Karagach stay ready to compete? The businesswoman explains: “I think the key to staying in shape for me personally is just consistency. Whether I’m in season or at home, I’m always very active.”

Karagach, who has a one-year-old daughter, Kiki, with Pashkov, stressed that keeping a rhythm is very important in her daily life.

“I feel like it keeps me in a bit of a routine,” the influencer continued. “As soon as I don’t go to the studio or the gym, I feel so sluggish. So I try to stay as active as possible. I’m probably in the gym four to five times a week, just a little bit each time. But it just helps me keep going.”

Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov are seen in Los Angeles, California on October 13, 2023. GC Images

Karagach will soon return to the dance floor when the season 33 premieres on Tuesday, September 17.

Although the mother of one hasn’t yet figured out who she’ll be teaming up with, she did take a moment to reveal which celebrity she’d love to see shake things up on the competition series.

And her answer earned her plus points in the wife category.

Daniella Karagach and Iman Shumpert pose with the Mirrorball trophy after winning season 30 of “Dancing With the Stars.” ABC via Getty Images
Pasha Pashkov and partner Ariana Madix next to host Alfonso Ribeiro during season 32 of “DWTS”. ABC via Getty Images

“It will probably never happen, but I personally would love Messi. Lionel Messi, just because my husband is obsessed with him,” Karagach said. “I’ve said it before, it’s like the obsession is real. Pasha, if he can do something, he would probably play football if he didn’t dance. So he’s obsessed with him and I would want to dance with him just so Pasha can meet him.”

She already has a dream partner in mind for herself.

“Personally, I have to honestly say I loved having an athlete there,” she reflected. “Their mentality is so different, and you just have to have the right attitude when you’re competing in this competition. And I’ll teach you how to dance. That’s what I love to do. So I would say maybe an athlete. I know I’ve said Zac Efron in the past. Please, definitely, if he’s willing to do the show, I’m in. But probably just an athlete.”

Eliminations in season 32 of “Dancing with the Stars”. ABC via Getty Images

Working with athletes is nothing new for Karagach, as she won the Mirrorball trophy with former NBA star Iman Shumpert in season 30.

As it turned out, when the entrepreneur first met 34-year-old Shumpert, she didn’t really know who had just walked through the door.

“I don’t really follow sports closely,” Karagach recalls. “When Iman came in, I thought, ‘This guy is so tall. He’s so cool.’ I love his personality, but I’ve never watched him play basketball, so I didn’t really know him. It was fun getting to know him.”

In fact, the ballroom dancing star was able to score points in the eyes of the athlete.

Pasha Pashkov, Daniella Karagach, Gleb Savchenko, Brandon Armstrong, Emma Slater, Alan Bersten, Harry Jowsey, Rylee Arnold and Britt Stewart of Dancing With The Stars Live 2024 pose at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood on March 26, 2024. Getty Images

Karagach explained, “He said, ‘It’s actually kind of refreshing that you don’t really follow sports and know my past, because it’s like we’re just starting from scratch and you could just teach me how to dance.'”

She noted, “I thought to myself, ‘Yes, that’s essentially what I’m supposed to do here!'”

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