Dancing With the Stars fans just got another unexpected name to talk about, and this one comes straight from late-night television.
Guillermo Rodriguez, the much-loved Jimmy Kimmel Live! personality who has spent more than two decades winning over viewers with his red carpet chaos, warm humor and unmistakable charm, is officially joining Dancing With the Stars Season 35.
The announcement was made during Wednesday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, giving fans a surprise crossover moment between ABC’s late-night world and its glitter-covered ballroom franchise.
Rodriguez now joins a growing Season 35 lineup that already includes Maura Higgins, known for The Traitors and Love Island, Ciara Miller from Summer House, and Savannah Bananas baseball player Jackson Olson. The full celebrity cast will not be revealed until September 2 on Good Morning America, but Guillermo’s addition has already given viewers a pretty clear idea of the kind of energy this season could bring.
And really, if anyone understands live television, pressure, awkward pauses and being thrown into unpredictable situations, it is Guillermo.
He has been part of Jimmy Kimmel Live! for more than 23 years, becoming one of the show’s most familiar and beloved faces. What started as a behind-the-scenes job turned into a long-running television role, with Rodriguez appearing alongside Jimmy Kimmel almost every night and becoming a key part of some of the show’s funniest recurring segments.
He is especially known for his Oscars red carpet interviews, where he often turns Hollywood’s most polished stars into laughing, confused or completely disarmed versions of themselves. His appeal has always been simple: he is funny without trying too hard, charming without being slick, and comfortable in the kind of chaos that makes live entertainment actually watchable.
That could make him a perfect fit for Dancing With the Stars, where personality can matter almost as much as footwork. The show has long loved contestants who arrive with little or no ballroom experience but plenty of heart, humor and willingness to throw themselves into the madness.
Last season offered a perfect example of that with Andy Richter, Conan O’Brien’s longtime sidekick, who competed in Season 34. Richter was not exactly a natural dancer, and nobody was pretending otherwise, but he quickly became one of the season’s most endearing contestants. His good attitude, sense of fun and refusal to take himself too seriously carried him surprisingly far, with Richter surviving until just before the semifinals.
Now Guillermo appears ready to follow in that late-night sidekick tradition, stepping out from behind the desk and onto the dance floor.
Season 34 ended last fall with conservationist Robert Irwin taking home the Mirrorball trophy, a win that delighted many fans after a season filled with emotional performances and unexpected eliminations. Irwin’s victory also helped keep the show’s momentum strong heading into another year, and ABC is clearly leaning into that enthusiasm.
Before Season 35 begins in the fall, the franchise is also expanding with a spinoff, Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, hosted by Robert Irwin. That series is set to premiere Monday, July 13, at 8/7c on ABC, with episodes available the next day on Hulu. It will give viewers a new look at the professional side of the ballroom, while the main series prepares for another celebrity lineup reveal later in the year.
As for Season 35, fans will be able to watch Dancing With the Stars live on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu. That multi-platform setup has helped keep the competition accessible to longtime viewers while also pulling in younger fans who prefer streaming over traditional TV.
Guillermo’s casting also feels like a smart bit of ABC family synergy, because nothing says modern television quite like moving a beloved late-night personality into a dance competition and hoping the internet does the rest. In this case, it probably will.
The big question, of course, is how Guillermo will actually do once rehearsals begin. Dancing With the Stars can be unforgiving, especially for contestants who come in with more personality than polish. The ballroom exposes everything: timing, stamina, nerves, posture, and the terrifying reality that sequins do not make your hips move correctly.
But Guillermo has something many contestants would love to have from day one: a built-in fanbase that already wants to root for him. He is not entering as a mysterious celebrity name people need to Google. He is the guy viewers feel like they already know, the familiar late-night presence who has spent years making stars laugh and audiences smile.
That kind of goodwill can go a long way on Dancing With the Stars. It will not save a truly disastrous routine forever, because even charm has its limits, tragic as that may be for civilization. But it can help a contestant survive the early weeks, especially if audiences feel like they are watching someone genuinely try.
For now, Guillermo Rodriguez is not just Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick anymore. He is the latest celebrity preparing to trade late-night jokes for ballroom steps, judges’ scores and the possibility of a Mirrorball run that no one saw coming.
And if his dancing turns out to be half as entertaining as his red carpet interviews, Season 35 may already have one of its most watchable contestants.
