Best known as the dancing DJ and sidekick on The Ellen Show, Stephen "tWitch" Boss, has died by suicide.

Confirming the news, the TV star's wife Allison Holker Boss said he was "the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans". He became an integral part of Ellen DeGeneres' US talk show from 2014, until it finished earlier this year.

 

DeGeneres tweeted to say that she was heartbroken at the news. She wrote: "He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him."

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed t that its West Valley Division officers responded to a radio call at a motel on Ventura Boulevard. There were no signs of foul play, and the case was being dealt with by the Los Angeles County Coroner's office.

After appearing as a dancer in movies like Blades of Glory and Hairspray, tWitch first found fame as a runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance in 2008. One of his dances was nominated for an Emmy for best choreography and he later returned to the show as a judge.

The Alabama-born entertainer went on to work as an actor, featuring in the Step Up film series and later Magic Mike XXL, and was also made an executive producer on The Ellen Show in 2020.

Paying tribute, his wife, a fellow dancer with whom he co-hosted Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings, said: "Stephen lit up every room he stepped into."

She added: "He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him. Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you." The couple, who met on an all-star season of So You Think You Can Dance, had three children - and the family appeared together on the The Ellen show.

A host of star names from the worlds of entertainment, the arts and sport have been paying their respects to Boss, recalling memories of him and expressing their feelings on social media.