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Guillermo Rodriguez has stayed in the Dancing With the Stars competition despite receiving the judges’ lowest score each week, with his scores improving across the first three weeks. His partner, Whitney Carson, said she is grateful to continue dancing with him and pushed back on speculation about her reaction to another couple’s elimination.

Guillermo Rodriguez, Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime sidekick, has become a fan favorite on Dancing With the Stars after avoiding elimination through the show’s first three weeks, despite receiving the judges’ lowest score each week. In the latest performance, he and partner Whitney Carson danced a foxtrot to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song),” ending with Rodriguez removing his shirt to reveal “Dancing 4 The People” written on his chest.

Rodriguez’s judges’ scores have improved across all three weeks, according to the report, even as he has continued to land near the bottom of the competition. The format’s weekly results have left him vulnerable, but viewers have kept him in the contest. The report does not give the precise score totals or vote counts, so the scale of that support is not known.

Carson addressed online speculation that she looked disappointed after Taylor Hanson and his partner, Britt Stewart, were eliminated instead of her and Rodriguez. In a TikTok statement, Carson said she felt sad for whoever was going home and that the broadcast did not show the pair celebrating after learning they were safe. She said she was grateful to continue in the competition with Rodriguez.

Rodriguez’s appearance on the dance show has also been a talking point on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where Kimmel discussed his sidekick’s growing profile after joining the show’s team in Brooklyn. Rodriguez had remained in Los Angeles for the first two shows to dance. Kimmel joked about the change in attention during his Wednesday monologue, calling Rodriguez a “butterfly emerging from its cocoon.”

A Fan Favorite Despite Low Scores

Rodriguez’s run illustrates the gap that can emerge between judges’ scores and audience support on a televised competition. His repeated survival, despite being at the bottom by the judges’ marks, makes each results show a test of whether viewer backing can keep him in the contest. The report does not establish that he has received more votes than other couples; the vote totals are not public in the supplied account.

The attention also reaches beyond the dance floor. Rodriguez has worked on Jimmy Kimmel Live! for more than 23 years, and his new visibility gives viewers a different role in which to follow him. Kimmel’s on-air jokes and the discussion around Carson’s TikTok response have turned the competition into a story about both performance and how audiences interpret what they see on camera.

For Carson, the speculation mattered because viewers read her reaction to another couple’s elimination as a sign of disappointment. She said the initial feeling was sadness for the departing dancers and that the show did not include the moment when she and Rodriguez celebrated staying. Her explanation offers her account of the clip without proving what all viewers thought or felt.

From Parking Lot Guard to TV Sidekick

Rodriguez’s television career began after a chance encounter while he was working three jobs, including as a parking lot security guard. He was caught sleeping in the car of Jimmy Kimmel Live! announcer Dicky Barrett; the incident eventually led to work on the ABC late-night program as Kimmel’s sidekick. Rodriguez remains in that role, more than 23 years later.

He has also become known for asking celebrities to take shots with him on red carpets. The report notes that Rodriguez’s salsa line is set to launch nationwide on October 4. It does not provide details about the product or say whether the launch is connected to his television appearances.

The report describes the casting as involving Rob Mills, executive vice president of unscripted and alternative entertainment at Walt Disney Television, who also oversees Jimmy Kimmel Live! It suggests the team may initially have expected Rodriguez’s run to be short, but does not provide a direct statement confirming that expectation. Carson is around five months pregnant, according to the report, and has partnered Rodriguez throughout the competition.

““We are witnessing a butterfly emerging from its cocoon – we are witnessing the metamorphosis of what is unquestionably the most adorable person on our staff.””

— Jimmy Kimmel, during his Wednesday monologue

Votes and Next Results Remain Unknown

The account does not provide the audience vote totals, the judges’ exact scores, or a breakdown of how Rodriguez compares with other couples in viewer support. Carson noted that appearing in the bottom three does not necessarily mean a couple received the fewest votes; it means they do not get to hear they are safe before the elimination is announced. The report does not establish how the show’s voting translated into each result.

It is also unclear how long Rodriguez will remain in the competition or whether his scores will continue to rise. Kimmel’s description of him as potentially the world’s most popular dancer was framed as humor, not as a measurable claim. The report’s mention of November 24 does not confirm that date as a finale or guarantee Rodriguez will still be competing then.

The Competition Continues Week by Week

Rodriguez and Carson will face the next judges’ scores and audience vote as the competition continues. Their progress will depend on the weekly results, and the report gives no confirmed outcome for upcoming episodes. Viewers will also see whether the upward trend in Rodriguez’s scores continues.

Beyond the show, Rodriguez’s salsa line is scheduled for a nationwide launch on October 4. The report also raises November 24 as a possible date for a toast to his success, but does not specify what event is planned for that day. For now, his continued place in the competition—not a guaranteed final result—is the confirmed development.

Source: Deadline

Key Questions

Why is Guillermo Rodriguez drawing attention on Dancing With the Stars?

He has remained in the competition despite receiving the judges’ lowest score each week through the first three weeks, while his scores have improved. His foxtrot with Whitney Carson also drew attention when he revealed “Dancing 4 The People” written on his chest.

What did Whitney Carson say about the elimination speculation?

Carson said her first reaction was sadness for whoever was going home and that the broadcast did not show her and Rodriguez celebrating after they learned they were safe. She said she was grateful to continue competing with him.

Does appearing in the bottom three mean a couple received the fewest votes?

Not necessarily, according to Carson. She said a bottom-three placement means a couple does not get to hear that it is safe before the elimination is announced; the report does not give the vote totals.

When does Rodriguez’s salsa line launch?

The report says Rodriguez’s salsa line is scheduled to launch nationwide on October 4. It does not provide further details about the product.

Source: Deadline