Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Dancing with the Stars Season 34 episode "Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Night." Stream the episode with a Disney+ subscription, and read at your own risk!
Dancing with the Stars Season 34 is in the back half, and it's reaching a point at which every elimination is going to feel brutal. That said, it was a little more painful if you were a fan of Boy Meets World, as Danielle Fishel was eliminated not long after judge Carrie Ann Inaba was criticized for giving her harsh treatment.
Inaba has been in the fan crosshairs throughout the 2025 TV schedule, as viewers found her scores this season to be quite harsh for some competitors. This includes Fishel, who was eliminated last night with the second-lowest score of the night, which echoed comments made by her former BMW co-stars. Additionally, as a viewer myself, I think I know who the actors are referring to.
Boy Meets World Stars Called Out Carrie Ann Inaba And Accused Her Of Playing Favorites
It's fair to say that Rider Strong and Will Friedle have a bias when it comes to their thoughts on Danielle Fishel. The two actors shared their views during an episode the Pod Meets World podcast. Both felt the judges were too harsh, but it was Friedle who singled out Carrie Ann Inaba, and alleged she played "favorites":
Carrie Ann has her favorites, and she’ll have two or three that no matter what they do, they could walk on the stage, trip, hit their face, and she’d be like, ‘You tried so hard, 9!' Danielle does the best thing where she’s doing triple flips and she’s like, ‘You’ve got to hold your shoulders different too,’ and it’s like, ‘What the fuck?’
This opinion definitely isn't exclusive to Will Friedle. Some DWTS fans also called out Carrie Ann Inaba for a lower score given to Sexiest Tattooed Man Alive winner Dylan Efron the week prior.
The comments appeared to reach Inaba, who apologized to Danielle Fishel after her performance. She also gave her a "9" despite comments from judges about the performance going awry. Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli each gave an "8," in comparison, and Inaba's score only matched that of guest judge Flava Flav.
Who I Think Carrie Ann Inaba's Alleged Favorites Are
There's a growing discussion among fans about whether Carrie Ann Inaba has favorites in Dancing With The Stars Season 34. While I've pointed out previously that her scores don't particularly indicate favoritism, she does tend to compliment specific competitors more than others.
Elaine Hendrix received a lot of praise for her return to the dance floor following an injury, but I would say Inaba has championed and praised her performances for a while before that. Hendrix had quite a turnaround, and it's possible that fan sympathy paired with praise from judges played a factor.
Whitney Leavitt was another contestant whom Carrie Ann Inaba consistently gave higher scores than the other judges. Coincidentally, Danielle Fishel made headlines for an alleged confrontation with Leavitt onstage, which she later clarified was not what it seemed to be. Perhaps this is who the Pod Meets World hosts were thinking of when it comes to favorites, but we can only speculate.
Dancing with the Stars continues on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. As more stars leave, I have to wonder who is going to end up at the finale, especially after this latest elimination that seemed to shock quite a few people.
