This Week’s Dancing with the Stars Vote Sends a Fan Favorite Home

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Dancing with the Stars said goodbye to the “people’s princess” on Nov. 11, as the show celebrated its 20th anniversary. The combined votes from viewers and judges’ scores eliminated Andy Richter and his professional dance partner, Emma Slater, from the 34th season of the show.

Richter was dubbed the “people’s princess” after remaining in the competition for several weeks, despite being towards the bottom of the judges’ leaderboard since the season premiered on Sept. 16.

“It’s changed my life,” Richter said aside Slater, immediately following the reveal of which contestant would be heading home. “I’m a different person because of this show and because of this woman right here. None of this would have happened without her. She knew how to use me.”

Richter and Slater’s final dance in the competition was a quickstep to Robbie Williams’ “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” The couple received a total score of 29 from the judges.

The remaining couples who will head into semi-finals on Nov. 18 are the following: Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten, Robert Irwin and Witney Carson and Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas.

Despite a bittersweet ending to Richter and Slater’s dance journey, the 20th anniversary episode was filled with celebration and the return of several familiar faces.

The original host of the show, Tom Bergeron, sat alongside Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough as the guest judge for the evening.

Additionally, all six of the show’s original professional dancers (Alec Mazo, Ashly DelGrosso, Charlotte Jørgensen, Edyta Śliwińska, Louis van Amstel and Jonathan Roberts) returned to the dance floor, alongside Hough, in an opening number to the episode. The performance was choreographed by Hough and was to a live version of the Dancing with the Stars theme song.

In addition to their performances with their dancing professional, each contestant, except for Leavitt, as she had won immunity in last week’s episode, had to compete in a dance relay, where they were each partnered with a former Mirrorball champion. This was the first time the contestants performed a full dance without their professional partner, but the pros still acted as a coach.

The six celebrities were divided into three pairs and performed head-to-head relay dances in competition with one another. The first couple would dance to the first half of the song, and the second couple would dance to the second half. After the dance, the judges would determine a winner of each relay. The winning couples had two bonus points added to their overall score for the evening.

Chiles was partnered with Apolo Ohno, and they danced a quickstep to Michael Bublé’s “I Get a Kick Out of You” against Hendrix and Rashad Jennings. Chiles and Ohno won the relay.

Richter was partnered with Kaitlyn Bristowe, and they danced a Viennese waltz to The Weeknd’s “Earned It” against Efron and Rumer Willis. Efron and Willis won the relay.

Irwin was partnered with Xochitl Gomez, and they danced a jive to Olly Murs’ “Dance With Me Tonight” against Earle and Joey Graziadei. Irwin and Gomez won the relay.

Along with the excitement of all the returning faces to the ballroom, for the first time this season, gold confetti fell over contestants, following the judges’ announcement of their scores. Four couples received a total score of 40, otherwise known as a perfect score.

Irwin and Carson performed a foxtrot to “Footprints in the Sand” by Leona Lewis and were given the first perfect score of the night and season.

Earle and Chmerkovskiy performed a foxtrot to “Singin’ in the Rain” by Matthew Morrison, Efron and Karagach performed an Argentine tango to “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers and Leavitt and Ballas performed an Argentine tango to “Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago the Musical,” all receiving total scores of 40.

Chiles and Sosa performed a cha cha to “Get Up” by Ciara featuring Chamillionaire, receiving a total score of 37. Hendrix and Bersten performed a salsa to “It Takes Two” by Ron Base & DJ EZ Rock, receiving a total score of 36.

With only two episodes remaining, Dancing with the Stars fans are excitedly anticipating who will be crowned season 34’s Mirrorball champion.

Mallory Fettig, 24, has been consistently watching the show since the last season. She is hoping to see Irwin win the competition. 

“I really love him,” said Fettig. “I think he’s improved a lot. I think he’s charismatic. He’s entertaining to watch.”