Renowned comedian Andy Richter recently opened up about his public struggles with weight, revealing that his participation in Dancing With the Stars has helped him shed some pounds.

During a discussion with actor Colin Hanks on the November 4 episode of his SiriusXM podcast, “The Three Questions with Andy Richter,” the 59-year-old shared his thoughts. Hanks, 47, joined the conversation to talk about his role in directing the Prime Video documentary, John Candy: I Like Me, when the subject of weight became a focal point.

Hanks remarked on how often the late John Candy’s weight was a topic in interviews. This prompted Richter to reflect on the early days of his career. He reminisced, saying, “One of my go-to comments about starting out in 1993 on Late Night With Conan O’Brien was how it was my first real experience in the limelight. Although I had acted before, none of it had gained significant attention, not even the film Cabin Boy, which hadn’t been released at that time.”

Stepping out of his comfort zone, Richter has embraced the challenge of Dancing With the Stars. In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly on September 3, the 58-year-old expressed, “This is an entirely new experience for me. It’s far from what I’m accustomed to, making me feel a bit insecure, but it’s an exciting journey.”

Comedian Andy Richter is stepping outside of his element on Dancing With the Stars. “[This is] a whole new world,” Richter, 58, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, September 3. “This is, like, not even close to being [inside] my comfort zone. This is really different for me, and, you know, makes me feel insecure […]

He added, “One of my standard lines is, ‘I didn’t know there were so many ways to call someone fat.’ Because it was just cherubic, rotund, all these different [words].”

Richter said the way he was described was “galling” to him.

“They don’t say anything about my good, strong teeth. But they have to mention that,” he continued, noting that there’s a “comedy” aspect as well. Richter even admitted to joking about his own weight struggles.

“I would always say it’s skinny and fatty,” Richter recalled. “That’s a comedy trope. It was always kind of that thing.”

Richter has been candid about discussing his recent transformation since making his DWTS debut in September alongside professional dance partner Emma Slater.

The comedian said on the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast last month that he initially didn’t want to be on DWTS but decided to use the show as a way to “get moving” in his daily life.

“It got me to go to the gym and do cardio, which I loathe. I started to do a lot more stretching just to kind of prepare myself,” he said. “I was terrified that I was going to get injured or that I just wouldn’t be able to do it. And then would have to pull out and be embarrassed.”

When he first heard about the opportunity to appear on Dancing With the Stars, Andy Richter was not thrilled. “In April I got an email about doing it. I was home at the time. It was in the morning,” Richter, 58, shared on SiriusXM’s “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend” on Wednesday, September 24. “Honest to […]

Slater, 36, mentioned that Richter has lost weight during last week’s prerecorded package ahead of their performance.

“I was thinking I won’t be able to cut it,” Richter said in one rehearsal package. “Now I have to admit all this physical activity has made me feel better about myself.”

He added, “I definitely felt like, ‘Well, I’m older now, I can’t do as much as I used to.’ And now, I’m like, ‘Yes you can, you lazy bum.’ I just feel like a better person now. I feel more alive.”

Richter’s continued success in the competition has received mixed reactions from viewers. Some DWTS fans want him to win, while others hope the comedian gets eliminated.

“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,” Slater told Us Weekly exclusively last month. “He, every bit, deserves his place here.”