‘Idol’ Producer Tries To Explain Simon Cowell’s Eye Roll

Nigel Lythgoe, Executive Producer of ‘American Idol’ tells The Drudge Report that Simon Cowell was not reacting to Chris Richardson last night when the judge rolled his eyes after Virginia native Chris Richardson made comments about the Virginia Tech shootings following his performance. “This is a sad time for everyone, so it is especially disheartening that a quick camera cutaway could have been misinterpreted,” Lythgoe explained. “We’re sorry for any grief caused by this misunderstanding, but Simon was not reacting to Chris at that point. He had turned to speak to Paula and didn’t actually hear Chris’ final comments. Everyone at ‘American Idol’ feels compassion for those affected by this tragedy. We opened the show with those thoughts and Simon later expressed sincere condolences on behalf of the judges, recognizing the challenges we all face in dealing with this horrible event.”