Vanessa Hudgens is going back to her musical roots. According to Entertainment Weekly, Hudgens is set to join Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance as a judge for its upcoming 14th season. The actress/singer will join veteran judge Mary Murphy and the series co-creator Lythgoe on the judging panel. Murphy has previously judged Seasons 3-6 and returned for Seasons 8-11, while Lythgoe is the only judge to appear in every season. Cat Deeley will return as the host of the dance competition show.
Lythgoe said in a statement, ““I am so excited for Vanessa to join Mary and me on the judging panel for the 14th season of So You Think You Can Dance.” He continued, “There was instant chemistry in the audition rounds, and I know the SYTYCD fans will love her as much as we do. Vanessa is an accomplished artist and brings her own brand of enthusiasm and energy to our panel.”
Previous judges throughout the first 13 seasons of So You Think You Can Dance have included Adam Shankman, Mia Michaels, Paula Abdul, Jason Derulo, and Maddie Ziegler. Lauren Sánchez acted as host in Season 1, but was replaced by Deeley the following season.
This may be the first time Hudgens will take the position of a judge, but she is no stranger to the world of dancing. Her claim to fame was through the Disney Channel’s High School Musical trilogy, in which she played the smart and talented Gabriella Montez. She also showed off her dance moves during her Broadway debut as the titular character in Gigi, which had a successful run in mid-2015. Fans will remember her most recent musical endeavor as Betty Rizzo in Fox’s Grease: Live.
Apart from her musically influenced roles, Hudgens has also made guest appearances in Fox’s Quintuplets, Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh, and the Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. She starred as Emily Locke in NBC’s short-lived workplace and superhero sitcom Powerless. The series was cancelled during its Season 1 run. She also recently hosted the 2017 Billboard Music Awards alongside Ludacris. She has appeared in many films including Beastly, Sucker Punch, Spring Breakers, Gimme Shelter, and Freaks of Nature.
Hudgens recently went to Twitter to address the news. She simply tweeted “So Excited!!!” while sharing an article from Deadline confirming the news. Check out the tweet below.
So You Think You Can Dance is set to return for Season 14 on June 12 at 8/7c on Fox.