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Jimmy Kimmel defended his sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez during his October 7 monologue after viewers criticized Rodriguez’s continued run on Dancing With the Stars and questioned whether the competition was rigged. Kimmel said the show is entertainment rather than a professional dance contest, while Rodriguez joked that he was comfortable during his samba routine.
Jimmy Kimmel defended Guillermo Rodriguez on his October 7 monologue after some viewers criticized the late-night host’s sidekick for remaining in Dancing With the Stars Season 35 and alleged the competition was rigged. Kimmel rejected that accusation and argued that the show is an entertainment program, not a professional dance contest.
Kimmel said that not all viewers were pleased with Rodriguez’s run and referred to accusations that the competition was rigged. He answered that claim directly: “the competition isn’t rigged,” he said, adding that life itself was “rigged in Guillermo’s favor.” He also joked that some voters might struggle to spell Rodriguez’s name.
During the monologue, Kimmel played videos and read social-media posts criticizing Rodriguez. He said some critics were losing sight of the nature of the program, comparing it with neither the Olympics nor a military operation. In his view, DWTS is an entertainment show, and the winning team should be the one audiences find most entertaining.
Kimmel also pointed to Rodriguez’s effort, saying dancing does not come naturally to him and that he had been working hard each week. The host showed clips from Rodriguez’s recent samba and teased how much time he spent on the floor. Rodriguez took the joke in stride, telling Kimmel, “It was so comfortable, I didn’t want to get up.”
Television • Audience debate • Season 35
Why Guillermo’s ‘DWTS’ Critics Are Getting Jimmy Kimmel’s Attention
After viewers questioned Guillermo Rodriguez’s continued run and alleged the contest was rigged, Jimmy Kimmel defended the show as entertainment—and praised his sidekick’s weekly effort.
The disagreement
What should the show reward?
The criticism spotlights a familiar tension in reality competitions: viewers can weigh dance technique against personality, performance, hard work, and audience appeal. Kimmel argued that entertainment value belongs in the discussion.
Is he still earning his place?
Some viewers said Rodriguez should leave the competition and questioned whether the contest was fair. The report provides no vote totals or measure of how widespread those views are.
Entertainment is part of the format
Kimmel said DWTS is an entertainment show, not the Olympics or a professional dance contest. In his view, the most entertaining team should win.
Effort meets personality
Kimmel acknowledged that dancing does not come naturally to his sidekick and said he had been working hard each week. The report describes Rodriguez as a fan favorite.
The exchange
A samba, some floor work, and a punchline
Kimmel played clips of Rodriguez’s recent samba and teased how much time he spent on the floor. Rodriguez took the joke in stride.
“This is an entertainment show. The winner should be whatever team is most entertaining.”
Jimmy Kimmel
How the story unfolded
The criticism became part of the show
Kimmel gave online criticism airtime, then framed it through his view of DWTS as audience entertainment. That is his interpretation; the account does not establish critics’ motives or whether the comments changed voting.
Viewers react
Some criticize Rodriguez’s continued participation and question the contest.
Kimmel responds
He rejects the rigging allegation and defends entertainment as part of the format.
The samba gets a joke
Clips of Rodriguez’s routine prompt a quip about his time on the floor.
Results remain open
No voting figures, future result, or season winner is confirmed in the report.
What is known—and what is not
The available account leaves key questions open
Known
Kimmel defended Rodriguez during his October 7 monologue. He said the competition was not rigged, argued that DWTS is entertainment, and praised Rodriguez’s effort. Rodriguez joked about being comfortable on the floor after his samba.
Not established
The report does not give voting totals, identify the people making the rigging accusations, provide independent evidence about voting procedures, or show whether criticism affected Rodriguez’s standing.
A Dispute Over What DWTS Rewards
The exchange puts a familiar tension in reality competition television in the spotlight: viewers may judge contestants by technical ability, while the format also depends on personality, performance and audience support. Kimmel’s defense is that entertainment value belongs in the conversation, particularly on a show whose title pairs celebrities with professional dancers rather than promising a contest among dance professionals.
His comments also show how online reactions to a contestant can become part of the television story. Kimmel gave the criticism airtime, but framed the attacks as disproportionate to a competition with no stated responsibility attached to winning. That is his interpretation, not a finding about the motives of every person who has criticized Rodriguez.
For Rodriguez, the attention highlights both sides of a fan-favorite run: enthusiastic support and complaints from viewers who believe his place in the competition is undeserved. The episode does not establish whether criticism will affect voting or the contest’s outcome.
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Kimmel and Rodriguez on DWTS
Rodriguez is Kimmel’s sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and is competing on the current, 35th season of Dancing With the Stars. The report describes him as a fan favorite, while also noting that some viewers have called for him to be eliminated. It does not provide vote totals or a breakdown of how widespread either reaction is.
Kimmel’s monologue followed Rodriguez’s samba performance. The host acknowledged that Rodriguez is not a naturally trained dancer and used the routine’s floor work as material for jokes, while also praising the effort he has put into preparing each week. The show airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on ABC and Disney+; Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on weeknights on ABC.
““The competition isn’t rigged. Life is rigged in Guillermo’s favor.””
— Jimmy Kimmel
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Voting and Results Remain Unknown
The available account does not give DWTS voting totals, identify the viewers making the rigging accusations, or establish how many people share that view. Kimmel rejected the allegation in his monologue, but the account provides no independent evidence concerning voting procedures or any irregularity.
It is also not clear whether the online criticism has had any effect on Rodriguez’s standing with viewers or on the competition. No result for his next appearance or the season’s eventual winner is provided.
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Rodriguez Continues the Competition
Season 35 continues with weekly broadcasts on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on ABC and Disney+. Rodriguez’s next performance and the voting outcome will show whether he remains in the contest, but no future result is confirmed in the reported account. Kimmel’s defense aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which broadcasts on weeknights on ABC.
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Key Questions
Why did Jimmy Kimmel defend Guillermo Rodriguez?
Kimmel responded to online criticism of Rodriguez’s continued participation in Dancing With the Stars and to allegations that the competition was rigged. He argued that the program is entertainment, not a professional dance contest.
Did Kimmel say DWTS was rigged?
No. Kimmel explicitly rejected the allegation, saying, “the competition isn’t rigged.” His remark that life was “rigged in Guillermo’s favor” was a joke.
What did Rodriguez say about his samba?
After Kimmel joked that he spent more time rolling on the floor than dancing, Rodriguez replied, “It was so comfortable, I didn’t want to get up.”
When and where does Dancing With the Stars air?
The show airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on ABC and Disney+, according to the published report.
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
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