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Unsurprisingly, Robert Irwin’s adorable positivity and Whitney Leavitt’s near-perfect footwork have captured the hearts (and votes!) of Dancing With the Stars season 34 viewers — but in a season 34 plot twist, Andy Richter has also cemented his place in the ballroom, and he’s proving he’s here to stay. While Andy, 58, initially rose to stardom as Conan O’Brien’s sidekick, his fandom reached new heights on DWTS. In week 2, Andy candidly admitted that he was initially “dreading” performing — but has since had a change in attitude, and embraced himself along the way. “That had all been protected by, ‘I’m a comedian.’ Now I have to admit, ‘Oh, this physical activity has made me feel better about myself,’” Andy shared in his One-Hit Wonder Night package with partner Emma Slater, who replied, “Oh that kind of makes me kind of well up a bit.” The vulnerable sentiment quickly tugged at the heart-strings of viewers, who took to social media to share their love for Andy’s candidness and relatability. “Dance and this experience has made Andy FEEL BETTER ABOUT HIMSELF. IM CRYING. #DancingWiththeStars #DWTS,” one user wrote via X, alongside a clip of The Office’s Michael Scott (Steve Carell) tearing up for the camera. Andy, however, did not wow judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, ultimately earning the second-lowest scores of the night — but still remained safe from elimination. While the judges’ scores matter (it is factored in as 50 percent of the couples’ combined total), it’s important to note that the fanbase also plays an equally important role. In the weeks that followed, Andy continued to hover around the bottom of the leaderboard — but in the words of Emma, his dancing transcended just a number from the judges. “Obviously, you get people that comment, ‘You know, this is a dance competition,’ but it is actually so much more than that,” Emma exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month, defending Andy’s spot in the competition. “It is an entertainment show, and it is for people that have not done this before, and so it’s beautiful to watch them get a moment in the spotlight and to grow and to see improvement. He, every bit, deserves his place here.” When Andy channeled his inner Hozier during TikTok Night, Inaba praised him for “completely giving us your heart,” which she noted is what DWTS is all about. Two weeks later, Andy dedicated his performance to daughter Cornelia — and America fell in love all over again with the Richter family. Despite his “musicality” being off, Carrie Ann gushed that Andy brought “all the joy to this room.” Andy’s infectious enthusiasm and positive energy is also, in large part, thanks to Emma. “Emma has this magical ability to completely put ego aside. It’s not about her. It’s not about her choreography being spectacular. It’s not about how well she dances. It’s not about her at all. She literally does everything she possibly can to make sure they have the best experience ever,” former DWTS pro Sharna Burgess said on an episode of “The Penthouse With Peta” podcast earlier this month. “Do you know how many pros on the show could do that? I’m not going to name them but very few.” For the uninitiated, Sharna knows a thing or two about earning the majority of fan votes. The former DWTS pro took home the Mirrorball Trophy in season 27, in what some fans may call the most controversial win of all-time with partner Bobby Bones — who placed toward the bottom of the leaderboard consistently. Former pro Peta Murgatroyd, meanwhile, echoed Sharna’s observation about Emma and Andy. “I want to see more of Andy and Emma because I love their partnership,” Peta shared. “She’s very good with this. She is the nurturer. She is the one that will harness the good in people and bring it out of them every single time. She will nurture her celebrities and make sure they have everything they need.” Andy certainly isn’t the first (or the last!) contestant that will face noise from critics who think he doesn’t belong in the ballroom. In 2023, Bobby sent a supportive message to Harry Jowsey as he received backlash from viewers who thought he should have been eliminated earlier. “I’m seeing you get some slack online and, yeah, welcome to the club, buddy. People hate us, ’cause they ain’t us, and they don’t work like we do,” Bobby shared of his advice to Harry during an interview with Page Six at the time. “Keep up the good work, because that’s what it is — work. It’s not where you start, it’s where you end.” Like Bobby (and maybe even Andy, time will tell), some of the best winners to root for through the years have had zero dancing experience — instead, relying on impressing viewers with their slow and steady progression. Think: season 3’s running back Emmitt Smith and pro Cheryl Burke, season 5’s race car driver Hélio Castroneves and pro Julianne Hough and season 12’s football coach Hines Ward and Kym Johnson. Which DWTS Season 34 Celeb Left Too Early? Before TikTok, X or Instagram ruled the ballroom, these stars could win the old fashioned way. Andy, for his part, has a fraction of the Instagram followers of his fellow competitors (Alix Earle’s 4.7 million and Robert’s 8.4 million are nowhere near Andy’s 106,000) — and while they deserve a spot in the competition too, it’s hard not to root for the underdog. If this didn’t convince you enough to vote Andy to 21523, it’s his birthday on next week’s Halloween Night — and it would just be cruel to send him home on his special day. Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. Prove your DWTS fandom with Us Weekly and Bracketology.tv! Compete against other fans and Us editors in the Bracketology DWTS fantasy league this season to predict which pairs will make it to the finale for season 34. Get access to exclusive content, stats and a chance to win prizes. Join the league for free today!
