The Real Reason Simon's Leaving Idol: Miley Cyrus?!

(FF 0:50)

With all due respect to Ellen DeGeneres, the oft-pitchy contestants and our E! compadre Ryan Seacrest, the real reason we've all been tuning into American Idol for the past nine years is leaving tonight.

And in this finger-pointing society of ours, we need someone to blame for Simon Cowell's exit.

So, come on down...Miley Cyrus?!

Not so fast, haters. We'll let Simon explain:

"I actually remember we were on a plane one afternoon and I knew I was going to be sitting with you for six hours and at one point, I'm not exaggerating, you were listening to Miley Cyrus," he said on Seacrest's radio show this morning.

"So I'm listening to you listening to Miley Cyrus' 'Party in the U.S.A.' You know when someone's got headphones on and they sort of sing out of tune and really loud? And you played it five times in a row, and I thought then, I actually can't do this anymore."

"So really we blame Miley Cyrus?" Ryan asked.

"No, we blame you for singing Miley Cyrus...that was the turning point."

What can we say...it is a catchy tune.

Source