Matthew Morrison leaving So You Think You Can Dance, but why?

Consider this news a real shocker — shortly after the premiere of So You Think You Can Dance, Matthew Morrison is out as a judge.

In a statement (per TVLine), here is what the Glee alum had to say about his exit, and how it is due to a breach in “competition production protocols”:

“Having the opportunity to be a judge on So You Think You Can Dance was an incredible honor for me. Therefore, it is my deepest regret to inform you that I will be leaving the show … After filming the audition rounds for the show and completing the selection of the 12 finalists, I did not follow competition production protocols, preventing me from being able to judge the competition fairly.

“I cannot apologize enough to all involved, and I will be watching alongside you all on what I know will be one of the best seasons yet.”

This news (first posted by Us Weekly) is certainly ambiguous, but a source tells them it was a “minor infraction.” Regardless, a show like this needs to be able to assure its contestants that all of them are equal in the judges’ eyes. If there was something that would upend that very idea, we can’t say that we’re shocked that this move was made in the end.

There will be a new judge brought in for the next round of the competition, and that will be announced at a later date. This is a pretty dramatic shift given the fact that this season was already a pretty dramatic reboot going into the spring; this was the first season, after all, since prior to the global health crisis, and the entire panel was rebooted altogether.

What do you think about Matthew Morrison leaving So You Think You Can Dance?

Beyond just that, what do you think about the timing of it? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments! Once you do just that, be sure to keep coming back for other updates you don’t want to miss.