‘DWTS’ judge accused of ‘picking on’ female contestants as fans call for removal after ‘unfair’ scoring
‘Dancing With The Stars’ judge Carrie Ann Inaba is currently facing significant backlash from viewers who feel her scoring and critiques throughout the competition have been biased. Some fans even believe that Inaba is targeting female contestants more than their male counterparts on the beloved dance show. On Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night, which aired on November 4, Danielle Fishel and her pro partner, Pasha Pashkov, were sent home, fueling the fire as viewers already suspected that the duo’s departure was rigged due to harsh scoring. As per Poprant, an insider described the judging on ‘DWTS’ Season 34 as ‘skewed,’ especially when it came to Inaba’s treatment of female contestants. One comment that has been circulating on Instagram suggests that Inaba has a history of "picking on the popular girl," especially when a contestant already has a strong fan base behind her.
On the other hand, many fans shed light on comedian Andy Richter’s ‘DWTS’ journey and mentioned that he managed to make it through the elimination smoothly, despite delivering weaker performances in the past few weeks. One Reddit user wrote, “I’m sorry it would be absolutely b******t if he outlasts Elaine & Whitney…. I get the whole “it’s a popularity competition” but there should still be some semblance of it being a dance competition if not then why even have judges at this point if their scores and comments don’t mean jack shit and make very tiny to zero impact.” Another user penned, “Hopefully Derek tapes back together his 6 panel and it ends this week. Everyone else needs to get 9s and 10s, though.” A third user remarked, “If the judges were giving him 4s and 5s like he deserves, then he would be gone already.”
Previously, on the Halloween Night episode, Inaba had commented on Fishel’s body. As per E! News, 'The Talk' host told her, "You have to use the space because you are a tiny little woman." In a private confessional, Fishel said, “I am a tiny little woman, but she's big on the inside—more powerful—so I need to unleash her more often." Speaking of her dance movements, the ‘Boy Meets World’ alum further added, “It doesn't come naturally to be flailing my 5-foot-1 body around the floor."
In the November 4 episode of ‘DWTS’ Season 34, Inaba apologised to Fishel for her cruel remarks. “I would like to apologize for my words if they hurt you at all because I didn't mean that at all. You are small, but you do pack a punch, and that's why I can say it, because I believe in you, OK?" Inaba told Fishel. Fishel responded by saying that she was "not offended" by the remarks.