JoJo Siwa to REPLACE Nigel Lythgoe As Judge on So You Think You Can Dance _ E! N

Transcript

00:00 I just want to say how excited I am to be a part of So You Think You Can Dance season 18.

00:05 JoJo Siwa is returning to the judging panel on So You Think You Can Dance.

00:10 The show's network Fox announces January 26th that the 20-year-old will be replacing

00:14 longtime judge Nigel Lithgow. JoJo shares her reaction to the exciting news on her Instagram,

00:20 telling her fans she can't wait to be back on the show.

00:22 I just want to say how excited I am to be a part of So You Think You Can Dance season 18.

00:28 Oh my gosh, this show is iconic and legendary for so many reasons. It has produced some of the

00:36 world's greatest dancers and launched their careers. Almost every dancer that is known in

00:43 the world started or a massive step in their career was on So You Think. And so for this

00:50 show to be back and to be here for another season, this is now my second season with the show,

00:55 I am beyond excited, beyond grateful. The talent is actually insane and I cannot wait for everyone

01:03 to see them. I can't wait to see how this season pans out. I am very interested and excited myself.

01:09 It's going to be tough. It's going to be a long process, but it's going to be so good.

01:15 I am so excited. And also to be with Allison and Max. Couldn't ask for it any better.

01:19 The Dance Moms alum previously made her judging debut on season 17 of the dancing competition

01:25 show. JoJo will sit alongside fellow judges Allison Holker, whose late husband Stephen

01:29 Twitch Boss judged last season, and Maxine Trumovsky. And Emmy-nominated host Kat Dealy

01:34 will once again emcee the show, a position she's held since 2006. News of JoJo's return to the show

01:41 comes a month after Nigel was accused of repeated sexual assault by Paula Abdul in a lawsuit.

01:46 Nigel has denied the claims, issuing a statement that reads, "To say that I am shocked and saddened

01:51 by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement. For more than two

01:57 decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear and entirely platonic friends and colleagues.

02:02 I want to be clear. Not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I

02:08 stand for. I can't pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know

02:14 was untrue. But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have."

02:19 The judge and producer then announced on January 5th that he would be leaving the show,

02:23 saying in a statement, "I have informed the producers of So You Think You Can Dance of my

02:27 decision to step back from participating in this year's series. I did so with a heavy heart,

02:32 but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers,

02:37 and that's where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing

02:42 my name and restoring my reputation." The new season of So You Think You Can Dance is set to

02:47 premiere March 4th at 9 p.m. on Fox. Just last year, JoJo spoke on The Kelly Clarkson Show about

02:53 why joining the judging table of the hit reality competition show meant so much to her. "Now you're

02:58 a judge on So You Think You Can Dance. So you were a fan of the show when you were younger,

03:03 and now you're on it. Is that awesome?" "It's so unreal. I mean, growing up like in the dance

03:08 world, I was surrounded by So You Think You Can Dance. Yeah, I went to, this was the season

03:15 five tour, I believe. So I mean, I've been around the show for forever, and now to be

03:20 a part of its comeback in this capacity is just unreal."

03:25 So You Think You Can Dance is coming to Fox on March 4th.

03:27 [MUSIC]