On the mend! Jeannie Mai returned to Dancing With the Stars three weeks after undergoing emergency throat surgery.
The Real cohost, 41, was among the season 29 contestants in attendance during the Monday, November 23, finale episode. During the show, host Tyra Banks gave Mai a shout-out before cameras cut to the TV personality in the audience.
Mai’s fellow DWTS competitors then cheered her on amid the finale. Chrishell Stause and AJ McLean were some of the other familiar faces who were there to cheer on the final four dancers.
Hours earlier, the Holey Moley correspondent teased her DWTS comeback and revealed that she will be back on The Real on Tuesday, November 24.
“Friendship is a wildly underrated medication,” Mai captioned an Instagram photo of herself surrounded by flowers and gifts after her surgery. “Those who come into your life and make you see sun where you saw clouds.”
The TV personality noted that the past few weeks “felt long and heavy” since she could not speak or leave bed while healing.
“But the calls, text messages, funny videos, matzo ball soupssss, bone broths😋 & encouraging words from all my friends in work and LIFE brought me back to 💯 ‼” she continued. “THANK YOU #MAIFAM for all your love..pls give me some time as I’m still sending thank yous!”
The former How Do I Look? host also and thanked her Real cohosts for “holding it down” amid her absence.
“Your Asian sensation bout to be BACK TOMORROW cuz she misses talking hunnnay😬🗣,” she added. (The TV host briefly spoke in a clip during DWTS about life after the show and joked that her mom insisted that she teach her how to dance.)
Earlier this month, Mai underwent emergency throat surgery and had to exit DWTS ahead of the Monday, November 2, episode. She later revealed that she was diagnosed with epiglottitis, a rare condition that causes inflammation of the tissue that protects the windpipe.
“Although I am grateful to be recovering safely, I can’t lie… I am devastated by the fact that my journey with #DWTS will end this way,” she wrote via Instagram after her surgery. “Dancing on this show has been the most exhilarating adventure. I’ve gained both beautiful friendships and loving supporters.”
