Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, television dance competition judge, former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol and creator and executive producer of, and a regular judge on So You Think You Can Dance. He also created the 2009 competition Superstars of Dance...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionTV Producer
Date of Birth9 July 1949
dancer form tap trained
I trained in every form of dance - started as a tap dancer when I was a kid, then contemporary, ballet, ballroom, everything. Russian, Swedish.
accustomed
I think British audiences are accustomed to the 'boo' factor and pantomimes.
I put the heart attack down to 66 cigarettes a day.
genre life truth
Hip-hop is a way of life. It isn't a genre in truth in 'American Idol.'
Dancing is my passion. I started as a dancer.
screw takes
It takes two to make a relationship, but only one to screw it up.
became home
'American Idol' became a juggernaut of epic proportions, but to me it was always like home.
I don't go into my dentist and say, 'Are you gay?' I don't say to contestants on 'So You Think You Can Dance,' 'Are you gay?' What does it got to do with me? What does it got to do with anybody?
basically certain formats whilst
Certain formats should never be forgotten, 'Blind Date' for instance, because 'Britain's Got Talent' is really 'New Faces' or 'The Gong Show,' whilst we're basically 'Opportunity Knocks.'
tolkien
'The Hobbit' by J. R. R. Tolkien was the first book I enjoyed. I was 14 and when I finished I started it again.
becomes breathing entity experience life rather sensuality sexuality
With dancing, so much is about sexuality and sensuality and without life experience it becomes much more of a performance, rather than a living, breathing entity from the soul.
achieved broken changed destroyed discovered dreams egos fame great incredibly littered lives seen stardom talented
In my lifetime, I've discovered a great many incredibly talented individuals. Some have achieved stardom. Simultaneously, I've seen many dreams shattered, egos destroyed and lives changed forever. The end destination may well be fame and fortune, but the road to stardom is littered with broken hearts.
people seen
We had people dumping on each other, which I've never seen before.
heart might point time
This whole thing about, 'Take it easy, you had a heart attack, you might die,' I don't have time to take it easy. I might go at any point now. So, I want to get as much done as I can!