It was a short run on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance for Matthew Morrison. The Glee alum, who was just announced in April as a new judge on the hit dance competition series along with JoJo Siwa, is exiting the show after failing to follow production protocols. The news comes a week after the series’ Season 17 premiere.
“Having the opportunity to be a judge on So You Think You Can Dance was an incredible honor for me. Therefore, it is my deepest regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show,” Morrison said in a statement provided to Deadline. “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 and I will be watching alongside you all on what I know will be one of the best seasons yet.”
Sources tell Deadline a new judge, who will join Siwa and Stephen “tWitch’” Boss on the panel, will be announced soon for the next round of competition episodes that will begin on June 15. Morrison appears in a total of four episodes that have been pre-taped.
Cat Deeley serves as host of the long-running series that features skilled dancers ages 18-30, showcasing their talents in various dance styles, including contemporary, tap, hip-hop, ballroom, animation and breaking.
The series is produced by Industrial Media’s 19 Entertainment and MRC. Rosie Seitchik serves as showrunner and will exec produce alongside co-creator Lythgoe, Jeff Thacker, Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman.
Us Weekly was first to report Morrison’s exit.