Category — Bonnie Lythgoe

Above is a preview for SYTYCDA from You Tube, in it you will see  Nigel Lythgoe who is a special guest judge. While he was here he gave his thoughts on SYTYCDA to TV Week (unfortunately no soft copy).  I was pretty excited to read that Mary Murphy is coming back and one of my favourite US SYTYCD choreographers Mia Michaels may visit.

TV WEEK:How did you find the Aussie dancers?

Nigel Lythgoe: To be honest, I was a little shocked on the first day because Kelley Abbey, who is a great choreographer, was doing a routine that all the dancers found really difficult. I was disappointed, to be frank. But the next day, they were terrific! they must have gone home thinking, “We were terrible” then gotten their nerves together.

TW: Do you think your presence would have been an added stress?

NL: Well, they said so, but I’m always shocked at that. People build up barriers and they’re really hard on themselves as dancers in Australia. I had to say at one point, “Stop beating yourselves up – this is not the end of the world!”

TW: Did you watch last season’s SYTYCDA?

NL: Do you think, what with being married to [judge] Bonnie, that I would have been allowed to miss it?! That goes without saying. I also met your winner, Jack. We put him in touch with Mia Michaels, who chroeographed him in LA, and they loved each other, I have to say. He’s a very, very talented boy.

TW: Will we see any of the US judges or choreographer make an appearance in season two of our show?

NL: I know they want to bring [husband and wife choreographer] Napoleon and Tabitha D’Umo down here. [Judge] Mary Murphy is coming back, and I know that Mia would love to choreograph something here too.

TW: Will you return the favour with any of our Aussie Choreographers?

NL: I very much like Kelley Abbey, but I’ll just keep my eye on the season. I’m fully invested in the dancers now, so I”ll have to watch on YouTube, I guess. I might even wipe a little tear from my eye when certain people leave the show. Your girls are superb this year  – I think they have great character, as well as being fantastic dancers. and the boys have the opportunity of growing. It’s going to be a very interesting year.

I am so confused about the whether Nigel and Bonnie Lythgoe are still together, they are sending out mixed messages.  In this article in the Herald Sun it states that Nigel is begging Bonnie to get back with him. In another article I read ( I cannot find it at the moment) Nigel said Bonnie had asked for a divorce. And in a previous post I wrote he was seen with Sophie Monk, but Bonnie was saying SYTYCDA had saved their marriage.

Anyway what ever they are doing I hope Nigel is coaching her to speak in soundbites.

Also looking at the above preview Matt Lee appears to keeping with his signature look of ill fitting headwear, however big thumbs up for Jason Coleman’s funky new hair style.

In February this year I wrote a blog that Bonnie Lythgoe and Nigel were going to reconcile. They had split after 33 years of marriage and Nigel had been doing the wild thing with plastic fantastic Priscilla Presley. I am not alleging marital infidelity.

I thought this had all gone pear shaped when it was revealed he may have been having a dalliance with Sophie Monk..

However in interview today in Sydney Confidential (sorry at this stage I cannot find the link) Bonnie Lythgoe is again saying by appearing on So You Think You Can Dance Australia she has saved her marriage.

She said ” Without question I have found myself….. that is what I needed to do because when you have such a high profile husband you work so hard in you own right but can be left behind in the shadows,” Lythgoe told TV editor Erin Mc Whirter.

-Now I am my own person again, that has helped [our relationship].”

“It’s great for Nigel because I am not whining or moaning any more. If I don’t agree I say so. I have found my voice again.”

Nigel is in Australia to see his family who live on the Gold Coast, and also to hold a reunion of sorts with his wife. He will also record a guest spot on the local dance show.

“He is a very big part of my life and always will be” she said. “Nigel is in Australia at the moment and I am seeing him tomorrow. It will be a great moment and I can’t wait to work with him again, because we work well together.”

Nothing in what she was saying indicates they are back together, but I get the feeling she would like them to be. Maybe Nigel his happy to keep things this way as he may not want to divorce her as there would be a significant property settlement.

Sydney auditions are at the Overseas Passenger Terminal this weekend.

The Bitching From Make Me A Supermodel Continues – Keep It Coming Girls.
Sheridan Seekamp who was eliminated last night Make Me Supermodel decided to give a last swipe at Kassie.

She said “Luke had a crack but I wasn’t interested…. I thinks that’s why Kassie hated me so much.”

Does she mean Kassie hated her because she rejected Luke, Kassie’s own paramour or that Kassie hated her because Luke had shown interest in her?

Am I going to spend anymore time thinking about it? NO.

Is Ruby Rose the female equivalent of Shane Warne?
Actually I don’t think so. But the mainstream media thinks that if she is hanging out with a girl she must be sleeping with the – because really every girl now has been brainwashed by that Kate Perry song.

