REALITY TV NEWS'DWTS' Star Guillermo Rodriguez Reveals He Gained 10 Pounds Despite Grueling Rehearsals
Guillermo Rodriguez discussed his weight gain while preparing for 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 35.
Sept. 10 2026, Published 1:39 p.m. ET
Guillermo Rodriguez is not losing weight as he prepares for Dancing with the Stars Season 35.
"I did. Ten pounds," Rodriguez told Jimmy Kimmel on the September 8 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, when asked about his weight gain.
Guillermo Rodriguez revealed he gained 10 pounds while preparing for 'DWTS.'
Rodriguez has been spending long hours preparing for the competition with professional dancer Witney Carson.
"After the practice, I go eat right away. I'm so hungry," he said.
"It's going good, Jimmy. It's a lot of work. My body hurts, but I think I’m going to be doing this," he added.
Kimmel showed his support for Rodriguez as he praised his longtime sidekick.
Rodriguez kept his response simple: "I’m having fun, Jimmy."
Guillermo Rodriguez Wanted To Lose Weight
Guillermo Rodriguez opened up about his experience with the dance competition.
Weight loss was one of the reasons Rodriguez wanted to take part in DWTS.
"Everybody who does Dancing with the Stars, they tell me they lose weight," he told Entertainment Tonight earlier this month.
He continued, "So, I want to lose weight."
His partner, Carson, also knew food would remain part of Rodriguez's routine during rehearsals.
After revealing that she was pregnant with her third child, Carson recalled his reaction.
"I was telling Guillermo, I'm like, 'I'm a little nervous to tell you, but I am pregnant," she said.
"And he's like, 'I actually feel a little relieved because that means you'll take a lot of breaks for food,'" Carson told E! News.
Carson continued, "I was like, 'That is true. That's very true."
- How Jimmy Kimmel Sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez Went From Parking Lot Security Guard to Joining 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 35
- Witney Carson Lands Guillermo Rodriguez as Her 'DWTS' Partner After She Admits She Needs 'Someone Who's Fun'
- Who Is in the Cast of 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 35? Meet the Confirmed Contestants — Including Jenna Dewan, Ciara Miller and More
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Other 'DWTS' Stars Who Lost Weight
Mauricio Umansky revealed he lost 14 pounds during his time on 'DWTS,' whereas Ally Brooke lost around 10 pounds.
Rodriguez's experience differs from that of some previous DWTS contestants who have spoken about losing weight during the competition.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Mauricio Umansky revealed in October 2023 that he lost 14 pounds in one month while competing on Season 32.
Former Fifth Harmony singer Ally Brooke also expressed her side of the experience on the show.
"I'm small so that 10 pounds really shows and I feel so much more confident in myself, I feel so much stronger, so much healthier, and it really has changed my confidence in myself all around," she told Woman's Day.
Guillermo Rodriguez might face plenty of competition as Season 35 began, even with Witney Carson as his partner.
This season's cast features several stars with dance experience, including Jenna Dewan and Harry Shum Jr., as well as Julia Stiles, who played a professional dancer in the Step Up franchise.
Olympians Amber Glenn and Ezra Frech are also joining the lineup.
Dewan's casting has already sparked some debate among fans because of her background as a backup dancer and her role in the dance movie Step Up.
"I do not know how to ballroom dance. Let’s be clear. It’s two different languages... It’s a new technique, brand new technique. It almost threw me off initially because I had to unlearn a lot of — I don’t want to say bad habits — but just habits of the style that I’m used to," Dewan told Entertainment Weekly.
