REALITY TV NEWSHow Jimmy Kimmel Sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez Went From Parking Lot Security Guard to Joining 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 35
Guillermo Rodriguez joined the cast of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 35.
June 23 2026, Published 6:29 a.m. ET
Guillermo Rodriguez is trading the Oscars red carpet for the ballroom.
Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime sidekick has joined the cast of Dancing With the Stars Season 35, ABC announced. Rodriguez revealed the news during the June 17 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, adding one of television’s most familiar supporting players to the next round of celebrity contestants.
From Jimmy Kimmel’s Parking Lot to the Dance Floor
The TV personality worked as a parking lot security guard before rising to fame.
Rodriguez, 55, has been part of Jimmy Kimmel Live! for more than 23 years, after first working as a parking lot security guard before becoming Kimmel’s right-hand man. Over the years, he has become a fixture on the show, appearing alongside Kimmel on-air and building his own fan-favorite segments, including his famously boozy Oscars red carpet interviews.
His casting brought a familiar TV face into an unfamiliar competition.
His casting gives Dancing With the Stars a contestant with a built-in TV following and a story that fits neatly into the show’s favorite formula: an unexpected celebrity stepping into a world far outside his comfort zone.
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Season 35 Takes Shape
ABC unveiled more celebrity contestants for the new season.
Rodriguez is the fourth celebrity contestant announced for Season 35. He joins Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson, Summer House star Ciara Miller and The Traitors and Love Island personality Maura Higgins.
The full lineup of celebrities and professional dancers will be revealed Sept. 2 on Good Morning America. Season 35 is set to premiere this fall on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough will return as hosts of the long-running competition series. Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough are back as judges, with BBC Studios producing the show in front of a live audience.
The Ballroom Keeps Expanding
The franchise expanded with a new spinoff ahead of the premiere.
The new season follows a major year for Dancing With the Stars. Season 34 ended with Robert Irwin and pro Witney Carson winning the Mirrorball Trophy in the November 2025 finale, while Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy finished second. Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa came in third, followed by Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach in fourth and Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten in fifth.
Season 34 brought in 72 million votes during its finale and nearly half a billion votes over the full season.
Before Season 35 arrives, ABC will also premiere Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on July 13. Hosted by Irwin, the new series follows 12 up-and-coming dancers living together and competing for a spot as a professional dancer on the upcoming season.
