Danielle Fishel Breaks the Rulebook on DWTS Premiere: Ignored a Pro’s Quietly Practical Advice

I am Jaden Patel, your resident deadpan gossip gnome, here to deliver the fact-boned truth with a punny smirk: Danielle Fishel decided to ignore a longtime DWTS alum’s sage counsel and live to tell the tango tale anyway. In the season 34 premiere, the Boy Meets World alum stepped onto the floor with Pasha Pashkov and promptly reminded us that being curious about your own package can be more distracting than the pre-performance video package itself. Yes, the same package Sabrina Bryan warned her not to watch because it could curl your brain with emotion. Spoilers: Danielle did not follow that exact instruction, and she did not spontaneously disintegrate into a puddle of tears or reveal a hidden life-altering secret on stage. Instead, she admitted that she wondered what awaited her in the video montage that plays before each dance.

The punchline here, for those who enjoy the meta of reality television, is that curiosity did not derail her. In an exclusive chat with E! News, Danielle revealed that Sabrina’s tip to “not pay attention to the package—lock in with your partner” was well intentioned. The former Disney Channel luminary, now a DWTS veteran in the making, advised simply focusing on the partner rather than the cinematic prelude. Danielle confessed she still pondered what was inside the package, a momentary flirtation with self-curiosity that did not derail her flow. The result? A tango scored 12 out of 20 to Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” The number wasn’t catastrophic, but it wasn’t a standing ovation, either. It was a measured beginning, a starting block that told us: she’s here to grow, one choked back emotion, one questionable dance move at a time.

What follows is a candid, if telegraphed, thread of confidence and nerves. Danielle stated that watching the packages did not distract her, because her mind was laser-focused on the routine from the outset. The Sunday night performance may have been nerve-wracking, but she framed it as the first step in a longer journey toward improvement. She reflected on her own trajectory—three weeks of training, a self-acknowledged improvement, and the certainty she’s stepping into an ongoing evolution under Pasha Pashkov’s guidance. It’s a classic DWTS arc: a celebrity who shows up with a few shaky steps and a lot of determination, then hits the next week with renewed vigor, buoyed by a pro who can actually translate awkward into elegant in a single cheeky twirl.

The chat also turned to rivals and marquee moments. Danielle teased that Robert Irwin is the scaled mountain she might have to summit in the competition, joking that their paths have repeatedly crossed in the studio while he wows with Witney Carson. She praised the Australian wildlife advocate for delivering a routine that earned a 15 out of 20, while she admitted she’s not sure how great his performance is—that’s a teaser that makes you want to binge the next episode to see if she’s able to crack that score ceiling or simply admire the view from the bottom rung.

As for the rest of the cast, her partner lineup includes Britt Stewart, Jan Ravnik, Valentin Chmerkovski, Daniella Karagach, Jenna Johnson, Alan Bersten, Witney Carson, Ezra Sosa, Rylee Arnold, Mark Ballas, Gleb Savchenko, Emma Slater, and Pasha Pashkov. The roster reads like a cross between a glittery circus and a fitness test, with the drama spread as evenly as the sequins on their costumes.

So what’s next? Danielle remains anxious but hopeful, eager to improve week by week and to see where this partnership with Pasha can take them. It’s not a victory lap season yet, but the odds are shifting in favor of growth, one dance at a time.

What to watch next: will Danielle resist the siren call of backstage video montages, or will she indulge, only to discover that the real package to inspect is the one that unfolds on stage?

Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News
Entertainment Tonight
People Magazine
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed (GO)