JoJo Siwa, the newly appointed So You Think You Can Dance choose, is pictured on the American Music Awards on Nov. 21, 2021, in Los Angeles.

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

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Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

JoJo Siwa, the newly appointed So You Think You Can Dance choose, is pictured on the American Music Awards on Nov. 21, 2021, in Los Angeles.

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

JoJo Siwa will substitute Nigel Lythgoe as a choose on the hit actuality TV dance sequence So You Think You Can Dance.

Fox introduced the 20-year-old TV and social media persona will be part of co-hosts Allison Holker and Maksim Chmerkovskiy with the launch of season 18 on Mar. 4, following Lythgoe’s choice to step down as he faces two sexual assault lawsuits.

The 74-year-old producer and choreographer is accused of assaulting his high-profile co-host, TV persona, actor and singer Paula Abdul, who filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Lythgoe on the finish of final 12 months. Two different ladies, former contestants on the truth TV present All American Girl, launched a separate sexual assault lawsuit in opposition to Lythgoe quickly after.

Lythgoe has denied the allegations.

“I have informed the producers of So You Think You Can Dance of my decision to step back from participating in this year’s series,” Lythgoe mentioned in an announcement shared with NPR on Jan. 6. “I did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that’s where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.”

The present’s producers — Fox, 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions — additionally shared an announcement at the moment about its choice to maneuver ahead with out Lythgoe, “to ensure the show remains committed to the contestants, who have worked incredibly hard for the opportunity to compete on our stage.”

Born in Omaha, Neb., Siwa launched her profession on the Lifetime sequence Dance Moms in 2015. She went on to work with Nickelodeon and developed a following on YouTube for videos about her day by day life. Siwa appeared on the thirtieth season of Dancing with the Stars in 2021, making news headlines as the primary particular person to bounce with a same-sex accomplice.

Siwa’s earlier look as a choose on the final season of So You Think You Can Dance has divided followers of the present in regards to the information of her appointment for the upcoming season.

“This ruins the show for me. I tried to watch when she was on last season. So annoying and loud. Not going to watch now,” wrote one particular person on the Fox Instagram channels asserting Siwa’s new job. “I was surprised at how good she was at judging. Jojo is loud, but she really knows her stuff. And her technique comments, for the most part, are spot on. Give her a break,” wrote one other.