Dancing With The Stars’ Andy Richter Shares Why He’s ‘Very Hopeful’ To Stay On The Show Regardless Of His Dancing Skills, And It’s A Refreshing Take

by

After the second episode of *Dancing with the Stars*, the competition is really heating up. Andy Richter, quickly becoming a fan favorite, managed to avoid being one of the four contestants eliminated this week. He’s now sharing why he’s optimistic about staying in the competition, even if his dancing isn’t perfect, and believes understanding how the voting works is key to his success.

The comedian recently joined his friend Conan O’Brien on the podcast, *Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend*. During their conversation, he shared some behind-the-scenes stories about the popular ABC show *Dancing with the Stars*, and gave his candid, but optimistic, assessment of his chances. He explained that he sees *DWTS* as more of a television show designed for entertainment than a true competition, and believes his chemistry with partner Emma Slater will keep them safe from elimination for a while.

I’m still optimistic about staying on the show for a while longer. It is a competition based on audience votes, and I’m really counting on Emma to rally support and encourage people to vote for us.

You know, I get why people are talking about this. It reminds me of the early days of *American Idol* – someone just naturally made for good TV! If his success depended solely on how well his *Dancing with the Stars* debut did on YouTube, he’d be in trouble. Luckily, that’s not how it works, and he’s partnered with Slater, who won Season 24 and has a huge, dedicated fanbase who seem really committed to voting for them. It definitely gives him a boost!

It’s easy to overlook, but Andy Richter is a well-loved comedian in his own right. While he might not be as widely known as some, I’m sure many people are discovering or revisiting this show because of him – my husband and I are definitely among them.

Given his 58 years of experience and loyal following, his ideas aren’t unrealistic. He believed these insights could take him further than his skills alone. Plus, the executive producer’s explanation of what makes the show special confirmed his instincts, leading him to say:

I’m going to keep watching because it feels more like a TV show than a competition. The point isn’t to figure out who the most skilled dancer is, but who you *want* to see on the show. It really comes down to who you enjoy watching, and who you’d want to continue seeing if someone had to be eliminated. One of the producers put it perfectly: they’re asking us to vote for our favorite dancer, not necessarily the best one.

While “best” and “favorite” mean different things, they might be why the actor from *Elf* is staying in the competition for so long. Honestly, I love comedy the most, and right now I’m more interested in watching Richter each week than the incredibly skilled contestants from Season 34 who could actually win. I do appreciate a great dance performance, but a funny person doing just about anything will always grab my attention.

Disney+ offers a streaming library packed with Marvel, Star Wars, and other favorites. You can start watching for as little as $9.99 per month with ads. For an ad-free experience, it’s $15.99 monthly, or you can save 16% by paying $159.99 for a full year. See the deal here!

We’ll have to watch and see how Andy Richter does on *Dancing with the Stars* alongside the other celebrities. It will be interesting to see if his comedic talent can make up for his average dancing abilities. Regardless, I’m looking forward to enjoying the show!

To stay current with the show, *Dancing with the Stars* (DWTS) airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC. You can also watch it live with a Disney+ subscription, or stream it on Hulu the next day.

Read More

2025-09-25 05:09