The only thing more entertaining than watching Guillermo Rodriguez on Dancing with the Stars may be watching Jimmy Kimmel watch Guillermo Rodriguez on Dancing with the Stars.
Kimmel’s longtime parking lot security guard-turned-sidekick hit the ballroom floor Tuesday night just as Jimmy Kimmel Live! was wrapping its taping, giving Kimmel the chance to turn the show’s signoff into a live viewing party.
Rodriguez is now two weeks into an unlikely Dancing with the Stars run that has depended as much on his popularity with viewers as his work on the dance floor.
He and pro partner Witney Carson made their debut last week with a cha cha to Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff,” earning just 10 points out of 30 from the judges and finishing at the bottom of the men’s leaderboard. But Rodriguez received enough viewer support to survive the first elimination.
Tuesday night brought some improvement. The paso doble Kimmel watched, which saw Rodriguez go full matador to Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been,”earned the duo 4s across the board for a total of 12 out of 30.
The score left them tied with Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten at the bottom of the leaderboard, but once again Rodriguez’s fans came through. He and Carson advanced to another week, while De Laurentiis and Bersten were sent home.
The judges seemed encouraged by Rodriguez’s progress. Derek Hough praised his “intensity and intention and commitment,” telling him, “You were focused and really in the dance. I was really blown away.”