The latest rumour involves third place getter from Australia’s Next Top Model Samantha Downie when they turn up to the Rolling Stone Party together. Of course Sam has form due to her kiss with Leiden Kronemberger on the show.

Anyway it is all bollocks Sam has a boyfriend in Melbourne, though for how much longer is unclear as an agent from Milan has shown interest in the photogenic Samantha.

Syd Confidential has the full story.

Natalie Bassingthwaite To Launch Solo Album in November.
So You Think You Can Dance Australia host Natalie Bassingthwaite will be juggling her SYTYCD duties with promoting her new solo album.

Apparently going solo was harder then she thought it would be.

Auditions for the show are currently occurring around Australia. Details here. Apparently Bonnie Lythgoe will be on the judging panel again this year. Is this part of her divorce settlement?

Micheal Johns From American Idol Media Clips Whilst In Australia.
Considering this years season of American Idol was only shown on Fox 8, Michael Johns appears to have plenty of fans here.

His fan site Michael Johns Online/ has clips from Kerry Ann Kennerley and his performance on the Sunrise program.

He is hotter then any of the male contestants we have on this years Idol. Apologies to the eight year old Tom Williams fans.

Greatest Conspiracy Blog Ever on SYTYCD.
Marndizz Goss Blog has this great theory on how So You Think You Can Dance was a scam. Now I am a conspiracy theorist but this person beats me hands down.

Her theory which goes into some detail, says the she did not even think the final was live, as there were no public tickets available, which is unusual for those type of show.

She also raises how the routine prior to the announcement of the winner was the one between Jack and Rhys, and how the girls had not had a similar dance together. I have to pay that.

Anthony Ikin Tore Shoulder Muscle – So Had An Excuse For Bad Disco Routine In Finale

It was reported yesterday that Anthony Ikin tore his shoulder muscle right at the start of Laura and his disco routine. Which would explain a lot as it looked pretty shoddy. Poor bugger as Laura is probably the biggest (tallest) girl in the competition to lift. Her part of the routine was not to good, but then she was probably wondering if she was going to get dropped doing the lifts.

Nigel Lythgoe told Bonnie Lythgoe Not To Dance In Group Dance at the Finale.

Now this was a spurious rumour that was posted by a reader on http://www.bloggingsytycd.blogspot.com/. It said that Nigel told Bonnie not to dance in the routine as she would make a fool of herself. Nice to know that even after their separation he is still trying to reduce her self esteem.

Interview with Rhys here

Interview with Jack Chambers here he states the person he would turn straight for would be Beyonce – I cannot get that image out of my head, she would squash him.

Interview with Demi here and one with Kate here.

So You Think You Can Dance – Jason Gilkison to replace Bonnie tonight.
The SYTYCD panel will be without Bonnie Lythgoe tonight as she has a family commitment to attend to.

Her replacement will be Jason Gilkison. It will be interesting to see what another person has to say. Also I hope this means he does the group number for Monday night’s elimination show.

Rob Mills Former Australian Idol Contestant Has Scored a Lead Role in Wicked.
Wicked now has two former Australian Idol contestants in the cast. Rob Mills will play the lead male role Fiyero.

Anthony Callea will also be playing a taller then usual munchkin. The show opens in Melbourne in July.

Project Runway Style guru Tim Gunn May be Here for The Logies.
The organisers of the Logies have stopped shipping in D grade American TV stars, and are now trying to get US reality TV stars. In my opinion this is a definite step up on the TV food chain.

US Project Runway style guru Tim Gunn is going to try and “make it work” so he can visit Australia as a special guest for the TV Week Logie Awards.

Unfortunately he probably won’t be commentating on the red carpet.

If the timing was right he could have a guest appearance on the Australian version of the show as it starts filiming in Melbourne at that time.

The show to be hosted by Kristy Hinze, still has not locked in the judging panel.

Auditions are still ongoing . Lining up for their chance in Sydney were Aung Thu Ya and Emily Hubble.

The Melbourne Herald Sun has a very revealing article with Bonnie Lythgoe, judge from So You Think You Can Dance Australia highlighting why her marriage to Nigel Lythgoe fell apart.

If she is hoping for a reconciliation (which I thought was on the cards) she may have wanted to be a bit more circumspect.

