American Idol 12: Nigel Lythgoe Insists he didn’t plant Mariah/Nicki Feud Footage

The American Idol judges, Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson were ALL on their best behavior when The Hollywood Reporter’s, Shirley Halprin visited the set during Hollywood Week in December.

Both Mariah and Nicki declined to discuss the big blow out they had on set in North Carolina last October, but producer Nigel Lythgoe insists he didn’t plant the notorious item at TMZ:

It’s precisely that school of thought that prompts Idol fans, pundits and casual viewers alike to wonder whether the production itself is responsible for leaking the fight. To that, Lythgoe, who is seen in the one-minute clip trying to defuse the situation, has a laugh. “I don’t think I would’ve done it so far away from the beginning of the season,” he says. “Plus, it was about the judges and not the contestants, and I’m totally against that. So, no.”

For good measure, Lythgoe assures that, unlike Australia’s broadcast of American Idol, which is playing up the “War of the Divas” storyline (see sidebar) in a promo, he has no plans to use the footage in advance of or during the season.

Further, since everyone who works on Idol has to sign a confidentiality agreement that states in plain language that any video or audio of the show is proprietary material, an internal investigation was launched and, while the culprit never was identified, the producers came to the conclusion that it was shot from a monitor most likely by a local day hire in Charlotte, N.C. It’s a problem that persists even at Hollywood Week, where a production assistant abruptly was fired and tossed from the premises Dec. 15 for snapping a photo from the side of the stage.

Hm.

Yet? Nicki is STILL throwing shade at Mariah:

To that end, one needn’t think back all that far — to the 2012 Grammys, for instance, when Minaj presented an exorcism-themed performance of her song “Roman Holiday” after walking the red carpet wearing a fire-red cloak and accompanied by a pope lookalike, or to any of her videos — to wonder: Would Minaj have to tone down her outre look to fit the Idol mold? “I could think of at least one other person that shows more cleavage and skin than me,” jabs Minaj, clearly insulted by the insinuation and rolling her inchlong false lashes in the direction of the dressing room two doors down: Carey’s.

It’s inevitable the sparks will fly when the live shows begin. I don’t think Nicki will be able to help herself.

A couple of other notes: The judges seating was mixed up every day on the road, just to keep things interesting. Producers, Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick insist that they DON’T watch the competition, even for homework’s sake.

Read the entire article at The Hollywood Reporter

About mj santilli 34828 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!