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Andy Richter recently opened up about his noticeable weight loss journey during his stint on Dancing With the Stars, revealing that part of his transformation is thanks to GLP-1 medication.
During an appearance on Julianne Hough’s YouTube series “The Morning After (Show)” on Wednesday, November 12, Richter, aged 59, shared, “This show has also been a physical transformation for me because of the exercise, and I’ve lost weight.”
However, Richter was candid in explaining that it wasn’t solely the rigorous dance routines that led to his new physique. He acknowledged the role of medication in his journey, saying, “Thank you, Zepbound. Zepbound helped a lot.” This medication, which contains tirzepatide, is known to aid adults in weight loss.
Richter’s initial reaction to joining Dancing With the Stars was less than enthusiastic. Speaking on SiriusXM’s “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend” on Wednesday, September 24, the comedian recalled receiving an email about the opportunity last April while at home. Reflecting on that moment, he shared, “It was in the morning, and honestly, I wasn’t thrilled.”
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 […]
The comedian went on to say he thinks it’s “silly” that there is so much judgment about using GLP-1s like Zepbound or Ozempic.
“I don’t have any qualms about using science to help me over something,” Richter told Hough, 37, comparing it to his usage of antidepressants in the late ’80s when many of his friends were unaware of how helpful they could be to his mental health.
“I had friends who said, ‘It’s going to change you,’” he recalled of taking antidepressants, noting that some people talk about weight loss drugs the “same” way.
Richter said his perspective on GLP-1s is that “this is obviously a problem for people, [so] let them take a medicine that helps them get past it.”
Ozempic has become a hot topic when it comes to weight loss — with some stars confirming they have used the drug while others denied it. Chelsea Handler admitted during a January 2023 episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that she unknowingly took the Type 2 diabetes medication, which is traditionally used to improve […]
While his sit-down with Hough was released on Wednesday, it was taped before he and dance partner Emma Slater were eliminated from season 34 of DWTS on Tuesday, November 11.
Although Richter admitted he was not the “best dancer” on the show, he called the experience life-changing.
In addition to it being “physically transformative,” the competition gave him a renewed sense of self and fuel to finally check things off his to-do list as he grows older.
“I came into this show reluctant about doing this thing,” Richter said. “It was beaten out of me. It was driven out of me over repetition over having to do it.”
Throughout the show, Richter found a “love” of dance and a desire to “mean it” when he says he’s going to have a healthier lifestyle.
“Now it’s like, when this show is done, knees willing, I am back in the gym,” the actor declared. “I haven’t needed to do anything but dance. I am curious when I get back on an elliptical, like, how long I can go and how much higher I can do the resistance.”
Richter also revealed that his “opinion on what I am capable of physically is brand-new.”
Andy Cohen revealed the secrets behind his slimmer figure after losing “a good chunk of weight” this summer. The king of Bravo tea, 57, brewed up a personal pot of his own on the Tuesday, September 9, episode of his SiriusXM show, Andy Cohen Live, during which Cohen admitted it would be “hypocritical” to not […]
Ahead of Richter and Slater’s DWTS elimination, the contestant reflected on how he’d grown as a dancer following his ballroom debut in September.
“I was thinking I won’t be able to cut it,” Richter said in an October show rehearsal package. “Now, I have to admit all this physical activity has made me feel better about myself.”
He shared that two months into the competition, “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.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
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