Case of the Ferguson Seat-Fillers

A rep from the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson has finally responded to allegations that its February 23 show, an audience-less chat with Stephen Fry, was a cost-cutting measure taken since the show normally pays for audience members. The rep confirmed that the show sometimes pays $20/seat to a studio-recruitment service "like many other television shows taped in front of an audience daily" but "any inference that we would tape a show without an audience to save $200 at most is laughable." [InsideTV]