the ellen degeneres show

Ellen DeGeneres posted a thoughtful tribute to Stephen “tWitch” Boss on Thursday (Dec. 15) following his heartbreaking death, sharing a heartbreaking montage of memories of their time together on her daytime talk show.

“Right now what I want to do is remember all the love and laughter I had with tWitch. He brought so much joy to my life. I know he brought joy to yours too. I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite moments with him. If you want to you can also share yours,” she wrote on Instagram using the hashtag #ILovetWitch.

“Well I don’t want to say goodbye,” DeGeneres says in the video, which she surprised Boss with during the final week of her eponymous talk show in May.

The star revealed that she initially met the So You Think You Can Dance fan favorite to teach her a dance for the show, and his job as her DJ grew naturally from there. “Whenever he’s not here for whatever reason, it’s just different,” she continued. “And he’s my pal, he’s my sidekick. Because we have this connection… I love you tWitch. And I know you know how much.”

Boss’ wife, Allison Holker Boss, shared the news Wednesday morning that he had died at the age of 40.

“To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt,” tWitch’s wife said in her statement. “I am certain there won’t be a day that goes by that we won’t honor his memory. We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself and especially for our three children. Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”

Watch Ellen’s tribute to Boss below.