Why Did Guillermo Rodriguez Survive DWTS Again Despite Scoring Only 12?

Guillermo Rodriguez has now survived two Dancing With the Stars eliminations despite finishing at or near the bottom of the judges’ leaderboard. Viral Hits Night made that especially noticeable because Guillermo and Witney Carson received only 12 points out of 30, tying Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten for the lowest score of the episode.

Yet when the results were announced, Guillermo remained in the competition while Giada became the third celebrity eliminated from Season 35. The explanation comes down to the other half of the DWTS result: viewer voting.

The judges’ scores do not decide the elimination by themselves. They are combined with votes from the audience, which means a contestant with a weak score can survive if enough viewers support them.

Also Read: Why Did Tyler Cameron Score Only 16 on DWTS? His Viral Hits Salsa Explained

Guillermo and Giada Both Scored 12 Out of 30

Guillermo and Witney performed a paso doble to Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been” during Viral Hits Night.

The routine showed improvement from his premiere cha-cha, particularly in the way Guillermo committed to the character of the dance. Carrie Ann Inaba praised him for moving beyond the comedy that had defined some of his first performance, while Derek Hough said he was impressed by the progress. Bruno Tonioli responded enthusiastically to the performance as well. The scores remained low, however. All three judges gave Guillermo a 4, leaving him with 12 out of 30.

Giada and Alan also received three 4s for their salsa to Becky G’s “Bella Ciao.” The judges felt she was still thinking too much during the routine rather than fully committing to the movement, and Bruno said the salsa needed more energy and character. That left both couples tied at the bottom with exactly 12 points.

Why Did Guillermo Stay While Giada Went Home?

Because their judges’ totals were identical, the difference between Guillermo and Giada came from the viewer-voting portion of the result.

DWTS combines judges’ scores with audience votes before determining which couple is eliminated. Giada and Alan ultimately finished with the lowest combined result, while Guillermo and Witney received enough viewer support to move forward.

ABC does not release the individual voting totals, so there is no way to know exactly how many votes Guillermo received or how large the difference was between him and Giada.

The result does establish one thing clearly. Guillermo’s audience support was strong enough to overcome another night at the bottom of the judges’ leaderboard.

Guillermo Also Survived the Lowest Score on Premiere Night

Viral Hits Night was not the first time Guillermo needed viewers to help him. During the Season 35 premiere, Guillermo and Witney earned only 10 points out of 30 for their cha-cha to “Mr. Big Stuff.” Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli each gave the performance a 3, while Carrie Ann Inaba awarded a 4.

It was one of the lowest scores in DWTS history. Despite that, Guillermo survived the first elimination while Conner Leavitt, who had scored 12, was sent home.

Witney later described Guillermo as one of the most loved people among the Season 35 cast and crew, while the ballroom audience also responded warmly to his premiere performance even when the judges were critical.

Two episodes later, the pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. Guillermo may not be collecting high scores from the judges, but he appears to have a significant audience willing to vote for him.

Was Guillermo in the Bottom Three?

Guillermo, Giada and Tyler Cameron were the final three couples left waiting for their results at the end of Viral Hits Night.

That should not automatically be interpreted as the official bottom three. DWTS announced the safe couples in no particular order, so Tyler and Guillermo being left on the floor does not necessarily mean they had the second- and third-lowest combined totals.

The only result confirmed by the elimination is that Giada and Alan finished lowest overall.

That distinction becomes important when trying to judge Guillermo’s actual position in the competition. Viewers know that his public support has been enough to save him twice, but the show does not reveal where he ranks in the vote compared with the other celebrities.

How Long Can Guillermo’s Viewer Support Keep Him Safe?

Guillermo’s first two eliminations demonstrate why the judges’ leaderboard never tells the complete DWTS story.

His scores have been among the weakest of Season 35, but the competition is also partly a popularity contest. A celebrity who connects with viewers can continue advancing even when stronger technical dancers sit above them on the leaderboard.

The challenge is that the gap becomes more difficult to overcome as other contestants improve and the field gets smaller. Guillermo increased his score from 10 to 12 on Viral Hits Night, and the judges acknowledged real progress, but he remains well behind the season’s stronger dancers technically.

For now, however, his audience support is doing exactly what viewer voting is designed to do. Guillermo Rodriguez did not survive because the judges changed their minds about his 12-point paso doble. He survived because the judges are only one part of the DWTS result, and enough viewers apparently wanted to see him dance again.