‘Idol’ accused of weight bias; show denies claim

The show’s production company denies the allegation. Ashley Kauffman of Riverside, California, had complained to an audience coordinator that she was separated from friends who got front row seats at last Thursday’s show. Manfred Westphal, a spokesman for producer FremantleMedia North America, says the allegations are “simply untrue.” Kauffman was a guest of a Riverside high school dance troupe that has attended previous telecasts of the Fox show and received choice seats because of the group’s enthusiasm for “Idol,” Westphal said.