Heavy/Fox Allison Holker.
Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro dancer Allison Holker honored her late husband Stephen “tWitch” Boss on the season 18 premiere of “So You Think You Can Dance.” Holker is a judge on the Fox dancing show alongside Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Comfort Fedoke.
The SYTYCD premiere in March 2024 marked Holker’s return to TV more than a year after the death of her husband, who died by suicide at age 40 in December 2022. Holker had been married to Boss since 2013 and shared three children with him.
During the first SYTYCD audition round, contestant Jin Lee Baobei thanked Holker for keeping tWitch’s legacy alive, prompting an emotional response from the pro dancer—and a heartbreaking montage.
Allison Holker Revealed How She Honors ‘tWitch’
Stephen “tWitch” Boss was a runner-up on “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2008, according to TMZ. He met his future wife Holker when they were both all-stars on the show. Boss’s past on the show was referenced during the SYTYCD premiere.
In an emotional segment on the Fox dance show, Jin shared that she lost her father. She thanked Holker for holding herself with such grace and “continuing to be a light” following tWitch’s death.
Holker became emotional as she responded. “I appreciate you saying that so much,” she told Jin. “It is not an easy journey for anyone.”
“Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss was and will forever be an icon [and] a legend because he was truly the best at what he did,” Holker said through tears. “But also because he brought out the best in everyone around him.”
“To this day, for me, my children, and everyone here, he’s still doing that,” the mom of three added. “And how we honor him is by giving that light back. Because that’s what he would want too.”
A video montage of Boss from his days on SYTYCD then appeared onscreen before a single photo of him was captioned with “Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss 1982-2022.”
Fans reacted in the comment section of a YouTube video of the segment, with many sharing that they were in tears over the poignant tribute.
“I was holding it together until the end with the videos of Stephen. Now the tears flow. He is missed so much,” one viewer wrote.
“Omg I wasn’t expecting the ending of that just made me bawl I miss him.” another wrote.
“I am sobbing at this whole segment,” a third fan wrote on Instagram.
“Okay. I was bawling. What a stunning story teller and beautiful tribute to Twitch,” another added.
Cat Deeley Shared Memories of Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss
FoxStephen ‘Twitch’ Boss.
“So You Think You Can Dance” presenter Cat Deeley also recalled being inspired by Boss. In addition to competing on the show, he was a judge on seasons 15 and 17, the latter of which aired just four months before his death.
Speaking with People magazine, Deeley said Boss was a great example of someone who had “a passion” and didn’t give up when he had a goal.
“He tried out [for SYTYCD] three times,” she recalled. “He tried out, he got ‘no’ twice, and came back. And he didn’t win, but he went on to have this amazing career — he was on Ellen’s talk show, he was in Magic Mike. He was also one of the most genuinely charming, gentle giants of a man you could ever hope to meet.”
She also praised Holker for turning her heartbreaking personal tragedy into something positive for aspiring artists. “I think what she does brilliantly — and I don’t know if I could do it,” Deeley said of Holker. “She handles her three kids, she comes to work, but she’s not afraid to talk about it and she’s not afraid to talk about him.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. You can also text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or visit 988lifeline.org.
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