Leah Remini is replacing Matthew Morrison on So You Think You Can Dance. Image Source: Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Leah Remini fills in for Matthew Morrison.
Actress Leah Remini is all set to appear on So You Think You Can Dance season 17 as a judge in place of Matthew Morrison, who recently exited the show on 27th May. Leah Remini’s first appearance will come during the milestone episode of the show as it celebrates its 300th episode on June 15th on Fox.
Leah Remini is an actress, producer, author, and activist best known for appearing with Kevin James in The King of Queens. Scientology and the Aftermath, an Emmy-winning docuseries on A&E, and co-hosting The Talk's first season in 2010.
The actress is going to join fellow judges Stephen "tWitch" Boss and JoJo Siwa, and the milestone episode is all set to introduce season 17’s top 12 dancers who have been selected to move ahead in the competition to showcase their skills. The actress said in a statement released by the network that she is thrilled to join So You Think You Can Dance season 17 on its milestone episode and she is looking forward to guiding the incredible and talented artists through the competition. She concluded that she cannot wait to witness the artistry that the selected contestants will bring onto the stage.
Leah Remini previously appeared on Dancing With the Stars season 17 along with partner and pro dancer Tony Dovolani, and the duo proved to be a dominant force and ultimately finished the competition in fifth place.
Leah Remini is filling in for actor Matthew Morrison, who was recently fired from So You Think You Can Dance after he said that he failed to follow the competition production protocols and apologized to the fans who were excited to see him as a judge on the show. The actor, however, did not dwell on details of what had happened exactly, but it was later revealed that he had sent out a ‘flirty’ text message to a female contestant who, after feeling uncomfortable, complained to the producers, then Fox was involved, and after an internal investigation, Matthew Morrison was fired. The reports suggested that it was found that they had an inappropriate relationship, although they never had sex or met off-set.
Matthew Morrison took a few days after he was fired to clarify and read the ‘flirty’ text he had written to the contestant, stating that he felt the need to explain his side of the story. The actor said that he reached out to the female contestant only to help a choreographer they both knew and had mutual respect for getting a gig on the show. The text that he sent read, "Hey, it’s Matthew. If you don’t mind, I would love to get your number and talk you through some things. He said in a video shared on his social media that he finds it very uncomfortable to sit here and defend himself and his family against things and statements that were never true.
The actor said that we, as humans, need to do better and not believe everything we hear or see on social media, as it is going to destroy the little bit of niceness we all have left. Matthew Morrison’s wife, Renee Puente, also defended her husband and said that he had finally been allowed to speak his truth and he had done it with so much grace and integrity in a situation that is complex and extremely complicated.
Nigel Lythgoe, the show's co-creator shared on his social media in March that he had been fired from his show. He wrote, on a personally sad note, that he has not been requested to be on the judging panel for season 17 and added that he has no idea who will say 'Cue Music,' but he wished the new judges good luck.
The network has not responded to his claims of the statement being untrue.
