Allison Holker’s whole world changed in December 2022, when her husband Stephen Boss — otherwise known to his fans as tWitch, the dancer and DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show — died by suicide at the age of 40. Over the past year, Holker has made strides to move forward by posting dance videos again and moving into a new house with her three kids. She’s also set to return to So You Think You Can Dance as a judge 18 years after she competed on the Fox series' second season, and she recently opened up about how the gig is helping her to move forward.
The former Dancing with the Stars pro has spoken about how putting the house that she and tWitch made famous on the market was a way of starting over after the loss she and her children Weslie (15), Maddox (7) and Zaia (3) suffered just over a year ago. In an interview on The Viall Files, Allison Holker explained that this year the family is determined to figure out what’s next for them. She said:
I think my children have, and myself, have allowed ourselves to feel so much, like feel so much, and never shied away from all the different levels of everything, that this year we’re kind of moving forward. Like, ‘OK, we did that, and it’s still a huge part of us but doesn’t define us, so like what do we want next? Who are we now?’ And I think everyone in my family has just started stepping into new zones and new skill-sets and new talents, and for me, I’m starting a new chapter with work. I’ve now stepped into the role as a judge at So You Think You Can Dance.
Allison Holker said they don’t want to be defined by Stephen Boss’ suicide or by the grief that they’ve felt. She told the podcast host that she’s excited to return to So You Think You Can Dance, where she made it to the Top 8 in 2006 when she was just 18 years old.
She and tWitch — who was the runner-up on Season 4 — both returned as choreographers and all-stars several times over the years, with tWitch joining the judges’ table for Season 17 in 2022, just months before his death. That makes Allison Holker’s placement on the panel not just a full-circle moment but the perfect tribute to her late husband. It’s “lovely” to be back in that zone, she said:
We already started the auditions and it’s been fabulous and wonderful, and kind of stepping down and passing that torch from being the dancer and choreographer or all-star on that show and now being a judge, being able to facilitate the next generation, like I’m really grateful for that. So that’s so fun and lovely and it kind of gets me back to my roots of dance, which has been great. So that’s definitely opening another door of kind of getting me more comfortable with being back on the forefront with work and career and showing my kids, like, we can get back up on that horse.
While it’s still hard to believe tWitch is no longer with us, it’s wonderful to hear that his family continues to move forward, and I can’t wait to see her return to SYTYCD to pay it forward with new dancers. Season 18 is set to premiere on Monday, March 4, on Fox. Check our 2024 TV schedule to see what other premieres are coming soon.
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