Idol Producer Responds To Carly Smithson Controversy

By Laura Saltman on February 15, 2008 2:12 PM

I've just got off a conference call with the Executive Producer of "American Idol," Nigel Lythgoe, who had much to say about the newly chosen Top 24.


Many of the callers wanted to know about the controversy over contestant Carly Smithson, who had a record deal with MCA when she was 18-years-old. The company spent over 2 million dollars to market her debut album, "Ultimate High" which in the end sold only a few hundred copies. Things got very heated between Nigel and several reporters over the topic.


A very defensive Nigel said, "She is not breaking any rules of the competition. I don't see the logic. The rules of the competition state you do not have a contract now. I mean goodness me if Elvis Presley came back and was out of contract and was able to participate through age then he would be in the competition. Nobody said this is an amateur competition."


So, does this mean that we could see a celebrity "American Idol" edition? Think of all the singers who have been dropped by their labels! Come to think of it, Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks were recently dropped by their labels. Maybe this means they could come and audition again. Oh wait I guess they are too old now.

Nigel seemed very disappointed that the reporters were harping on this angle and later snapped, "I don't honestly know what the angle is because all we are saying is this girl is extremely talented. It's within the rules of the competition. What's wrong with it?"


He also defended the decision to include contestants from Australia and Ireland this year:


"We have never said you have got to be U.S. citizens. You've just got to be legal to be in this country but as most of this country is from somewhere else, I can't see what the backlash is."