Los Angeles: Guillermo Rodriguez is dancing out of the ballroom with some very special friendships. After the Jimmy Kimmel Live! star and pro partner Witney Carson were eliminated during Dancing With the Stars season 35’s Super Bowl-themed episode on October 13, he shared insight into his growing bonds with fellow contestants Ezra French and Connor Wood.
“It’s a competition, but they’re good people,” Rodriguez told E! News in an exclusive interview alongside Carson. “We became friends and everything. We changed numbers.”
“I’m gonna go to lunch with Ezra, with Connor. We might go to a game on Saturday to see the Kings,” he continued, adding of his time in the ballroom, “It was amazing. It was a great experience.”
Reflecting on the Journey
Although the 55-year-old — who earned the week’s lowest score of 22 after dancing the salsa to Bad Bunny’s “Tití Me Preguntó” — won’t be getting his hands on the Mirrorball Trophy this season, he reflected on the hard work he and Carson put in.
“It was fantastic,” he said. “I thought it was gonna be hard, but it was too hard. It was very hard, but you know what? I was having fun every day that I go and dance every Tuesday.” And he has no regrets about lacing up his dancing shoes each week. As he put it, “I would do my best.”
Carson on Dancing 20 Weeks Pregnant
Meanwhile, Carson — who is expecting her third baby with husband Carson McAllister — was surprised they stuck around as long as they did.
“I never thought in a million years I would be competing on Dancing with the Stars 20 weeks pregnant, but Guillermo made it possible for me to do that,” she told E!. “It was empowering to see what my body could do each week.”
But the 32-year-old admitted that she and Rodriguez were struggling to keep up by the end of week five. “Towards the end there,” she explained, “we were both breaking down a little bit, but you know what? Women are amazing. It’s just a testament to what we can do and what we’re capable of.”
Rodriguez echoed the pro’s sentiments, adding, “She’s the best. Women can do anything they want.”
