(EUR) John Legend, a judge on ABC’s forthcoming singing competition “Duets,” was asked to comment on the addition of Britney Spears and Demi Lovato to the judging panel of their rival FOX show “The X Factor.”
And the Grammy-winning musician gave an honest answer.
“You know it’s interesting. It should be very interesting. I don’t have much to say,” he told E! News at Entertainment Weekly’s ABC Upfront party. “It’s interesting when people, you know, are judging singing competitions when they aren’t really singers.”
Needless to say, his comments struck a nerve on Twitter. ”Read my mentions today if you want some entertainment served with a side dish of crazy and a sprinkle of racism,” he tweeted.
He followed it up with another tweet which clarified, “I’ve never heard demi’s voice btw. Wasn’t referring to her.” He, however, didn’t say anything about Britney.
Fellow “Duets” judges Robin Thicke and Kelly Clarkson, meanwhile, were more diplomatic when asked about Spears and Lovato.
“Oh come on, everything Britney does, she excels at,” said Thicke. He added, “Demi is a lovely young lady, and I’m sure they’ll do nothing but make the show a lot more fun to watch.”
Clarkson said, “I’m a big fan of both of them. Both of those girls are super sweet. Obviously they are both performers so…I think that show really needs it. I don’t think everybody latched onto that show like they thought they would.”
“Duets” also features Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles as a judge. Legend was added to the lineup after Lionel Richie bowed out of the show, citing schedule conflicts. It will premiere on May 24 and will follow them searching for two singers each to serve as their duet partners.
Meanwhile, the US version of “The X Factor” tapped Britney and Demi as replacements for Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul. They’ll appear alongside original judges Simon Cowell and LA Reid in its second season which will air in fall.
