Friends, we've been fooled! Nigel Lythgoe knew Joshua was going to win all along! (You sneaky monkey.)
This is the sort of revelation that leaves me speechless—that some reality contestants on programs like So You Think You Can Dance are such a clear front-runner all season long, the executive producers see it coming a mile away.
"I see the votes every week and I knew what Joshua was getting, so I wasn't surprised," Nigel told me after tonight's big finale showdown. So apparently, Josh was getting the most votes all season long. Interesting, no?
It was an insanely fun night over at the SYTYCD studio, where I not only watched the whole final results show backstage but also got to chat with all the contestants, judges and choreographers.
Click in for the exclusive scoop!
Josh Is The Real Deal: Sorry, but it has to be said that Joshua Allen is perhaps the most sincerely grateful and humble reality-show winner I've ever interviewed. "I'm still shaking! It hasn't set in," he told me with teary eyes an hour after being crowned America's favorite dancer. "Maybe it will next week when all this craziness has gone away." So did he expect it? "You always hope it's you, but I knew a lot of people loved Twitch." Josh, baby, clearly they love you, too!
People Do Love Twitch: Nigel can say what he wants, but from where I was sitting, the audience was definitely split, with half the crowd stunned that Super-T didn't take it. Twitch himself, meanwhile, was gracious, saying backstage he's "like brothers" with Josh and "so happy for him," and that it was "a big night for hip-hop." Four real! I asked Twitch if he was headed for the Navy now, and he said, "No way!" He'll be dancing and working on his superhero swag and clothing line.
Katee Saw It Coming: "I knew before Cat [Deeley] even said my name," Katee said of the reveal she had placed third. "I wasn't surprised. I was just so overwhelmed with emotion and exhausted in that moment," she says of her tears. Katee said she'll definitely keep in touch with Joshua, with whom she's become very good friends. Speaking of?
Josh Might Be Into Katee; But Katee Definitely Isn't Into Josh's Girlfriend: Scandal, right?! Josh playfully hinted that "it could happen" when asked if there might be romantic potential with dance partner Katee, but Katee 100 percent called him out on his status, and it was priceless. (Stand by for the video of that and more coming to you very soon! The tech elves are working on it.)
Courtney Is a Peach: Honestly, that girl is adorable and sweet and fun as all get out. Her plans: "I'm going to go home and SLEEP! My body is screaming at me, 'Courtney Galiano, you need to get your booty in bed and take care of yourself for five minutes!' " She also wants a pedicure. "This show is hell on your feet." As for actual future plans, Debbie Allen told me Courtney is heading for her dance school! Here's to her taking season five.
What the Choreographers Predicted: All season long, no one aside from Nigel Sneaky Pants and the other producers knew the vote tally. Adam Shankman admitted, "I thought Will could've taken it." Shane Sparks said he was shocked that Twitch didn't win, saying "He always gives 100 percent." Now that the show is over, Shane said he's going to employ Twitch as much as possible (Wade Robson said the same). Tabitha and Napoleon praised Joshua, and said there's something so lovable about Twitch that America fell in love with, and they were both surprised Will wasn't in the final four.
And Mary Murphy—perhaps Josh's earliest and biggest supporter—got misty-eyed while saying how happy she was that her boy won, as she sported her Joshua and hot tamale commemorative pin!
Joshua Wants to Be Startin' Somethin': The man of the hour said in addition to pursuing his dance career, he wants to sing, get signed by a record company and be "bigger than Michael Jackson." He also will be starring in what Shankman calls "the first 3-D dance movie, Step It Up 3-D." But I just have one thing to say to that: Hello, what about Captain EO?
See, Josh really is following in M.J.'s footsteps! Awesome.
So what do you think? Did "America" get it right? Was anyone robbed? Why do you think it went down the way it did?
Oh, and was anyone else bothered by the fact that Courtney and Katee were booted off while wearing their underwear? OK, they were technically "costumes," but still, that's just cruel and I swear I had a bad dream just like that once.
Check back tomorrow for exclusive video of the Joshua-Katee playful drama and funtimes with Twitch!
Congratulations, Joshua!
—Additional reporting by Natalie Abrams