Guillermo Rodriguez may not have given the judges much of a samba Tuesday night, but Dancing with the Stars viewers remain obsessed.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! sidekick and pro partner Witney Carson took on Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed” for the show’s Mariah Carey Night, earning a 13 out of 30 from the judges—and, once again, enough support from viewers to keep Rodriguez in the competition.
“That wasn’t quite a samba, but it was 100% Guillermo,” Derek Hough told him after the performance. “And just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.”
Hough conceded that “the whisks weren’t quite whisking,” but added, “It was a lot of fun, my man. We love you.”
Bruno Tonioli went one better.
“It was more of a Shambo than a samba,” he said, “but I do understand why you’re becoming a national obsession. I can’t stop watching you, my darling.”
Carrie Ann Inaba was less enthusiastic, telling Rodriguez that she thought some of his usual spark was missing.
“Where’s all your joy, that special thing you bring every time?” she asked. “I felt you were dimming your light a little bit in this dance.”
Still, Inaba made clear that the criticism came with affection.
“I don’t ever want you to dim your light because you’re special, and you have a natural gift we need,” she told him. “I want it more.”
Then it came time to give him their scores:
Inaba and Hough each gave Rodriguez a 4, while Tonioli awarded him a 5 “for the madness,” giving Rodriguez and Carson a total of 13 out of 30.
The tally represented a step backward after Rodriguez hit a season-high 15 for last week’s foxtrot. He has now scored 10, 12, 15, and 13 through his first four weeks in the ballroom.
Rodriguez, for his part, didn’t seem too rattled by the criticism.
“You know what? I just do my best,” he told Julianne Hough afterward. “Being a diva is hard.”
Whatever he’s doing, viewers still want more of it. Rodriguez and Carson survived Tuesday night’s elimination and will return for Week 5.
As for Rodriguez, he already has his plan: “I’m going to be a diva from now on!”
Watch his DWTS Samba at the at the top of this post.
