Guillermo Rodriguez is out of Dancing With the Stars Season 35 — and Jimmy Kimmel isn’t letting it go quietly. The late-night host took to his show on Thursday morning to deliver a full-throated defence of his longtime sidekick, calling him ‘the brightest star in all the universe’ after Rodriguez and partner Witney Carson were eliminated on October 13. The pair had made it to week five, surviving multiple bottom-two threats thanks to viral routines and audience love. But even that wasn’t enough. Kimmel laid out the numbers: their YouTube clips, including the Super Bowl Night salsa to Bad Bunny’s Tití Me Preguntó, had drawn over 700,000 views, more than triple the next closest contestant. 'That’s not just popularity,' he said. 'That’s a cultural moment.' He didn’t mince words either. 'Once again, Guillermo’s in the bottom two. And once again, he relied on you, the viewers, to pull him through.' The result? A 'kick in the Mirrorballs.' The joke landed hard. But so did the frustration. Kimmel even joked about legal action. His professional dance partner agreed: 'Absolutely. I’m ready.' It wasn’t just about votes. It was about legacy. Kimmel praised Carson’s choreography as 'absolutely incredible', 'you’ve taken this lump of Play-Doh and sculpted him into a masterpiece.' He wasn’t just talking about technique. He was talking about transformation. Rodriguez, who entered the ballroom with little dance experience, admitted he’d achieved his only goal: losing weight. 'Jimmy, I said I was gonna lose weight. And I did lose weight.' That’s the kind of win no scoreboard can measure. Still, the emotional core came from the bond between the two. Carson, pregnant with her third child, spoke of how Rodriguez always checked in. 'are you eating, are you drinking, are you resting?', even before a live split. She called him 'really special.' And Rodriguez? He sent a message to fellow contestant Ezra Frech: 'Ezra, let’s go to lunch next week! I miss you! I love you, dude, and I hope you win!' The salsa routine earned 22 out of 40 points. Not enough. But the internet? It’s still dancing. The real question now: what happens when the music stops? Who takes the floor next?