Cat Deeley Remembers SYTYCD Colleague Stephen 'tWitch' Boss as a 'Charming, Gentle Giant' (Exclusive)

Ahead of the ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ season 18 premiere, host Cat Deeley tells PEOPLE that the late dancer, producer and DJ “was such a good example of having passion.”

So you think you can dance host Cat Deeley is thinking specifically about Stephen “tWitch” Boss this week.

As Season 18 of the Fox dance competition premieres, the beloved Brit reminisces about her time with Twitch and tells PEOPLE she misses his warm presence on set most of all.

“He was one of the most genuinely charming, gentle giants of a man you could ever hope to meet,” says Deeley, 47. “You only have to look at his legacy to see how the show really works and how if you don’t Don’t do it the first time, you bring it back and you try again.”

Cat Deeley says Stephen ‘tWitch’ boss ‘will forever be part of our family’ So you think you can dance (Exclusive)

SYTYCD Season 17 Cast.

FOX via Getty

Almost 15 months after the first one SYTYCD contestant-turned-judge died by suicide at the age of 40 on December 13, 2022, Deeley recalls, looking back on his dance debut and being impressed by the career he built and the obstacles he overcame.

“He was such a good example that he had passion but wasn’t necessarily technically trained,” she says. “He tried three times. He tried, got ‘no’ twice and went back. And he didn’t win, but he went on to have this amazing career – he was on Ellen [DeGeneres’s talk show]he was inside magical mike.”

Allison Holker Boss, tWitch’s wife and mother of their three children, is on the judging panel for Season 18, and Deeley says she’s keeping her late husband’s legacy alive.

“She’s an incredibly talented dancer and a great mom and just a great woman,” he confirms of the 36-year-old author. “She is incredibly strong. And what surprised me the most was how open and honest she is. When someone talks about tWitch, whatever someone wants to say, she’s just very open.”

Allison Holker says tWitch will ‘forever be iconic’ after Emotional SYTYCD Audition Inspired by Loss (Exclusive)

Allison Holker and tWitch.

Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage

Allison also began her career as a dancer and choreographer at SYTYCDparticipating as a contestant in Season 2 and returning in Season 7 alongside tWitch as an all-star, Deeley explains that her expertise along with her willingness to be open about tWitch and her grief will resonate with viewers.

“The more we open that dialogue, since we are on television, I hope that more people will open that dialogue at home as well,” she says. “The more people do that, I think we will have less tragedy. I think as soon as you talk to anybody, whether it’s family, friends, a therapist, whoever it is, a guy in a coffee shop — sometimes I’ve had conversations with people out of nowhere — you either feel better or the problem isn’t as big.”

She continues, “The more we can all talk to each other, the better for everybody, and she’s definitely, definitely a shining example of that and she’s taught me that.”

Allison Holker’s daughter Weslie pays tribute to dad Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss on anniversary of his death: ‘I miss you’

Cat Deeley at the FOX Winter Juncket.

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

Deeley’s favorite thing about the long-running competition series is that it teaches people how to be better in so many ways. She says she appreciates how honest the contestants are when they share who they are — even their flaws and mistakes.

“The things that make you different are the things that make you interesting as human beings,” she says and adds. “That’s quite often the reason why people who haven’t won a competition, there’s something about them that shows up and then they go on to even greater success.”

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In her personal life, Deeley says she tries to prioritize quality time with her family, even if that means waking up an hour early to take care of herself or making more to-do lists than she knows what to do with.

“When I’m there, I’m in the moment and I’m totally invested in the moment, because otherwise you end up not doing anything good,” she explains. “It’s about the preparations you make beforehand. So if I’m with my boys, I’m with my boys. If I’m with my husband, I’m with my husband. If I’m on stage with them, I’m on stage. That’s the best way I can do it.”

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So you think you can dance airs Mondays at 9pm ET on Fox.

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Source: HIS Education