Name	Nigel Lythgoe
Height
Naionality	British
Date of Birth	9 July 1949
Place of Birth	Wirral, England, UK
Famous for

Nigel Lythgoe is an English television producer and director. He presently serves as a judge for the hit reality series So You Think You Can Dance. His brutally honest and often insulting appraisals of contestants’ dancing abilities remind many people of American Idol’s Simon Cowell.

Nigel Lythgoe was born on July 9, 1949, in Wirral, England. From an early age, Nigel dreamed of becoming a professional dancer, much to the chagrin of his dockworker father. Not to be discouraged, Nigel studied dance professionally, and the investment paid off. In 1969, he found work as a choreographer and dancer for the BBC’s young generation dance troupe. After proving himself as a talented choreographer, Nigel found work on various television series, including Jim Henson’s The Muppet Show.

His success in the television industry continued to grow. Nigel was awarded the position of Head of Entertainment and Comedy at London Weekend Television, where he began to work as a producer. In this position, he produced the popular shows Gladiator and Blind Date.

After working with Planet 24 as an executive producer for the UK version of the hit reality series Survivor, Nigel joined 19 Entertainment. Joining forces with creative television genius Simon Fuller proved to be a wise career move for Lythgoe.

He served as both a judge and executive producer on Popstars, a singing competition that would pave the way for other singing shows, including Pop Idol and American Idol. It was on Popstars that Nigel first earned the nickname “Nasty Nigel” for his often rude comments to contestants.

Apparently, being just a little bit nasty has worked for Lythgoe. He is now the president of 19 Entertainment. His producing efforts can be seen on the ultimate singing competition, American Idol, in which hopeful contestants face Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson each week in the hopes of becoming a superstar. The show launched the careers of many singers, including Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia Barrino, and Carrie Underwood. Nigel’s efforts on the runaway series have not gone unnoticed, and his work on the four-time Emmy winning series has earned Nigel three nominations for Television Producer of the Year.

Nigel produced American Juniors, which followed the format of American Idol but featured younger contestants, and All American Girl, which featured girls competing in the areas of athletic ability and beauty. Unfortunately, neither of these series made in past their first season on the air.

The former professional choreographer was not to be deterred by these unsuccessful efforts, however. In 2005, Nigel returned to his roots to co-create and executive produce the dancing competition So You Think You Can Dance. Nigel also serves as a judge on each episode. The other judges vary from show to show, and have included professional choreographers Mia Michaels and Mary Murphy. Following a format similar to American Idol, contestants strut their stuff in front of the judges in an attempt to advance in the competition. The ultimate prize is a car, one hundred grand in cash, and a coveted spot in Celine Dion’s Las Vegas show. Now entering its third season, the show’s combination of audience involvement, visual appeal, and diverse types of dance have won over audiences, which isn’t an easy task in a world where more reality shows seem to crop up every day.

Nigel has been married since 1971 to producer and director Bonnie Lythgoe. The couple met during Nigel’s first stint as a choreographer, and Bonnie has appeared as a guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance. Nigel and Bonnie have two sons, Simon and Kristopher.