Danielle Fishel isn’t afraid to speak her mind when it comes to “Dancing With the Stars“. The “Boy Meets World” alum, who competed on Season 34 of the ABC competition, recently shared her thoughts on what she believes is a double standard in the ballroom, claiming that female contestants are often judged more harshly than their male counterparts.
Fishel discussed the issue during an October 28 episode of her podcast’s “Ballroom Breakdown” series, welcoming former DWTS professional dancer Kym Johnson Herjavec to break down some of the latest performances. And while the conversation centered on the judges’ scores, Fishel suggested the problem goes beyond a single night of competition.
Male Contestants Get a Pass
During their discussion, Fishel and Johnson revisited the show’s October 27 “Horror Movie Night,” which featured guest judge Shirley Ballas, a longtime judge on the British competition series “Strictly Come Dancing”.
Johnson questioned Ballas’ scoring after she awarded “The Bachelorette” alum Tyler Cameron a 5 for his Viennese waltz, while actresses Julia Stiles and Tatyana Ali each received a 4 for their respective performances.
“I was surprised that Shirley did give him a five because I thought the girls were better than that,” Johnson said.
Fishel agreed, arguing that Cameron’s performance wasn’t necessarily deserving of a higher score than the two women’s routines.
“I do believe that the judges, all of them, have a tendency to be harder on the women than they are on the male celebs,” Fishel said. “It could be wrong. But, in my opinion, I think sometimes the men get a pass that the women don’t get.”
The actress also pointed out what she believes is another double standard when it comes to the judges themselves. According to Fishel, female judges Carrie Ann Inaba and guest judges are more likely to face audience backlash when they offer constructive criticism, while male judges Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough don’t receive the same treatment.
“The men get away with being able to give a constructive criticism here or there, whereas the women judges, Carrie Ann and the guest judges, they get booed,” she explained.
Fishel added that Tonioli sometimes delivers similar critiques without receiving the same negative audience reaction.
Revisiting ‘Lift-Gate’
Fishel’s comments come amid another contentious discussion surrounding the show’s judging panel, particularly involving Inaba and professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy.
Earlier this season, Inaba found herself at the center of a heated debate after criticizing professional dancer Jenna Johnson and her celebrity partner, Harry Shum Jr., for an alleged illegal lift during their October 13 samba.
Johnson appeared confused by the critique, prompting Inaba to read the show’s definition of a lift aloud. The moment quickly went viral, with Johnson later maintaining that she hadn’t actually lifted her partner.
The situation escalated when Chmerkovskiy, Johnson’s husband and fellow DWTS pro, publicly defended her on social media, writing that Inaba was “trippin talking to her like that.” His comments ultimately resulted in a one-week suspension from the competition.
Inaba later addressed the controversy, explaining that she and Johnson had spoken privately and worked through the disagreement. She also suggested that the show consider establishing a new lift rule for future seasons, acknowledging that the competition and its audience have evolved.
‘DWTS’ Alum Suggests Male Contestants ‘Get a Pass’ From Judges