Notes from a Hollywood Insider

July 21, 2009

As I stood in line for my press pass, I knew it was going to be a star-studded night at the CBS studios in L.A.: Jerry O’Connell and Step Up 2: The Streets star Adam Sevani stood in front of me. But the real stars were definitely the “SYTYCD” crew! After watching Joshua take home the $250,000, I headed backstage to get the scoop.

 

Still reeling from her surprise $50,000 win, Katee was all about paying it forward: “I want to buy my parents a present—they’ve flown down here from Northern California every week!” Courtney was sweet as pie even though she was nursing an injured big toe. Twitch let me try on his glasses—I felt like the coolest nerd around! Plus, both Courtney and Twitch told me they’re DS subscribers!

 

I also got to chat with Debbie Allen, Mia Michaels and Nigel Lythgoe, most of whom told me they were secretly rooting for Twitch—scandalous! But everyone was buzzing about the fact that a street dancer had finally landed the “SYTYCD” crown.

 

“Everything we’ve seen on TV has been choreographed, so the dancers have never gotten to show their soul and where they come from,” Shane said. “But Twitch and Joshua represented. The street scene around the world is incredible, and they gave us a little taste of it tonight!” For Real. —Jen Jones