American Idol Explains David Archuleta's Dad's Banning From Backstage

Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - "American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe comes out to explain recent reports that contestant David Archuleta's father was banned from the backstage of the show.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the English TV mogul says that Jeff Archuleta was just asked not to participate in his 17-year-old son's choice of music or be in the room when David is rehearsing.

He says, "He's fine to be in the studio - nothing wrong with that. We just want David to be able to be free like everybody else to get on and do what they want to do."

EW then asked if the dad's sentence has anything to do with the lyric change during David's performance of "Stand By Me."

To which Lythgoe answers, "There was a lyric change that happened that was a total misunderstanding. Just another, um, step along the way of us saying, 'Okay, this is what we want to happen from now on.'"

But the producer clears that they just want all the contestants to have an equal opportunity and that they want to take some pressure away from them.

He continues, "It's like anybody appearing in front of their mom and dad. Let's just open up the pressure cook, release the pressure, and you just get on and do what you gotta do."