Leah Remini is joining the judging panel of So You Think You Can Dance.
The star will first appear on the 300th episode, which is set to air later this month.
“I am thrilled to join So You Think You Can Dance on its milestone 300th episode,” Remini said in a statement.
“I look forward to guiding these incredibly talented artists through this competition as a fan of the show and a great admirer of dancers.”
“I can’t wait to see the artistry that the contestants bring to the stage!”
Remini’s casting comes just weeks after Matthew Morrison abruptly exited the FOX reality series.
When news broke of the exit, Morrison shared the following statement:
“Having the opportunity to be a judge on So You Think You Can Dance was an incredible honor for me,” the former Glee star shared.
Therefore, it is my deepest regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show,” he added in the statement.
“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.”
“I cannot apologize enough to all involved,” he added, “and I will be watching alongside you all on what I know will be one of the best seasons yet.”
In the aftermath, it was reported that Morrison had been let go after reaching out to a contestant.
A source close to People alleged the 43-year-old was let go “after he had an inappropriate relationship with a female contestant.”
“They didn’t have sex, but he reached out to her through flirty direct messages on social media,” a source told the outlet.
“She felt uncomfortable with his line of comments and went to producers, who then got Fox involved. He was fired after they did their own investigation.”
The source says that Morrison and the contestant “never met up off-set.”
“It was just messages that crossed the line,” according to the outlet.
Morrison took to Instagram earlier this month to speak out about what happened.
“It’s unfortunate that I have to sit here and defend myself and my family against blatantly untrue statements made anonymously, but I have nothing to hide,” he said.
“So, in the interest of transparency … I will read to you the one message I wrote to a dancer on the show.”
Morrison read the following note, which was sent at 12:34 a.m. on April 25:
“Hey! It’s Matthew. If you don’t mind, would love to get your number and talk you through some things …”
Morrison said he wanted to connect with the contestant because they share a “mutual respect” for a choreographer, and he wanted to get this choreographer a job on the reality series.
What are your thoughts on Remini as the replacement for Morrison?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
