Stephen “tWitch” Boss, known for his work as a DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show as well as competing and then judging on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance, passed away earlier in December at the age of just 40 due to a reported suicide. Friends and famous fans wasted no time in paying tribute to Boss. Prior to his death, he had a number of projects in the works, with some new reveals and comments coming from HGTV.
HGTV revealed that Stephen Boss and wife Allison Holker were scheduled to start production on a new series about constructing a real-life (and full-size) Malibu Barbie Dream House in Santa Clarita, California, with Deadline reporting that January was intended as the beginning of filming. In comments to the outlet, an HGTV spokesperson said this about the planned project:
We are taking the time to consider different scenarios. But for now, our primary focus remains on wishing our best to Allison and the entire Boss family during this difficult time.
While it seems that nothing has been decided about the project that was evidently far enough in development that filming could begin in January, HGTV’s priority is wishing well to Boss’ widow and the rest of the family. It’s a nice sentiment in what is undoubtedly a very difficult time for his loved ones.
The format of the project that would have starred Stephen “tWitch” Boss and his wife would have been similar to A Very Brady Renovation, which broke ratings records for HGTV back in 2019. While it would have been a limited series running for only a set number of episodes, the married couple had already proven their talent for home renovation on television.
They appeared on HGTV’s House Party, and Allison Holker hosted the network’s Design Star: Next Gen, on which Boss appeared as a guest judge. HGTV and the two were also developing a separate show, called Living the Dream and focusing on the duo helping prospective home buyers who had never purchased a house before.
Boss and Holker also had projects in development elsewhere than HGTV, including a dance competition show, which made sense for a married couple who both got big breaks through appearances on Fox’s Dancing with the Stars, which returned for the first time in years earlier in 2022 with Boss as a judge. They reportedly were furthermore working on a game show as well as a talk show, all not too long after their deal with Dick’s Sporting Goods for leisure and athletic clothes, starting in 2021.
Stephen Boss’ death via suicide has resulted in poignant messages being shared by those who knew him, with friend Justin Timberlake commenting that “you just never know what someone is going through,” and motivating Tyler Perry to disclose his own history with suicide attempts, which were reported earlier in his career. Rumors also began to spread in the days following Boss’ tragic death, with the police coming out to debunk some and clear the air.
Our thoughts here at CinemaBlend remain with the family, friends, and loved ones of Stephen “tWitch” Boss in this difficult time, and it’s at least a relief to know that HGTV isn’t prioritizing its shows over giving them time to grieve.
