Guillermo Rodriguez returned to the “Dancing With the Stars” ballroom determined to prove he could improve after a difficult Season 35 premiere. During Week 2’s “Viral Hits Night,” the 55-year-old “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” personality and his professional partner Witney Carson tackled a dramatic Paso Doble to Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been.”
The pressure was especially high after Guillermo and Witney received only 10 out of 30 for their first dance. That score put them near the very bottom of the premiere leaderboard, but viewer votes kept them in the competition and gave Guillermo another opportunity to show what he could do.
Guillermo admitted that he felt noticeably different going into his second performance. He was still nervous, but not nearly as much as during Week 1. Witney also believed the Rihanna song helped bring out a more confident side of her partner.
That confidence was obvious once the music started. Guillermo embraced the serious character of the Paso Doble, maintaining his focus while Witney built the choreography around the dramatic style of the dance. The performance even included his attempt at Val Chmerkovskiy’s recognizable knee-walk move.
The reaction inside the ballroom was huge. By the time Guillermo and Witney finished, the audience was on its feet, giving the pair an enthusiastic response that suggested just how much viewers appreciated his improvement.
The judges also acknowledged that improvement. Carrie Ann Inaba praised the intensity Guillermo brought to the performance, while Derek Hough highlighted his commitment and focus. Bruno Tonioli summed up his reaction with an enthusiastic “Olé!”
But when the paddles came up, Guillermo received three 4s — 12 out of 30. It was only a two-point improvement from his Week 1 total and left Guillermo and Witney tied with Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten for the lowest judges’ score of the evening.
That immediately sparked a strong reaction online. Some viewers argued that Guillermo’s improvement deserved greater recognition, particularly because they believed his Paso Doble showed considerably more actual dance content and confidence than his first performance.
One viewer called receiving 4s “insane,” while others said Guillermo had been underscored and deserved more credit for how much he had improved in only one week. Those comments reflected fan opinion rather than any indication that the official scoring had been incorrect.
Witney had already defended Guillermo after his premiere scores, describing some of the judges’ marks as “a little mean” and “uncalled for.” After Week 2, however, she took encouragement from the judges’ comments and said she felt the partnership was slowly beginning to win them over.
Most importantly, Guillermo’s journey didn’t end with that 12. Viewer votes once again helped keep Guillermo and Witney in the competition, while Giada and Alan—who had also scored 12—were eliminated at the end of the night.
So despite finishing at the bottom of the leaderboard again, Guillermo will get another opportunity to improve. His scores may have frustrated some fans, but the audience vote sent a different message: viewers were willing to give him more time in the ballroom, and Guillermo and Witney will return for Week 3.
