Dancing With the Stars had fans quickly swooning on the Season 34 premiere, but following some behind-the-scenes drama at ABC, the honeymoon period appears to be over, as even celebrities competing are speaking out when it comes to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension from the network.
ABC has been under fire by many following the decision to pull Kimmel’s show “indefinitely” due to his monologue that talked about Charlie Kirk’s accused killer.
And now, as a boycott from fans threatens Dancing With the Stars just after its return for its 20th anniversary season, some of the celebrities involved with the show are lending their voices to the mix.
Fans have said they will cancel their Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions and no longer watch ABC shows like DWTS until Kimmel’s show is restored, which is causing fears for the reality competition series, as it is in the middle of a resurgence.
It appears some fans have the support, though, of at least two competitors from Season 34–Andy Richter and Lauren Jaurgeui.
Richter, who also hails from the late-night comedy scene, took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the matter, with several stories lambasting the decision to remove Kimmel from the air.
Not only did he say to “add his name” to a list of comedians who spoke out about Kimmel’s axing, but he also seemingly slammed that potential mergers being blocked by the FCC played a role in both Kimmel’s show being taken off the air and Stephen Colbert’s being canceled as well.
He also shared a statement from his longtime comedy partner, Conan O’Brien, who also harpooned the suspension.
“The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel and the promise to silence other Late Night hosts for criticizing the administration should disturb everyone on the Right, left, and Center. It’s wrong and anyone with a conscience knows it’s wrong,” O’Brien’s statement read.
Richter isn’t the only one who has spoken up, as Lauren Jaurgeui also seemingly addressed it in a story of her own, with a quote about silencing opposition.
“The act of silencing is always an admission. Of inferiority, of fear. A confession that the most effective threat to a perverted power is something as accessible and determined as voice,” the post read, attributing the quote to Cole Arthur Riley.
The pair’s speaking up led some fans to speculate on Reddit that they could boycott the show themselves, though many quickly shut down the idea, as they signed contracts when signing on to the show that likely are ironclad when it comes to their participation.
However, even if they do still perform, the threat of a boycott remains as a massive threat to the show, just as it starts swinging back into being one of the shining jewels in ABC’s programming crown.
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After years of losing viewers, which saw the show reduced from two days a week to one, and eventually once a year, and even briefly tossed to Disney+ before coming back to ABC, it is once again enjoying favorable numbers among viewers.
According to Variety, the Season 34 premiere had 6% more viewers and a 49% increase in the ratings over last year’s premiere, making it the biggest opener in five years.
Fan voting was also up with 21 million votes cast for the new cast, a rise of 163% over the season before, which only had 8 million votes. Social interactions were also up 58%.
A boycott could undo all of the show’s successes–once again bringing it to a crossroads when it comes to its future.
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
