Britain’s Got Talent supremo Simon Cowell has defended Jennifer Lopez’s risque appearance on the show, blaming a cameraman for getting “carried away”.
Cowell, 53, was responding to criticism of J-Lo’s appearance on Tuesday’s semi-final, which saw her perform wearing a leather leotard and thigh-high boots and triggered more than 100 complaints to regulator Ofcom.
Cowell admitted the footage could have appeared shocking to viewers but insisted it wasn’t his intention to be “deliberately sleazy”.
He said: “I think the cameraman got a bit carried away. When I was watching it in the studio, I wasn’t aware of some of the close-ups. It’s kind of worse in close-up. We are aware it is a family show. We never set out to deliberately cause offence.”
Cowell’s comments came after a week of controversy for BGT.
On Thursday, Sir Bruce Forsyth called on Cowell to stop auditioning children, claiming it was unfair to place youngsters under the pressure of performing on live television.
Last night, Cowell branded the comments “ridiculous” and accused the star – who launched his own career at the London Palladium aged 14 – of double standards. “If Bruce Forsyth was sitting in front of me now, I’d ask him how old was he at his first audition? Maybe we’ll try and find some footage. The trouble is I don’t think there were cameras in those days,” he said.
“I’m used to criticism, but I always seem to get criticism from people who’ve made their career, made their money, and then start saying shows like ours shouldn’t exist. It’s kind of like, “Well I’ve made it, but other people can’t.” It’s completely hypocritical. That’s what frustrates me.”
