Guillermo Rodriguez entered Dancing With the Stars’ Yacht Rock Night results in an extremely vulnerable position after he and professional partner Witney Carson finished at the very bottom of the judges’ leaderboard.
The pair performed a foxtrot to Rupert Holmes’ “Escape (The Piña Colada Song),” earning three 5s from Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli for a total of 15 out of 30.
Although the score represented progress for Guillermo — and was actually his highest total of the season so far — it still left him several points behind most of the remaining contestants.
His Season 35 journey had started with an even lower number. Guillermo and Witney received just 10 out of 30 during the premiere, making their gradual improvement one of the stories Carson has continued emphasizing as she praises how seriously her partner is taking rehearsals.
But on Yacht Rock Night, being last on the judges’ leaderboard meant Guillermo needed significant help from viewers.
Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart, meanwhile, appeared to be in a safer position. Their foxtrot to The Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes” earned 18 out of 30, three points more than Guillermo.
Judge Derek Hough even told Taylor that it was his best dance of the season, praising the improvements he had made to his frame and movement across the floor.
Then came elimination.
Guillermo and Witney were left standing among the final couples awaiting their fate, along with Taylor and Britt and Jackson Olson and Emma Slater.
But when the eliminated couple was finally announced, it wasn’t Guillermo and Witney.
Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart were sent home.
The result visibly stunned Britt and Taylor and drew a surprised reaction inside the ballroom. Taylor later acknowledged that he felt their partnership was only beginning to gain momentum when their run suddenly came to an end.
Guillermo’s survival demonstrated once again why the DWTS leaderboard never tells the entire story. Judges’ scores are combined with viewer votes, meaning even the lowest-scoring couple can advance if enough people at home support them.
So Guillermo is still dancing. Despite sitting last on Yacht Rock Night with 15 points, he and Witney survived to compete again — while Taylor and Britt’s stronger 18-point performance unexpectedly became their final dance.
