Heavy/ABC Allison Holker joins SYTYCD season 18.
Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Allison Holker is returning to work nearly one year after her husband’s tragic death.
On December 5, 2023, Holker was confirmed as a judge on the new season of “So You Think You Can Dance,” which will air on Fox beginning in March 2024.
“So honored and grateful to announce I’ll be judging for SYTYCD @danceonfox !! What an absolute dream come true!!! A full circle moment that has changed my life in quite literally every way. IM HOME!! And sitting next to people I admire and love is just perfection,” Holker captioned an Instagram post on December 6, 2023.
She will be joined by former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy as well as SYTYCD staple, Nigel Lythgoe.
Here’s what you need to know:
Fans Reacted to Allison Holker’s Return to SYTYCD on Instagram
For the most part, fans of the show are excited to see Holker joining the judges’ panel. She first competed on the show’s second season, which is when she met her husband, Stephen “tWitch” Boss.
She later returned to the program, competing as an All-Star on seasons 7–11 and on season 14.
“YASSSSSS So excited for this! And so glad Nigel is back! Will forever miss Twitch but how sweet to bring Allison on as a judge! Cant wait,” one person wrote.
“Allison being on the judging panel makes my heart so happy. We love having another Boss on the show. Also Maks is going to kill it,” another comment read.
“Yessssssss and Allison is a judge…let me get my tissues ready!!” a third Instagram user added.
“@allisonholker is IT. What a wonderful choice,” a fourth said.
Holker joined the cast of “Dancing With the Stars” as a pro on season 19, paired with Jonathan Bennett and finishing in 11th place. The next year, she danced with Riker Lynch and nearly took home the Mirrorball Trophy; they finished in second place. Holker was also a pro on seasons 21 and 23, paired with Andy Grammer and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, respectively.
After the season ended, Holker announced her decision to exit.
“Hey guys, I wanted to be the first to reach out to all my family, friends and fans to say that I will not be returning to DWTS this season. I truly adore my DWTS family. It’s all love and I’m so excited for all of the competitors who are participating this season,” she wrote on Instagram at the time, according to Us Weekly.
Allison Holker Was in the DWTS Ballroom During Season 32
Holker has slowly been putting herself back out there since losing tWitch. She even made her way back to “Dancing With the Stars,” sitting in the audience during a live show on season 32.
“Being back at @dancingwiththestars for Disney night was magical,” Holker captioned an Instagram post.
“I was met with so much love, support and so many incredibly needed perfect hugs. Seeing all the beautiful faces of my friends and people that have been a major part of my life was something really special. And genuinely am so proud all my super talented friends it was a pleasure to cheer everyone on. Finally, I was overwhelmed with feelings and reminders of how much dance means to me. Dance is my second home,” she added.
Back in 2020, Holker said that she’d be open to returning to the show as a pro — if the timing was right.
“It would depend on what other work we have going on,” she told Woman’s Day. “I think I would really have to assess, like, who my partner would be and what my trajectory is in my career,” she added.
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