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Comedian Andy Richter has made it through six weeks of Dancing With the Stars <\/em>and is now one of nine cast members<\/a> still in the running for the Mirrorball Trophy. He\u2019s up against some stiff competition, including two-time Olympian gymnast Jordan Chiles, wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives <\/em>cast members Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt.<\/p>\n The actor, 58, best known for his work as Conan O\u2019Brien\u2019s sidekick on Late Night <\/em>and The Tonight Show, <\/em>was not exactly thrilled about joining the DWTS <\/em>Season 34 cast<\/a>. <\/em>But he has somehow won over the audience enough for them to continue voting to keep him on the show.<\/p>\n \u201cHonest to God, my first reaction was, \u2018Turn it down and don\u2019t tell anyone,\u2019\u201d Richter told O\u2019Brien<\/a> on his SiriusXM show on Sept. 24. \u201cDon\u2019t let anyone know that I\u2019ve been asked. Because they\u2019d be like, \u2018Why wouldn\u2019t you do it?\u2019 It\u2019s because crabby baby does not want to be pushed out of his comfort zone, basically, is the long and short of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Richter signed on anyway and partnered with pro dancer Emma Slater. He told O\u2019Brien he thought he may \u201cstick around for a little bit\u201d thanks to Slater\u2019s talent, but an executive producer reminded him, \u201cThey\u2019re asking [viewers] to vote for your favorite dancer, not the best dancer, the favorite dancer.\u201d<\/p>\n Judges\u2019 scores affect rankings, but it\u2019s the audience votes \u2014 texted in during each episode \u2014 that ultimately determine who stays. Fans can vote for multiple couples and can cast up to 10 votes<\/a> per couple.<\/p>\n While DWTS <\/em>does not publicly share the total number of votes each couple receives from viewers, it\u2019s clear Richter\u2019s fan base<\/a> is the reason Richter and Slater keep advancing, since they\u2019ve earned some of the lowest scores from the judges<\/a>. On Tuesday, the pair was ranked at the bottom of the leaderboard<\/a>, but it was Pentatonix performer Scott Hoying and dancer Rylee Arnold who were eliminated.<\/a> What\u2019s keeping him on the show? A swarm of wholesome and deeply committed memes. Richter\u2019s mix of positivity<\/a>, likability<\/a> and overall dad energy<\/a> has made him a fan favorite online. TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a> and Reddit<\/a> are filled with new posts every Tuesday night urging viewers to keep voting for him even if, technically, he\u2019s not the best dancer<\/a> of the group \u2014 and this is, after all, a dancing competition.<\/p>\n One popular meme thread riffs on Richter\u2019s initial reaction about not wanting to be on the show at all \u2014 fans joke that he did not expect to make it this far and can\u2019t believe it\u2019s been six weeks.<\/p>\n Richter isn\u2019t the first underdog to make it<\/a> unexpectedly far in a talent-based reality show, purely thanks to audience support. In 2007, 17-year-old Sanjaya Malakar<\/a> was a finalist on American Idol, <\/em>despite being relentlessly criticized by judge Simon Cowell. His success was fueled by viewers who thought he was very funny on the show, not because of his singing.<\/p>\n Nearly two decades later, Richter is unintentionally pulling off a similar stunt \u2014 not because of his dance skills but because he\u2019s got the internet\u2019s vote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n