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Jimmy Kimmel defended Guillermo Rodriguez during his Oct. 7 monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, responding to online complaints that Rodriguez should have been eliminated from Dancing With the Stars. Kimmel rejected claims that the competition is rigged and argued that the show rewards entertainment, while praising Rodriguez’s effort and audience appeal.
Jimmy Kimmel defended Guillermo Rodriguez on his Oct. 7 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, responding to online viewers who argued the longtime sidekick should have been eliminated from Dancing With the Stars. Kimmel rejected suggestions that the competition was rigged and said the show is an entertainment program in which the most entertaining team should win.
Kimmel addressed the criticism during his monologue, saying some viewers had accused the competition of being rigged because Rodriguez remained in the contest. “The competition isn’t rigged,” Kimmel said. He followed with a joke that “life is rigged in Guillermo’s favor,” and told Rodriguez that online detractors were trying to bring him down. The remarks were Kimmel’s response to the backlash; they do not independently establish how voting or judging works on the show.
The host played clips and read posts from viewers critical of Rodriguez. He argued that some people were treating the contest as if it had consequences beyond a television competition. “This is not the Olympics. This is not SEAL Team 6,” he said, adding that winning came with no responsibilities. Kimmel also joked about the show’s trophy and contrasted its title with a hypothetical competition for professional dancers.
“This is an entertainment show,” Kimmel said. “The winner should be whatever team is most entertaining.” He asked his audience whether, across the show’s 21 years, they had seen anything more entertaining than Rodriguez’s participation. The audience applauded. Kimmel also praised Rodriguez’s effort, saying dancing did not come naturally to him and noting the work he had put into performing each week.
Kimmel Frames DWTS as Entertainment
Kimmel’s comments highlight a disagreement about what viewers should reward on a celebrity dance program: technical performance, audience appeal, or a mixture of both. His argument was that entertainment is central to the format, and that Rodriguez’s appeal and effort are legitimate parts of his case to remain in the competition. That is Kimmel’s view, not a stated change to the show’s judging or voting rules.
The exchange also shows how a contestant’s television performance can become a point of online contention. Kimmel directly addressed viewers who criticized Rodriguez, while asking them not to turn that criticism into personal attacks. The episode offers a public defense from Rodriguez’s employer and friend, but does not settle whether fans agree about his place in the contest.
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Rodriguez’s Run and Recent Samba
Rodriguez was competing on Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars while also working as Kimmel’s longtime sidekick. The program pairs celebrities with professional dancers and presents their performances for viewers. The account of Kimmel’s monologue describes criticism from viewers who believed Rodriguez should have left the competition earlier, alongside support for him as a fan favorite.
Kimmel’s remarks followed Rodriguez’s performance of a samba. Kimmel showed clips from the dance and teased that Rodriguez had spent more time rolling on the floor than dancing upright, comparing him to a teddy bear whose batteries had run out. Rodriguez took the joke in stride, replying, “Jimmy, it was so comfortable, I didn’t want to get up.” The exchange kept the tone playful even as Kimmel addressed the harsher criticism.
Kimmel also said Rodriguez was working hard despite finding dancing unnatural. His comments were personal praise, rather than an assessment from the show’s judges or a report about the competition’s scoring. The available account does not provide a complete voting breakdown, judges’ scores or the identities of the online commenters Kimmel cited.
““The competition isn’t rigged.””
— Jimmy Kimmel
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Voting and Criticism Remain Unspecified
The available account does not specify how many viewers criticized Rodriguez, what share of the audience supports him, or whether the complaints affected voting. It also does not provide voting totals, a detailed explanation of the show’s procedures, or a response from Dancing With the Stars about the rigging allegation. Kimmel denied that the competition was rigged, but his monologue alone does not supply documentation about how votes are counted.
It is also unclear how long Rodriguez would remain in the competition or how the judges and viewers would weigh his future performances. The criticism described in Kimmel’s monologue reflects comments he selected to discuss, not a full measure of audience opinion.
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The Competition Continues Weekly
Dancing With the Stars was scheduled to air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on ABC and Disney+, according to the program information accompanying the report. Rodriguez’s next performance and the competition’s subsequent results would show whether he continued in the cast; no later outcome is established here.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was listed as airing weeknights at 11:35 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on ABC. Kimmel’s defense may keep the debate visible, but the immediate next development is the show’s next broadcast and the result of its voting and judging process.
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
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Key Questions
What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Guillermo Rodriguez on DWTS?
Kimmel defended Rodriguez against online criticism, said the competition was not rigged and argued that the show is entertainment, so the most entertaining team should win.
Why were viewers criticizing Rodriguez?
Some viewers reportedly argued that Rodriguez should have been eliminated by that point in the competition. Kimmel played clips and read posts from critics, but the account does not identify the commenters or quantify their number.
Did Kimmel prove that DWTS voting was not rigged?
No. Kimmel said, “The competition isn’t rigged,” but the monologue did not include voting records or a detailed explanation of the show’s procedures. The allegation and the available evidence remain distinct.
How did Guillermo respond to Kimmel’s samba jokes?
After Kimmel joked about Rodriguez spending much of the performance on the floor, Rodriguez replied, “Jimmy, it was so comfortable, I didn’t want to get up.”
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
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