Here's howSYTYCD handled Matthew Morrison's exit as judge

Actress Leah Remini took over for the Glee star on Wednesday's episode.

By
Ashley Boucher

Ashley Boucher is the digital TV editor atEntertainment Weekly, where she also produces EW'sWhat to Watch podcast. A former PEOPLE staffer, Ashley has also written for TheWrap andThe Guardian, and has appeared on Cheddar TV. She holds a bachelor's in creative writing from Seattle Pacific University and a master's in journalism from the University of Southern California. You can follow the Oregonian-turned-L.A. transplant on Twitter at @ashleybreports.

Published on June 15, 2022 10:00PM EDT

Leah Remini took her seat at theSo You Think You Can Dance judge's table in Wednesday's episode with little fanfare.

Remini, who was announced last week asMatthew Morrison'sreplacement after theGlee star was fired for failing to follow production protocols, joined fellow judgesJoJo Siwa andStephen "tWitch" Boss to offer praise and criticism of the top 12 dancers announced in the show's 300th episode.

HostCat Deeley introduced all three judges at the top of the episode with no mention of Morrison, who still appeared in the pre-taped portion, where he, Siwa, and tWitch delivered the news to the top 12.

"And, finally, joining us for the first time: Emmy-winning actress, producer, author, and dance enthusiast... we are thrilled to welcome Leah Remini," Deeley said as a means of introduction.

The episode continued on without acknowledging Morrison's absence, alternating between the top six couples' performances and the pre-taped portion of each learning their fate. The dancers who made the top 12 were paired off as follows: Virginia and James; Jordan and Waverly; Anna and Beau; Essence and Thiago; Ralyn and Carter; and Alexis and Keaton (whose contemporary routine earned a standing ovation from all three judges and a declaration from Siwa that it was the best dance she'd ever seen).

SYTYCD also played with a new format in Wednesday's episode — the studio audience voted on their favorite performers during the show, resulting in the bottom four dancers holding their breaths for a few minutes while the judges deliberated in real time.

Twitch delivered their decision to Virginia, Thiago, Essence, and Carter — they were all safe and will dance another week! They can thank the 300th Episode Gods for that.

After Morrison's dismissal from the show was announced, it was reported that he had"an inappropriate relationship with a female contestant" that included "flirty direct messages on social media," a source toldPEOPLE. The actor has since spoken out, asserting that the accusations are "blatantly untrue." He claimed he hadreached out to a dancer about working with a choreographer for whom they both had a "mutual respect." Morrison added that his firing should not "take away from the show, because dance has always been a unifying and healing modality."

So You Think You Can Dance airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

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