While I was in Los Angeles last week, I had the chance to sit down with Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Allison Holker who are the hosts of two amazing specials this holiday season – Pop-Up Santa and Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic!
Pop-up Santa Holiday Special
For the first time ever as a 90-minute holiday special, Freeform’s “Pop Up Santa Holiday Special” has teamed up with sponsors to celebrate the spirit of the season through heartwarming moments including a home giveaway, a surprise baby shower at a military base, a family reunion of epic proportions, a celebration for two very special children at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and more.
We got to talk with Stephen and Allison about how it was to film this very heartwarming special!
Allison shared, “It’s just about gifting amazing, beautiful things to really deserving people, and we’ve gotten to meet some really awesome, awesome souls that have done so much and they just deserve so much love around them right now. In the Pop Up special, when they approached us, they said they would be having a baby shower for seventy-five women that are all on the Army base. They said, we’re going to the base, Fort Irwin. And my brother and his family live there. I literally jump every time I say it, but it was just like, we have to be a part of this, you know? These women are just so deserving. They’re so brave, and they have so much going on, but they handle it like champions. And they had no idea- we surprised them. They thought they were just doing a documentary about being on the base.
We surprised them with this baby shower, and just to see their eyes light up, just to give them so much because they’re so deserving, and they live these amazing, impactful lives, and they’re affecting their children, and other women, and they’re so supportive, it was really, really special. We gave them everything that they need. Everything.”
Stephen told us, “It really puts into perspective what it is that we’re doing, you know, because we work so much for ourselves throughout the year, and we’re so focused on us and our family, and stuff like that that, you know, to see examples of people giving back and in the ways the ways that we can give back, as well, is just incredible. It’s inspiring, you know what I mean?
You won’t want to miss this Pop-up Santa special this holiday season! The special follows celebrity guests including ballerina Misty Copeland, former NFL athlete DeMarco Murray, “The Fosters’” Sherri Saum, Tommy Martinez from new Freeform drama “Good Trouble,” a special Marvel guest and, of course, Freeform Santa as they team up with Freeform to spread holiday cheer.
Credit: Freeform
You’ll be able to watch the Pop-up Santa Holiday Special anytime on the Freeform app or watch it December 20 at 7am EST!
Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic
Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings is back with an all-new installment once again hosted by Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Allison Holker. This year’s stunning and romantic weddings at Walt Disney World Resort will feature a spectacular “Mary Poppins Returns” theme and a special performance by country music superstar Martina McBride!
Credit: Freeform/Todd Anderson
Allison shared with us what it was like to host Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings, “We get to be a part of these moments with them, forever. Your wedding is very, very important in your life, you know? And we can be a part of that monumental moment, and it bonds you with people, so it’s really cool – the relationships we get to have are very unique and very special, and we love it.”
I asked them if they have been inspired to renew their own vows and Stephen told us, “We’re about to celebrate our fifth anniversary on December 10th. But yeah, last year she was like, we should renew our vows. I’m like, we should wait until it’s a couple more years. But you kinda catch that wedding spirit, you know? Because you remember your day and our wedding was incredible, but it’s like, the day goes by like this, right? It happens so fast, so those little bits and reminders are kinda what bring you back, you know what I mean?”
Stephen also had some advice for couples that are planning their own weddings, “Patience, and also plan. Also make the, make the planning fun. It can be very easy to A.) just prescribe to the notion that planning a wedding is incredibly stressful. But the thing is, it does have moments where it is, but it doesn’t have to be that all the time. You can still have a really good time putting the seating charts together.
You know, she (Allison) is incredibly crafty and did a lot of the centerpieces decorations for our reception, and even though I wasn’t there to help artistically, being there to be like, dang babe, that looks good- that stuff, you know what I mean? It’s those little things that count. All my dudes out there listening, please don’t say, I don’t care. Don’t say it.”
Credit: Freeform
I can’t wait to see this special! There will be some Mary Poppins magic and Martina McBride even surprises the couple by performing at their wedding! Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic will air Saturday, Dec. 8, at 8:00-9:00 p.m. EST/PST.
Holiday Traditions and Working Together
Photo Credit: Rachel Ferrucci
When talking with Stephen and Allison, you could just see the chemistry and love from them. We asked them how they felt working together and Stephen shared, “It actually works out kind of perfectly because we’ve worked together a lot in many different areas, whether it be performing together, dancing, or even choreographing together. So it actually just kinda works right in line because I think over the years, we also know how each other works and we like to know what each other’s gifts and weaknesses are and join together. We just get- we’re good. We have a lot of fun; we have a lot of fun on set, you know what I mean?”
Allison chimed in, “It feels kinda like a blessing that we get to work together. I really enjoy it. I definitely know it’s not probably for everyone, but we really love it. We’ve always traveled together. I feel like it’s just what we do. We’ve always done it.”
Talking about their holiday traditions, Allison told us, “We’re a very big tradition house for every holiday. But I think for Christmas time, my favorite one is that we take our Santa photos as a family with our kids. We will do this even when they don’t want to- when they’re fourteen; when they’re twenty; when they have their own kids; we will do this family photo every single year, and we go very full out. We don’t just show up like this. We show up themed costumed, and ready to go. And last year, we went very full out. We went as the Grinch in Whoville. I was Martha May; Stephen the Grinch…My daughter was Cindy Lou Who…”
It took four hours to get everyone ready. We had two hair and makeup people come to our house and do the whole deal… We showed up, and people in the line are like, oh my gosh, it kind of shocked people.”
Credit: Allison Holker
Toys For Tots
This holiday season, Disney|ABC Television are teaming up with Disney store, ShopDisney.com and Toys for Tots. Fans and families can celebrate 25 Days of Christmas by dropping off a new, unwrapped toy at a U.S. Disney store or on shopDisney.com until December 15th and Disney store will contribute $5 per toy to Toys for Tots, up to $1 Million! For more information on Toys for Tots, go to ToysForTots.org.
To watch your favorite holiday content go to 25DaysOfChristmas.com. Post a selfie with your toy on social media using the hashtag #25DaysOfChristmas!
Connect with 25 Days of Christmas
Disclosure: Thanks so much to Disney for bringing me out to California for the event. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Leave a Reply