I've been a hardcore fan of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance since day one, when few people (at least less than now) witnessed the wonderfulness of Nick Lazzarini and Melody Lacayanga dancing their little hearts out. The original host in season one was Lauren Sanchez, who did not return for the subsequent seasons when she became preggers (did Nigel Lythgoe not like his host to have a baby bump? Who knows).
When Sanchez was replaced with Brit export Cat Deeley in season two, I found this to be the second season's biggest creative landslide, as it seemed that Deeley had a fear of live audiences. Combined with heinous outfits. And a seemingly ingrained inability to read off a teleprompter accurately. All in all, not such a fantastic host. But I let the whole thing slide, especially in the face of mind-blowing dances choreographed by Mia Michaels, and the cuteness of season 2 runner-up Travis Wall.
Yet now we're well into season four ("IV real!!"), and my love of Cat Deeley has grown over the past few seasons, so much in fact that I think she's the best host of any reality competition, in any genre, in all of TV. Why? After the jump!
It's simple really. Cat Deeley CARES (somebody put that on a button).
Never before in my long-running history of watching reality television (both good and uber-crappy), have I witnessed a host who continually is willing to put her own feelings on the line and develop personal emotions for the contestants. This can be witnessed in virtually every episode of SYTYCD. In the early episodes of each season, Deeley is continually on the front lines, consoling heartbroken potential competitors who have their dreams crushed. Too often does reality TV fail to convey that, while many of these competitors may not be talented enough to make the top 20, they still have hopes and dreams that can be crushed by the judges, sometimes a little too viciously. To have someone outside those big hotel doors, another essential member of the cast who is willing to console them genuinely, is incredible, but Deeley surely hasn't been planted there to be the foil of the judges. What she does is genuine.
Case in point, this week's elimination round, during which fan favourite Stephen "Twitch" Boss landed in the bottom two. The crushed look on his face as he turned his back and got down to both knees in sorrow, was heartbreaking. What made it uplifting though, was Deeley's instinctive move afterwards, when she immediately went to Twitch and consoled him, helping him find the courage to stand back up. has anyone else ever seen anyone do that? Tom Bergeron certainly isn't offering out free hugs to the D-Listed actors who get the boot from Dancing With the Stars.
Furthermore, Deeley is made of steel when it comes to the reactions the judges often have. When contestants are dragged through the mud by Nigel Lythgoe and screamaholic Mary Murphy, Deeley is often the first to challenge them on their opinions, often counteracting them by pointing out how previous performers had made similar mistakes, and yet would receive nothing but praise. Sometimes the judges on SYTYCD are a little too biased in their opinions, and the show needs someone like Deeley to help keep them in line. Some may say that it's all planned, but I don't believe it. Not even Meryl Streep's acting is that good.
And those shallow qualms I had when Deeley first started during SYTYCD's second season? Obliterated. Whatever nerves she may have had, obviously this woman has made herself comfortable by becoming a reality show host in a class all of her own. Some of her wardrobe choices are a little interesting, but we can blame that on the fashion department. Even the Gods of reality hosting, Survivor's Jeff Probst and American Idol's Ryan Seacrest, have been mailing it in for years. Idol has been needing a refresh for the past few years now, so why not give the boot to Millennium Dick Clark in favor of someone who's actually genuine? Suck on that, Seacrest. Deeley does it better any day of the week (mainly Wednesdays and Thursdays).
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