Danielle Fishel Says ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Premiere Was ‘Very Emotional’ (Exclusive)

Danielle Fishel is taking time to enjoy every moment of her Dancing with the Stars journey.

The Boy Meets World alum, 44, who finally got to show off her dancing skills during the show’s premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 16, opened up to PEOPLE about how it felt to have the audience cheering her on and supporting her through the experience.

“It was amazing,” Fishel says. “Thinking about where I was last year in the middle of cancer treatment, and here a year later on a national stage performing a thing I’ve never done before, ballroom dancing, with my friends and family in the audience, it was very emotional.” 

“It was so emotional, I had to truly just block it out for the length of the dance,” she continues. “I had to just lock into [my partner] and stay with him. And then afterward it was like that relief … like, ‘Okay, now I can feel all the feels.’ ”

The actress revealed in 2024 that she was diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Following the diagnosis, she told PEOPLE in October 2024, that her “whole life” had “changed,” as she had been constantly going to doctor’s appointments and checkups.

She shared she underwent 20 rounds of radiation, which left her with a “bad sunburn” and a rash. She even got a lumpectomy, which doctors told her was the best route “to get back to my normal life as quickly as possible.”

When she was finally done with the treatment, she told PEOPLE that she had a realization: “I thought to myself, ‘If this has shown me anything, it has shown me that I am not experiencing enough joy in my life.’ ” This ultimately gave her the push she needed to join the latest season of DWTS.

She was partnered up with pro Pasha Pashkov for the ABC hit show, who told PEOPLE that he also saw the support from the star’s friends and family after Fishel took to the stage on the first night.

“[Your family was] emotional as well. “I know Jensen cried,” Pashkov, 39, says, referring to Fishel’s husband Jensen Karp. “I know your mom cried. And it was very sweet because we [were] in the Skybox and during the commercial breaks, your kids, they were over there waving the whole time since they see their mom.”

“They were gathering confetti and throwing confetti in the air. It was cute,” Fishel adds of her sons Adler Lawrence, 6, and Keaton Joseph, 4, whom she shares with Karp, 45. 

Fishel is continuing to keep her health top of mind. She previously shared ahead of filming for the latest DWTS that she was gearing up for the new season by making sure her body was in tip-top shape.

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“Stretching has become a non-negotiable for me. I have to stretch every single night. I have to stretch every single morning. I’m trying to stay hydrated because it is very hot and we are sweating a lot,” she shared. 

“I’m also trying to do some cold plunges when I can,” she added. “My muscles are very sore right now, so I’m trying to take care of them as best I can.”