"SYTYCD" Host Cat Deeley Talks Gaga Stage Fright: "She Was Shaking"

Cat Deeley

With her multiple Grammy wins, uber-confident stage persona, and near-complete global domination, Lady Gaga might as well be some Ziggy Stardust-like prophet from outer space. And yet the very real emotions she's shown during her live shows, in interviews and even as a recent guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance leave no doubt that the hugely-famous pop star is human just like the rest of us.

According to SYTYCD host Cat Deeley, the world's biggest celebrity also gets stage fright on occasion. This is what she told me, anyway, when I caught up with the leggy blonde at a TCA after-party in Malibu to discuss Gaga's appearance on the show. 

"I gave her an award at the [2010] Brit Awards as well," said Deeley, who has hosted SYTYCD since Season 2. "And she was so nervous, she was shaking. And I was like, 'It's ok, I've got you, it's fine.'"

Also unsurprising was Deeley's admission that of all the celebrity guest judges they've had on the show, Gaga was her undisputed favorite – though she did have a great time with AE faves Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Neil Patrick Harris as well.

"I mean, I loved Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Loved him!" she gushed. "He was amazing, I snuck into his dressing room on the day the Emmys were announced and wrote on his mirror, because he got nominated as well [Deeley was nominated for Outstanding Reality Host]. And then Neil Patrick Harris was amazing to me, because I've always had a massive crush on him… and Gaga was just icing on the cake, you know? And the best thing about it was she was so lovely to all the kids, so lovely to all the dancers. She was just amazing.

Lady Gaga on the SYTYCD judges' panel

"She kind of understands I think what these kids are going through when they're being performers," she continued. "Maybe technically… she's not the most brilliant dancer, but in terms of being a performer, she absolutely 100% gets it. And I think that's what the kids appreciated so much."

One of the most memorable moments during Gaga's judging stint followed the final routine by Sasha [Mallory] and Melanie [Moore], when the singer threw one of her giant 12-inch boots onto the stage to congratulate them on their terrific performance. Deeley recalled the moment with a smile.

"I think when she threw her shoes onto the stage, Sasha and Melanie had a heart attack," she said. "And then both of them like kept the shoes… so they've got them forever [we'll assume here that choreographer Sonya Tayeh, who received the second shoe from Gaga, later gave it to one of the dancers to keep]. So it's like one of those memories that they're always going to tell their kids and their grandkids [about]."

Though the contestants on SYTYCD obviously gain a massive career advantage from performing in front of a national TV audience every week, Deeley said that she too has seen a big boost in her public profile since the show began.

"I have a little bit more of that now, most definitely," she said when I asked how often she gets stopped on the street by fans. "I went to New York actually this week. I went to see the Alexander McQueen exhibition before it closed, and I was also doing [David] Letterman. And I went into Barney's to go grab a dress in the 20 minutes that I had before I did Letterman. And I think there was something like 15 different people who came up to me and said 'hello', and how much they love the show."

Gaga and Deeley at the 2010 Brit Awards

As for Lady Gaga, who gave one of her first big TV performances on an episode of SYTYCD in July 2008, Deeley related a telling anecdote from when the singer first showed up for her judging gig last month. Seems no matter how big she becomes, the world's biggest pop star remains thankful for the career stepping stones that helped get her to where she is.

"When I said hello to her, she was like, 'Oh my god, this was the first show that I did for my first TV, ever'," said Deeley."And [she] gave me a massive hug."

So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 airs its final two episodes this Wednesday and Thursday at 8 PM on FOX