Lloyd Webber: 'Spacey apologised'

Lloyd Webber said he only does the show "for the kids"

Lord Lloyd Webber has said that Kevin Spacey called to apologise over comments he made about BBC talent shows like I'd Do Anything.

Spacey had previously criticised the reality shows as a "13-week promotion for a musical."

Lloyd Webber is currently on the judging panel for I'd Do Anything which sees hopefuls compete for a role in the musical version of Oliver Twist.

He said: "It's all nonsense because I have nothing to do with Oliver at all."

He added: "I mean Cameron Macintosh, not only does he produce it but he also owns the book, music and lyrics.

'Crossing the line'

"Yes it's going into The Theatre Royal Drury Lane, which is one of my theatres - but in order to allow it to go into the theatre.

"Nobody has mentioned that I have been denied my own theatre for my new Phantom of the opera."

Spacey is artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London and had previously said he thought the BBC's talent shows were "crossing the line" and "unfair".

Spacey has called for the BBC to focus more on plays

He suggested the corporation could broadcast a series about the theatre instead "to help kids find their own sense of self-esteem, confidence and ability to collaborate".

But Lloyd Webber said the actor's comments weren't aimed at him.

He said of Spacey: "He didn't actually mention my name. I know he was only talking about the shows in a generic way.

'The buzz'

"He was really saying why can't we have a programme about plays on BBC One."

TV presenter Graham Norton, who currently hosts I'd Do Anything, had previously jumped to the programme's defence.

In previous show's How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and Any Dream Will Do, actors competed to star in Lloyd Webber's productions of The Sound of Music and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

He said: "I get a bit annoyed because I do the programme because I love doing it for the kids, that's the buzz that I get out of it."