Nigel Lythgoe Will Not Return to ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Judging Panel
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Nigel Lythgoe announced his apparent departure from the So You Think You Can Dance judging panel via Twitter on March 4. This iconic So You Think You Can Dance figure has been a judge since 2005 and has credits for co-creating the show. So You Think You Can Dance will return to FOX for season 17 after a three year hiatus.
It’s a sad day for fans of So You Think You Can Dance. There’s nothing worse than having your favorite show return lacking a fan favorite judge. Lythgoe shared on Twitter that although he’s enjoyed his time on the series, he has not been asked to rejoin the judging panel for the upcoming season. Before season 17, he has sat at the judges table every season of the competition. Fans replied to Lythgoe’s tweet with disappointment.
“Wait whattttt… It doesn’t feel right for you not to be a judge. It’s how I felt about Simon [Cowell] and American Idol. Some people just embody a show. Looking forward to having SYTYCD back though!” a fan wrote on Twitter.
At this time, it’s still unknown if other former judges will return for this season’s competition. Before the show’s hiatus, Lythgoe judged alongside Mary Murphy and Laurieann Gibson. The series host, Cat Deeley also has not confirmed if she’ll be returning for the upcoming season or not.
So You Think You Can Dance Returns For Season 17
Casting is currently open for the upcoming season of this dance series. Dancers between the ages of 18 to 30 are eligible to audition for the long running series. All dancers must provide proof of United States citizenship or be eligible to participate in a U.S. based series.
Dancer must choose a style of dance to audition in and submit a video of a recent solo performance. Videos should be no longer than 90 seconds and should not be a show reel or multiple clips. At this time they are only accepting YouTube and Vimeo links.
Before 2022, this season of So You Think You Can Dance was originally planned to air in June 2020. It was pulled from air due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The network shared that the season wouldn’t have met viewer expectations considering the health and safety guidelines.
