LAS VEGAS ? "American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said after co-hosting the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon Sunday night that he's sorry comedian Jerry Lewis didn't participate, but the organization needs to move on to ensure the fundraiser continues.
Lythgoe told The Associated Press minutes after the six-hour live broadcast ended on the east coast that he thought the 85-year-old actor would show up either during the telecast or earlier to film a taped segment of his signature song "You'll Never Walk Alone."
"I was fully expecting him to turn up at any point and join that six hours ? and I'm sorry he didn't," Lythgoe told the AP. "And hopefully another year he might. I mean, he knows that he is always welcome on the telethon. It's his baby."
An orchestra was ready to film Lewis, but he didn't come to the Las Vegas casino where the telethon was filmed, Lythgoe said..
Lewis publicist Candi Cazau declined comment when reached by the AP. Earlier, she said Lewis never agreed to any appearance ? recorded or live ? after the MDA announced in August he wouldn't take part in the show or be its chairman.
Lythgoe and co-host Jann Carl said during the show that Lewis "retired."
Lewis has not publicly said why he is no longer chairman of the MDA, or why he didn't personally appear in this year's telethon.
His absence ended a 45-year run in which he raised $1.66 billion.
The fundraiser raised $58.9 million last year, but was shortened this year from 21 1/2 hours. A full tally of donations was not expected until early Monday, after the telethon finished airing in Hawaii. The six-hour telethon aired during primetime in each market across the United States, broadcast live only in the Eastern time zone.
Lythgoe said he and other telethon hosts knew Lewis ? a man inextricably bonded to the telethon ? would be a presence even in a show that never included his voice.
"There appeared to be an elephant in the room, and it's one that you go talk about," Lythgoe said. "This guy is someone who's put this whole thing together."
Buy Lythgoe said the telethon and cause can't center around one man ? even Lewis.
"It has to continue without him and we are going to need a lot of help from everybody to ensure that it does continue," Lythgoe said. "Because Jerry, bless him, is 85 and isn't going to be around forever anyway. And the MDA and this telethon has to continue."
Lythgoe said he didn't know the details of Lewis' split with the MDA. But he said he knew Lewis was watching.
"As far as I'm aware, this was all with Jerry's blessing," he said.
___
Oskar Garcia can be reached at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia.
No comments:
Post a Comment