It was a short run on Fox So you think you can dance for Matthew Morrison. The Joy alum, who was just announced in April as the new judge on the hit dance competition series starring JoJo Siwa, is leaving the show after failing to follow production protocols. The news comes a week after the premiere of season 17 of the series.
“To have the possibility of being a judge on So you think you can dance was an incredible honor for me. Therefore, I deeply regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show,” Morrison said in a statement provided to Deadline. “After filming the show’s auditions and completing the selection of the 12 finalists, I did not follow the production protocols of the competition, preventing me from being able to judge the competition fairly. I can’t apologize enough to everyone involved and will be watching alongside you all for what I know will be one of the best seasons yet.
Sources tell Deadline that a new judge, who will join Siwa and Stephen “tWitch” Boss on the panel, will soon be announced for the next set of competition episodes which begin June 15. Morrison appears in a total of four episodes which have been pre-recorded.
Cat Deeley is host to the long-running series featuring talented dancers aged 18-30, showcasing their talents in various dance styles including contemporary, tap, hip-hop, ballroom , animation and breaking.
The series is produced by 19 Entertainment and Industrial Media’s MRC. Rosie Seitchik serves as showrunner and will executive produce alongside co-creator Lythgoe, Jeff Thacker, Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman.
We Weekly was the first to report Morrison’s exit.