Dancing with the Stars had its first holiday special, featuring original choreography performed live, interspersed with replayed clips of past Christmas performances. Eagle-eyed fans could catch some of the DWTS season 34 cast supporting their former pros in the audience, including actress Elaine Hendrix and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt, the next Roxy Hart in Chicago.

One of the most adorable moments in the DWTS holiday special featured pro Emma Slater reunited with her two most recent partners on the ballroom floor, the People’s Princess Andy Richter and season 33’s Reginald VelJohnson. Watching the background dancers run literal circles around Andy and Reggie spotlighted how badly Slater deserves a ringer in season 35.

Pro Emma Slater Has Taken Partners Far, But Not Since DWTS Season 25

Seeing Andy Richter and Reginald VelJohnson lovingly, earnestly shuffling to “All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)” was tender, but made something crystal clear: Emma Slater hasn’t been given a true contender in years. Reggie, the oldest competitor of his season, was universally adored but could barely move.

Andy embodied everything DWTS celebrates: starting from nothing, embracing the process, and radiating gratitude the whole way through. His appearances were sweet, but they also reminded viewers how hard Slater has to work just to make her partners look presentable, let alone competitive.

It wasn’t always this way. Slater won the Mirror Ball in 2017 with NFL running back Rashad Jennings in season 24, then immediately returned to the finale in season 25 with Property Brother Drew Scott. Those back-to-back seasons proved how effectively she can shape raw potential into a contender.

Since then, despite appearing as a pro every season, she hasn’t made it back to the finale once. The issue isn’t her talent, it’s the casting. Her average partner is around 50 years old, including John Schneider and Charles Oakley.

Donny Osmond remains the oldest Mirror Ball winner ever at 52, which shows how rare it is for older stars to go all the way. DWTS simply isn’t setting Slater up for success, and season 35 is overdue to give her someone who can truly keep up.

It’s impossible to predict the secret sauce that will produce a Mirror Ball Champion, but some stars are obvious ringers, like DWTS season 34 champion Robert Irwin, whose victory was predicted from the time his casting was announced.

Robert was not just young and athletic; he was coming in carrying his father’s beloved legacy. Moreover, his sister Bindi, one of the best DWTS winners, had won the Mirror Ball a decade prior with now-judge Derek Hough as her partner, creating a symmetry that Robert’s charisma easily carried to the finish line.

Emma Slater, by contrast, consistently elevates partners who start with far less natural ability. Her work with Andy Richter last season proved it: he improved dramatically, far beyond what anyone, especially Andy himself, could have imagined. Andy’s noticeable weight loss is a testament to how physically gruelling DWTS is.

Slater’s impact isn’t limited to the ballroom. She co-runs DWTS’ social media channels, hypes the tour, and keeps the show front and center in the public eye. DWTS is her life. She was previously married to pro Sasha Farber and is currently in a relationship with fellow pro Alan Bersten, further cementing her deep connections to the DWTS family.

For all her dedication, Slater rarely receives a partner with the built-in potential to compete at the highest level. Year after year, she’s given partners she has to work overtime just to make them look decent. DWTS season 35 is overdue to pair Slater with someone who can match her talent and ambition.