‘SYTYCD’ Judge Mary Murphy Admits She ‘Panicked’ After Learning Season 14 Format

“So You Think You Can Dance” Season 14 judge Mary Murphy recently admitted that she panicked a bit after learning that the current season will have similarities with Season 13.

Last year, Fox introduced the “New Generation” season, which featured young dancers. In Season 13, the all-stars also had the opportunity to choose which contestant they want to work with in the live shows. This year, even though the contestants are no longer children aged between 8 and 13, the all-stars were still the ones who selected their partners.

Read: Which contestant will be sent home first in “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 14?

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Murphy admitted that she was a bit nervous with the format since it has become more difficult for her to remember the names of the contestants. After all, she, Vanessa Hudgens and Nigel Lythgoe only had the chance to see them during their audition.

But in the end, Murphy was pleased with how the 10 all-stars chose their top dancers for Season 14. “Whether it was that I’m back on the show or not, so many ballroom dancers came to try out, and the fact that two have made it into the top 10, at that ratio, I thought it was amazing,” she said.

Meanwhile, “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 14 just kicked off its first live show on Monday night. Every week, the contestants will perform a routine with their all-star partner. Unfortunately, one contestant will also be sent home every week. But prior to their elimination, Murphy is looking forward to seeing more dancers have a magical moment on the “SYTYCD” stage.

“If you’re a professional dancer out there, you know that you may only have one of those in your lifetime where you walk off the floor, pat yourself on the back, and say, ‘Everything was amazing. I did a really great job.’ That doesn’t happen very often,” she said.

There are still 10 contestants vying for a chance to bring home the $250,000 grand prize. However, one of them will be sent home next week. Following their elimination, their all-star counterpart will continue to perform with the other all-stars in the group dances.

“So You Think You Can Dance” Season 14 airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on Fox.