Ahead of her debut on So You Think You Can Dance, Leah Remini explained why she's qualified to join the judging panel. FOX recently announced Leah's addition as a new judge, replacing Matthew Morrison and marking the show’s 17th season and 300th episode. Leah will be judging alongside Stephen “tWitch” Boss and JoJo Siwa. Boss tWitch and JoJo have both shown an initial warm reception and words for the new judge, and Leah, who owns a dance studio, has vocalized her excitement about being onboarded.
Actress Leah was previously a contestant in Dancing With The Stars season 17. She also had a stint as a guest co-host and guest judge on the show to add to her credentials. Her replacement of Matthew came after his surprising dismissal. He was caught allegedly sending flirtatious DMs to a female contestant and was subsequently dismissed for breaching production protocol. Matthew denied that the DMs were flirtatious and said his intent was based on mutual respect and to help get the contestant a job. He blamed toxic gossip culture for blowing his DM out of proportion.
Leah was interviewed by ET about her new job, and she explained how she's qualified to be judging dancers on SYTYCD. She said, “Makes sense...I love dancing, I love dancers, I love dance shows, I love artists.” She also expressed that she preferred judging to performing and that her role would be more of a mentor. An ecstatic Leah said that she loved watching dancers and acknowledged that dancing was not easy. She also acknowledged that her fellow judges have more technical expertise. Seasoned host Cat Deeley reacted to Leah's appointment by saying she was needed as someone who was like the everyday SYTYCD viewer. JoJo commented on Leah's humor and much-needed “good energy” while tWitch spoke of her honesty as also being a great addition to the show. Cat made a comment about how long the SYTYCD has been airing and how the crew was like a “big family” that has evolved, like when tWitch met wife Allison Holker on the show, and now they have their own family. As long-running as SYTYCD has been, Cat noted that it did not feel as such.
Leah, known for her comedic roles, has been on a long-running show herself. She played Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens with co-star Kevin James. Her background should add something fresh to SYTYCD. Her time on DWTS played fresh in her mind when thinking about joining the FOX reality competition series. It seems her experience there will play a factor in how she judges.
After Matthew's dismissal and taking into consideration Cat's take on the crew being a family, SYTYCD will need Leah's humor and energy to take away from the negative gossip. Leah has already spoken out about being more of a supportive judge to the dancers, stepping into an empathetic role. Now fans will get to see that when she joins the long-running series as the Top 12 perform for the judges and America.
So You Think You Can Dance airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EDT on FOX.
Source: ET
While discussing her new gig on So You Think You Can Dance, replacing Matthew Morrison, Leah Remini reveals why she is qualified to be a judge.Savika Voratanitkitkul