Andy Richter tears up during 'DWTS' Rock & Roll Night amid continued low scores: ‘It feels like…’
Andy Richter got emotional during the Rock 'n' Roll-themed night on 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 34. From getting the lowest marks to getting bashed by the fans online, Richter's 'DWTS' journey is anything but smooth. Still, the comedian is leaving no stone unturned to entertain fans through his relentless efforts. In the latest episode, Richter got emotional while expressing gratitude to fans for supporting him in the dance competition.
Notably, Richter, who earned his highest scores of the season last week, but still found himself at the bottom of the leaderboard, vowed to keep improving. "I have to keep getting better," he said during practice. When his partner Emma Slater urged him to take things more seriously, Richter grew emotional, recalling how fans had celebrated his 59th birthday with virtual parties. "I can't imagine a better birthday," he said tearfully, while adding, "It just feels like I'm being held up and carried. It makes me want to do this."
This week, the pair performed a graceful contemporary routine to 'God Only Knows' by The Beach Boys, which can be tagged as one of Richter's most moving performances yet, as per People. The judges were full of praise for his performance, as Carrie Ann Inaba said he "profoundly embraced" every moment of the competition and was showing audiences what it truly means "to learn to dance." Derek Hough commended him for "embracing" the entire "process," adding that dance "shows people who they are and also breaks you open," to which Richter responded, "Absolutely."
Guest judge Flavor Flav told the pair, "You guys are good. Everything was right on point." Bruno Tonioli called the routine full of "childlike honesty," declaring Richter the "people's champion." Inaba, Bruno, and Hough each scored the dance a 7, while Flavor Flav gave it a 9, taking their total to 30 out of 40. Recently, Richter also opened up about the long-standing public focus on his appearance. Pondering on his weight loss during 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 34, the comedian admitted that attention to his body size dates back to his 1993 debut as Conan O'Brien's sidekick, as per E! News.
"One of my standard lines is, 'I didn't know there were so many ways to call someone fat,'" he said on the Tuesday, November 4 episode of his The Three Questions with Andy Richter podcast. He said, "'Cherubic,' 'Rotund,' It was galling to me at the time." Though he often used his looks as a "comedy trope," Richter joked that critics never seemed to notice anything else about him, saying, "They say nothing about my right-handedness, about my Caucasian [ethnicity], or about my blue eyes. They don't say anything about my good, strong teeth, but they have to mention that."
