Boy Meets World' Alums Point Fingers: Was There Foul Play on the 'Dancing With The Stars' Dance Floor?

Ah, the magic of reunion podcasts! You know, sometimes it's not just about reminiscing over old scripts and shared laughs; occasionally, these catch-ups unearth some genuinely spicy behind-the-scenes drama. And honestly, for fans of 'Boy Meets World,' the latest revelation from Rider Strong and Will Friedle is certainly that.

Cast your mind back, if you will, to 2013. Danielle Fishel, our very own Topanga Lawrence, was gracing the 'Dancing With The Stars' ballroom, bravely stepping out with pro partner Mark Ballas for the show's 17th season. It's a tough gig, no doubt, the glitz and glamour often hiding hours of gruelling practice and, let's be real, a healthy dose of public scrutiny. Fishel, by the way, ended up finishing a respectable, if perhaps not quite top-tier, seventh place.

But what Strong and Friedle have been hinting at for years, and now outright discussing on their 'Pod Meets World' podcast, is a persistent feeling that something just wasn't quite right. Specifically, they've pointed a rather direct finger at longtime judge Carrie Ann Inaba, suggesting a consistent, perhaps even deliberate, harshness in her scoring of Fishel. They're not just idly speculating, either; these guys were watching their friend, their co-star, go through a truly challenging experience, and they picked up on a pattern.

And here's where it gets truly fascinating, almost like a plot twist straight out of a sitcom. Their suspicion, it turns out, stems from an alleged historical beef involving Fishel's brother, Chris. Apparently, Chris had some kind of run-in, a less-than-flattering interaction, with Inaba on a completely different show way back when. Could a past slight, an old grudge, really carry such weight in a high-stakes competition almost a decade later? Well, Strong and Friedle certainly seem to think so, believing Inaba harbored some lingering ill will.

They describe witnessing what felt like an almost personal vendetta, with Inaba’s comments feeling consistently sharper, her scores noticeably lower for Danielle, irrespective of the actual performance. It's a tough pill to swallow for a competitor, and indeed, Fishel herself has openly spoken about the emotional toll the show took, even recalling tears and immense pressure. One can only imagine the added sting of feeling unjustly judged, feeling that you’re fighting not just the steps, but a phantom bias.

So, was it genuine bias, or just a judge being, well, a judge, perhaps with a particularly discerning eye that season? The question lingers, hanging in the air like a perfectly executed—or perhaps, unfairly scored—dance move. While Inaba's representatives haven't weighed in on these particular claims, the 'Boy Meets World' crew has certainly given fans something new to ponder about the often-unseen dramas of reality competition. A true Hollywood mystery, if ever there was one.