"Dancing with the Stars" fan favorites Andy Richter and Reginald VelJohnson come together for touching holiday dance

ABC treated dance enthusiasts to a festive surprise this week by airing a special holiday edition of Dancing With the Stars, following the conclusion of Season 34 last Tuesday, which crowned Robert Irwin as the champion. The special brought together all the professional dancers, selected members from the most recent cast, and beloved participants from previous seasons.

One standout performance featured Season 34 favorite Andy Richter joining forces with Reginald VelJohnson, the cherished actor from Season 33, in a heartwarming tribute to the tooth fairy. The performance was set to Donald Yetter Gardners holiday classic, All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth, beginning with a dynamic and meticulously choreographed routine.

Gradually, Richter and VelJohnson emerged from the back of the stage, portraying the titular front teeth. With smiles and playful spins alongside professional partner Emma Slater, the duo brought a joyful energy to the stage. Slater, a 17-season veteran who previously won Season 24 with NFL star Rashad Jennings, embraced the performers she helped make fan favorites through her viral social media clips.

When cohost Julianne Hough asked VelJohnson if he expected to return to the ballroom, he humorously replied, "I prayed yes." Richter admitted that performing as a tooth wasnt on his bucket list, adding, "Julianne, I've done a lot of things the last two months that I thought I'd never do." Slater shared a teaser of their performance on Instagram, featuring VelJohnson and Richter lip-syncing dialogue from the 1999 comedy Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, adapted to fit the DWTS theme.

Slater captioned the post with excitement: "A couple of icons together how lucky am I?!! [Andy Richter] #ReggieVelJohnson laughed so hard at this!!"

Richter, well-known as Conan O'Briens sidekick, captivated viewers with his sincere, if occasionally imperfect, dance moves. Though he lasted longer than VelJohnsonwho exited in Episode 2 while Richter made it furtherthe comedian faced some controversy for outlasting higher-scoring competitors. Reflecting on this, Richter told Entertainment Weekly he felt moments of "survivor's guilt" but ultimately had no regrets, acknowledging that eliminations were beyond his control.

Author: Sophia Brooks