A rep from FOX emphasizes further that Joanna Pacitti is disqualified due to link and explains why Jamar Rogers is not chosen as replacement on 'American Idol' Top 36.
- February 17, 2009
AceShowbiz -
Finally a statement from FOX is released regarding the disqualification of Joanna Pacitti from the Top 36 of "American Idol". Offering his words is FOX reality chief Mike Darnell who emphasized that the dismissal is strictly based on the "link" that host Ryan Seacrest has mentioned earlier and not due to the professional background that Pacitti has prior the audition.
Seacrest spilled last week that the producers do not want to risk anything when they found out that Pacitti has a rather close relationship to 19Entertainment execs, Michelle Young and Roger Widynowski. Darnell confirmed this saying, "Unfortunately, it was just a perceptional problem, that there (was) just too close a connection between (Pacitti and the employees), we felt." He added, "I think it was handled correctly."
Pacitti is replaced by 26-year-old Felicia Barton who hardly had air time during the Hollywood Weeks. This prompted criticism for the choice of her on top of fan favorite Jamar Rogers. On this, Darnell explained to The Los Angeles Times, "A replacement was made as a producorial and judge choice. Simple as that. It had to be a girl, obviously. We got a lot of e-mails about Jamar. Even if we had thought to do that - I don't know that we would have - it wouldn't have been a boy."
