“This is a way for me to give back to what we are and I feel like to heal for both of us,” Holker said of being back on Fox’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’
TW: This story contains references to suicide.
For Allison Holker, it was an emotional experience walking onto the set of So You Think You Can Dance following the death of her late husband Stephen “tWitch” Boss.
While appearing at the Fox Spring Premiere event in Los Angeles, the 36-year-old dancer spoke to TooFab exclusively about what her new role on the dance competition means to her. Holker has taken a seat behind the same judging panel her late husband sat on. Boss served as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance seasons 15 and 17.
“Obviously it comes with a lot of different emotions,” Holker began.
“For me at the end of the day, this is a way for me to give back to what we are and I feel like to heal for both of us and to showcase our love again and celebrate him and celebrate what we had and celebrate great dance,” the new judge told TooFab.
“That’s what he knew and that’s what he did and he delivered so much on that show for so many people, so truly it’s a blessing that I get to do this and I think people want to see the show back because of someone like him.”
Boss died at 40 years old by suicide in December 2022. The dancer first came to prominence after he was a runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance Season 4, which led to his eight years as the DJ, and eventual executive producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
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“He did so much in the dance industry for people, he gave so much,” Holker added before referencing her fellow judges. “And I think we have an opportunity to do that more with other dancers with Maks, with JoJo — hopefully I can help deliver. But also we just really want to bring light to dance again,” she explained.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy — who has also joined the judging panel for Season 18 — said they are on the hunt to produce another “megastar” like tWitch.
“I think in later seasons it [SYTYCD] became too repetitive and I feel like we stopped producing megastars,” Chmerkovskiy said. “We’re trying to get back to that type of format with the new changes that you’re going to see your next round of Allison, and tWitch and Lindsay Arnold and Witney,” he said referencing past contestants who have gone on to have successful careers from the series.
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Holker referred to her new role as a “full circle moment” after she was first discovered on the show as a contestant during Season 2 — placing in the top eight. Since then she returned to the series as an all-star, a choreographer and now for Season 18, a judge.
She also told TooFab she found the “love of her life” on the show — referring to Boss. They were married for nine years at the time of Boss’ death. The couple first met through So You Think You Can Dance and appeared as all-stars together on the series in 2010. Holker — who shared daughters Weslie, 14, and Zaia, 3, and son Maddox, 7, with Boss — then went on to appear as a pro dancer on Dancing With the Stars.
Watch So You Think You Can Dance Season 18 on Mondays at 9:00 p.m. on FOX.
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If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.
