Reality Check: JoJo Siwa returns as judge on 'So You Think You Can Dance'

Singer, author and social media sensation JoJo Siwa is returning to the judging panel of the Fox competition series “So You Think You Can Dance,” alongside former “Dancing with the Stars” ballroom professional Maksim Chmerkovskiy and choreographer Allison Holker Boss. Season 18 premieres March 4.

Siwa, 20, had joined the panel for season 17 in 2022, alongside Matthew Morrison and the late Stephen “tWitch" Boss. Siwa had competed on "Dancing with the Stars" season 30 the year before, paired with ballroom pro Jenna Johnson as the series’ first same-sex partners, and reaching second place.

Siwa has not commented publicly about her “SYTYCD” return, other than posting a promotional image for the show, with no attached comment, on Instagram Friday.

Bertinelli responds

Valerie Bertinelli, who was not asked back to her longtime role as a co-host and judge of “Kids Baking Championship,” says that despite a report of there having been stalled talks with Food Network, “There were never any talks, so no talks could be stalled.”

In the first of two posts on X, Bertinelli, 63, who had hosted all 12 seasons since the culinary competition began in 2015, went on to say, “I got an inkling I might not be asked back when I saw I was not in the holiday specials. I got a text by a third party on [Jan. 20] that told me I would not be back. LOL I was basically ghosted.”

Citing an anonymous “source close to the show's production,” People magazine had written that Bertinelli’s team had “decided they wanted more and talks stalled.”

Bertinelli says no, that isn’t so. “I have zero ill will toward anyone at FN, I enjoyed every single moment I worked for them, and they are all lovely, kind, hard-working people. And I understand business is business,” the former “One Day at a Time” and “Hot in Cleveland” star added in a second post. “But I won’t tolerate lies. I am a lot of things, but I am not greedy, nor am I a liar.”

Bertinelli’s manager, Marc Schwartz, also told  Variety  there had been no talks. “Her deal expired, they opted not to renew it. They could have come to me with an offer just for ‘Kids.’ They never did. Simple as that.”

In an Instagram video she posted shortly after learning the news, Bertinelli said the season 12 episodes currently airing with her were shot in the summer of 2022.

Food Network has not responded to press inquiries.

Premieres

With the closing of her West Hollywood restaurant Pump, Lisa Vanderpump pivots to opening a new restaurant in Lake Tahoe and continuing with whatever she’s doing in Las Vegas on season 11 of Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules,” Tuesday from 8 to 9:31 p.m. Also returning are Ariana Madix, Scheana Shay, Tom Sandoval and all the rest of those feudin’, fightin’ bartenders, hosts and servers … Thursday night at 9 on Fox, “Farmer Wants a Wife” season 2 gives us Missouri’s Ty Ferrell, Tennessee’s Mitchell Kolinsky, Colorado’s Brandon Rogers and Florida’s Nathan Smothers, each hoping to rope some city gal … and early Friday come two streaming series: “Serving the Hamptons” season 2, with owner Zach Erdem and his staff at the Southampton restaurant 75 Main, on Max, while on Hulu it’s the new series “Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez,” going behind the scenes with pro-wrestlers couple Bianca Belair and Montez Ford.

Recaps

Ryan O'Sullivan beat out Johnathan Benvenuti to take Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” season 22 … And on the premiere of “The Bachelor” season 28 on ABC, Joey Graziadei eliminated 10 of the 32 women, including New York City graphic designer Chandler Dewgard. The others were: Zoe Antona, Kyra Brusch, Natalie Crepeau, Samantha Hale, Talyah Jackson, Eleni Latsios, Sandra Rabadi, Kayla Rodgers and Samantha Washington.