Witney Carson is standing firmly behind her “Dancing With the Stars” partner Guillermo Rodriguez after their Season 35 debut produced one of the lowest scores in the show’s history. Days after their cha-cha, Carson said she believed some of the judges’ marks were unnecessarily harsh.
Rodriguez, 55, and Carson performed a cha-cha to Jean Knight’s 1971 hit “Mr. Big Stuff” during the September 15 premiere. The performance brought plenty of personality to the ballroom, but Rodriguez’s lack of previous dance experience was evident in some of the technical elements.
Carrie Ann Inaba awarded the couple a 4, while Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli each gave them a 3. That produced a total score of just 10 out of 30, placing Rodriguez at the bottom of the Night One leaderboard.
The ballroom audience immediately made its disagreement known. Loud boos could be heard when the numbers appeared, while Rodriguez later said he was surprised by just how strongly the crowd supported him after the performance.
Carson initially described the scores as “lame” following the premiere, but she went further while appearing with Rodriguez on the official “Dancing With the Stars” podcast on September 18. When host Andy Richter suggested the judges had been tough on the pair, Carson agreed.
Carson specifically took issue with the two scores of 3. She called them “a little mean” and said she thought they were “a little uncalled for,” arguing that Rodriguez had been moving, attempting the proper lines and genuinely trying to perform the cha-cha they had rehearsed.
At the same time, Carson did not dismiss the judges’ technical criticism. She acknowledged that Rodriguez’s technique needs improvement and said she actually appreciated much of their verbal feedback. Her objection was primarily to how low Hough and Tonioli went with their numerical scores.
Hough himself made a distinction between Rodriguez’s technique and effort. He acknowledged that the technical side was not there yet, but praised Rodriguez for trying and said he needed to work on areas including power and timing.
Tonioli found humor and entertainment in Rodriguez’s performance as well, particularly his memorable body roll, while Inaba described the routine as highly entertaining and noted that his movements were clearly defined. The comments therefore sounded more encouraging than the final 10/30 score might have suggested.
Rodriguez has made clear that he does not want another 3. Rather than allowing the premiere score to discourage him, he said he wants to practice harder for his next challenge, a Paso Doble, which he already recognizes will demand considerably more from him.
Carson has also emphasized that Rodriguez’s appeal extends beyond his dancing. She described him as one of the most loved people among the cast and crew because of the kindness he shows everyone behind the scenes, from producers to staff members working around the ballroom. Despite finishing at the bottom of the judges’ leaderboard, Rodriguez survived the first elimination.
That survival gives Rodriguez and Carson something their premiere score could not take away: another opportunity. His first cha-cha may have earned only 10/30, but the audience reaction showed that viewers were responding to his personality and effort. Carson believes the judges’ threes went too far; now Rodriguez has another week to try to turn that crowd support into technical improvement—and prove he can earn considerably higher numbers the next time he faces the judges.
