Andy Richter is one of the contestants on Dancing with the Stars this season and is partnered with pro Emma Slater. While Richter is one of the older stars on the show this season, he has won the hearts of America and succeeded in making it to week nine, where he was crowned the “People’s Princess.” Although Richter stole the audience’s hearts with his genuine enthusiasm and joy, did his large fan base ruin other contestants’ true chances of winning?
Richter is an actor, comedian, writer, and talk show host, most known for being the sidekick for Conan O’Brien on Late Night, The Tonight Show, and CONAN. He is also known for his roles in Elf and Madagascar, in which he voiced the character Mort. He also starred in shows such as Andy Richter Rules the Universe, Andy Barker P.I., and Arrested Development. Richter is currently hosting the podcast, “The Three Questions,” and the radio show, “The Andy Richter Call-in Show” on SiriusXM. He is married to Jennifer Herrera and has three children, one being Cornelia, who performed alongside Richter during Dedication Night.Â
Richter starred in Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars and survived until week nine of eliminations, during the 20th Birthday Party episode on Nov. 11. Interestingly, Richter was not the most skilled dancer on this season; however, he was able to beat out other contestants solely based on fans’ votes. Throughout his time on the show, he was able to grow a large fan base based on his genuine enthusiasm about having this opportunity, as well as his improvement and hard work each week. It was clear that even though Richter wasn’t the most talented dancer, he put in the work to execute the dances well, and the TikToks he made alongside the other cast members didn’t hurt. As a result, Richter was dubbed the “People’s Princess” by his fanbase.
“I’m the people’s princess. I do not mind in the slightest…Give me the tiara. I’ll put it on,” Richter said while interviewed by Julianne Hough.
Richter was overjoyed with the immense support he received from the public during his time on the show. However, lots of people were beginning to feel that Richter no longer deserved to continue on the show, since he wasn’t as talented compared to the other contestants who were getting voted off. Others even claimed that Richter didn’t want to be there anymore based on his facial expressions during eliminations each week; however, I think he was just in shock that he was continuing. Furthermore, the whole premise of the show is to get votes from the American public in order to continue on. That is exactly what Richter did. He won the hearts of America and was then able to stay until week nine, based solely on votes, even with having the lowest judges’ scores. This just proves Richter’s ability to win over a crowd. Richter’s experience on Dancing with the Stars displays exactly how the show is supposed to work. The audience has the opportunity to vote for who they want.
Richter stole the hearts and minds of those who watched the show, which may have seemed shocking to some, but it proved how deserving he is of the title “People’s Princess.”
Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!Â