Guillermo Rodriguez survived elimination despite receiving the night’s lowest score. Fans questioned the results after Ciara Miller was sent home.
Fans were quick to voice their disappointment after Guillermo Rodriguez received a score of 13 during the October 6 episode of Dancing With the Stars. The routine featured Rodriguez and his partner Witney Carson dancing a samba to Mariah Carey’s song “Obsessed.” Judges praised his personality but criticized his dancing technique.
However, Rodriguez’s score of 13 placed him at the bottom of the night. Despite this he managed to stay in the competition. Ciara Miller received a score of 21 but was eliminated.
Miller had improved her performance compared to previous weeks but did not receive enough viewer votes to survive. Jackson Olson was also in the bottom three but survived. Olson had faced criticism earlier in the season for a social media comment about Rodriguez’s dancing according to a report from AOL.
The judges gave high praise to several contestants including Maura Higgins and Harry Shum Jr. Higgins earned a score of 25 for her waltz while Shum Jr. received a 24. Some fans took to social media expressing frustration with the judges’ scoring.
One fan said “This is getting beyond ridiculous” and called for an end to the current voting system. Another fan criticized the judges for letting mediocre performers advance while good dancers were cut. Many fans also expressed sadness over Ciara Miller’s elimination.
They felt her performance had improved week by week. The show’s judges were also praised for noting improvements in contestants’ performances. However some fans questioned whether these changes were truly visible.
Carrie Ann Inaba highlighted what she saw as breakthrough moments even when those weren’t obvious to others. The judges’ comments were met with skepticism from some viewers. Some fans believed that the scoring system had become too lenient.
The show’s format and how judges score performances continue to spark debate among viewers. Jackson Olson took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the situation. He posted a video expressing his admiration for Guillermo Rodriguez.
Olson said he loved Rodriguez and wanted the show to focus on dancing. The controversy started after Olson commented on a social media video involving Rodriguez. The video featured a humorous recreation of their dance from an earlier episode.
Despite the comment the two men worked together to move past the issue. Rodriguez appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where he was praised by fans. One fan said his children were now obsessed with the show because of Rodriguez.
Ciara Miller spoke to E! News about her experience on the show. She said looks don’t always reflect fitness or performance ability. Maura Higgins also shared her thoughts with E! News about her journey on the show.
She mentioned that she uses a vision board to set goals for herself each year. Higgins said she spent New Year’s Eve alone reflecting and updating her vision board. Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+.
IMAGE: Credit: DNR Art Department