Nigel Lythgoe OBE is an English television and film director and producer.
He is a television dance competition judge and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer.
Lythgoe was born on July 9, 1949, in Wirral Peninsula, United Kingdom to dockworker George Percival Lythgoe and Gertrude Emily Lythgoe.
At age 10, Lythgoe became interested in dance and subsequently went to Hylton-Bromley School of Dance and Drama and the Perry Cowell School of Dance, both in Wallasey, where he studied classical ballet, modern jazz, ballroom, character, classical Greek and National dance from various countries.
Nigel Lythgoe’s first professional job was in the corps de ballet for the English National Ballet tour of The Merry Widow. He trained in London under Joanne Steuer and Molly Molloy.
In 1969, Lythgoe began performing with the BBC’s The Young Generation dance troupe. He became their choreographer in 1971 and has since choreographed over 500 television shows.
Nigel Lythgoe was the producer of the reality shows Pop Idol and American Idol.
Lythgoe is the creator and executive producer of So You Think You Can Dance, on which he served as a judge for the first sixteen seasons. He also created the 2009 competition Superstars of Dance.
He suffered a heart attack in January 2003 and nearly died from a burst appendix in October 2003.
Nigel Lythgoe is 72 years old as of 2021.