Stephen 'tWitch' Boss Didn't Win SYTYCD — What Happened To Winner Joshua Allen?
Being on a televised talent show doesn't guarantee more fame than your 15 minutes. It certainly doesn't promise stardom or even success. For every "American Idol" winner like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jordin Sparks, there's a Lee DeWyze, Candice Glover, and Caleb Johnson (and if you don't recognize those names, that's the point). It often seems like not-winning is the actual key to success, especially if you look at "American Idol" losers like Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken, Katherine McPhee, and Adam Lambert.
The same is true for "So You Think You Can Dance," the popular dance competition on Fox. Granted, it's not as easy for dancers to have the same level of fame that singers receive — certainly without shifting to a tangential career like acting or singing (or both) — and most of the "SYTYCD" stars who spring to mind have made such a transition. Season 5 winner Jeanine Mason now stars as Liz Ortecho in the CW reboot of "Roswell, New Mexico." Season 8 winner Melanie Moore has been active in live theatre, originating the role of Peter Pan in "Finding Neverland" on Broadway and recently playing Scout in the touring production of "To Kill a Mockingbird." Of course, there's the dearly departed DJ for Ellen Degeneres, Stephen "tWitch" Boss. And perhaps the biggest alum from "SYTYCD" — which you've probably forgotten — is Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose, who was the first eliminated female dancer in Season 6. But what happened to tWitch's co-star and the winner of Season 4, Joshua Allen?
Season 4 winner Joshua Allen served jail time
In the latest #cancelculture news, there's more bad news for fans of the Fox reality show, "So You Think You Can Dance." Not only are fans still reeling from news of Stephen "tWitch" Boss's sudden death by suicide mere months ago in December 2022, but news of his Season 4 costar and winner, Joshua Allen, is not good.
During filming for Season 13's "Next Generation" show in 2016, Allen was expected to serve as a mentor and All-Star until host Cat Deeley announced somewhat suddenly that he would be leaving the cast. Although Deeley didn't explain why, it was later revealed that Allen had been charged with domestic violence after a few incidents. One in April 2016, where he allegedly tried to strangle his girlfriend, and another a few months later, when Allen chased her into a coffee shop and threw a glass vase — which they classified as a deadly weapon — at someone trying to help. The felony charges followed a January conviction of Allen for "willfully injuring a girlfriend" that resulted in a criminal protective order, according to Deadline. Allen also faced misdemeanor charges for battery and vandalism.
Sadly, Allen pleaded no contest and was sentenced in August 2017 to a year in county jail. He was also sentenced to five years of probation following his release and a year of domestic-violence counseling.
Joshua Allen left a loving tribute to Stephen tWitch Boss on Instagram
Fortunately, Joshua Allen seems to be trying to get his life back on track. The "SYTYCD" star is active on Instagram and often shares (shirtless!) photos and videos, though not always with explanatory captions. It seems he served about six months of his sentence, as he posted an adorable video of him teaching dance to a large group of kids on June 8, 2017, with his next post arriving on January 20, 2018, featuring a photo of him as a child. "A kid with BIG Dreams #whereItallstarted," he captioned the shot. In July 2020, he announced his "come back season" and has since been spending his time teaching dance at many Texas schools, including Dana's Studio of Dance, Expressive Movement Dance, and Dance Concept.
Allen also shared a sad, sweet tribute to his dear friend and Season 4 costar Stephen tWitch Boss after Boss' unexpected death by suicide. "To my brother: it's hard for me to even write this message without breaking down, devastated would be an understatement," Allen captioned the Instagram post. He reminisced about their first meeting on "SYTYCD" alongside a video of a few memories the two shared. The two had also starred together in "Step Up 3-D."