Now that Dancing with the Stars aired its second episode, things are getting into full swing. Andy Richter, seen as Season 34's beloved underdog, thankfully avoided the double elimination that sent 4 hopefuls home. Now, he’s revealing why he has sincere hopes about sticking around for a while, regardless of his moves, or lack thereof, and his realistic perspective revolves around the voting system structure
The funnyman reunited with pal Conan O’Brien on the latter's podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. While chatting, O’Brien’s ex-talk show sidekick revealed behind-the-scenes bits about the long-running ABC program, including his honest-but-positive take on his odds. Richter explained his belief that DWTS is more of a TV show than a legitimate competition, and that because any good series has to have entertainment elements, he thinks his partnership with Emma Slater will be enough to get him through several more eliminations. In his words:
I kind of feel like I'm remaining very hopeful that I'll stick around for a little bit. Because I do think like it's a TV show, and when people are voting, and also, I mean, I am again relying so much on Emma's online presence and her sort of military campaign to get people to vote for us.
Frankly, I don’t disagree, the idea has been in place since OG American Idol, and he absolutely fits the bill of enjoyable content! If his chances relied on DWTS week 1 YouTube rankings, things would be different. Thankfully, it’s not and he has Slater, who co-won Season 24, and has a large online following who are seemingly loyal about voting in her favor.
Also, let’s not forget that Andy Richter is Andy Richter, and is loved by many, even if he's not as much of a household name, I can say with certainty that some fans are watching this show for the first time because of the comedian, and I doubt me and my husband are alone in that.
So, knowing that the 58-year-old knows the industry’s interests and his dedicated fanbase, his wishes aren’t too far fetched. He then expanded on his hunches and reasoned that it could take him a little farther than his footwork ever would. Along with it, the way a key element to the fabric of the show’s nature was explained by the executive producer, it solidified Richter’s feelings, as he said:
I think I'll stick around because I do kind of feel like it is a TV show, and the question isn't like, who is the dancer? It's like, who do you want to see in the TV show? Is ultimately what it ends up being. If you're going to watch this show next week, who do you want to see in the TV show if somebody has to go? One of the EP said at one point, and it struck me was, they're asking you to vote for your favorite dancer, not the best dancer, the favorite dancer.
Best and favorite are wildly different words but could be the very reason why the Elf actor remains in the running longer. Admittedly, I’m a comedy fiend above all else and I’m currently more inclined to watch Richter week after week rather than the wildly talented Season 34 teams who have a chance at winning. Don’t get me wrong, I love a fantastic dance number but a good comedian doing anything will have the edge.
For now, we’ll have to wait and see how Andy Richter fares among the other celebrities and their dance partners on Dancing with the Stars. Time will certainly reveal whether or not he can rely on his comedy chops to cover his so-so skills. Either way, I’m here for an entertaining time.
If you want to keep up with the competition, DWTS airs on ABC Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST or available live with a Disney+ subscription. Or, catch it the following day to stream with a Hulu subscription.
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