‘Dancing With the Stars’ Alum Sends Strong Message to Fans

ABC "Dancing With the Stars"

Actress and “Dancing With the Stars” alum Leah Remini was brought on as a judge on season 17 of Fox’s show “So You Think You Can Dance,” but the feedback has not all been positive, according to the iactress.

“Glee” star Matthew Morrison was originally one of three judges on “So You Think You Can Dance” season 17. He joined “Dancing With the Stars” alum JoJo Siwa and Stephen “tWitch” Boss as well as host Cat Deeley.

Before the competition was completed, however, Morrison was axed from the show.

“Having the opportunity to be a judge on ‘So you Think You Can Dance’ was an incredible honor for me,” Morrison shared in a press release at the time. “Therefore, it is my deepest regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show. After filming the audition rounds for the show and completing the selection of the 12 finalists, I did not follow competition production protocols, preventing me from being able to judge the competition fairly.”

He added, “I cannot apologize enough to all involved and I will be watching alongside you all on what I know will be one of the best seasons yet.”

Leah Remini, 52, was announced as the third judge for the remainder of the season not long after.

Remini Hit Back at Critics

After the actress was announced as the new judge, some fans said they thought she was unqualified as a judge of the competition.

The star later took to TikTok to let people know that she is qualified as a judge on the show.

“Dance is my life!” she wrote on TikTok on July 13, 2022. “I have a dance studio in my home. I take it seriously.”

In the video, she addresses one of the comments.

“Okay, this is for, like, the one person asking why I’m judging on a dance show,” she said. “The real question is, why not? So, like, for the one guy who is like… ‘why is Leah Remini judging a dance show?,’ Because I am. I love dancing.”

She said that she’s been doing ballroom, cha cha, rumba, jive and salsa for years.

Remini Is Having a ‘Great Time’

Remini went on to talk about the fun she’s been having on “So You Think You Can Dance.”

“But who can judge a dance show? I’m having a great time,” she said. “I’m not even there as a dancer. I’m there as somebody who just enjoys dancing.”

She added, “I’m an actress. I’m a performer, so it’s about performing. That’s where I’m judging. So that’s the answer to that question. I’m having the best time.”

She went on to thank everyone for watching and supporting her.

Remini was a contestant on season 17 of “Dancing With the Stars,” and she later co-hosted the show during seasons 19 and 21. The star later returned as a guest judge during season 28 of the show, so “So You Think You Can Dance” is not her first dance judging experience.

Judge JoJo Siwa also hit out at critics who were questioning her dance experience when she was announced as a judge for “So You Think You Can Dance.”

“18 years of Dance Knowledge,” she wrote. “4 Major dance TV shows. I’ve hired over 1000 dancers. 16 Dance music videos. If you don’t like me that’s okay… but if you think I don’t know about dance ya just sound silly.”

“Dancing With the Stars” season 31 is set to premiere on Disney+ on Monday, September 19, 2022.

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