‘American Idol’ Judges, Producer Deny Show Is Meaner

Reuters reports Simon Cowell acknowledged to reporters there were times when he felt embarrassed by things he had said on ‘American Idol’ but that he had no regrets. “I feel more comfortable being on a show where we’re prepared to show the warts as well as the good things, because truthfully, in auditions … bad things do happen,” he said. Asked about comparing a contestant to a primate, Cowell said it was an “off-the-cuff remark. … If he’s offended, then I apologize. I might never call anyone a bush baby again.”