Joey Fatone may have been eliminated early from Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars, but he’s getting the last laugh by becoming a judge on the hit YouTube series Dance Showdown. Now in its second season, the web show pits 12 well-known YouTube personalities against each other on the dance floor for a shot at $100,000 — and Joey tells HollywoodLife.com he’s much happier to be on the other side of the judges’ table.

“I love doing the judging; I hate being judged,” he tells us. “When I was in *NSYNC, I was never judged on my dancing. It was all for entertainment purposes. On Dance Showdown, I’m looking more at the entertainment value: How did they execute the dance? Did they look worried? All that stuff. It’s not easy to judge, because you never know what you’re going to see next.”

Joey’s also having a blast with his co-judge, the “really cool” celebrity choreographer Laurieann Gibson, who has a few choice words for the former *NSYNC-er.

I, personally, had a crush on Joey,” Laurieann tells us. “[So Dance Showdown is] kind of like a wet dream come true. Joey was the black girl’s *NSYNC boy. Justin had a little black-girl energy, but it was all about Joey. And he’s really super-talented and super-nice.”

Do you really need more reasons to watch?

Check out the season premiere of Dance Showdown below, then drop a comment with your favorite contestant:

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More on Joey Fatone:

1. ‘Dancing With The Stars’: Second All-Star Eliminated From Competition
2. Is *NSYNC Reuniting? Joey Fatone Reveals What Would Need To Happen

Just as predicted, the season premiere of the elite dancing show brought some amazing dancing and drama, drama, drama!

The April 10 series premiere of The Dance Scene opens with Laurieann Gibson, choreographer to the stars, casting dancers to perform on VH1 Divas Salute The Troops, featuring Katy Perry, Keri Hilson and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. Laurieann is cutthroat when it comes to casting dancers in such an important performance.

Sarah, Laurieann’s own assistant choreographer, didn’t even make the cut! But that’s not the only bad news Sarah received on tonight’s episode. While at lunch with her boyfriend Paul, he tells Sarah he has to go over seas for dancing gigs and wants to take a break. Sarah was destitute, saying, “I’m let down. I had faith in him that we would both try really hard to make it work — how can you just give up like that, it makes you not want to try again. I’m let down.”

Kherington, the newest addition to Laurieann’s dancing posse, didn’t make the cut either, but was hired full time as an assistant to Laurieann. It didn’t take long for the two to bump heads, and Laurieann kept yelling at Kherington that she had no soul when she danced, saying, “I’m not beating up on you, Kherington. I’m just helping you — I want you to be the best. You cant lie to yourself and think you’re great. Look, I’m not bringing you to Divas — its not happening.” Obviously upset, Kherington responded, saying, “It’s hard to be in this situation and completely put everything you have out there and her just not appreciate any of it. We just don’t see eye to eye and I don’t see how its going to work out.”

Laurieann may be a dance floor diva, but she knows her stuff. “I’ve worked with Lady Gaga, Puff Daddy, Alicia Keys, Missy Elliott, the Dixie Chicks, and the Jonas Brothers. At this point in my career, labels come to me to take their artists to the next level to make them superstars,” Laurieann said. Laurieann did show a softer side when out to dinner with her boyfriend and business partner Joe Wilson, whom she has been secretly dating for 4 years. She explains that she’s ready to let the relationship go public and wants to start walking red carpets with him. Lauriann was very affectionate with Joe and showed that maybe this tough cookie has a softer side!

When all was said and done, The VH1 Divas Salute The Troops performance was flawless. Perhaps it was becuase Laurieann screamed before at the dancers before they went on stage, saying, “Anyone misses a step and I’m going to break your necks!”

This episode set the tone for this season and it’s looks like its going to be pretty interesting!  Lots of amazing dancing, drama, hookups and breakups…whats not to love?

– Gianna Mandarino

The dancers bring big routines — and even bigger drama!

The long-awaited April 10 series premiere of E!’s The Dance Scene has finally arrived! And star Laurieann Gibson, Diddy’s former choreographer from Making the Band who also facilitates most of Lady Gaga‘s dance routines, isn’t playing around!

Laurieann is one tough cookie in the preview for the show, telling her dancers, “You have to EARN the right to dance on a great stage.”

With her she brings an inner circle of elite dancers, including her assistant choreographer Sarah, her BFFs Richy and Lacee, and the newest additions to the team, Kherington and her roommate Paula.

The dancers are shown preparing for a variety of cutthroat shows, including performing with Katy Perry and dancing in Keri Hilson’s music video.

Along with some killer performances, there will be TONS of drama this season! In the preview, Laurieann is seen getting into many arguments, using crazy catchphrases such as, “I’ll go Brooklyn on that b—h!” She’s also seen having a very intimate conversation with her hubby about having kids, asking, “Would you leave me if I didn’t have children?”

It seems Laurieann is holding NOTHING back and we CAN’T WAIT to see the mix of drama and dancing on tonight’s premiere!

Tune in to see all of the action unfold on E! at 10:30 p.m.

– Gianna Mandarino