Some quotes from the article:

• Lythgoe says Nigel liked being the leader and so her career always came
  second to his. “˜”˜He’s denied me a lot of roles and … it saddens me, because
  I’m so supportive of him and just wanted him to give me that same support back
  and he didn’t,” she says.
• Lythgoe says her husband didn’t seem to want her to
  be on the SYTYCD judging panel and would cut her off mid-sentence, leaving her
  feeling insecure and full of self-doubt.
• “˜”˜The good thing with Nigel is that he can do a show with me and at the end of the day he can walk away and forget about it,” she says. “˜”˜I couldn’t. I was taking it home with me and I was getting more and more upset and more and more frustrated.”
• Lythgoe says Nigel’s growing fame made their rift worse.
• “˜”˜I need somebody to put their arms around me and love me just for me,” she says. “˜”˜We all need to be told that we’re loved and Nigel kind of didn’t have the time. Though I knew he loved me, he didn’t have the time for me. “˜
• “˜We used to go out for dinner, and I’m a real romantic, some candles and a nice glass of wine mean everything to me. Nigel’s on the phone half the night making this person feel OK or that person feel OK. Well what about me? I want to feel OK too. It was a problem for me.
• “˜”˜Sometimes I’d be on his arm and I felt like Mrs Cellophane. They’d look right through me. I was just nobody.”
• Lythgoe says it was only after she found independent success as a judge on the UK series E4 School of Performing Arts that she felt confident enough to work on SYTYCDA.
• “˜”˜I’d been knocked down so much by Nigel that I got to the stage where I thought I was probably not very good,” she says.”So I did this E4 series and I just grew and grew and felt so comfortable. It gave me the most amazing confidence.”
• Lythgoe now hopes that her success on SYTYCDA may help to reunite her with her husband.

Full article here

I like her honesty, but I am not sure what Nigel would think if he read the article.

Bonnie Lythgoe a judge in So You Think You Can Dance Australia said in an article in the Sunday Telegraph, that her and her separated husband Nigel Lythgoe, the popular judge from the US version of the show may be reconciling.

Earlier this year they had separated after 33 years of marriage, and Nigel had even been seeing the Priscilla Presley, who I think looks like a Stepford Wife with all the surgery she has had.

Bonnie said she remained optimistic about their future together.
“I needed a new challenge and to not just be in Nigel’s shadow all the time,” Bonnie said.

“It was always the question on So You Think You Can Dance in America: is she doing it because she’s good or because she’s married to Nigel?”

Lythgoe denied she had left the US series – on which she worked as an audition judge and producer – as a result of the pair’s separation. “We get on pretty well and always worked well together.”

“Part of the reason we’ve gone our own ways is work commitments. He’s so involved with America, there was just not enough time for us and that was the problem.

“To be honest, me being out here has done us the world of good. He’s ringing me every day and it’s kind of knitted us back together.”

Well I hope it works out for them as they both seem like nice people.

Another newspaper appears to picked up the story so here is the link.

Expect to see masses of hype this week to coincide with the start of the Australian series of So You Think You Can Dance.

The Guide in the SMH are first to kick it off this week. The article states Channel Ten have indicated they will stay pretty faithful to the US format.

“We felt it was worth a punt,” says Ten’s head of programming, David Mott. “Actually, another network had the format but let it lapse. Maybe that was for a good reason, as I think that was the network that went with Dancing With The Stars. But we thought maybe there was something in it.
“The overseas version rated about a million for us. So we engaged Fremantle Media, because of the great job they’ve done with Idol, and we’ve stayed pretty faithful to the format.”

Another interesting tidbit from the article was that another TV channel had had rights to the show but did not use them. The elude that it was Channel 7 who concentrated on their high rating Dancing With the Stars.

Also they state that Bonnie Lythgoe won’t play the hanging judge like her (?ex) husband Nigel Lythgoe does in the US. That role will go to the Jason Coleman, who has had a host of choreography experience.

Also they have been surprised at the dancing depth Australia has produced. So it should be a great series.

Just as I was pontificating when the Oz So You Think You Can Dance promotion machine would commence to try and push the American Idol media hogging out of the way – The Age has published an interview with Bonnie Lythgoe who is currently have a holiday in Thailand. Bonnie is one of the three judges on the up coming Australian version of So You Think You Can Dance.

A couple of interesting things she said:
1. The quality of dancing is good, and she thinks the Australian top 20 would give the US top 20 a run for their money.

2. Lythgoe has noticed a distinct difference in presentation between the US and Australian contenders. She said:

“The Americans are very forceful and really love themselves, and good or bad they will try and make you believe that you love them. Australians hold back. They’re not sure if they’re good enough as dancers and they’re very sensitive, and sometimes I have to push them. But they are hungry. It’s very refreshing to see your kind of dancers that are down-to-earth and honest and want it very badly.”

In other So You think You Can Dance News ebroadcast has biographies of the judges and the choreographers . It is a good article to whet the appetite with just over a week to go to showtime!

So You Think You Can Dance will commence on Sunday 3 February at 7.30pm