‘So You Think You Can Dance’: New Judges Revealed

So You Think You Can Dance is changing things up for next season. Entertainment Tonight reported that three new judges will be on the panel, replacing longtime personalities Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy. Host Cat Deeley is set to return for the new season, which will premiere on May 18 on Fox. 

The judges panel for So You Think You Can Dance will now include JoJo Siwa, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, and Matthew Morrison. Boss has a long history with the show, as he first appeared on it as a contestant in Season 4, during which he came in second place. He later returned for the tenth season as one of the all-stars. Like Boss, Siwa also has a long history with dancing programs. 

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She first made a name for herself when she appeared on Dance Moms. More recently, she took part in the latest season of Dancing With the Stars. Siwa made history on DWTS as she became the first celebrity to have a same-sex partner, competing with pro Jenna Johnson. They came in second place. As for Morrison, fans likely best know him from his time as Will Schuester on Glee. But, he has also appeared in various Broadway productions and produced his own music. 

The previous season of So You Think You Can Dance, which aired in 2019, featured a judges panel comprised of Lythgoe, Murphy, Laurieann Gibson and Dominic “D-Trix” Sandoval. The show has also featured others on the panel over the years including Vanessa Hudgens, Paula Abdul, Jason Derulo and Mia Michaels. Ahead of the newest season, Lythgoe took to Twitter to reveal that he wouldn’t be coming back to the show. 

“I am so thrilled that America’s young aspiring dance talent will get to work with some of our greatest creative choreographers,” he wrote in early March. “On a personally sad note, I have not been asked to be on the judging panel this season. I don’t know who will be saying ‘Cue Music’ but I wish them well.” It was first announced that So You Think You Can Dance would be back for another season in early 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Due to the state of the world, the show has been on hiatus for the past couple of years. Finally, it will return for Season 17, albeit with different personalities judging the dancers’ skills.