Allison Holker says she’s ‘so honored and grateful’ as she joins the cast of So You Think You Can Dance as a judge nearly one year after death of husband Stephen ‘Twitch’ Boss

By William On Dec 7, 2023

Allison Holker, the widow of Stephen “Twitch” Boss, said on Instagram on Wednesday that she was “so honored and grateful” to be joining the cast of So You Think You Can Dance's 18th season as a judge.

'What an absolute dream come true!!!' said Holker, 35, who had appeared on the show in previous seasons. 'A round moment that literally changed my life in every way.'

Holker tagged colleagues Nigel Lythgoe, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Comfort Fedoke and Cat Deeley in the post, saying: 'IM HOME!! And sitting next to people I admire and love is just perfection!!”

Holker, mother of three – Weslie, 15, from a previous relationship, and with Boss, Maddox, six, and Zaia, three – accompanied the announcement with a clip of her dancing to the 1997 song I'll Be Missing You Puff Daddy.

The announcement came nearly a year after Twitch was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head in a Los Angeles hotel room on December 13, 2022, at the age of 40, which authorities ruled a suicide.

Allison Holker, 35, the widow of Stephen “Twitch” Boss, said on Instagram on Wednesday that she was “so honored and grateful” to be joining the cast of So You Think You Can Dance's 18th season as a judge

The announcement came nearly a year after Boss was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head in a Los Angeles hotel room on December 13, 2022, which authorities ruled a suicide. Pictured in LA on December 5 last year, just over a week before his death

Holker was decked out in an all-red ensemble of a jacket, dress and heels as she danced in a studio in the online clip.

She had her brunette locks down and was smiling as she demonstrated her dancing skills ahead of her stint as a judge, which begins when the show returns to Fox on March 4.

After Boss' death, Holker said People in a statement: “It is with the depths of my heart that I have to share that my husband Stephen has left us. Stephen lit up every room he entered.

“He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him. He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans.”

Holker and Boss first crossed paths on the set of the dance competition's second season in 2006, as he was the show's choreographer and she was a contestant; in 2007 she was back on the show as an All-Star.

They started seeing each other in 2010 and exchanged vows in December 2013 at a wedding at the Lythgoe-owned Paso Robles, California, vineyard.

The series posted an image of the presenter and the jury panel on social media on Tuesday.

The caption read: 'Meet us on the dance floor. #SYTYCD is BACK for Season 18 – Monday, March 4 on @foxtv and the next day on @hulu! Leave a comment below if you participate.'

The series posted an image of the cast on social media on Tuesday. (L-R) Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Comfort Fedoke, host Cat Deeley, Nigel Lythgoe and Holker

The dance pro accompanied the announcement with a clip of her dancing to Puff Daddy's 1997 song I'll Be Missing You

Holker was decked out in an all-red ensemble of a jacket, dress and heels as she danced in a studio in the online clip

She had her brunette locks down and was smiling as she demonstrated her dancing skills ahead of her stint as a judge, which begins when the show returns to Fox in March.

Holker is mother to three children: Weslie, 15, from a previous relationship, and with Boss, Maddox, six, and Zaia, three

The family made their first red carpet appearance since Twitch's tragic suicide earlier this year.

In May, Holker and her oldest child attended the NAMI WLA Mental Health Gala at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles in celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month.

The mother and daughter were honored at the event with the Heart Of A Champion Award in honor of the late DJ dancer, who was also an executive producer on Ellen.

A tribute clip was played in his memory; in accepting the award, Holker thanked dance colleagues Derek Hough and Jenna Dewan “for coming forward and helping us present this award for our family and our beloved Stephen.”

She added, “I call him Stephen, you call him Stephen and TWitch, and we love him because he's both.”

Holker talked about dealing with the family tragedy People in May about the lessons she wants to teach her children.

“I try to teach them — and myself — that just because you're angry or sad doesn't mean you're a bad person,” Holker told the outlet. 'We will make it together, and that takes trust and being truly vulnerable.'

She continued, “We lean on each other a lot for support because every day is a new emotion. And honestly, not even day to day. It's moment to moment.

Holker, 35, and her three children – Weslie, 15, Maddox, six, and Zaia, three – were pictured in LA at the premiere of Spider-Man: Across The Universe in May

Boss was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head in a Los Angeles hotel room on December 13, 2022, which authorities ruled a suicide. Pictured in June 2022

Speaking about family dynamics during this difficult time, Holker said: “We will make it together, and that requires trust and being very vulnerable.”

Holker said family members supported each other through the tough times: “We want things to go well – and they do – but it takes a lot of work together.”

“You never know when something will trigger a memory or thought and make you dive into your head a little bit, so we make sure we communicate that with each other.”

Holker said family members supported each other through the tough times: “We want things to go well – and they do well – but it takes a lot of work together.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988, text 'STRENGTH' to the Crisis Text Line on 741741 or visit 988lifeline.org.