SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: JoJo Siwa Joins Season 18 Judging Panel

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE has tapped season 17 judge JoJo Siwa to replace Nigel Lythgoe in the upcoming season 18. (Lythgoe, who co-created the series, exited the series after being accused of sexual assault; he’s denied the allegations.)

“19 Entertainment, Dick Clark Productions, and FOX can confirm the upcoming season of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE will proceed, although without Nigel Lythgoe, to ensure the show remains committed to the contestants, who have worked incredibly hard for the opportunity to compete on our stage,” 19 Entertainment, Dick Clark Productions, and Fox said in a statement at the time.

Siwa will join SYTYCD vet Allison Holker and DANCING WITH THE STARS alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy on the judging panel in the upcoming season. (A source has confirmed that SYTYCD’s Comfort Fedoke, who guest judged for the auditions round, will still appear in those episodes.) Cat Deeley is set to return as host.

The new season of SYTYCD was already supposed to shake things up, with Fox teasing that “season 18 will infuse the long-running hit with a new format reflecting the authentic experience of building a successful career in dance, as so many SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE alums have. Each week, contestants will compete in new, intense dance challenges that will give them a real taste of the career, from performing in a music video or a football halftime show to going toe-to-toe on stage with a Broadway performer. In the end, it will be up to the judges to decide their fate. Eliminations will take place weekly, with the Top 3 finalists competing in the season’s spectacular finale, but only one will win the $100,000 grand prize and the highly coveted title of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE champion.”

 The network also teases, “This season will also debut new storytelling elements to further capture the authentic ups and downs experienced by professional dancers. For the first time ever, in addition to the big spectacle dance numbers that SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE has long been famous for, viewers will get a documentary-style inside look at the contestants’ dynamics, following them throughout the competition as they go through their personal and competitive journeys, including the daily struggles, new relationships, personality clashes and more.”

SYTYCD, Season Premiere, Monday, March 4, Fox

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• SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: Nigel Lythgoe Exits Following Sexual Assault Allegations
• Fox Renews (Revamped) SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

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