So you think you can understand why Matthew Morrison is looking for a new job?
The “Glee” alum recently joined Fox’s reality dance competition series “So You Think You Dance” as a judge for the recently launched 17th season alongside Stephen “Twitch” Boss and Jojo Siwa.
But just over a week after the premiere, the Tony-nominated Broadway star is taking two steps towards the exit after violating ‘competition production protocols’.
“Having the opportunity to be a judge on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ has been an incredible honor for me,” Morrison said in a statement Friday, per Variety. “Therefore, I have the greatest regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show. After filming the auditions for the show and completing the selection of the 12 finalists, I did not follow the production protocols of the competition , which prevented me from being able to fairly judge the competition.
He added, “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.”
The nature of Morrison’s breach of protocol has yet to be revealed, but an unnamed source told Us Weekly, which first reported the news, that the issue was a “minor infraction”.
The actor will continue to appear in four upcoming episodes until mid-June, when the first rounds of the competition are pre-taped.
A replacement for Morrison is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. A representative for Fox said the network will “soon be announcing a new judge for the series for the next wave of the contest starting June 15 with the Top 12 performing for the U.S. vote,” according to Us Weekly.
Morrison was selected as the new “So You Think You Dance” judge in April after the network opted to overhaul the series after a two-year COVID-related hiatus. The actor was brought in to replace the show’s longtime original judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, who weren’t invited back. Cat Deeley, however, remained the show’s host.
During his casting announcement, Morrison said he was “thrilled to be going back to my dance roots”.