TL;DR
Get movie nights delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Jimmy Kimmel used his Oct. 7 monologue to defend Guillermo Rodriguez after online criticism of the Dancing With the Stars contestant and claims the competition was rigged. Kimmel said the show is entertainment rather than a professional dance contest, while Rodriguez joked about his latest samba performance.
Jimmy Kimmel defended Guillermo Rodriguez on his Oct. 7 monologue after some viewers criticized the sidekick’s Dancing With the Stars performances and questioned whether the competition was rigged. Kimmel said the show is an entertainment program, not a professional dance contest, and argued that audience enjoyment should count more than technical skill.
Kimmel addressed the backlash on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, saying that “some accusations” had suggested DWTS was rigged. He rejected that idea, joking that “the competition isn’t rigged” but that “life is rigged in Guillermo’s favor.” He also told Rodriguez that online detractors could not take away the joy he was bringing viewers.
During the monologue, Kimmel showed clips and read comments from people criticizing Rodriguez. He pushed back on treating the contest as if it carried professional or real-world stakes, saying, “This is not the Olympics. This is not SEAL Team 6.” He added that winning did not come with responsibilities beyond receiving the show’s prize.
Kimmel framed the program as a competition in entertainment, not a test of professional dance ability. “This is also not a professional dance competition,” he said. “That’s why it’s called Dancing With the Stars, not Dancing With the Professionals.” He asked his audience whether they had seen anything more entertaining across the show’s 21 years, prompting applause, according to the account of the segment.
He also praised Rodriguez for continuing to work at a skill Kimmel said did not come naturally to him. The monologue included footage of Rodriguez’s recent samba, which Kimmel teased for featuring more time on the floor than upright dancing. Rodriguez took the joke in stride, telling Kimmel, “Jimmy, it was so comfortable, I didn’t want to get up.”
Entertainment • On the record
Jimmy Kimmel Stands Up for Guillermo Amid DWTS Criticism
After viewers questioned Guillermo Rodriguez’s performances and the competition’s integrity, Kimmel defended his longtime sidekick—and made the case for judging the show as entertainment.
What Kimmel argued
His defense centered on the show’s purpose, the value of audience enjoyment, and keeping criticism from becoming personal.
01 / The format
Entertainment comes first
Kimmel described DWTS as an entertainment program, not a professional dance contest. He said audience enjoyment belongs in the conversation alongside technique.
02 / The stakes
Not the Olympics
“This is not the Olympics. This is not SEAL Team 6.” Kimmel pushed back on treating the competition as if it carried professional or real-world stakes.
03 / The defense
Effort deserves room
He praised Rodriguez for working at a skill that, Kimmel said, did not come naturally, and told him detractors could not take away the joy he brings viewers.
A debate over what counts
Reality competition audiences can bring different standards to the same performance. Kimmel made the case for one side of that debate.
Viewer lens A
Technique & performance
Some fans focus on dance skill, execution, and whether a contestant’s performance merits staying in the contest.
Viewer lens B
Personality & entertainment
Others respond to personality, effort, and how much a contestant entertains them. Kimmel argued this belongs at the heart of DWTS.
The samba, the joke, the response
The exchange mixed teasing about the performance with a more serious defense of Rodriguez’s place in the competition.
“This is also not a professional dance competition. That’s why it’s called Dancing With the Stars, not Dancing With the Professionals.”Jimmy Kimmel
“Jimmy, it was so comfortable, I didn’t want to get up.”Guillermo Rodriguez · About the samba
Kimmel joked that Rodriguez’s samba featured more time on the floor than upright dancing.Monologue moment
He asked whether audiences had seen anything more entertaining across the show’s 21 years.Audience applauded, per the report
What the report establishes
Kimmel rejected the rigging allegation. The available account does not verify it or explain the show’s voting process.
Comments circulate
Some viewers reportedly criticized Rodriguez and questioned whether DWTS was rigged.
Kimmel responds
He dismissed the claim during his Oct. 7 monologue and defended his sidekick.
Evidence remains absent
No vote totals, scoring details, producer statement, or review of the claims are included.
Next results are unknown
The account confirms no future result, elimination, or effect on Rodriguez’s standing.
Claims remain unverified
The reported segment offers no evidence that the competition was manipulated. It also does not show how widespread the criticism is or whether comments affected Rodriguez’s standing. Kimmel’s remarks are a public defense of a colleague—not an official explanation of DWTS judging or voting.
At a glance
What is known from the reported account—and what remains open.
What did Kimmel say about Guillermo?
He defended Rodriguez against online criticism, praised his effort, and said viewers should remember DWTS is entertainment rather than a professional dance contest.
Did Kimmel confirm DWTS is rigged?
No. He rejected the accusations. The account provides no evidence that the competition was manipulated.
Why were some viewers critical?
Some reportedly believed Rodriguez should have been eliminated earlier. The commenters are not identified and their views are not quantified.
How did Rodriguez respond?
He joked that the samba floor was so comfortable he did not want to get up.
Where and when does DWTS air?
The account lists Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on ABC and Disney+.
What happens next?
Upcoming dances, judges’ responses, and audience votes remain to be seen. No next result or elimination is confirmed here.
A Debate Over DWTS Voting
Kimmel’s defense highlights a tension familiar to reality-TV competitions: viewers may judge contestants by different standards. Some DWTS fans focus on dance technique and performance quality, while others respond to personality, effort and entertainment value. Kimmel made the case for the latter without claiming that criticism of Rodriguez had disappeared.
The debate matters because audience response is part of the appeal of a televised competition, but online criticism can also become personal. Kimmel objected to viewers attacking Rodriguez, while the available account does not establish how widely the critical comments were shared or whether they reflect the broader DWTS audience. His monologue offered a public defense of his colleague, not an official explanation of the show’s voting or judging process.
professional dance competition costumes
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Rodriguez’s DWTS Run
Rodriguez is Kimmel’s longtime sidekick and is competing on Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars. His participation has drawn supportive attention as well as criticism from viewers who believe he should have left the contest earlier. The reported account does not identify specific critics or provide audience-vote figures.
The program combines celebrity performances with judges’ assessments and viewer participation. Kimmel’s argument was that its identity as an entertainment show should shape how viewers assess a contestant’s run. That is his stated view; it does not change the competition’s formal scoring rules or settle whether Rodriguez’s performances merit advancement under viewers’ own standards.
Kimmel’s comments followed Rodriguez’s samba, which he described through jokes about the contestant spending much of the routine on the floor. The exchange was playful: Kimmel teased the performance, and Rodriguez responded with a joke of his own. Their banter sat alongside Kimmel’s more direct message that viewers should not use online criticism to begrudge Rodriguez’s participation.
“The competition isn’t rigged. Life is rigged in Guillermo’s favor.”
— Jimmy Kimmel
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Voting Claims Remain Unverified
The reported segment does not provide evidence for the online claims that DWTS is rigged, nor does it establish that the competition has been manipulated. Kimmel dismissed the allegation, but the account includes no statement from the show’s producers or network and no details about the voting system or any review of the claims.
It is also unclear how many viewers criticized Rodriguez, how representative those comments are, or whether they have affected his standing in the competition. No vote totals, judges’ scores, or results from a future episode are included in the account. The criticism described is a reaction from some viewers, not a verified measure of wider public opinion.
dance practice shoes for beginners
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Rodriguez Continues Competing
Dancing With the Stars is listed as airing Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on ABC and Disney+. Rodriguez’s performance and standing will continue to be tested through the show’s upcoming episodes, though no next result or elimination outcome is confirmed here.
Kimmel’s remarks were part of his Oct. 7 broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which airs weeknights on ABC. Further developments to watch include Rodriguez’s next dance, the judges’ response and the audience vote; the reported details do not specify when the rigging allegations might be addressed by the program.
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Guillermo Rodriguez?
Kimmel defended Rodriguez against online criticism, praised his effort and said viewers should remember that DWTS is an entertainment show, not a professional dance competition.
Did Kimmel confirm that Dancing With the Stars is rigged?
No. Kimmel rejected the rigging accusations during his monologue. The reported account provides no evidence that the competition was manipulated.
Why were viewers criticizing Rodriguez?
Some viewers reportedly believed Rodriguez should have been eliminated by that point in the competition. The account does not identify the commenters or quantify how widespread the criticism was.
How did Rodriguez respond to Kimmel’s jokes?
Rodriguez responded playfully to a joke about his samba routine, telling Kimmel, “It was so comfortable, I didn’t want to get up.”
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
